Ultrasound Machine Reviews, news, and advice

Find my Ultrasound Reviews and Training Videos at Probo Medical

Looking for Brian Gill's Ultrasound Reviews? All of my latest reviews and ultrasound training videos are now hosted with my employer Probo Medical, where one of my key jobs is to evaluate and compare ultrasound equipment, as well as advise our sales staff on the best equipment for the price.

My Reviews can be found on the Probo Medical Blog. There, you can find more than 150 training videos and reviews of many different ultrasound machines.

Please check out all my latest stuff there. I've been very busy over the past 6 years at Providian providing more frequent content on the latest ultrasound machines.

Thanks!

-Brian Gill

What are the Best Portable Ultrasound Machines? A Little Help For My Friends

Unfortunately I don't have time to write reviews for all the ultrasounds that pass my desk, and I realize that it's likely that you're here for one reason: you want help with a tough and expensive purchase.

For example, here is BY FAR, the most common email I get:

"Dear Brian, I am an XXXXX and I am considering XXXX machine. Do you think I'm choosing the right machine or am I way off-track and should choose something else?"

Does this sound like you? You're not alone. So I've built a free solution for you. It's easy for me to update and easy for you to view.

It's a list of the Top Portable Ultrasound Machines for sale. It includes systems from the usual suspects: GE, Acuson, and SonoSite, but also some surprises like those from SIUI and and SonoScape that I haven't mentioned yet. Sorry Philips, I don't think you'll make this list until you make something that's reasonably priced.

I'll update this list of my reviews on best portable ultrasounds and it will have the latest and greatest based on what I've seen and what customers say about what they've purchased. GE and SonoSite have really done a great job in the market, but some new competitors have introduced incredible price/performance that I can't resist putting on the list.

Stay tuned as I build them for other modalities and applications. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and if you have any suggestions for other modalities!

Thanks!
-Brian

Related articles

SonoSite M-Turbo Portable Ultrasound Review

Do It Yourself, easy ultrasound optimization quick tip

Mindray M7 Portable Ultrasound Review and Video

Mindray M7 Portable Ultrasound Review and Video

A look at the popular high-end portable ultrasound product from Mindray

This is a beautiful machine. I cover a lot of the features in the video, including its 4D imaging capabilities, but this portable ultrasound machine really hits the mark. On par with the SonoSite M-Turbo/Edge products and some of the Vivid lines from GE, the price/performance of this system is extremely hard to beat.

The Market for the M7

While this product has been very popular for use of orthopedics, MSK, needle guided injections, anesthesiology, veins, vascular and other such emerging markets, this system really does a nice job as a full shared-service system. It has very capable cardiac capabilities (unlike the M5), 4D obstetric imaging and provides great imaging for abdominal, OB, GYN, endocrinology, etc. It is the first portable Mindray has released that provides great imaging for all modalities. A note: Stress Echo is not yet an option on this system. For that, you should still consider the GE Vivid i or GE Vivid e.UPDATE JULY 2012: The Mindray M7 now has integrated Stress Echo, TEE transesophegeal capabilities, "Extra Edge" for nerve imaging, and iNeedle needle visualization enhancement technology for needle-guided ultrasound.

Ideally, this system is fantastic for those running a mobile ultrasound business. Because of its strengths in so many areas, you can cover a wide range of clients with the same machine. Some who don't need 4D or cardiac choose the M5, MicroMaxx, or Logiq e to meet a budget demand. But established businesses that need the extra capabilities find it to meet all their needs (budget, image quality, portability, durability).

Also popular is the vein and musculoskeletal market. I have some images of the tendons in my hand on this video, and its

Very Important Note about the Video Review

All the images are done by me on my own body. My job is to recommend and sell ultrasound equipment. My customer base is typically made up of small offices who are looking to introduce ultrasound or upgrade their current system.

I am an expert on comparing these systems and I have a vast library of images from a great variety of ultrasound machines. I can TRULY compare images side-by-side with the same "technician" and "model", which allows me to make the best recommendation for their needs.

Additionally, in order to test and take images of these systems, I have to learn how to use them. When people purchase the system, I also offer free phone support to get them through those first scary months of using the ultrasound machine.

So when you view my videos, note that these images are done by the same person on the same body or phantom (except the 4D images of a live baby, of course). They're done by me, who has used the ultrasound and can actually tell you the benefits of each system and sell you the system that best fits your budget and needs.

Things I Overlooked...

This video has been in the works for way too long and I decided just to put it up there. I've got a lot in the queue but haven't had time to complete them all. (Sorry to say the intro skits are taking a backseat to the content.)

The video covers a lot of the features of the M7, but something I didn't actually state is its imaging for needle guidance. I have a few images included and you can SEE how good it is, but I don't discuss them well... There are images here where I use a phantom to show how a needle really "lights up" whether it's an echogenic needle or a standard needle. I use 20-22G needles and all appear clearly with excellent imaging of the needle tip. It is definitely superior to the M5 and other such systems...

A correction on the video: I mention the Logiq portables from GE, what I MEANT to say are the Vivid products from GE. The Logiq e and Logiq i are more in competition with the SonoSite MicroMaxx and Mindray M5 portable systems.

4D Imaging on the Mindray M7

This is not really a competitor to the Voluson i. While the 4D images I have seen are good, it's not going to match the Voluson i. If you're running a business where you'll offer some 4D imaging as something on the side, this will definitely work for you. If you're main focus is 4D... then you should probably consider the Voluson i.

The M7 has been a big hit with those using it and I've heard many stories of its success with side-by-side comparisons with similar products from Philips, GE, and SonoSite. Again, the price point is what wins the day for the Mindray M7.

Where to Buy One

If you want one or you're not sure if this or something else fits your needs... that's what I do for a living. You can email me at [email protected], visit the GPS Medical website at http://www.gpsmed.com or call me at 866-347-7633

Brian Gill, President, GPS Medical, Inc.

Mindray M7 Portable Ultrasound Video Review:

vein ultrasound,needle guide ultrasound,pain management ultrasound,Mindray Ultrasound,Mindray M7 Ultrasound,Portable Ultrasound,Hand carried ultrasound,Ultrasound machine,ultrasound review,best portable ultrasound,buy ultrasound,diagnostic ultrsaound

Voluson i On Sale Now

We have a GE Voluson i, recent software version with mobile cart, 4D transducer, and printer available to first available buyer. Great price with BT09 software! Call us at 866-347-7633. Probably gone by April 2, 2012. See the video review of the Voluson i here: Voluson i Review

 

4D ultrasound,Voluson i,GE Voluson,GE Volusion,portable ultrasound,portable 4D ultrasound

Do It Yourself, easy ultrasound optimization quick tip

 

Ultrasound Quick-Tip: DIY Image Optimization Tip

Calibrating your monitor is the most overlooked, simple way to optimize an image. It's easy. Here's how.

I've travelled sea-to-shining sea here performing ultrasound applications training and various service calls. It seems that on nearly every visit, I find that the customer's monitor has not been calibrated to their room.

If you don't have a properly calibrabrated ultrasound monitor, you are not seeing the whole picture. Literally. And the problem is that most people don't know it's needed nor how to do it. In this article, I'll show you how.

But Brian, shouldn't it already be calibrated by company who sold it to me?

No. A monitor can only be calibrated properly when it's set in the room in which the scanning will be performed. A bright room will have different calibration results than a dark room.The shop from which it came was probably tested in a bright room, which is typically not the type of environment it will ultimately be used. It's important to note that the last step in the testing process at a factory, distributor, or refurbishing shop may be to turn up the brightness and contrast for various system diagnostics. They don't always turn it down. Regardless, systems aren't tested in dark rooms typically. The brightness is almost always too high.

Why is it important? My images are fine.

Because you may be missing data or seeing too much data. When it's not calibrated bright enough... you lose the low-end spectrum in the greyscale, which means small details are missing from your image. And if it's too bright, strong echos will appear very bright and may over-represent what you're really seeing.

How much does it cost? I'm not technical

It shouldn't cost you a cent. I've outlined the instructions below and isn't terribly complicated.

 

How to calibrate your ultrasound monitor

It's not too hard. I have some questions for you to answer along the way, but the final steps aren't too difficult.

1. Is it CRT or LCD?

There are different processes for LCD and CRT monitors. When I use the term LCD, I am referring to the modern-looking Flat-Panel monitors. CRT's are the old-style monitors that looks like a traditional TV. Take note of which one you have.

2. Set the lighting in the room

Adjust the lighting in the scan room to how it will be during typical ultrasound procedures.

3. Keep the monitor on for at least 30 minutes (CRT and LCD)

You're looking to replicate the environment in which it's most typically used.

4. Set a basic default imaging mode

Any of the basic defaults such as general abdominal, OB, Carotid, or adult cardiac should be fine.

5. Check for on-board ultrasound monitor calibration tools

Your ultrasound may have tools to guide you through the process. To find out, check your user manual. If you don't have a manual available, user manuals can be found on your system by pressing F1 on the keyboard or look on the keyboard for a question mark or Help button. If you have neither, most ultrasound systems have a Utility, Setup, Config, System, or Options button/menu. Press the button and look for a System Tools, Service, or similar button. Within this, you can often find a monitor calibration menu. If you can't find it, or your machine is from before the early 2000s, you may not have it. Check your user manual. I have an extensive library of ultrasound user manuals, so you could also contact me and I can let you know if there are on-board calibration tools on your ultrasound system. [email protected]

Often the tools are awful. If you can, get the gray levels correct and don't worry too much about the color.

6. No calibration tools or the tool was confusing

If you found the calibration tool to be complex, you're not alone. I find them cumbersome on some systems. Time to move on to the next step.

7. Find the contrast/brightness settings on your monitor

These are found in many places. Some LCD ultrasound monitors don't have a contrast adjustment on them. Regardless, on most CRT and LCD monitors, the contrast/brightness adjustments are on the front of the monitor, below the main screen. They can also be found on the right-or-left side of the monitor. For some portable/laptop systems, they may be hidden in some menu within the software. Check the user manual if they're not visible.

8. Adjust the contrast

Turn the contrast adjustment to 100%. If distortion occurs, scale it back to the point where the image does not appear distorted.This will vary from machine-to-machine. Some LCD monitors may have contrast settings at 30%-50%, but most CRT's are 90%-100%. SOME LCD ULTRASOUND MONITORS DO NOT HAVE A CONTRAST SETTING.

9. Find the greyscale bar on the monitor

It looks like this:

10. Adjust the Brightness

Brightness is a misnomer, you're actually adjusting black levels, not the white levels. Sorry, I'm a nerd and for some reason I think it's important for people to know this. Regardless:

• Crank up the brightness to 100% (or its highest setting)
• Note the position of the bottom of the grayscale bar.
• Turn the brightness down to 0 (or its lowest setting).
• With the grayscale at its lowest setting, look to the spot where the bottom grayscale bar previously appeared.
• Slowly increase the brightness... you'll the white bars will slowly creep down as you make adjustments.
• When you see the last portion of that gray bar appear, turn it back down until it's no longer visible.
• Make minor adjustments so that the lowest bar is Not Visible, while the bar above it is Barely Visible.

11. Congratulations, you're done. Now, write down the settings!

Write down the location of the system, the date, and the final settings you created. Tape it to the side or back of the monitor. I've seen situations where people make pen marks on it or tape them down so people don't accidentally mess them up. If you're going to draw on your monitor, I recommend using scotch tape to make the marks. You'll stay out of trouble that way.

That's it, a few simple steps to make sure you're seeing the Whole Picture. You'll be able to see new things, and make better diagnosis with these simple steps.

As always, feel free to drop a comment or email me with your questions! If you seek other ultrasound quick tips, please let me know and I'll post them here. [email protected]

Til next time,

Brian Gill

President, GPS Medical Inc.

