Publications

ULTRASOUND: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE
Yasmina Ajimi-Hernander


Abstract

This paper discusses how current portable devices are changing the field of imaging diagnostics. The paper focuses on the ACUSON P10 Ultrasound System and shows how it carries out the market need for a portable, affordable and flexible ultrasound device. The paper looks at its compensation over existing systems and lay emphasis on how the ACUSON P10 system is an important addition to the growing field of portable ultrasound devices. “The ACUSON P10 system offers a low-cost, portable solution to assist frontline health professionals,” states Declan Dunphy, Ultrasound Product Manager at Siemens Healthcare in the UK. “The portability of the P10 system opens the door to wider application in the traditional hospital environment, reducing referrals for a range of clinical applications”.(Glader, 2010) Responses were positive overall with 5 second start-up time, portability, and reliability particularly well rated. Advancements in imaging technology are proceeding at a sometimes-dizzying pace. New applications and technologies revolutionize the way in which imaging diagnostic equipment can be employed in a healthcare setting. Some analysts predict that the portable ultrasound market will surpass $1 billion by 2010 (Allan, 2006). With this potential and the wide application of portable diagnostic imaging devices, an understanding of the way that current portable devices are changing imaging diagnostics is important. ACUSON P10 Ultrasound System is an informative example for examination (Glader, 2010).

ULTRASOUND: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

It all started with Sonar, which stands for sound navigation ranging, which has been available for years, is used to locate the underwater depth and explorations in the ocean. Short pulses of ultrasonic waves are sent by the sonar device through water. Some waves are absorbed by the floor of the sea, but some of the waves bounce back to the ship via an echo that is received through receivers which collaborates with researchers in pursuit of extricating the depth of the ocean, the military also uses this method, especially in the submarines.

Sonography, or ultrasonography, is the use of sound waves to generate an image used for assessment and diagnosis of various medical conditions. Many people associate sonography with obstetrics and the viewing of the fetus in the womb. Ultrasound technology bounces acoustic waves off samples, extracting images and data from the reflected signals by using relatively inexpensive electronics that switch between transmitting and receiving (Rollins, 2005). But this technology has many other applications in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Diagnostic medical sonographers, also known as ultrasonographers, use special equipment to direct nonionizing, high frequency sound waves into areas of the patient’s body. Sonographers operate the equipment, which collects reflected echoes and forms an image that may be videotaped, transmitted, or photographed for interpretation and diagnosis by a physician. The human ear cannot hear the frequency of these waves because they are way beyond the human limits. Ultrasound technology exists in a variety of forms from analog to digital, from pulsed to continuous wave, and from 2D to 3D to 4D images. One of the most advanced ultrasound systems is a continuous wave (CW) Doppler ultrasound that colorizes time-controlled images to calculate fluid velocities within the body (Allan, 2006; Tuite, 2005). Unfortunately, ultrasound technology isn’t traditionally considered portable. CW Doppler ultrasound devices, in particular, require large computer boards to function (Allan, 2006). The end result is that most ultrasound equipment is large, ungainly, and expensive.
 

The solution is the development of portable diagnostic imaging devices, such as the ACUSON P10. Weighing in at a remarkably light 1.6 pounds including the battery, the ACUSON P10 is quite reminiscent of early laptops. The ACUSON P10 ultrasound system is the first pocket ultrasound imaging device providing physicians and clinical personnel with earlier, faster and more accurate clinical assessment at the point of care. The ACUSON P10 system revolutionizes existing assessment and examination protocols via the extension of the physical exam in cardiology, emergency medicine care and obstetrics. The ACUSON P10 system is the ideal solution when it comes to supporting triage decisions, bedside monitoring, and traditional diagnosis, by providing additional information during the clinical assessment. With its instant power-up capabilities, exceptional image quality and a simplified user interface, the ACUSON P10 system is available immediately, anytime, anywhere you need it. It helps you to make more informed, more confident decisions. In cardiology, the ACUSON P10 system enables you to visualize basic anatomy, function, and effusion as part of an initial patient assessment, routine follow-up, or in pre/post procedure care in the ICU/CCU. In emergency medicine, the ACUSON P10 system eliminates the usual delays in assessing free fluid, cardiac activity, and AAA, as well as enabling ultrasound guidance for para/thora-centesis. In obstetrics, the ACUSON P10 system gives physicians and midwives a quick and comprehensive overview on fetal positioning, anatomy, heartbeat, fluid levels and placenta location during labor or routine office visits (Library & Technology Abstracts database, 2008, p. 7).


