Volume Echocardiography Features 2.88 Gigabyte/Second Acquisition

A new volume echocardiography system features an unprecedented 2.88 gigabytes per second acquisition and processing speed, thereby improving clinical precision.

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) has announced that release 2.0 of the Acuson SC2000 volume imaging ultrasound system has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now commercially available in the United States. This latest version of the Acuson SC2000 system provides considerable performance and imaging enhancements to improve workflow and patient outcomes. The release 2.0 offers a range of new applications, including the quantification of the three-dimensional (3D) proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) to evaluate the severity of valvular disease and volumetric color Doppler.

Other applications include a package for automated left ventricle analysis (LVA), which enables the autodetection and tracking of volume contours, and Siemens’ exclusive IN Focus coherent image-forming technology, which yields a high level of image uniformity and clinical detail. Release 2.0 supports volumetric intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), enabling the integration of the Acuson AcuNav ultrasound catheters.

The Acuson SC2000 system can obtain semiautomatic quantification of the PISA from 4D color Doppler data. This quantification enables the clinician to eliminate the current practice of 2D PISA assumptions and improve measurement accuracy by using volumetric color analysis for valvular regurgitation, which affects millions of people worldwide. The examination can be performed on almost all valvular disease patients and delivers in seconds more accurate, effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) measurements than previously possible, resulting in a faster, more confident diagnosis. Also featured on Release 2.0 of the Acuson SC2000 system is eSie VVI (velocity vector imaging) technology, a unique visual representation to display cardiac contraction-relaxation mechanics. This feature helps to obtain important clinical data for the analysis of cardiac synchrony, strain and strain rate, along with fetal heart dysfunction as well as atrial and ventricular assessment.

The system features eSie LVA volume LV analysis, an automated volume quantitative analysis package designed for left ventricle assessment. This cutting-edge application enables the clinician to detect and monitor volume contours in one step, reducing exam times and improving consistency. Unlike stitched imaging technology that excludes arrhythmia patients, eSie LVA analysis can be used with all patient types because the system captures the entire heart in one beat, eliminating geometric assumptions.

The Acuson SC2000 system’s unique IN Focus technology acquires and processes information at an unprecedented 2.88 gigabytes per second. This technology enables the user to focus on the entire field of view instead of a single focal zone, revealing more precise information in one image and ultimately benefiting a patient’s diagnosis.

The latest version of the AcusonSC2000 system also integrates intracardiac echocardiography applications. With the Acuson AcuNav technology, electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists can obtain vitally important ultrasound images from within the heart in real time, enabling them to perform complicated procedures with greater precision.

Offering these and other innovations, the Acuson SC2000 system marks the next step in echocardiography technology. It is the first and only ultrasound system that enables the production of real-time, full-volume cardiac images in one heart cycle. This capability eliminates the need for electrocardiogram (ECG) gating or stitching, which improves image accuracy. With a processing speed that is 16 times faster than a premium ultrasound system, the Acuson SC2000 system delivers vastly more diagnostic information than conventional 3D imaging methods, allowing for wider patient access. Easily integrated into a routine echocardiography exam, the Acuson SC2000 system offers new workflow pathways to improve diagnostic confidence and efficiency.

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