866-347-7633

 

diagnostic ultrasound,ultrasound quick tip,ultrasound optimization,ultrasound image improvement,best ultrasound image,ultrasound advice,ultrasound help

SonoSite M-Turbo Portable Ultrasound Review

SonoSite M-Turbo Video Review

A look at the popular M-Turbo, its market, and overall use and functionality

At first, I can't say I loved the M-Turbo. However, the more I used the system I found how much I really liked it. The image quality is outstanding, and like its siblings SonoSite MicroMaxx and SonoSite Titan, it's very easy to use. This video review of the M-Turbo covers its strengths and weaknesses. Key strengths are its image quality, durability and ease-of-use. Its simplified user-interface makes it ideal for physicians who use an ultrasound as a tool for a quick diagnosis or to provide guidance for a procedure.

Nearly all the M-Turbo systems that I sell go to a physician. Typically these physicians are in an orthopedic, anesthesia, or pain management field. It is a good upgrade to the SonoSite MicroMaxx, however, the M-Turbo's price can be a bit out-of-reach for smaller offices. In such a case, the MicroMaxx is an excellent solution, as well as other systems such as the Mindray M5. Give me a call to find out which is best for your particular situation 866-347-7633.

At the time of this writing, SonoSite was just purchased by FujiFilm. So who knows what to expect in 2012 and beyond for SonoSite's products. I would expect to see more of the same with developments for these products. I have no concerns about warranties or support for the M-Turbo or other SonoSite ultrasounds.

We sell a lot of these units and there are plenty on the market for parts and service to be available for at least 10 years. Yes, 10 years. We still service systems from the late 1980's! Additionally, these products have been so popular that the market will continue to see more refurbished/used SonoSite ultrasound systems, which also means that prices will drop as more hit the market and newer systems are released. Enjoy the video, leave me a comment if you have questions or just tell me what you think and what else you'd like to see here.

Thanks,
Brian

SonoSite MicroMaxx: Portable Ultrasound Video Review

A look at a great (or not-so-great) portable ultrasound machine

A quick personal note: this video was originally dedicated to an Emergency Room Physician. Last month, he purchased a MicroMaxx from me and had a request. I wanted to honor that request by dedicating a portion of this video to him... however, I cut the actual dedication. The dedication, or tribute, was the result of his suggestions for my "next video review."

He said he wants more explosions.

The problem? It has nothing to do with the review... but more importantly it was taking a lot of time... Rest assured to the many who have requested for more explosions, I will get an extended version out that will include a final cut of some sort of explosion and a special surprise for the ER physician.

 

A Brief summary of the MicroMaxx ultrasound review...

This ultrasound review covers the MicroMaxx, and what type of physician should buy it, such as an Emergency Department physician or anesthesiologist. Some will love it. Others... well... they will appreciate its durability when they throw it down and stomp on it. The MicroMaxx is best for specific markets... and that may not include you... I speak particularly from its usability factor. I put some visual examples in the video, and you'll see that work habits and overall techno-phobic tendencies are key factors in deciding on the MicroMaxx.

What's not included in the video? Some of the more minor frustrations I've had with it. The way it does cine loops and various other settings can be quite annoying at first... but that's certainly not a unique trait. There are ways to make changes to some quirks, but others are uneditible (annoying).  With this in mind, the trade-off is that you get a lot of unique benefits that are a lifesaver to some situations... including techno-phobic doctors. 

 

 

Over the years, I've had a lot of happy MicroMaxx customers... but that's because their environment and work-habits. When the environment is right, this thing is fantastic. But this is one of those machines that you really don't want to make a mistake in buying.

Call, email or leave a comment here if you'd like to talk.

Thanks,

Brian Gill, [email protected]
President, GPS Medical, Inc.
866-347-7633
www.gpsmed.com

Portable Ultrasound Machine,ultrasound video review,SonoSite,MicroMaxx,Hand carried ultrasound,needle guided ultrasound,MSK ultrasound,anesthesia ultrasound,vascular ultrasound,venous ultrasound,Emergency ultrasound,FAST ultrasound

Voluson i Review: Portable 4D ultrasound Video Review

I really like the Voluson i, it's been the only player in the market for portable 4D ultrasound machines. However, some new players are coming out and I'll put some reviews of them in the next few months as I've had time to see them in action.

This video outlines some of the highs and lows of the system...I've always disliked the user interface and I may address it in a different video. There are quite a few things about it, but those limitations can be overcome after a few weeks of use. The 4D imaging is provides is enough to balance the good with the bad. Plus, all the customers who buy their system from us at GPS Medical get a free training DVD on the Voluson i. It provides a full overview of the system.

In the following video, I've included 4D images as well as MSK (musculoskeletal), vascular, podiatric, and thyroid images. Remember that these are images that I did myself, sitting at my desk while testing these machines or doing training videos. These are not clinical images from the manufacturer. 4D images are done on a baby phantom, however. Last I checked, I'm not pregnant.

Enjoy,
Brian Gill
President, GPS Medical, Inc.
866-347-7633  http://www.gpsmed.com

 

Mindray DC-7 Ultrasound Review: Best Bang for your Buck

Mindray DC-7 Ultrasound Review

Excellent in the Price/Performance category for a console (cart-based) ultrasound

Customers have really enjoyed the Mindray DC-7 and this video helps give you an idea of why. This console-based system exemplifies Mindray's upgraded technology and in-depth, high-tech architecture and software that shows it can compete with its cousins from GE and Siemens.

Our customer reviews have only been positive, with responses such as "excellent" and "perfect". Frankly, it's the price and that they are shocked at the image quality and professional high-tech look of the system. Particularly in the Phlebology, venous, and MSK categories. Here's our Review:

 

Questions or interested in purchasing a Mindray ultrasound system? email me at [email protected] or call at 866-347-7633.

Thanks!

Brian Gill, GPS Medical, Inc.

Updated Review: Mindray M5 with newest Revision s/w

I've updated the Mindray M5 video with some new images that better demonstrate IP (Image Procesing), iClear, and iBeam... as well as demonstrating the latest software revision.

Disclaimer: These are not created in a clinical setting... I scanned myself in these images with a probe in one hand while the other adjusted imaging controls...so for those who ask "can I get images like you have in your video?"... the answer is a resounding YES. The idea is to provide you with real-world images rather than the unlikely images you'll find in standard marketing materials.

For best results, view the following video in HD:

 

 

Mindray M5,portable ultrasound,ultrasound machine reviews,best portable ultrasound,Mindray ultrasound

Video Review: Mindray M5 Portable Ultrasound

In short: great system for a great price. In the M5 units we've sold, the overwhelming response is that it's an overachiever; customers are very pleased with the quality and performance they received for the price. It's easier to use than I'd expected, and the image quality makes it a serious competitor in the price/performance category. Think: new system, competitive performance for the price of a refurbished system in its price range. It's well-worth the price for nearly all markets. For cardiac, the price of this unit makes it hard to pass up.

Important note: The images you see are not clinical nor marketing images from some unrealistic lab setting. They're created in poor conditions yet provide impressive results. These are scans of my carotid as I was testing the system... and creating this review was an aftertought (I was sitting upright while holding the probe and manipulating the controls with the other hand). And because the conditions weren't ideal, I felt they were perfect examples of the MIndray M5's ease-of-use and its ability to provide great imaging with little-to-no effort.

In fact, these images were part of a training video I created for this system. You can get a free copy of this M5 training video when you purchase the system from GPS Medical. It's the only training video available on this system, and it's only available through GPS Medical (and it's free). With the purchase, you also receive free applications support. I've spent many hours delving into the depths of this system and you'll have a direct line to me. These are freebies that are not available through any other vendor.

 

<THIS VIDEO WAS UPDATED in the Oct. 25 Post found here>

Questions? email me or call me at 866-347-7633

 

-Brian

ultrasound,diagnostic ultrasound,portable ultrasound,vascular ultrasound,venous ultrasound,critical care ultrasound,emergency medicine ultrasound,Doppler ultrasound,laptop ultrasound,Mindray ultrasound,GPS Medical,ultrasound service

 

How good is the Voluson e8?

I just received an excellent question on the comments board: Is the new Voluson e8 really that good?

In a word, YES.

Granted, this system is expensive, but after spending quite a bit of time with this unit, I'd have to say that it's one of my favorite machines to use. It's like it took the best of the Logiq 9 and the Voluson 730, smashed them together and turned out an outstanding product.

Are there issues? Yes. Don't buy the old one... BT06. That's why it's taken so long to make mention of it. The older software versions were problematic and it's a known factor in the industry. The problems were difficult, recurring and expensive. So bad, that there was nearly a warehouse full of the old ones. That's a fact.

But the new ones? Good luck finding 'em. The last one I had was in my office for 1.5 days... just enough to do full testing, refurb, and training video with our folks working nearly around the clock.

I'll be addressing the Voluson e8 in the coming week or two as I've just finished my work on it.

More to come... and I'll have a basic training video on it when I get time to complete it.

-Brian

Easy 3D is not so easy!

Beware of cheap marketing ploys on your ultrasound system.

For example, one of the most common requests is to get an Easy 3D package on their ultrasound, such as many of the GE Logiq ultrasounds, Logiqbook XP, and others. This is not 4D. It is not easy.

Let me repeat that.

EASY 3D is not 4D, and it is NOT EASY.

This is one of the more requested features for those looking for a budget 3D/4D ultrasound. It is a relatively useless feature and tremendously frustrating. It is really 3D ultrasound version 1.0, in which you have to manually sweep the probe. One movement, breath, anything will create a horrible image, and you have to manually render and cut the image. It's maddening and I tell people to pretend it's not there.

This is not a ploy to sell you a Voluson, iu22, P5, or X300 ultrasound with 4D. Really. Easy3D is not good for your "babyface" stuff if that's what you're looking for.

3D ultrasound,4D ultrasound,GE LogiqBook XP,Portable ultrasound,ge ultrasound,laptop ultrasound,hand carried ultrasound,ultrasound

Mindray DP-6600 Vet Ultrasound Review

A Solid performer

Last week, I visited a prominent East Coast University to train their vets on their new system: the Mindray DP-6600 Vet (also available for non-vet).

For those who aren't familiar, the DP-6600 is a small, portable black-and-white ultrasound system from the emerging company Mindray. The price is a HUGE factor, and the system, as I found out, is pretty good.

I'd never seen it in-action as a vet ultrasound, but since I'm getting increased calls on it, I thought I'd share my experiences.

In a nutshell: Overall, I was happy and surprised by the image quality of the machine. If you're looking for a solid black-and-white vet system, this is something you want to look at.

Top seven benefits of the DP-6600 (most of which apply to the human system as well):

1. Solid imaging. We scanned horse tendons while I was training the folks at the University, and I must say that the near-field resolution was better than I expected. No shaving necessary. The vets at the University were impressed. For human use, I'd done some MSK scanning on myself at the office and also found it to have solid imaging capabilities.
2. Lightweight. obviously an important factor for most vet situations. Not as small as other systems, but it feels pretty solid and like it might take some abuse in the barn without worry. It was small enough to handle but not too small.
3. Relatively easy to use for basic scanning. The boot time is quick, and shut down is easy. Gain is easy to access and typically it has 128-frame cine review so you can freeze and review the image if you need to go back and capture an image.
4. Digital Storage to USB, Hard Drive, or Network. This is nice, particularly for the University setting where images can be transferred via a jump drive.
5. Cost. Simply put, it's really inexpensive and makes it hard to look at anything else.
6. Durability. We've sold quite a few and I don't think we've had any calls except for needed assistance with understanding how to really optimize this ultrasound.
7. IP. This is their set of image optimization presets within the applications. While I'm sure it is overlooked by 90% of users, they really ought to play with it a bit. This feature allows you to quickly optimize your image without messing with a lot of the internal controls. I mean, seriously, I can count on one hand how many people have shown interest in adjusting Dynamic Range, Greyscale maps, persistence, frame averaging, etc. I teach it in most applications settings, but most users give me blank stare... and sometimes they'll blink once or twice to let me know they're alive. I just ask them what their preferences are and base presets off that.
   
