Buzzy, Von and I had this same conversation the day after the quarterly conference call. I agree with you that it is probably the EasyLDI device. The inventory they acquired would probably be obsolete because they would want to include in the devices the ability to interface with their towers and digital recording/anlaysis software. I believe they are building an interfacing ecosystem. It makes a good case to have the Doppler technology which is non-invasive but limited to the surface and maybe a few cell layers down, to be used in emergency rooms, and wound healing clinics, even ambulances, where no special medical certification is required and can be used as a first line of indication. If there is indication at the surface that insufficient blood perfusion is occurring, then they can use the deeper IG technology to probe the root cause. I would put in a handshake chip that would prevent knockoffs from competitors similar to the method ISRG uses for their instruments and machines. If my memory serves me they paid around $4.5 million for the EasyLDI technology patents and hardware. Probably that would translate to $2.5-3.5 million in write-offs.
Rick also mentioned that they were progressing with a new roll out in the second half of 2017. That also fits with the above hypothesis.
GSA