Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

Thanks to a revolutionary new approach, neurosurgeons can now avoid radiation and scalpels when performing brain surgery.  Using a new ultrasound machine in conjunction with MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), neurosurgeons can now precisely burn out very small portions of malfunctioning brain tissue without ever cutting the skin.  Based on a preliminary study performed in Switzerland, the use of this new ultrasound technology on nine chronic pain patients has shown that the technology can be safely used in humans.  The next step is to test its effectiveness with other disorders, such as Parkinson’s.

Ultrasound machines, used in conjunction with MRI, are responsible for this groundbreaking discovery, which is based on using extreme precision to create lesions deep in the brain without the need to perform traditional brain surgery.  A neurosurgeon at the University of Virginia, Neal Kassel, has been directly involved in developing new applications for focused ultrasound.  He is chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation in Charlottesville, VA.

How is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) different from diagnostic ultrasound?

By using a special device, intense ultrasound beams can be focused on a small piece of tissue.  The beams can heat it up and destroy it without breaking the skin.  Currently, this ultrasound technology is being used to ablate uterine fibroids, and is being tested for use in breast and other cancers.

One Israel-based ultrasound technology company, InSightec, is developing experimental HIFU devices for use in brain surgery.  The major challenge in developing this technology is figuring out how best to focus beams through the skull, because the skull absorbs and distorts the path of energy from sound waves.  Also, because ultrasound beams absorb energy and convert it into heat, the temperature of the skull can go up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  As a result, the device has a built-in cooling system to prevent skull tissue from overheating.

An experimental version of InSightec’s device is now being tested in 5 medical centers around the world, and neurosurgeons like Neal Kassel hope this will give ultrasound equipment manufacturers the impetus start focusing on the brain.

Using a lightweight, high-resolution ultrasound machine, doctors at UC Irvine’s Medical Center have learned to diagnose life threatening conditions, with striking precision, in a matter of minutes. 

Without an ultrasound scanner, many patients might have died from unforeseen conditions such as ectopic pregnancies, ruptured organs, or blockages.

Ultrasound has long been used in the field of obstetrics to show the growth and development of a fetus, but the technology has advanced further in recent years.  Now cardiologists, urologists and other specialists use ultrasound machines to see inside the body with clarity.  Ultrasound machines can make minimally-invasive techniques, such as heart catheterization, much safer and more effective. 

Because ultrasound technology works by emitting sound waves that allow doctors to plot three-dimensional images on a computer screen, it can be used to detect gallstones, blood clots, collapsed lungs, heart problems and blockages in the intestines, kidneys and stomach. 

Some of the more advanced, portable ultrasound machines weigh less than seven pounds, can be ready-to-use in fifteen seconds, and cost about $50,000.  Using these machines, clinicians can now accurately identify 44 medical conditions in about two minutes. 

Emergency medical personnel, cardiologists, internists and urologists are using ultrasound technology in new and exciting ways, which has caused many healthcare providers to consider investing in new ultrasound equipment for emergency rooms and clinics.  While the cost of these machines can be prohibitive, it makes sense to check out used medical equipment resellers to find ultrasound equipment that meets both the needs and budget of your facility.  These machines are truly the “wave” of the future.