   To the point, though, for those applications in which Physicians, Vets, and in point-of-care operations where the user may not be a trained sonographer... the IP and other settings really are a blessing to those folks. Frankly, most sonographers prefer it as well.

HOWEVER, there are some negatives, as there always are, when it comes to this inexpensive system. You are definitely trading some of the nice bells and whistles to get a good cost on this ultrasound.

It's important to note that most of these "negatives" can be overcome. But don't rely on the manual to get you there.

Top Six Annoyances:

1. The operating system. This is the heart of nearly every issue I found on the system. It can be inconsistent, and if you don't understand all the principles of ultrasound and how the computer works, you'll go mad trying to figure out how the things I've listed here.
2. Defaults on vet applications. Some are fine, and the musculoskeletal applications on Equine were fine. However, for fertility, the maximum depth we could set it to was about 15cm. This is a problem. A local Vet had come to our office a couple weeks ago, and she immediately removed this from her list of ultrasounds because of this limitation. Bummer, she liked it otherwise, and we did too.
   But Low and Behold, I found a way to get more depth. You CAN increase the depth/penetration on all the probes, but you have to dig, dig, dig to find it... and when it's found, it doesn't appear to be an editable option. But it is. Rejoice, equine fertility is back on the radar and you can control this depth from the main interface thereafter.
3. Menus/customization: Again, it's the operating system. There are quirks to it that can be annoying, but after a couple days you'll get accustomed to it. If it's frustrating, remember what you paid and your pain should subside.
4. Cine Review. 128 frames. If you're scanning at 64 frames/second, you don't have much time to get from the animal to the Freeze button, particularly if you've got your arm in the part of an animal where the sun does not shine. This, too, can be overcome, but it's not a default preset. It requires some knowledge of how the ultrasound works and making some adjustments that would make your image better anyway. Rejoice, this limitation is overcome, and you can set the system to always work this way :-)
5. Battery and Trolley. There is no battery, and the cart, while inexpensive, isn't exactly an easy-roller in a barn. It IS light, which makes it easier, but I don't see it holding up to a lot of abuse. The limitation of no battery means you may want to keep an extension cord handy.
6. Inconsistencies in user experience/operation (not related to image quality). This goes back to menus and operating system. Clearly it was designed with the image quality first, and the user experience second. I'm fine with that, because it only takes a little time to get acclimated. Again, these are annoyances and not absolute negatives.

Summing it all up:

I recommend it. This is basically my reaction to all the Mindray systems. On a tight budget, you're going to get a good imaging system that takes time to acclimate. Not knowing computers or the system's true capabilities that are hidden, you'd definitely want applications training, which we can also provide to you.

You'd have to say that you get more than what you pay for here. All things considered, you'll get a new ultrasound with a good warranty that provides what you need at a good price. Image quality, the most important factor, doesn't disappoint. 80% of the "annoyances" can be overcome, and most would be ignored by fertility (human and vet) and those doing MSK work or otherwise.

When set up properly, there's little more to do than Boot and Scan. I should receive the larger DC-6 Color system later this week, and I'll try and get my hands on it long enough to get a review on it.

-Brian

Mindray Ultrasound,DP6600 review,ultrasound review,veterinary ultrasound,portable vet ultrasound

VScan: GE's answer to the Siemens P10

Maybe it's not fair to call it the Acuson P10, but 2 years ago Siemens offered something very similar to GE's recently FDA-cleared handheld ultrasound device and to say it's been successful would be a great exaggeration. But this unit with its iPod-like interface may be different.

The unit gets an incredible "WOW" factor because of its size and potential. However, as with the P10, in theory it's an excellent idea that would provide doctors with a great tool for diagnoses when time and portability are critical. In reality, unfortunately common sense does not always prevail.

The problem? Reimbursements. A doc or hospital isn't going to be tremendously excited about buying something they can't bill Medicare for... particularly when you can get a slightly larger ultrasound, such as the SonoSite Titan, Mindray DP6600, or GE LogiqBook XP for a few bucks more... AND there are no strings attached when billing for usage of these machines... which makes it a potential profit-center or break-even deal. Sure it's a great tool in tough situations for exams such as abdominal, cardiac (adult and pediatric), urological, fetal/OB, pediatric, and thoracic/pleural motion and fluid detection.

Even though GE is two years behind Siemens, they have the advantage of being a market leader, and the advantage of timing. GE will the press right now, a time in which the demand is increasing for handheld devices. Here's a good article from Medgadget, one of my favorite information sites

Quoted from http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2010/02/ges_vscan_worlds_smallest_portable_ultrasound_now_available_worldwide.html

GE's Vscan, World's Smallest Portable Ultrasound, Now Available Worldwide

GE Healthcare is finally releasing the much awaited Vscan pocket sized ultrasound. Many in the industry hope that this device offers a chance for physicians to make a move from stethoscopes to portable imaging devices, bringing advanced visualization to any examination room. The unit weighs one pound and is only 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide and 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long, offering both standard black and white imaging, as well as colored blood flow doppler. GE is touting Vscan's size and capabilities for cardiologists to transthoracically view myocardium, pericardium, and heart valves, and for primary care physicians, as well as OB, ER, and others, to scan the liver, kidney, aorta and peripheral vessels, babies in the womb, and anything else the transducer can penetrate.

And here's a YouTube Link to a GE Vscan introduction from last year:

handheld ultrasound,portable ultrasound,ge ultrasound,Acuson P10,GE VScan,anesthesiology,cardiac surgery,cardiology,critical care,Emergency Medicine,Military medicine,ob/gyn,peditatrics,radiology,surgery,vascular surgery

LogiqBook XP: Hidden Optimization Tip!

If you have a GE LogiqBook XP portable ultrasound machine, it's likely that you're not using one of the most common image-optimization functions found on ultrasounds today.

The feature is Tissue Harmonic Imaging. It's advertised in brochures, but there's NO BUTTON on the keyboard to show you how to activate it! It's odd, yes, and I've found nearly ALL users I speak with don't even know it's there.

For those LogiqBook XP users out there, next time you're running the 3C-RS convex abdominal transducer or the 3S-RS sector cardiac/abdominal transducer try this:

Press CTRL and H at the same time and see what happens.

That's it. A useful but hidden feature. EVERY time I've done training on this machine, even with VERY experienced users, they are shocked that this function exists! The Logiq e portable ultrasound has a similar issue. More to come...

-Brian

GE Portable ultrasound,Logiqbook xp,ultrasound tips,tissue harmonics

We're listed in the top 50 sonography sites!

The Web Health blog just announced my blog is in the top 50 sonography sites available on the web today. I must say this is a nice way to finish the year for us!

Quoted from http://diagnosticmedicalsonographydegree.com/2009/top-50-sonography-blogs-web-sites/:

Top 50 Sonography Blogs & Web Sites

Free Ultrasound Machine Reviews and Tips: Brian Gill is the President of GPS Medical, Inc., a company specializing in sales and service of diagnostic ultrasound equipment with specialties in 3D/4D ultrasound techniques as well as evaluating image quality and ease-of-use of various ultrasound models.

GPS Medical,ultrasound blog,ultrasound reviews,best ultrasound site,top sonography site

Used M-Turbo portable ultrasound price and availability

M-Turbo ultrasounds are now available on the used equipment market with the balance of the warranties (5-year) transferrable to the end user and an extremely competitive price. In most cases, this would be about 3-4 years of warranty remaining. You'll pay a fraction of the price, which starts at $25,000.

There are few available, but the price is a fraction of the cost new. Visit our ultrasound specials page for more information.

SonoSite M-Turbo,MTurbo,SonoSite,portable ultrasound,MSK,anesthesia,ultrasound

Logiq e BT09. Latest Revision Price: $25,000

The title says it all. Through the end of the year only. Call us for info.

GE Logiq e,portable ultrasound,ultrasound price,logiq price,ultrasound

Vivid 7 BT06 Flat Panel: $42,000

Vivid 7 Dimension BT06. Price starting at $42,000 for last two systems we have available. 866-347-7633

Vivid ultrasound,cardiac ultrasound,GE Vivid 7,GE Vivid ultrasound,GE Ultrasound Price,ultrasound

Voluson 730 Pro BT08 All-Time Low Price

The Voluson 730 Pro BT08 is now available at an all-time low price with Demo (perfect) probes. Starting at $32,500. This is the latest revision. See our Specials page.

GE Ultrasound,Voluson 730 Ultrasound,Voluson 730 Pro,Voluson Price,730 Pro Price

Free ultrasound training video: Voluson and others

Today I need your help. I'm finishing production on a training video for the Voluson i that ships free with the systems we sell to end users. I'd like your input!

The videos are free knobology/system overviews that are a visual training for our customers new to the system. It is NOT diagnostic nor is it intended to be. I've done applications training on many systems over the years, but I'm always learning from my customers and experts like you.

My question to you, loyal readers, is:

Do you have any suggestions on things you would like to see in the basic user manuals or applications training done by professionals? The audience here is a user who is new to the system, and not new to ultrasound. This could be your favorite imaging tip/hint/secret, annoying things to avoid when teaching, tips for physician training, tips for sonographer training, or important advice for learning a new system. Because it's a DVD, I can't tailor it specifically to an end user (ie: put in the context of the system it's replacing).

If I use your suggestion and it's not already included, I'll send you a free copy of the Voluson i video when it's done!

Email me your suggestions, and thank you all!

-Brian Gill

ultrasound,4D ultrasound,ultrasound training,ge ultrasound,4D ultrasound training,voluson i,ge portable ultrasound

Ultrasound equipment on Twitter

Get my latest ultrasound equipment reviews, ultrasound news, and other ultrasound related content on Twitter!

Ultrasound equipment,ultrasound machines,used ultrasound machine,ultrasound reviews,ultrasound twitter feed

Biggest threat to Radiology: Medical Imaging by Physicians. Aunt Minnie

A team of professional radiologists voted that the largest threat to radiology is the use of medical imaging by physicians. We have seen a tremendous demand from physicians in anesthesia, endocrinology, vascular and vein, surgery, pain management, family practice, orthopedics, rheumatology, and many other specialties, whom are adding ultrasound to their practice in order to become more efficient.

In addition, they're finding that the reimbursement adds revenue to their bottom line, and saves their patient money (as opposed to the costs of sending the patient to a hospital or imaging center). Physicians get results on-the-spot, "point of care" results and can make a quick diagnosis. For more information on ultrasound in your practice, give me a call and I can help you find the best ultrasound... such as SonoSite, GE, or Siemens portables.

-Brian

 

Quoted from http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=nws&sub=rad&pag=dis&ItemId=87734&wf=3377:

Biggest Threat to Radiology

1. Increased use of medical imaging by physicians in other specialties (turf battles)

auntminnie.com,Aunt Minnie,Minnies,radiology,ultrasound,physician imaging

SonoAccess iPhone app review

"Look at this," the anesthesiologist said to his colleague, "it'll give you a good idea of what you need to see when you're performing the needle-guided injection."

The doctor had just pulled out his iPhone. But not to make a call or show a picture of a family. He was showing a demonstration of a complicated medical procedure on an app called SonoAccess from SonoSite. It's iPhone app designed for point-of-care physicians to learn and visualize the many new and emerging applications for ultrasound.

I had the app, too, but hadn't taken a look at it. However, I had just finished training these six anesthesiologists at a local hospital on the SonoSite MicroMaxx portable ultrasound. In the training, we weren't able to do an injection on a live patient, so he pulled out this cool little iPhone app and "wowed" his audience.  Obviously, it's no replacement for practice, but it allowed the doctor to provide a good visual of this ultrasound procedure.

