Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

Seeing the image of an unborn baby on a screen is one of the most exciting ways to use ultrasound machines. In fact, many people don’t realize that, other than obstetrics, ultrasound is used as a diagnostic tool for many other areas of medicine. As other forms of ultrasound have become available, the fetal ultrasound machine has undergone some great technological breakthroughs itself.

Today’s fetal ultrasound machines allow patients to see both 3D and 4D images of the fetus, find out the baby’s gender, and profile the condition of their baby. But perhaps the most important function of the machine is to help doctors evaluate the development and growth of the fetus and identify any abnormalities.

While ultrasounds can be done at any time during a pregnancy, they are most commonly administered between the 18th and 20th week in a procedure that is known as an anomaly scan. This standard test only takes about twenty minutes, and provides parents with 2-D images, the real gestational age of the fetus, the gender (if desired) and other pertinent information about its growth and development. Any more advanced scanning will require 3-D images, which can take a lot longer.

In addition to routine scanning, professionally trained staffs can also treat tubal or ectopic pregnancies using ultrasound machines to determine the exact location of the fetus. In multiple pregnancies, ultrasound can also be used to find out how many babies are in the womb. Doctors also use the technology to analyze the baby’s heart rate, movement and breathing.

Where there is a high risk pregnancy, doctors also use ultrasound to check for the presence of Down’s Syndrome. Sometime between the 11th and 14th week, an obstetrician will use ultrasound to measure very specific parts of the fetus. It can also help the doctor to know where to place the needle when drawing amniotic fluid for genetic testing.

Ultrasound machines are a very important part of prenatal care. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, they provide a much higher level of technology today than when they were first introduced.

As our population ages, ultrasound clinics need to stay informed of new breakthroughs in the field of diagnostic testing. The Philips iU22 ultrasound machine is one of those breakthroughs. It offers premium image quality, performance and efficiency to improve work flow and communications in an ever-challenging health care environment.

As medical facilities with high-volume imaging needs look to improve their existing equipment, the iU22 ultrasound machine offers many advantages.

You can now view ultrasound images using the same format as MR and CT scans by using the View Forum workstation to re-scan large amounts of data into a familiar visual format. In addition, you can get critical data that is normally not available in two dimensional views, and measure the ultrasound scan against other diagnostic images.

Using the Philips C5-1 PureWave transducer, the iU22 ultrasound machine greatly reduces failed scans by as much as 69%. Using this technology can have a very positive impact on the productivity and effectiveness of your lab because the C5 cuts exam time down by up to 38% and reduces residual pain and fatigue in patients in up to 85% of all exams.

For women’s health, the Philips iU22 has proven to be a valuable tool in early detection of breast lesions. This state-of-the-art ultrasound machine allows clinicians to compensate for sound and speed variations on breast tissue, as well as various breast structure types, making them better able to see the details of lesions.

The Philips iU22 includes a valuable new feature – SmartExam – which allows clinicians to keep track of all steps in the scanning procedure, from mode changes to body markers and other important data. Even three-dimensional data can be incorporated into the study.