A new breed of versatile, portable and easy to use imaging systems will have the most significant impact on ultrasound imaging over the next five years, a recent poll of healthcare professionals by Siemens Healthcare has found.
Nearly half of respondents (44%) at the UK Radiology Congress 2013 said versatile imaging systems would take the lead as sonographers look to solutions suitable for a wide range of clinical environments. This was followed closely by ergonomics (33%) and portability (21%), emphasising the importance of imaging equipment that can be transported from site-to-site and yet remain easy to use.
Respondents stated a major challenge facing healthcare professionals in 2013 was poor image quality (59%), often aggravated by an increasing patient BMI. Another issue highlighted was cumbersomeness (21%), with many ultrasound systems being too large to handle or covered with wires making access to the patient and infection control increasingly difficult.
“The market has been demanding systems with in-built simplicity, flexibility and portability for some time. This event survey demonstrates that over the next five years, the market for ultrasound systems will need to adapt to these demands, without compromising on image quality,” states Bernadette Leonard, UK Business Manager, Ultrasound and Echocardiology Products at Siemens Healthcare. “We continuously listen to customer feedback and develop new products to meet evolving industry demands. The ACUSON Freestyle is one of five new ultrasound products that Siemens Healthcare has introduced in the last 12 months, focussed on innovation, miniaturisation and expanding our reach into new clinical segments.”
The ACUSON FreestyleTM, with wireless transducers features a simple interface and a transducer range of up to three metres, enabling remote control and operation. Three different types of wireless transducers have been developed for the system, covering a range of general imaging, vascular, and high-frequency applications such as musculoskeletal and nerve imaging. The system has a 38cm, high-resolution LED display, plus the system console can easily be mounted on a lightweight cart and operates on battery power for added flexibility and mobility.
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The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimising clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. For further information please visit: http://www.siemens.co.uk/healthcare.