I delved into it more and thought I'd share my thoughts here.

Overall, the app is easy to use. On the first load it asks you for minimal contact information, then you're in.

It opens to the "coach" section, which is tailored to the preferences, or "specialty" that you set up in your profile.

The videos are separated by specialty and product. It provides some cool training videos on their products, which are typically a better, visual version of their quickstart guides (also found on the app in text form).  However, getting to the videos isn't entirely intuitive. Say you're going to take a look at a video in the "coaches" section... to get there, you'll click on the bottom-left icon that says "coach". Find the video that you want, then click on it. On the left, it shows as a picture of the video or a generic, unspecified document with text describing what you came to see. There's no "click here" or anything of the sort. So, to get to the video, just click on the image or text and you'll get what you need.

Not all videos are created by SonoSite, although a good portion of them are. And it appears not all images in the videos are SonoSite machines in use. Some of these videos are provided by a cool site called SoundBytes. This site, while it states it is subscription-based, also allows you to view free informational videos on various ultrasound procedures. They're informative and helpful videos that are wonderful to help in identifying structures, issues, and landmarks. There are videos on tendons, lower and upper extremity, DVT, pelvic, echo, and many other applications.

The next icon on the SonoAccess app takes you to "cases", which also links to many videos and articles on ultrasound scanning. The videos are helpful, however, many of the documents are quite difficult to read on the iPhone. They're PDF files that are also available on SonoSite's website, and you can look into the SonoSite Virtual classroom. It's much easier to read the documents on a larger computer screen than pinching-and-scrolling on the iPhone. It hurts your eyes. The SonoSite virtual classroom can be frustrating to navigate, but you'll eventually get what you need.

The next icon takes you to "images", which is quite self-explanatory. It's a good resource and saves the effort of running to a computer and evaluating case-studies. In fact, these ultrasound images and videos are quite convenient for those moments in-between cases when you're not quite sure when you'll be needed. You can view them anywhere so long as you have an internet connections (videos and images are downloaded from the internet, not stored on the phone itself).

The last information icon is "guides." Again, while the information is helpful, it's really tough to read on the iPhone. These are PDF files that are already available at SonoSite, so you're really better off looking at them there. It can be really frustrating pinching-and-moving the screen to try and view the document in a font that doesn't require an eagle's eyesight.

These guides include some good information, so don't ignore them. There are very good resources that SonoSite provides on its ultrasound machines (including quick guides), and ultrasound reimbursement info, which seems to be information that is hard-to-get oftentimes. Note that the reimbursement info is based on the national unadjusted physician fee schedule, so it will just give you a good idea of what to expect. There's also good information on these pages regarding other fees and procedures.

Overall, an excellent app that is stable and very informational. SonoSite really stepped ahead of the other manufacturers here by allowing its vast research and resources to be available to the general public. Nice work. Get it here.

 

Quoted from http://www.sonosite.com/products/sonoaccess/features/:

SonoAccess Ultrasound iPhone Application Features | SonoSite Inc.

Scanning Techniques The Scanning Technique Videos are designed to provide expert techniques and tips for point-of-care ultrasound applications.

Video Case Studies

The Video Case Studies provide an in-depth look into specific cases that you may encounter in your practice.

Clinical Image Gallery

The Clinical Image Gallery is designed to give you a look at expert ultrasound images for anatomy recognition and as a quick comparative reference for you to compare your results to.

Quick-Start Guides

The Quick-Start Guides are abbreviated user manuals designed to give new SonoSite users a digital roadmap of their system's controls and features to help navigate the user interface.

Reimbursement Guides

The Reimbursement Guides are designed to provide general coverage and payment information for diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures so you have accurate coding and billing information.

sonosite ultrasound,point of care ultrasound,physician ultrasound,ultrasound guide,ultrasound help,ultrasound demonstration,ultrasound video

How GE Is Disrupting Itself-- New Portable Ultrasounds Discussed

This is an interesting, long article written for the Harvard Business Review discussing the future of ultrasound and how GE is "disrupting itself". Its initial focus discusses the success of "reverse innovation" in ultrasound. Its a somewhat ironic situation in which equipment designed to meet the needs of less-developed countries with less resources, are being introduced to the larger, more well-to-do countries for entry in the market place. And they're finding success. ie: Their emerging markets find places in our emerging markets, but a tad bit differently.

In the first paragraph, it discusses two ultrasounds that refer to its recently released GE Venue 40 Ultrasound Machine series. The Venue series of ultrasounds are direct competitors to the SonoSite S-series ultrasounds, but apparently at a much more competitive price point. They're singular-focus ultrasounds designed to be used as a tool to assist another procedure, and largely designed for physician-use. For GE, these include: Vascular Access, Anesthesia, Interventional, Musculoskeletal, and Point of Care ultrasounds. Frankly, when I do apps training on these types of limited-use portables, I don't like them as much. Sure, they are easy to use, but they're hard to optimize and, oddly, frustrating to some. I prefer the Siemens P50 because they're more versatile and you can use a wireless mouse. I find that many physicians choose the SonoSite systems simply because its all that they've seen (ie: great marketing on SonoSite's behalf). Don't get me wrong, I really like SonoSite ultrasound machines, but each has its place. Venue 40 ultrasound Product Brochure and information found here.

But I digress. Here's the article. It's important to note that all of the authors are on GE's payroll, including Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE Healthcare. Its other authors are Vijay Govindarajan, and Chris Trimble.

The remainder of the article is very interesting but less ultrasound-focused. It essentially discusses how GE will use innovation for less-developed countries as its model to compete in the worldwide market (note that these countries, such as rural India and China, are some of the largest emerging market in the world). It states that if GE does not innovate for these countries, the smaller "giants" of innovation will crush GE.

Quoted from http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/10/how-ge-is-disrupting-itself/ar/1:

How GE Is Disrupting Itself - HBR.org

In May 2009, General Electric announced that over the next six years it would spend $3billion to create at least 100 health-care innovations that would substantially lower costs, increase access, and improve quality. Two products it highlighted at the time—a $1,000 handheld electrocardiogram device and a portable, PC-based ultrasound machine that sells for as little as $15,000—are revolutionary, and not just because of their small size and low price. They’re also extraordinary because they originally were developed for markets in emerging economies (the ECG device for rural India and the ultrasound machine for rural China) and are now being sold in the United States, where they’re pioneering new uses for such machines.

We call the process used to develop the two machines and take them global reverse innovation, because it’s the opposite of the glocalization approach that many industrial-goods manufacturers based in rich countries have employed for decades. With glocalization, companies develop great products at home and then distribute them worldwide, with some adaptations to local conditions. It allows multinationals to make the optimal trade-off between the global scale so crucial to minimizing costs and the local customization required to maximize market share. Glocalization worked fine in an era when rich countries accounted for the vast majority of the market and other countries didn’t offer much opportunity. But those days are over—thanks to the rapid development of populous countries like China and India and the slowing growth of wealthy nations.

We call the process used to develop the two machines and take them global reverse innovation, because it’s the opposite of the glocalization approach that many industrial-goods manufacturers based in rich countries have employed for decades. With glocalization, companies develop great products at home and then distribute them worldwide, with some adaptations to local conditions. It allows multinationals to make the optimal trade-off between the global scale so crucial to minimizing costs and the local customization required to maximize market share. Glocalization worked fine in an era when rich countries accounted for the vast majority of the market and other countries didn’t offer much opportunity. But those days are over—thanks to the rapid development of populous countries like China and India and the slowing growth of wealthy nations.

GE badly needs innovations like the low-cost ECG and ultrasound machines, not only to expand beyond high-end segments in places like China and India but also to preempt local companies in those countries—the emerging giants—from creating similar products and then using them to disrupt GE in rich countries. To put it bluntly: If GE’s businesses are to survive and prosper in the next decade, they must become as adept at reverse innovation as they are at glocalization. Success in developing countries is a prerequisite for continued vitality in developed ones.

The problem is that there are deep conflicts between glocalization and reverse innovation. And the company can’t simply replace the first with the second, because glocalization will continue to dominate strategy for the foreseeable future. The two models need to do more than coexist; they need to cooperate. This is a heck of a lot easier said than done since the centralized, product-focused structures and practices that have made multinationals so successful at glocalization actually get in the way of reverse innovation, which requires a decentralized, local-market focus.

Almost all the people and resources dedicated to reverse innovation efforts must be based and managed in the local market. These local growth teams need to have P&L responsibility; the power to decide which products to develop for their markets and how to make, sell, and service them; and the right to draw from the company’s global resources. Once products have proven themselves in emerging markets, they must be taken global, which may involve pioneering radically new applications, establishing lower price points, and even using the innovations to cannibalize higher-margin products in rich countries. All of those approaches are antithetical to the glocalization model. This article aims to share what GE has learned in trying to overcome that conflict.

GE Ultrasound,Portable Ultrasound,SonoSite Ultrasound,GE Logiq Ultrasound,GE Venue Ultrasound,MSK Ultrasound,Vascular Access Ultrasound,Interventional ultrasound,glocalization,Harvard Business Review Ultrasound,reverse innovation ultrasound

SonoSite MicroMaxx Price and Titan Price drops

We just dropped the price on refurbished units of the SonoSite MicroMaxx and the SonoSite Titan portable ultrasound machines. These have been popular with needle-guide applications (PICC line, anesthesia, pain management, etc) as well as Musculoskeletal applications lately. Of course, we also sell them for the traditional uses such as vascular, breast, emergency department, and other ultrasounds typically performed by the Physician. You can also just call for pricing on the MicroMaxx and Titan.

SonoSite Titan,SonoSite MicroMaxx,MicroMaxx Price,Titan Price,SonoSite Price,Portable Ultrasound Price,Portable Ultrasound Machine,Portable Ultrasound

Acuson Antares Transducers

We just added the full range of Acuson Antares (Siemens Antares) transducers to our available inventory. We sell these new with warranty and also have used probes available. We have a special price on the C5F1 4D Antares transducer, as well. It's a great resource to add or replace your transducers. All links may not be up yet, but they're all available if they're listed on the Antares page. Click on the contact link to get pricing.

Acuson Probes,Antares Probes,Antares transducers,Siemens Antares,Acuson Antares parts

Acuson X150 Color Doppler Ultrasound

Following is our video introduction to the Acuson X150 ultrasound. It shows the user interface and I take a look at its imaging capabilities. It's in a non-clinical environment, but gives you a good idea of its capabilities and image quality. It follows the Acuson tradition well with a no-nonsense high quality image. More information on the Acuson X150 is available by following this link: Acuson X150 Ultrasound

Acuson X150,Siemens X150,Obstetric ultrasound,ultrasound equipment,ultrasound systems,Acuson Ultrasound,vascular ultrasound machine,obstetric ultrasound machine

Acuson Antares ultrasound review with 3D and 4D imaging

We're still getting a lot of buzz around the Acuson Antares (Siemens Antares). I'd forgotten about it so I'm posting it here. Acuson X150 video coming shortly. Email Brian Gill if you're interested in knowing more about this system or if you're interested in adding it to your practice. You can get more information on the Acuson Antares at the GPS Medical website. Additionally, GPS Medical is selling replacement transducers for the Acuson and Siemens Antares ultrasounds, new and refurbished, with warranties.

Acuson Antares,3D ultrasound,4D ultrasound,Siemens Antares,OB/GYN Ultrasound

New Report confirms Ultrasound Technology Expected to Flourish as it Enters New and Unique Medical Markets

A new report confirms many things we've discussed here for a long time: adding revenue through ultrasound is not just viable, it's becoming a necessity for many offices.