It fulfills the market need for a relatively low cost, mobile, flexible ultrasound device. These portable ultrasound devices can currently be purchased for less than $10,000 (Allan, 2006). One way that designers were able to create this technology in such a small package at a very affordable price is to do away with much of the dedicated hardware. As already mentioned, CW Doppler imaging has been traditionally handled with dedicated computer hardware and circuit boards. The ACUSON P10: Fit into fits in a lab coat pocket: Visual reinforcement of exam: findings improves patient communication: Optimized form factor, functionality, and price to complement the physical exam: 1.6 lbs total weight: 5-second power-up: Excellent image quality: Easy to use -- simple, intuitive user interface: Stores images and video clips for permanent record-keeping: Improved interaction with patients: 4-2 MHz phased array transducer ideal for trauma and cardiac applications (Library & Technology Abstracts database, 2008, p. 7).

There is a definite market need for low cost, mobile, and flexible diagnostic imaging solutions that can produce the same results as larger ultrasound devices (Allan, 2006). The significance of the GE ACUSON P10 is that it provides this portability without a significant decrease in imaging performance. The advantages over existing systems should be readily apparent. First, the ACUSON P10 is smaller, more compact, and completely portable whereas older ultrasound machines are typically more stationary. The small size means that the ACUSON P10 will find applications in more offices and situations than ever before. Additionally, the easy portability means that an advanced ultrasound system can be easily and quickly implemented in places and circumstances that do not already have an ultrasound system in place. This can be invaluable in medical situations in which time is of the essence. Second, the fact that the ACUSON P10 is capable of producing high quality diagnostic scans—even 4D CW Doppler images—is an important consideration. This is a full function device that can be equally put to use by general

practitioners, hospital emergency rooms, and medical specialists without fear of limited applicability. Third, and perhaps most importantly for some, the GE ACUSON P10 can be purchased for a surprisingly low amount. The emphasis on software over more costly hardware applications means that engineering costs can be kept to a minimum, maximizing value for users. These factors make the ACUSON P10 an impressive and useful diagnostic imaging technology (Handheld scanners on the market, 2007, p. 5).

Conclusion
GE Healthcare executives think the handhelds could reduce the need for tests and referrals during physical examinations, and could make health care more accessible to patients in the U.S. and in emerging markets. "Our vision is that, one day, every clinical procedure will require ultrasound the way everything requires a stethoscope today," said Omar Ishrak, president and CEO for clinical systems at GE Healthcare. Currently available hand-held systems can facilitate rapid bedside diagnosis and patient screening. However, this recent development also raises a number of questions and its actual impact on general clinical practice still remains to be evaluated. The ACUSON P10 is an important addition to the growing field of portable ultrasound devices. It is a forerunner of technologies that are yet to be developed, as portability and flexibility continue to grow in importance for imaging science and its practitioners. Demand for robust technology features in a small package will continue to encourage the development of products and devices that are smaller, more portable, and remarkably powerful. The effect on patients and users will be significant, as ultrasound equipment becomes more user-friendly, more universally available, and less intimidating to both users and patients (Glader,2010).

References

  • (2008). Philip launches handheld ultrasound system. Medicine on the Net, 14(10), 7. Retrieved
  • from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.
  • 2007. "Handheld scanners on the market." Medicine on the Net 13, no. 11: 5. Library,
  • Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed February 28, 2010).
  • (2008). Philip launches handheld ultrasound system. Medicine on the Net, 14(10), 7. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.
  • 2007. "Handheld scanners on the market." Medicine on the Net 13, no. 11: 5. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed February 28, 2010).
  • Everbach, E. (2007). Medical diagnostic ultrasound. Physics Today, 60(3), 44. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database
  • (2006). ULTRASOUND ON YOUR LAPTOP. Popular Science, 269(6), 98. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database."Handheld ultrasound instrument could diagnose injuries onsite," Sandra Hines, University Week, Feb 29, 1996, p. 8.
  • Duplex Scanning in Vascular Disorders, D. E. Strandness, Jr., 2nd Ed., Raven Press, New York, 1993."Handheld ultrasound instrument could diagnose injuries onsite,"
  • Sandra Hines, University Week, Feb 29, 1996, p. 8.(2008). Philip launches handheld ultrasound system. Medicine on the Net, 14(10), 7. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.
  • "Handheld scanners on the market. 2007" Medicine on the Net 13, no. 11: 5. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed February 28, 2010).
  • Allan, R. (2006, June 8). Advances trigger an ultrasonic boom: impressive technology gains in sensors, signal processing, and software push ultrasound imagers into a host of new medical applications. Electronic Design, 54(12), pp. 43-49.
  • Rollins, A.M. (2006, January 6). Another way to peer inside the body: optical coherence tomography combines interferometry and high-tech light sources to capture images of living tissue. Machine Design, 77(1), pp. 90-92.
  • Tuite, D. (2005, May 26). Chip gets to the heart of ultrasound designs: with this CW Doppler IC, designers can be rid of analog delay lines and crosspoint switches in devices that locate arterial blockages. Electronic Design, 53(11), p. 44.
  • Paul Glader. (2010, February 12). GE Is Latest to Make Handheld Ultrasound. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. B.1. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from ProQuest National Newspapers Expanded. (Document ID: 1960845341).