Liver Disease Management System Unveiled

A new integrated system that combines liver tissue quantification with ultrasound imaging and can visualize, and quantify liver disease in one exam has been announced.

Chronic liver disease affects more than one billion people globally but because a lack of symptoms may not be detected before it develops into a serious condition such as liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The integrated system for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of liver diseases was developed by Echosens and GE Healthcare. The system was unveiled at the International Liver Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in April 2017.

The system is based on the GE LOGIQ S8 XDclear 2.0 premium ultrasound system together with the Echosens FibroScan liver tissue quantification tool. Echosens is largest global provider of of non-invasive diagnostic solutions for assessing chronic liver disease.

FibroScan is intended for non-invasive measurements of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and steatosis, and can help clinicians assess the condition of a patient's liver. The test is intended to replace painful, invasive, and costly liver biopsies. FibroScan uses Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) technology for measurements of tissue elasticity, and the CAP tool to measure ultrasound attenuation. VCTE produces quantitative, reproducible, real-time results in units called kiloPascal (kPa).