I've long been a proponent of the use of the Hand Carried Ultrasound, portable, laptop sized machines, for use by physicians and non-traditional settings such as endocrinology, rheumatology, MSK, anesthesia, bedside, critical care, podiatry, emergency medicine, and other such non-traditional ultrasound environments.

It's become increasingly popular and it's why we like the Acuson P50 (which we just highlighted here), GE Logiq e, GE LogiqBook XP, SonoSite MicroMaxx, and other such portable models. This report confirms it, you can find the full article here. The full report will cost you an arm and a leg, but for my purposes and those who read this blog, the summary should suffice.

The image quality found on today's portable ultrasounds rivals many current console units, and surpasses many of those that cost more than $200,000 just a few years ago.

Additionally, for the full consoles or portable ultrsaounds, the costs of refurbished ultrasound equipment have dropped significantly in recent years, bolstered by the fact that competition on used ultrasound market market increases. Our take: if you're looking at refurbished ultrasound, make sure they have a service department and the salespeople actually know what they're talking about. If you're spending $10,000 or $100,000, doesn't it make sense to spend a couple extra dollars to ensure you're getting the correct machine and that it's refurbished properly? We've built a successful business on that model.

If you're looking to add ultrasound, this report confirms that it's going to continue to grow, and emerging markets continue to explode worldwide. We've found that for most physicians, it's an excellent additional revenue source in an increasingly more difficult market... and it's cheaper, easier, and takes less space than CT or MRI.

 

Quoted from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2686524.htm:

Medical Ultrasound Technology Expected to Flourish as it Enters New and Unique Medical Markets - Market Research Report by MARKETSTRAT

Medical Ultrasound Technology Expected to Flourish as it Enters New and Unique Medical Markets - Market Research Report by MARKETSTRAT

Marketstrat is pleased to announce the release of its latest market report titled, "Medical Ultrasound Systems Worldwide, 2009."

Dublin, CA (PRWEB) July 29, 2009 -- The world Medical Ultrasound equipment, accessories, and maintenance services market is expected to reach $4.7 billion by 2012. Higher growth rates towards the end of this period are projected as economic conditions stabilize around the world leading to sizeable increases in healthcare expenditures, particularly in high-end capital equipment acquisition

portable ultrasound,endocrinology ultrasound,critical care ultrasound,ultrasound market report,Acuson ultrasound,SonoSite ultrasound,GE portable ultrasound,Acuson P50,ultrasound market growth,ultrasound anesthesiology,ultrasound podiatry

Acuson P50 Revision 1 vs. Revision 2, a comparison

New revision of the P50 ultrasound includes spatial compounding, so we compared it side-by-side with release 1.

Upon receiving our demo P50 revision 2 ultrasound, we took some time to see how its improved over the first release.

The first thing you notice is, well, that there are no physical differences. In fact, much remains the same: simple to use, retains access to the Windows XP desktop, allows installation of 3rd Party Windows applications, has integrated WiFi, has simple networking, has the user-friendly slide-out console, and retains all the same user-friendly functions that make it popular.

In essence, the P50s improvements are in its image quality, namely: penetration, wall definition, tissue definition, and color Doppler... these improvements are noticeably different in cardiac applications, as well, which is a welcome improvement. In linear transducers, Acuson added its SieClear spatial compounding technology, which adds a great deal of improvement over the revision 1 images (which we already felt were very good).

Following are some pictures of my carotid with the Siemens P50 Revision 1 and Revision 2,which includes the SieClear compounding option. In cardiac applications, SieClear is not available (it is not physically possible).

Both images are taken using the default Carotid setting on the "medium t-shirt" preset. Images are taken on the same patient within 30 minutes of each other. SieVision is set to 2 in both machines. Revision 2 images (on the right) have SieClear active, which attributes to much of the image quality improvement.

Note that I am limited to the size of images on this blog, so image quality has been slightly compromised. I will post some of them on the GPS Medical website soon. Otherwise, contact me or leave a comment.

 

Acuson P50 Revision 1 with SieVision	Acuson P50 Revision 2 with SieClear and SieVision
Revision 1	Revision 2
Revision 1	Revision 2
Revision 1	Revision 2
No Image.	Revision 2

 

 

Acuson P50 Carotid,Acuson P50 revision 2,Acuson P50 ultrasound,portable ultrasound,portable P50 comparison,P50 side by side,SieClear,Acuson P50 with SieClear

Acuson Releases Revision 2 of Portable P50 Ultrasound

Acuson P50 revision 2 shows large improvements in image quality for cardiac and vascular applications.

This past week, we received our demo version of the Acuson P50 portable ultrasound system. We were excited to finally see this unit, and we took some images with revision 1 and revision 2 Acuson P50 ultrasound machines. I'm putting the images together and will have side-by-side images on the blog shortly. The major change in Revision 2 is the addition of SieClear spatial compound imaging as well as important cardiac imaging improvements ... ie: image quality in cardiac is much improved. We'll post these images later this week.

SieClear is the Acuson/Siemens equivalent of technologies such as CrossXBeam (GE) or SonoCT (Philips/ATL). When it's added to SieVision (Speckle Reduction), imaging of tissue and vessels is much improved in revision 2.

Additionally, one of the main issues in the past was the image quality in the cardiac applications. Revision 2 is definitely an improvement on penetration and overall image quality. We compared revisions on cardiac, as well, and there was definitely a very solid improvement, particularly in color Doppler, penetration and wall definition. We like it MUCH better over the first version of the P50. Stay tuned for some carotid comparison images.

Acuson P50 ultrasound,portable ultrasound,Acuson P50 release 2,Acuson P50 revision 2.0,SieVision,Acuson ultrasound,compound imaging

Hands-on Ultrasound Workshops - Free CME credits

Workshops feature demonstrations and hands-on use of popular technologies such as: AutoOB calculations, basic techniques of volume ultrasound, routine 2-3 trimester ultrasound, new technologies in breast imaging, advanced technologies changing the private practice, and 3D/4D ultrasound

Physicians have a great opportunity in the midwest for a hands-on ultrasound workshop here in the Midwest. Siemens will hold a few different workshops in midwest cities in which you can learn about, and practice using ultrasound in basic and emerging technologies.

There will be a few workshops that will offer dinner and free CME credits that will cover:

• The Routine 2/3 Trimester ultrasound with autoOB calculations
• Basic Techniques of Volume Ultrasound
• Hands-on Tips & Hints in OB ultrasound
• New Technologies in Breast Imaging
• New Visions in Ultrasound Seminiar: Advanced Technologies Changing the Practice
• Advances in Silicon Ultrasound
• 3D/4D Ultrasound

These have been great workshops for Physicians to see some of the newest technologies, learn more about advancing the use of their own ultrasound... and how to expand the use of their own ultrasound, providing more services for their patients. Additionally, it's common for non-ultrasound using physicians to get a close-up look, including hands-on use, giving them a good idea of whether ultrasound would be good for their practice.

Workshops will feature the newest Acuson ultrasound machines, as well, some of which I've featured on this site and the GPS Medical site. All classes are sponsored and taught by Siemens.

Workshops are just 3 hours long with one-hour of hands-on use after the workshop. Interested? Email me with your location and I'll pass along the correct contact information for your area. You can also leave a comment here.

EDIT: I was informed that space is limited and filling up in some sessions. If you have ANY interest, contact me ASAP and I'll get you a spot.

ultrasound training,cme credits,ultrasound cme,renal imaging ultrasound,auto OB calculations ultrasound,breast imaging ultrasound,fetal heart ultrasound,siemens ultrasound,acuson ultrasound,x300,x150,antares

Goodbye to a legend: Acuson Cypress

It baffles me as to why such a strong product, the Acuson Cypress, would be taken out of production. We're down to the last units available... probably forever. A decision made by the higher-ups at Siemens cancelled the production of this long-time legend in the portable cardiovascular ultrasound market.

It's being replaced by the Siemens P50, which is a great system in its own right, but the Cypress is quite solid and its imaging capabilities are really fantastic for such a small system. We've gone to so many offices in which the Cypress is so highly regarded by the staff and Physicians... and it's such a small, fun little thing.

Does it have its quirks? Of course, all portables have SOMETHING that had to give, but mobile companies simply love it, and our service department loves it more. They just don't break unless it's something of a user-inspired issue (dropped probe or system).

This unit is one of the easiest sales we make. It sells itself, the price is good, and it has Stress Echo, DICOM, IMT, and all sorts of goodies. Penetration is good for cardiac, as well.

If you like this system, buy it now. Call us, there are literally very few left (like, less than 50) 866-347-7633. We are an authorized distributor and you'll get the real deal with the one-year warranty. Don't sit on the fence, they will be gone. No joke. We have no control over this, nor do the lower-end powers-that-be at Siemens. After that, you'll need to get the very capable (and better) Siemens P50, but the price will be higher, and not by a small amount.

RIP Acuson Cypress, we really loved you. Funny thing, I bet you'll be more expensive on the refurb market than you are as new. See you there, my friend. You will be missed by all.

Acuson Cypress,Cypress ultrasound,portable ultrasound,cardiovascular ultrasound,mobile ultrasound,HCU ultrasound,Cypress,Siemens Cypress,Cypress Revision 20,Cypress Stress Echo,Cypress IMT

Special Ultrasound Pricing updated

We've just updated our specials page as new equipment has rolled in and we're dropping some prices to move them quickly. We have more than what's listed, but these are the best deals of the bunch. Check out our specials page to see what's available. Don't see what you want? Call at 866-347-7633 and see if we have it.

refurbished ultrasound,ultrasound price specials,best deal ultrasound,ultrasound machine,ultrasound equipment,vivid 7,MicroMaxx,Titan,SonoSite,GE Ultrasound

Bill to close Stark bill loophole won't affect ultrasound

A bill introduced in congress that is created to close a loophole in which Physicians can self-refer diagnostic imaging services does not cover ultrasound, X-Ray, nor fluoroscopy studies. This is a big deal with the recent boom of physician-based ultrasound in which many physicians are bringing ultrasound units into their offices for a wide variety of imaging needs. A link to the story from AuntMinnie.com follows:

 

Quoted from http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=imc&Pag=dis&ItemId=86437&wf=3193&d=1:

Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives that would close a loophole in federal law that enables physicians to self-refer patients for imaging studies as long as the exams are performed in their own offices.

The so-called Stark law in-office loophole has long vexed radiology advocates who see it as a way for nonradiologist physicians to skirt the law's provisions banning physicians from referring patients to entities in which they have a financial interest. Imaging proponents believe physician self-referral is driving higher imaging utilization and, thus, higher healthcare costs.

But the Stark law loophole would be closed under legislation introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), whose Integrity in Medicare Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Act of 2009 (HR 2962) would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exclude certain advanced diagnostic imaging services from the in-office ancillary services exception to the Stark laws.

The laws would ban in-office self-referral of modalities such as MRI, CT, and PET, but would not cover x-ray, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy studies. It would also not cover imaging services performed for the purposes of radiation therapy treatment planning or in conjunction with an interventional radiology procedure. In addition, it would not cover nuclear medicine exams apart from PET.

The bill currently has no co-sponsors. It has been referred to both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Ultrasound,imaging,Stark law,diagnostic ultrasound,in-office ultrasound,physician ultrasound

4D ultrasound with the Acuson Antares

4D,ultrasound,Acuson,acuson Antares,siemens ultrasound,4D ultrasound,shared service ultrasound,ob/gyn ultrasound,value ultrasound,ultrasound reviews,ultrasound ratings,ultrasound rating,ultrasound machine,ultrasounds

Acuson Antares 4D

The Acuson Antares ultrasound surprised us with its 4D capabilities and confirms that manufacturers are finally able to compete with GE's excellent line of Voluson 4D ultrasound machines. In fact, the Acuson Antares provides a more versatile machine than what you'd get out of a Voluson, and provides excellent image quality while doing so. We still like the Voluson a lot for its 4D, but this is an excellent consideration when looking for something that will fit your budget and provide much of the same 4D functionality that will be appropriate for most uses of 4D ultrasound. The bonus is that it has a very good cardiac package as well.

