Portable Ultrasound Offers Powerful Cardiovascular Capabilities

A new high-performance, battery-operated diagnostic ultrasound system combines exceptional image quality with extraordinary functionality.

The GE Healthcare (GE, Little Chalfont, United Kingdom) Vivid iq is an advanced ultra-portable cardiovascular ultrasound machine weighing just 4.5 kg that can be carried around with a built-in handle, just like a briefcase. The compact design allows clinicians to work in a variety of settings, including the catheterization lab, operating room, emergency department (ED), or even in a tented exam room in a remote location. An optional cart rolls on specially designed casters, which are easy to maneuver through various clinical environments.

Features include an intuitive touch screen interface that uses the same gestures as those on a smart phone, with simple to configure menus and shortcuts and drag and drop functionality; four transducer ports (3 standard RS and 1 DLP port); up to one hour of battery life when used as a stand-alone device, or up to four hours of battery life with the optional cart; and, to complement the touchscreen, a flat keyboard surface and an intuitive trackpad are provided, to allow seamless switching between input methods.

GE offers 17 different probes, including two intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) Catheters (8 and 10 French) and a four-dimensional (4D) transesophageal echo (TEE) ultrasound probe. A wide array of cardiac services is available, such as tissue velocity imaging, tissue tracking, automated function imaging (AFI) strain and auto ejection fraction (AF), among others. Shared service tools include Auto INT, Logiqview, and B-flow imaging (BFI).

“We worked directly with cardiologists and interventional cardiologists to better understand their needs and the challenges they face on a daily basis,” said Al Lojewski, general manager of cardiovascular ultrasound at GE Healthcare. “We’re confident the Vivid iq can help improve patient care and make ultrasound more portable and accessible for patients around the world.”

“Vivid iq is a huge step forward in terms of image quality and innovative design. It is extremely user friendly, truly portable, with a fantastic interface and a great design that is really futuristic and elegant at the same time,” said Ferran Rosés Noguer, MD, head of the pediatric cardiology department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain).

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