Innovative Ultrasound System Receives Regulatory Clearance

A next-generation medical ultrasound imaging system has received ultrasound clearance in Japan as part of an exclusive distribution agreement between two imaging vendors.

The system is the only ultrasound system that can provide real time ShearWave Elastography (SWE) for assessments of the breast, liver, prostate, thyroid, and musculoskeletal system. Physicians can use SWE to quantify tissue stiffness, and diseased or potentially malignant tissue. The system also provides combined color flow imaging and pulsed wave Doppler in a single exam, to improve efficiency.

The Aixplorer ultrasound system, developed and marketed by SuperSonic Imagine (Aix-en-Provence, France), is being commercialized by Konica Minolta (Tokyo, Japan) as part of a January 2015 exclusive distribution agreement between the companies. The ultrasound market in Japan is the third largest in the world.

The UltraFast platform of the Aixplorer can acquire images 200 times faster than conventional ultrasound systems, and is the only system that can image both ultrasound and shear waves to visualize and analyze soft tissue stiffness reliably in real-time.

Jacques Souquet, chief innovation officer, SuperSonic Imagine, said, “We are thrilled to have accomplished this regulatory approval, an important milestone that is a reflection of Konica Minolta's and SuperSonic Imagine's strong partnership. This technology is positioned to revolutionize ultrasound imaging in Japan by providing physicians with detailed, real time information in a broad range of clinical applications.”

Related Links:
SuperSonic Imagine