The Acuson (Siemens) Antares 4D imaging is also very similar to what is found on the new Acuson X300 ultrasound. We have a video coming in the next few weeks that will take a look at the X300 and give you an idea of what it looks like and what it can do (although we did not get a chance to do 4D with it).

You can view our Acuson Antares 4D ultrasound machine video here. It will also be posted to YouTube in the near future and we'll post the video here when it's all done. Please don't hesitate to write me if you have any questions or if you'd like more information on the Antares or any other ultrasound machine. We know what we're doing.

Thanks,

Brian

Video: Acuson X150 ultrasound

x150,acuson ultrasound,siemens ultrasound,acuson x150,inexpensive ultrasound,new ultrasound,ob/gyn ultrasound,anesthesia,endocrinology,podiatry,emergency,general ultrasound,breast ultrasound,gps medical,gpsmed,ultrasound review,ultrasound reviews,ultrasound video

Our latest quick video of ultrasound equipment is here. We reviewed the Acuson X150 and the video will give you a good idea of how it functions, what it looks like and an idea of how easy it is to use. Correction: Apparently, there's not a bi-plane transducer at this time, for that you'd still need the G20. By the time you read this, however, it's possible the probe is available. Call me at 866-347-7633 if you have questions.

In a nutshell, it's no secret that ultrasound has come a long way and it's often hard to tell the difference between some of these. The Acuson X150 has a very easy user-interface and is rock-solid. It follows in Acuson's tradition with a commiment to the long-lasting platform that addresses techs and physicians needs. I spoke with the engineers and apps people at Siemens and they're relieved/excited to have a new, solid product line that can, once again, sell itself.

Quoted from http://www.gpsmed.com/acuson_X150.html:

Acuson X150 Ultrasound Machine

We took a look at the Acuson X150 and the above video is a quick synopsis of its ease of use and outstanding quality. It's a mid-range system at a low-range price. With solid color Doppler, harmonic imaging, easy-to-use interface, and overall excellent image quality, this is EXCELLENT for small-mid size offices performing OB/GYN, Endocrinology, musculoskeletal, anesthesia, vascular, venous, abdominal, breast and many other applications. It's perfect for physician use and is easy to learn and use.

 

Video: Terason t3000 a first look

Ultrasound,Terason ultrasound,acuson p50,hand carried ultrasound,portable ultrasound,GE Ultrasound,laptop ultrasound,anesthesia ultrasound,rheumatoloty ultrasound,vascular,phlebology,vein ultrasound

Here's a quick video I made of the Terason t3000 so you all can see it as well. By no means is this a comprehensive video of its features. I may do that at a future date, but with all the questions I've received, I felt it was important to show just how easy this machine is to use.... it also shows the sliding console and the fact that the "box" is removed from the probe cable. This is my first time posting a video to the site, so I'm testing it here. Let me know if you have troubles viewing it.

A few days with the Terason t3000: Sexy, Cool, and WOW

Acuson P50,Terason t3000,Vivid i,Vivid e,HCU,portable ultrasound,hand carried ultrasound,ultrasound

 

 

There's a great line in the movie Philadelphia in which Denzel Washington says "Explain it to me like I'm a 6-year old". It's been going through my head since Saturday.

I spent some time in the office this weekend, and my inquisitive 8-year old daughter wanted to see what an ultrasound could do (besides 4D babies). I was going over an ATL HDI 5000, Voluson 730, and wanted to spend time with the Terason t3000 I'd received just a few days prior. I told her I'd show her the inside of her body if she was interested.

She was.

After spending time on the other two units, we came to the Terason.

"Is that your computer?" She says. (I bought a MacBook Pro last year.)

"No, but close. It's an ultrasound." I replied.

"You mean like those big things?" she referred to the HDI 5000 and Voluson 730.

"Yeah, but this one is better," I said as I pressed the side keys to release the ultrasound console in a hydraulic-like fashion.

"A-A-A-AWESOME!" She said.

Hearing her reaction, I stood up straighter, smiled broadly, and was really proud... well, for all the wrong reasons. You see, daddy's work just got a lot cooler and, well, it felt great for daddy's ego. Five minutes prior, we spent time watching her carotid artery and jugular... listening to the vein and artery and watching the blood flow through them in all their red and blue glory. Sure, this was cool to her and very educational... but the James Bond ultrasound was a quadruple-"a" "Awesome". Brushed aluminum and things that slide from nowhere are, apparently, much cooler than anatomy. WhatEver!

So it was time to push it a little. I wanted to see if she could figure out this Terason... I figured that if she can figure it out, it's unlikely that a physician new to ultrasound will struggle.

I asked her to turn on color Doppler. Her finger hovered above the "C" on the console, then she looked at me, not scared, but unsure. I told her to go with her instinct. She pushed C and up came a color box. Unafraid. This is important folks.

She smiled. A REALLY big smile. I was proud for the right reasons this time.

I looked at my wife and said "I wish I had a video camera, but I doubt anyone would believe this is her first time using this." Of course, while I'd like to think my daughter is the most brilliant kid on Earth (duh, she totally is).... the point is that the Terason is NOT THAT HARD. I realized that Terason got this right. Yeah, I'm a nerd for being excited, but when trying to sell something to a person who's never used an ultrasound before, EASE OF USE is nearly as important as Image Quality. Frustration leads to bad studies and inefficiency. That's not good when you're driving a needle into someone's body.

So I told my daughter that I wanted to hear her carotid, and she'd need to turn on Pulsed Wave Doppler. She looks down for two seconds and tentatively presses PW.

The sound comes.

Her smile got bigger.

Excited and intrigued, I walked over to the Voluson i we have in-stock, and saw the softkey buttons in different locations; what I once thought was cool (Voluson i) became frustrating and overcooked ... its user interface is just like the Logiq i and Vivid i. I walked back to the Terason: It's elegant. Not perfect, but elegant and functional. Nice.

We stepped over to a Vivid 7. I looked down and didn't want to crush my daughter's now-lifted ego. I didn't need to ask her. I turned it on and before I could say anything, she said "I don't think I can do this one, daddy." Maybe its size was intimidating, I don't know. I imaged her heart on the short axis and told her: "This is what your heart would like if I cut you in a half with a light saber."

OK, so I lose the "dad of the year award," but it was really funny at the time.

So what's the point here?

Techs enjoy consoles. I enjoy the console, and the Terason console is really great for a compact HCU (hand carried ultrasound). But today's market is growing rapidly in the Physician area and I think they'll be like my daughter: Totally comfortable with the Terason because it feels friendly and is friendly. Techs will be the ones who might be a little more tentative at first, while Physicians will likely be relieved. The console serves both sides well. This unit is simply an extension of the PC (When you boot the system, you get a Windows XP desktop, and you can run it completely from the keyboard if you choose). The console is very functional with fewer softkeys than the GE. It's labeled well and acts like any other PC application (because it is a PC application). However, just as if you're coming from any cart-based system: remember that there's only 12-inches to work with, not 24. Things need to be compressed. Get a console if you want a console. If you need portable, you're remiss if you don't call Terason.

Clearly, SonoSite understands this as well, they've taken most of the buttons OFF their machines that are going to physicians. GE adds more. Philips doesn't have anything.

Terason one-ups the latestby using the common, most user-friendly (and coolest) PC on the market: The MacBook Pro.

In the coming week I hope to get a video out on this system and post it for you. I'm also going to do an update on the Portable Ultrasound Market. SonoSite's new products, the t3000 release (Siemens licensed version that will be the Acuson P50), and some rumblings about Zonare have begun to tilt this market in new directions (FINALLY!).

As always, contact me with questions.
-Brian

 

Terason t3000: Believe the hype, it's the new killer app

I'm in Dallas today on a business trip and met with the western region Director of Sales for Terason, Jerry Michel. He brought the t3000 so I could finally see this unit "in action" so I could get an idea of just how good the images are on this unit.

What I found is that hands down, for price/performance, this unit is an absolute winner. It's small, lightweight, and essentially defies current ideas and standards of how ultrasound works (hardware vs. software processing). This is a powerful machine with excellent image quality.

Color, Doppler, and 2D imaging were really impressive, it held great frame rates when in triplex (Color, Doppler, 2D), and provided excellent waveforms for a vascular study. In the picture I have here (clearly I need to look at these photos after I take them!), you can see a breast image. Next time I'll get more images and post them here. I spent more time playing with the unit than taking pictures.

Since the last post, I've received 6 phone calls and emails from people in this unit. It seems the biggest hesitation people have is that it's not a GE unit or one from a "major" manufacturer. Well, to that I say phooey. If this were a unit from a major manufacturer, it would cost at least $10,000 more and they'd give it a name that some marketing company received a healthy sum for creating, like Acuson P50 or something. This would beat out any direct competitor in a side-by-side, they'd kill it in price, and you'll get a 2-year warranty instead of just one. For example, the current Logiq e, which isn't as good, will cost you at least $5k more... and $7k more for the 2-year warranty.

Oh, and because this is a "true" laptop, you have full access to the Windows and Macintosh OSX operating systems... which means you can store, edit, post-process all images as well as use it as a laptop computer. Yes, this means you can print to any printer on your network, share images over the network, use the word processor and web browser, watch a DVD, etc. Try that with any other "laptop" unit (in which you'd need a special service dongel to get to the operating system... and even if you had access to the dongel, you would likely void your warranty when you tried to install anything due to potential software conflicts). This is a big deal, by the way, because installing anything besides the "approved" dvd-writers, printers, etc., on other systems is a tremendous hassle and often requires a service representative to perform the installation for you, and this would not be a free visit.

To be fair, however, in certain markets this unit isn't quite ready. I would recommend it for nearly all mobile, breast, musculoskeletal, phlebology, vascular, internal radiology, anesthesia, surgery, abdominal, or urology markets. It has a solid reporting package for these markets (which is severely lacking in comparable products). You can do OB/GYN, but you'll want a separate reporting package (I'm going to try it with Ashva's iMagic when I get a chance). I haven't seen the cardiac package, but I think having Siemens pick this up as the upgrade to the Cypress is all that needs to be said (the Terason t3000 will also be sold later this quarter as the Acuson P50). The cardiovascular version of the Terason t3000 (or Acuson P50) will be more expensive (adding CW Doppler and cardiac packages isn't cheap) and will go head-to-head with the Vivid i. For this I think GE has a worthy competitor, and Siemens is betting on it. In addition, you simply cannot ignore the value of a 2-year warranty (Siemens is rumored to only offer 1-year, so you'll want to get the Terason). Obviously Terason knows it has a killer app in the t3000.

Questions? Email me or leave a comment here for everyone else to see.

Terason,SonoSite,Logiq e,portable ultrasound,laptop ultrasound,hcu ultrasound,phebology ultrasound,breast ultrasound,vascular ultrasound,anesthesia ultrasound,nerve block ultrasound,mobile ultrasound

RSNA Summary 2007, Finally! MindRay, Ashva, Terason t3000

RSNA,Terason,MindRay,Ultrasonix,Siemens,Ashva iMagic,ultrasound,radiology,SonoSite,anesthesiology,emergency,physician ultrasound

RSNA in 2007 was quite interesting for ultrasound. We've seen so many changes in the last two years, and for the first time we're seeing a few newcomers take a real stand in this market... particularly for the emerging markets.

Acuson P50 and Terason t3000

If James Bond were going to have an ultrasound, this would be it. This portable ultrasound runs on a MacBook Pro and simply looks cool. It has a slide-out interface (trackball, buttons, etc), brushed-steel look, and incredible graphics. Oh, and the image appears to be quite nice, too. I haven't actually demo'd one of these, but I've been talking to the Terason folks since RSNA and hope to see one in action soon.

