SonoSite, a Bothell, Wash.-based developer of hand-carried ultrasound devices, has acquired LumenVu, a privately held, development-stage company based in Philadelphia. LumenVu has developed a patented technology to improve the accuracy of catheter placement.

LumenVu’s technology will provide a way to track the tip of the catheter as it advances through a vessel to ensure that it is placed in the right location, potentially eliminating the need to confirm the location with x-ray or fluoroscopy, SonoSite said.

According to SonoSite, the acquisition will strengthen its position in the vascular access market as well as add a recurring revenue stream via the disposable catheter guidance device. SonoSite expects to introduce products based on this technology in late 2008.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed and the transaction is not expected to have a material effect on SonoSite’s 2007 financial results, the company said.