Imperium, Inc. Receives Frost & Sullivan 2010 Global New Product Innovation of the Year Award for Ultrasonic Inspection Equipment

Imperium's Acoustocam i600 handheld Ultrasound Imaging Camera for non-destructive testing receives prestigious award

BELTSVILLE, Md., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Imperium, Inc., the sole developer and manufacturer of ultrasound imaging cameras for Non-Destructive Inspection ("NDI") announced today the company has received the prestigious 2010 Global New Product Innovation of the Year Award in the Ultrasonic Inspection Equipment Market from global research firm, Frost & Sullivan. The Technology Leadership Award is recognition of Imperium's accomplishments in the World Ultrasonic Inspection Equipment Market.  

"Our company is incredibly proud to receive this prestigious new product award from Frost & Sullivan," said Bob Lasser, President & CEO of Imperium, Inc.  "We have worked hard to perfect the Acoustocam i600 into a powerful technology that can be used for immediate and accurate results for research, testing, inspection, maintenance – and many other applications.  This Award validates our technology for widespread NDT use."

Imperium's i600 Acoustocam generates real time C-scan video images of subsurface defects. The output provides similar information to much more complex legacy systems, but with strikingly clear images. Frost and Sullivan chose the i600 Acoustocam because of its ease of use, portability, and broad application set in the market. Current systems require extensive training and skill, much of which is alleviated with the new device. The i600 is built with Imperium's patented Digital Acoustic Video™, or DAV™ technology which represents a vast improvement over current ultrasound techniques. The DAV™ powered Acoustocam produces images that remove the uncertainty typically associated with conventional B-scan ultrasound thereby improving the performance of the system.

"The capability of the i600 Acoustocam perfectly meets the NDT test requirements throughout the complete lifecycle of a product," said Sivakumar Narayanaswamy, Industry Analyst for the Measurement & Instrumentation Division of Frost & Sullivan. "Composites materials are increasingly being used across several industrial applications – such as the petrochemical and wind-energy industry. In wind turbines, the blades are made of composite material as they provide enhanced performance." For the New Product Innovation Award, the following criteria were used to benchmark Imperium's performance against key competitors:

• Innovative Element of the Product
• Leverage Leading Edge Technologies in Product
• Value Added Features/Benefits
• Increased Customer ROI
• Customer Acquisition/Penetration Potential

The non destructive testing (NDT) market's traditional end users such as petrochemical, nuclear, automotive, transportation, aerospace & defense require ultrasonic scanners in the field for inspecting the test object in order to ensure safety. Portability becomes a key issue as the scanners are usually bulky, thereby restricting mobility.  

With government and provide funding, Imperium has invested about $15 million for the development of the portable system. Also, it collaborates with universities for product development.

About Frost & Sullivan

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About Imperium, Inc.

Imperium, Inc. is a privately-held Maryland "C" corporation that develops and manufactures advanced ultrasound imaging systems. Dr. Marvin E. Lasser, the former chief scientist of the US Army and director of research for Ford (Philco Division) founded the company in 1996. Imperium sells its products through direct and indirect sales channels, and through flagship OEM partners in different industries. Applications of the technology can be found in industrial, medical, sub sea, and biometric settings. The technology is protected by several granted and pending patents. www.imperiuminc.com

SOURCE Imperium, Inc.