Siemens marketing machine did a nice job pushing this product, but under the hood it's a Terason t3000 unit (as reported earleir) and I'm sure we'll see much more about it. But if you're really interested in the product, give me a call and I'll put you in touch with the right people at Terason. It's the same unit, different packaging (oh, and the Terason is available NOW, while the P50 is not yet released). I've found the Terason people to be nice, down-to-Earth and clearly not holier-than-thou as you would find with many of the major manufacturers. Plus, they back this product by a 2-year warranty and it's priced competitively to the GE Logiq e and SonoSite M-Turbo. Keep an eye out for these guys. They've been quiet for a long time, and I don't expect that to last long. Get in now while the pricing is good. Send me an email with your location if you're interested or if you have any questions. Email me here.

 

Affordable DICOM and Reporting for Ultrasound

In the past, I've also talked about a company called Ashva Technologies that has a good DICOM and reporting package. I saw the full demo again at RSNA, but Mohan Mysore, the CEO, spent more time on really taking me through the product. It was more than I expected and an excellent solution for the smaller offices looking for a DICOM solution or something to capture images and provide a REAL reporting package.

I must say I've been really frustrated with the terrible reporting packages from all the portable ultrasound units out there. GE's LogiqBook XP "Report Writer" has long been a joke, SonoSite doesn't even pretend to have decent reporting, and the Acuson Cypress reporting leaves a lot to be desired (unless you enjoy RSIs and frustrating notations). I'm going to go through some installations of the product here and I'll report on my thoughts as I spend time with the product.

 

Mindray taking the industry by storm

The Chinese manufacturer Mindray generated a good bit of buzz at RSNA as well. The company has done a nice job placing itself squarely in the Low Price, Good Product market. It's a niche that nobody really has filled well. Medison tried it, then decided to keep their prices high.

I've done some applications training on the Mindray products and some clinical work. Every time I've walked away from these products, I have said one thing: that it's a really good product for the price. You will not get the super-premium bells and whistles from these products like you'd see from the major manufacturers... ie: You ain't gonna get a Lexus for the price of a Ford. What you do get, however, is a solid imaging machine with good functionality that is reliable. These work really well in the market I serve for those who are looking for a good functional ultrasound at a low price. Your choice now is older refurbished or new Mindray. The big manufacturers should take notice. These guys are going to be all over the place in the next year also.

Is the Terason t3000 better now that it has an Acuson P50 label?

Acuson P50,Macintosh Ultrasound,MacBook Pro Ultrasound,Terason t3000

Terason t3000? Seen it! Only this time it's called the Acuson P50.

The Terason t3000 next to the Acuson P50 (right)

Walking the floor at RSNA, I stumbled across a company I'd seen in the past, but not paid a whole lot of attention to. The company is called Terason, and about 6 months ago, it released (albeit quietly) the MacBook Pro-based Terason t3000 ultrasound system.

So at RSNA, after being quite impressed by Acuson's new product, I later found the Acuson P50 on display at another vendor's booth... only this time it was called a Terason t3000. Come to find out, this product has been around for a bit of time and Siemens has taken it and branded it as its own product.

Back in August I saw an FDA approval that, at the time, didn't make any sense to me. It was from Siemens and it announced the Acuson P50, which it states "The Acuson P50 (TM) Ultrasound System is identical to the Teratech 2000 and previous Teratech models as identified in the predicate device section" ... with the exception of some new probes. As it turns out, this Siemens/Acuson is a re-branded Terason product (a darn nice product at that).

Shocked? Me too, I guess. They've pretty much dropped the ball on this market, failing to build on the Cypress, and now they have a nice product to offer. Lately, industry insiders are all disappointed (worldwide) with Siemens' slow reaction to the ultrasound market. The general feeling is that ultrasound is just a throw-in for their CT and MR products to sweeten a deal... which must be why Siemens fell asleep at the wheel when it comes to innovation and are boasting this MacBook Pro system as its own, excellent innovation. And it's important to note how they're back to branding their ultrasound products as "ACUSON", not Siemens, after they all-but-tried-to-kill the Acuson brand and make it their own. Oops.

But back to the real story here: you shouldn't think that this Acuson P50 is a lesser product, even if you've never heard of Terason (from whom you can buy this same product with different probes). This Terason unit is quite impressive and fully shared service t3000 (Siemens advertises the P50 as a C/V unit only). The Terason folks are good people and they made a product good enough for one of the Big Three to name it their own. Not bad.

I spent some time with the Terason folks at their RSNA booth and they're good people... friendly, knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic about their systems. They don't advertise the re-branding and, come to think of it, they didn't say much about it when I talked about the P50 and t3000. They're excited about their product and were really enthusiastic about showing the benefits of the Macintosh operating system underneath... something the Siemens reps were not prepared to do (they didn't even know that it was actually running Windows XP and that you had to get out of it to see a Mac interface.... so I think the sales reps were quite surprised as well).

All in all, both products are quite cool. The Terason comes with a 2-year warranty and has the shared services capabilities. If you're interested in this unit, you can drop me an email and I'll put you in touch with one of the sales reps there.

RSNA next week

Hello all,

Next week I'll be at the RSNA conference in Chicago through Tuesday. If you can't make it and have any questions for the vendors or would like my opinion on any new or old products, send me an email and I'll try and help out. I have a few meetings and will be looking very closely at Ultrasonix, as I haven't had a good look at its equipment yet and I've heard great things about their product. I'll also check out ZONARE and new products from the big three at GE, Siemens, and Philips.

I will also spend some time with the DICOM software maker ASHVA and checking out its iMagic DICOM software. This looks like a pretty solid product for those who are looking for a simple DICOM solution that includes solid reporting features. Drop me a note at my gmail address if you would like my thoughts or any information.

-Brian

 

ultrasound,new ultrasound,diagnostic ultrasound

ZONARE Ranked Top Hand Carried Ultrasound Vendor

A new report from KLAS has ranked the ZONARE ultrasound as the top ultrasound in a few categories. A few of these categories are quite surprising, as well. ZONARE is ranking top in quality, and second in reliability and durability (presumably to SonoSite). It's surprising that such a young company would rank highly in these three categories against companies such as Biosound, GE, and SonoSite. So this is good news for the company, which seems to be a mostly silent player outside of the corporate "large contract" world (they won a large contract out west).

This is one of the companies I'm most interested in seeing at RSNA. It appears ZONARE has a wonderful concept, and other folks in the industry whom I've asked said that the image quality is comparable to some very high-end systems. The person with whom I spoke (not a ZONARE employee) said it went head-to-head with the iU-22, Logiq 9 and Sequoia and held its own very well... some stating that it's comparable to these systems in 2-D imaging. That's quite impressive for a compact system.

However, the system apparently can't compete in color or other areas, but I'm sure they'll be on their way with that soon. I heard from another that its reporting package is the best among compact ultrasounds.

I plan on visiting their booth next week at RSNA and I'll give it a more full report at that time, along with observations on other systems, including the P50 from Siemens (the apparent replacement to the Cypress). Questions?

Anything you'd like me to check out at RSNA? Drop me an email.

Don't forget to check out our specials at the GPS Medical website as well. We're currently running specials on the SonoSite Titan and the Acuson Cypress.

compact ultrasound,Zonare,laptop ultrasound,hcu

Quoted from http://www.devicespace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=77421&full=1:

ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc. Ranked Top Hand Carried Ultrasound Vendor in 2007 - News, Search Jobs, Events

ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc. Ranked Top Hand Carried Ultrasound Vendor in 2007

11/14/2007

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- ZONARE Medical Systems, a developer of premium ultrasound systems, today announced it has been ranked as the top hand carried ultrasound (HCU) vendor in the inaugural KLAS HCU study. The company was ranked first in image quality, ergonomics and throughput, according to the survey, and second in reliability and durability.

"We are extremely pleased to receive this top HCU honor based on such a highly respected, independent survey," said Donald Southard, president and CEO for ZONARE. "To be rated as first in KLAS reflects on our commitment to meeting customer needs through innovation, excellent service and unique technology. Along with the significant growth of ZONARE since our first shipment in 2005, this recognition helps reconfirm the expanding acceptance of our proprietary Zone Sonography(TM) technology and Convertible Ultrasound(TM) platform."

Siemens Releases new compact ultrasound

It appears as though Siemens has released its successor to the Acuson Cypress with the release of the P50, a MACINTOSH-based laptop cardio-vascular ultrasound machine. It seems Siemens is joining the masses (indluding myself) of going with the Macintosh platform.

This new ultrasound includes full C/V and stress echo and should be released next month in the United States. Hopefully they will be showing it at the RSNA show next week.

I will be attending the RSNA show this year and I plan on taking a look and making some reports on the new stuff coming out. Unfortunately, it appears SonoSite won't be at the show demonstrating its M-Turbo, S-Nerve, S-FAST and other new products, so I'll take a look at what's new from the other manufacturers, including this Siemens P50. I imagine GE will show off some of its new cool stuff as well. I'll update next week with anything that's new and cool. The article for the P50 is quoted below. As usual, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at my email address.

portable ultrasound,laptop ultrasound,P50 Acuson,Siemens P50

Quoted from http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=ult&Pag=dis&ItemId=78813&wf=1:

Radiology, Ultrasound Community

Siemens Medical Solutions of Malvern, PA, launched a new laptop-based ultrasound scanner, Acuson P50, at the Medica meeting in Germany earlier this month.

P50 weighs slightly more than 5 kg and is designed for mobile applications in cardiology, as well as vascular applications in the operating room and anesthesiology departments. The scanner can also be used as a standard Internet-enabled PC that runs commonly used Microsoft Office applications, according to Siemens.

Siemens is touting the scanner's B-mode and color Doppler resolution, and the system includes an integrated stress-echo function. It also supports several cardiology application packages, including syngo Vector Velocity Imaging (VVI) and syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP), which can be used to determine a patient's age.

P50 has up to two hours of battery life, and is based on an Apple MacBook laptop with 2 GB of RAM, 160-GB hard disk, and 2.0-GHz Intel Dual-Core Pentium M processor. The scanner has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and deliveries will begin in December.

The best ultrasound deal ever?

This morning I was speaking to an old customer who is looking to do some ultrasound screening. She wants a great image but a low price (who doesn't?). All she needs is a stationary machine. Normally, you think about some of the newer stuff that's come out.... and I've been so focused on what's new in the industry, that you forget how good a price some of that old stuff is right now.

Just a few years ago, the ATL HDI 5000 with SONOCT and XRES was, arguably, the best imaging machine for vascular, OB, GYN, and small parts. Then its successor came out: the Philips iU22, as did a whole slew of Windows-based ultrasounds. So, these new consoles with USB ports, more ergonomic consoles, 4D, and DVD writers made the whole industry go "OOOOH" and "AAAHHH" over these cool new toys. However, the image quality wasn't a night-and-day improvement over the old stock.... only the operating system and ergonomics were the major changes. So what happens to the old powerhouses? The hospitals that are addicted to getting the "latest and greatest" are trading in their perfectly good ATL HDI 5000 systems with outstanding image quality to get these ergonomic, flat-screened "wow factor" windows machines.

And now, our industry has a ton of these HDI 5000 systems. This is the time to buy one. Their image quality rivals most systems out there, you can get DICOM and incredible imaging quality for, quite literally, 10-20%% of what you would have paid just 5-6 years ago! It's so bad, that some manufacturers are actually sending these to the recycler if they're not the top-of-the-line system (ie: SonoCT and XRES), they give no trade-in value and simply send them to a recycling company. Yes, there are that many out there, and you should be taking advantage of it!

