World's First Pocket Ultrasound System Proves Ideal for First Point of Patient Contact

A new handheld diagnostic ultrasound system is a little larger than a common Personal digital assistant (PDA), weighs only 725 g, and fits easily into a lab coat pocket. The device provides on demand ultrasound imaging and it is intended for complementary initial diagnostic care and triage, especially in emergency care, cardiology, and obstetrics.

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) presented its smallest ultrasound solution--the Acuson P10 ultrasound system--at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine meeting, April 3-6, 2008, in San Francisco, CA, USA.

"Instead of having to rush the patient to the technology, the P10 system brings the technology to the patient. This can save critical minutes, especially when a patient is in cardiac distress or with trauma patients, who have multiple injuries,” said Dr. Eyal Herzog, FACC, director of the Cardiac Care Unit at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (New York, NY, USA), an early Acuson P10 system user. "The application flexibility and portability of the Acuson P10 pocket ultrasound system mark significant changes in the way emergency care is administered, changes that could alter the face of the physical exam and, ultimately, lead to better patient outcomes.”

The Acuson P10 system can be used by physicians and medical personnel in a number of environments including intensive care units, ambulances, and medevac helicopters. In emergencies, it is the point of care exam tool allowing for earlier, faster, and more accurate screening and triage decisions. Its emergency applications include FAST (focused assessment with sonography for trauma) detecting free fluid, the determination of cardiac activity and pericardial effusion, as well as detecting abdominal aortic aneurysms and performing pelvic exams.

"In emergency situations you have the need for rapid patient assessment, and in many environments like helicopters or ambulances, you have limited space,” said Klaus Hambuchen, chief executive officer, Ultrasound, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. (Hoffman Estates, IL, USA). "The Acuson P10 system is the ideal solution to bring ultrasound imaging to these scenarios. It is small and portable, there are no concerns about radiation exposure in unprotected areas, and it is digital, so images can be saved and transmitted easily.”

Bridging the gap between the stethoscope and an ultrasound machine, the system enables more supported and fast decision-making regarding the subsequent course of treatment for the patient.


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