Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

Of all the revolutionary medical imaging equipment currently on the market, ultrasound technology has benefitted the most from electronic integration. In just the past decade, ultrasound machines have been transformed from huge console-based machines to pared-down laptop sized devices, and in many cases they are even smaller than that. One might expect there to be a lapse in performance of these machines with their size getting so much smaller, but the portable units are nearing the capabilities of cart-based systems.

A recent advancement in portable ultrasound is the ability of laptop-based system to produce color Doppler images. Doppler imaging allows cardiologists and other professionals to analyze blood flow and diagnose other cardiac conditions, such as carotid artery blockages, strokes, and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Portable ultrasound machines make it possible to diagnose health issues in a doctor’s office, at a patient’s bedside, or even at the scene of an accident.

Along the same lines, CT scanning is also experiencing a breakthrough in imaging technology. By adding higher “slice-count” machines to their portfolios, suppliers are dramatically increasing the amount of detail a doctor can see. For example, just a decade ago most CT machines were “single slice”, but since then the number of “slice” images has grown to much higher numbers. You can even by a 320-slice scanner today. The higher the number of slices, the more volume a radiologist can see. This prevents them from having to perform the same test several times.

Like any piece of medical equipment, the faster and more efficient it is, the more cost effective it becomes for the provider. Both ultrasound machines and CT scanners have the potential to save healthcare professionals time and money by making imaging more efficient.

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In the medical industry, much attention is paid to the company that designs the smallest or most portable piece of equipment. Unfortunately, more publicity is often given to the size of a device than to its potential life-saving applications. When one considers the medical implications of a portable ultrasound scanner, and how indispensible it will become in emergency rooms, its compact size becomes secondary to its utility.

For example, with a portable ultrasound scanner, EMTs and doctors will no longer need to feel around for a broken bone or merely listen to a patient’s heart. Instead, first responders can be trained to use these lightweight, high resolution scanners to make a much more thorough diagnosis in just minutes – with surprising accuracy – and save lives through immediate intervention.

Portable ultrasound scanners will also direct emergency room personnel to order more specific treatments for patients, without the need for the usual battery of tests. For example, with an ultrasound device, a patient with breathing problem can be diagnosed more readily because Doppler images can show blood flow in the surrounding organs.

EMTs can quickly determine the true nature of pain in patients who show up in the ER. Portable ultrasound technology is useful in nearly every medical discipline, not merely obstetrics. Cardiologists, urologists and many other specialists are able to peer into the body and improve the safety of minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as blood clot removal or heart catheterization.

While not yet a part of most ER settings, doctors who use portable ultrasound devices can be trained to detect 44 medical conditions within just a few minutes time. These include blood clots, blockages in the stomach, kidneys or intestines, collapsed lungs, heart problems and more. Using ultrasound scans to immediately assess a patients condition is far more effective than the shotgun approach typically used in emergency medicine.

Ultrasound Machine Tags: Portable Ultrasound, portable ultrasound machines, Ultrasound Machines, Used Medical Equipment