If you are looking for an ultrasound and you want to turn a profit quickly, you should really take a look at the HDI 5000. It's drawbacks? Well, it's an older user interface and it's a bit slow when you want to change the probes or modes. We're talking a couple seconds here, not 5 minutes. It transfers to the network quickly and can save images in DICOM format... this was the industry leader just a few short years ago!

And what about service? These things are easy to service and parts are getting cheaper all the time. Outfits like my company have tons of parts for these machines and they're not going away any time soon. To toot our own horn a bit, the GPS Medical service team is loaded with experts on these systems, and we can even repair the monitors and circuit boards for these! Call us today at 866-347-7633 to get a quote. Tell us what you'll need to do, and chances are you'll spend under $30k for a loaded ATL HDI 5000 ultrasound with image quality that rivals systems that cost more than $100,000!

ATL HDI 5000,Radiology ultrasound,ultrasound special

Howstuffworks: How Ultrasound Works

One of the coolest sites on the internet, HowStuffWorks, recently released a visual tour of How Ultrasound Works. I'd skip the visual tour if I were you, it's quite boring, contains 183 images, and includes many images of outdated equipment with few good details. However, there's a fantastic article (from which those images are derived) for those who are looking to get into ultrasound... such as those in the emerging markets of internal medicine, emergency medicine, and Family Practice physicians who are looking to add ultrasound to their practice. It gives a great background and overview of understanding the principles and what you need to know about these great devices. You can see the whole article here.

Quoted from http://health.howstuffworks.com/ultrasound.htm:

Howstuffworks

There are many reaons to get an ultrasound. Perhaps you are pregnant, and your obstetrician wants you to have an ultrasound to check on the developing baby or determine the due date. Maybe you are having problems with blood circulation in a limb or your heart, and your doctor has requested a Doppler ultrasound to look at the blood flow. Ultrasound has been a popular medical imaging technique for many years.

ultrasound,howstuffworks,learn ultrasound,ultrasound tutorial

SonoSite releases M-Turbo, the MicroMaxx successor

MicroMaxx,SonoSite,Hand Carried Ultraosund,Titan,M-Turbo,portable ultrasound,emergency ultrasound,physician ultrasound

Day 1, Q4, SonoSite announces its next-generation ultrasound the M-Turbo, the MicroMaxx successor. I think most of us expected to see it only at RSNA, but apparently SonoSite was ready for this and is looking to make a big impact in Q4.

I haven't yet seen it live, but I'm interested to see how this stacks up against the MicroMaxx... particularly because the underlying architecture is quite different than past SonoSite machines. One of SonoSite's problems and benefits in the past was its use of the VXWorks operating system, which allowed it to boot quickly and provided a very stable operating system. On the M-Turbo, SonoSite has moved to Windows CE 6.0 Embedded, which is a huge change that allows SonoSite to compete more directly with GE's ultrasound machines. It also allows for easy transfer of files to USB memory stick, easy setup of 3rd party printers and devices, etc. The concern has always been: what kind of boot time would it be with Windows heavy overhead? Well, SonoSite still claims a very fast bootup time, showing 15 seconds for the M-Turbo, which is an impressive feat with Windows Embedded. Apparently this has something to do with a Texas Instruments chip, but that's far out of my knowledge range.

I have yet to see pictures to see if the user interface has changed or how the image quality stacks up, but they're keeping up with the technologies at this point, including MultiBeam (like GE's CrossXBeam or Philips SonoCT) and Speckle Reduction.

So it appears SonoSite has stepped up its game a bit and should continue to compete against the GE juggernaut. This also means we should see some pricing changes coming down the pike to the Titan and MicroMaxx lines.

And for all intents and purposes, Philips and Siemens remain quiet in this market. This is simply unreal to me. All we've seen from Siemens is an update to its outdated Cypress system (still a nice unit, but seriously!) and the Acuson P10 pocket machine. Philips has nothing, although SonoSite was started in the cafeteria of the ATL/Philips headquarters in Washington.

Quoted from http://www.sonosite.com/Press-Releases/news-2007-10-01-2.html:

SonoSite Unleashes Next Major Advance In Ultrasound

Powerful M-Turbo Hand-Carried System Delivers Breakthrough Image Quality, State-of-the-Art Connectivity and Extreme Durability for Point of Care Visualization BOTHELL, WA - October 1, 2007 – SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader in hand-carried ultrasound, today announced the introduction of the M-Turbo™ ultrasound system for use in the full range of clinical applications at the point of care. The fourth major product platform since SonoSite released the industry’s first hand-carried ultrasound system in 1999, the M-Turbo system delivers an exponential increase in raw processing power for superior image clarity across all exam types, plus seamless connectivity for digital image export in a rugged, hand-carried product weighing less than 8 pounds.  SonoSite plans to begin customer deliveries later this quarter. “I think the system is fantastic,” said Diku Mandavia, MD, FACEP, Attending Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, LA County + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles. “SonoSite has truly evolved its product to a very powerful system that integrates the latest technology. The image provides clarity at every level and by definition will make a major improvement to patient care.  They have provided an exceptionally high level of performance but streamlined the process to obtain an image in an already easy-to-use interface. SonoSite really understands the market.” “It’s a great system,” concurs Stuart A. Grant, MD, Director of Medical Student Education and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Duke University Medical School in Durham, North Carolina.  “The image quality of the nerve sub-structure and nerve bundles delivered by the M-Turbo system is truly outstanding. Its image quality and ease of use will make it easier for clinicians to learn and successfully perform regional nerve blocks. Additionally, the ability to download images onto a USB thumb drive makes it simple to acquire and archive images for use in teaching and for patient records. It is remarkable that SonoSite was able to listen to physicians’ needs and respond with a product that addressed them in a matter of months.” Three New Advanced Imaging Algorithms = One Amazing Image SonoSite’s new M-Turbo system offers a 16-fold increase in processing power yet weighs slightly less than the MicroMaxx® system.  The system’s increased processing power generates dramatic improvements in image quality by simultaneously running multiple advanced algorithms: SonoADAPT™ Tissue Optimization – automatically adjusts imaging parameters depending on exam type and patient size based on imaging depth thereby eliminating time-consuming and complicated clinician manipulation of multiple controls. SonoHD™ Imaging Technology – leverages the exponentially increased processing power to reduce speckle noise and other image artifacts while preserving and sharpening tissue information and enhancing the aesthetic and clinical value of the image. SonoMB™ Multi-beam Imaging - further enhanced and now available on all M-Turbo transducers, including the phased array transducer to facilitate cardiac and abdominal examinations, SonoMB technology was first introduced in April 2007 as a software upgrade for the MicroMaxx system.  Clinicians have praised its ability to increase resolution of small structures and enhance border delineation while maintaining temporal resolution.  “The M-Turbo system brings razor sharp image quality, user simplicity and speed to the time-driven, point-of-care clinical setting,” said Kevin M. Goodwin, SonoSite President and CEO.  “Alongside the successful MicroMaxx system, M-Turbo underscores and extends our leadership in the hand-carried ultrasound market. With M-Turbo, we have created a powerful and versatile imaging tool for applications across the clinical spectrum while further simplifying the user interface yet maintaining system ruggedness and the rapid boot time our products are known for.” Transducers for Every Point-of-Care Exam With the M-Turbo system, SonoSite is introducing a new phased array transducer and intracavitary probe. These new transducers offer the same exceptional durability and reliability for which SonoSite’s transducers are widely recognized:  The new P21x/5-1 phased array transducer offers exceptional image quality and an ergonomic form factor for increased patient and clinician comfort during cardiac, abdominal and Ob/Gyn exams. The ICTx/8-5 curved array transducer provides a 135° field of view and broad bandwidth for improved detail resolution. At introduction, the M-Turbo system offers a total of seven transducers to cover a full range of clinical and procedural guidance applications for abdominal, nerve, vascular, cardiac, venous access, small parts and superficial imaging. In addition to the P21x/5-1 and ICTx/8-5, this suite of transducers includes the C60x/5-2 curved array; C11x/8-5 curved array; HFL38x/13-6 linear array; L25x/13-6 linear array; and L38x/10-5 linear array.  The M-Turbo system increases transducer versatility and ease of use by optimizing the transducer to perform multiple exams types for a specific anatomical area, enabling a single transducer to be useful across a broader array of applications.  SonoMB technology runs on all transducers, including the P21x phased array transducer. The M-Turbo system offers two transducers with exceptional depth penetration for difficult-to-image patients; the C60x transducer images to a depth of 30 cm. and the P21x transducer images to a depth of 35 cm. Teaming Up with Texas Instruments and Microsoft The M-Turbo system is the first medical device to integrate Texas Instruments’ (TI) DaVinci™ technology which is designed specifically for high performing, highly responsive digital video applications. Digital videos and images can be exported from the M-Turbo system to a USB storage device in standard PC formats MPEG4 (H.264), JPEG, HTML and BMP for review or storage on a PC or Mac® computer. With two high speed (480Mbps) USB 2.0 ports and a high speed Ethernet link, clinicians can seamlessly export digital video and images for diagnostic consultation, instruction and publishing. SonoSite engineers also integrated Microsoft® Windows® Embedded CE 6.0 operating system running on TI’s TMS320DM644x digital media processor with DaVinci technology to facilitate easy patient data management and transfer with hospital information systems (DICOM®) and to USB thumb drives.  “Rapid boot from a cold start and reliability are hallmarks of our products and essential in critical medical situations,” stated Dave Willis, SonoSite Vice President, Competitive Strategy and Innovation. “The DaVinci processor, which offers state-of-the-art multimedia capabilities in a small footprint and requires minimal power, fits with our product philosophy. Most portable and compact ultrasound systems utilize large cumbersome operating systems with high-power processors that reduce battery life, increase system heat and require large memory devices that increase the risk of failure. Our proprietary, dedicated ASIC microchips perform the bulk of the ultrasound processing and eliminate the need for large power-hungry processors and operating systems. Working in collaboration with Microsoft and Texas Instruments, we were able to co-develop an ideal, flexible solution for connectivity, playback and easy image transfer.” “We are always excited to work with growing and innovative customers like SonoSite,” said Greg Mar, DaVinci Technology Manager, Texas Instruments. “SonoSite exemplifies a company that continues to push the envelope of medical technology. We look forward to working with them as they continue to drive advances in digital signal processing technology to bring better, more effective patient care.” Innovation in Education SonoSite is also leveraging the new multi-media and connectivity capabilities of the M-Turbo system to offer customers an “education key,” a library of clinically specific, point-of-care tutorials and refresher courses for playback on the system. The Education Key™ program is a thumb drive that contains a combination of system operation video tutorials, application-specific video refresher programs that provide peer-to-peer instruction on how to perform specific exams and procedures, and an image reference library of application specific sonographic anatomy for comparison purposes.  This combination of instructionally rich learning tools is an industry first and continues to solidify the commitment SonoSite is making to clinical users. Built to Take It The M-Turbo system is being offered with the same, unprecedented 5-year warranty that SonoSite introduced with the launch of the MicroMaxx system in 2005, which eliminates the need for expensive service contracts that typically add another 10-15% of the purchase price to system cost per year. Understanding the demanding requirements of point-of-care use, the M-Turbo system withstands SonoSite’s industry-leading 36-inch drop test. Durability is built in from the ground up with the extensive use of magnesium components throughout to maximize strength and minimize weight.  As with other SonoSite products, the M-Turbo system is battery operable and goes from off to scanning in less than 15 seconds. Plus, the system is easy to clean and sanitize, of utmost importance in critical care environments. “The introduction of the M-Turbo to our product portfolio marks the beginning of a new line-up of major product releases signaling the next level of performance and customization for the point-of-care market,” Mr. Goodwin said. “With a global installed base numbering more than 36,000 systems and consistently high customer satisfaction ratings of 97%, we remain the leader in point-of-care visualization.”