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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

GE's Vscan, World's Smallest Portable Ultrasound, Now Available Worldwide

Filed under: Anesthesiology , Cardiac Surgery , Cardiology , Critical Care , Emergency Medicine , Medicine , Military Medicine , Ob/Gyn , Pediatrics , Radiology , Surgery , Urology , Vascular Surgery


GE Healthcare is finally releasing the much awaited Vscan pocket sized ultrasound. Many in the industry hope that this device offers a chance for physicians to make a move from stethoscopes to portable imaging devices, bringing advanced visualization to any examination room. The unit weighs one pound and is only 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide and 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long, offering both standard black and white imaging, as well as colored blood flow doppler. GE is touting Vscan's size and capabilities for cardiologists to transthoracically view myocardium, pericardium, and heart valves, and for primary care physicians, as well as OB, ER, and others, to scan the liver, kidney, aorta and peripheral vessels, babies in the womb, and anything else the transducer can penetrate.

Features from the product FAQ:

  • An online portal provides Vscan users with training tools for the product and basic clinical
    applications with sections about imaging technique, anatomy and trouble shooting

  • Intuitive user interface that can be controlled using the thumb

  • Intelligent workflow enhancements

  • Battery charger station and battery life of one hour scanning - good for up to 30 patients based on
    average of 2 minutes per scan

  • Voice annotation

  • USB docking station

  • Link to a PC for organization and export of data

  • Gateway software with services tools and remote diagnostics

    • Here's our video from a GE event introducing the Vscan:

    Press release: GE Healthcare Introduces Vscan™ Pocket-sized Visualization Tool for Point-of-care Imaging

    Product page: Vscan ...

    Flashbacks: A Closer Look at GE's Vscan Pocket Ultrasound ; More Details About The New GE Vscan Ultrasound System; GE's New Ultra Small Ultrasound May Become as Ubiquitous as Stethoscope

    email this article to a friend      print this!           comments and peer reviews (5)     




    replies: 5 comments
    Open comments are not moderated, although abusive and vulgar remarks may be deleted. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Medgadget.com. Please consult our disclaimer.

    And how much?


    Posted by: Douglas
    on February 16, 2010 12:58 AM GMT

    Jesus F. Christ, the single most important piece of information -- price -- is omitted from this article.


    Posted by: anonymous
    on February 17, 2010 12:24 AM GMT

    I heard on BBC it costs around 5000 British Pounds. This is too expensive. An I-phone is more complicted and it costs 500 USD. GE will try to rip off physicians with this device.


    Posted by: James
    on February 20, 2010 06:15 AM GMT

    I saw a competing product on a news segment recently and called the company. Turns out their slick little device is less than $4k. Seems a better price than the GE one.

    http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=7325735


    Posted by: RVH MD
    on March 18, 2010 02:16 PM GMT

    When first released, portable ultrasound machines had one of two issues (or both): they were either too clunky to lug around or the display quality was too low to be used reliably in diagnosis. Much has improved over the years, and the infusion of portable ultrasound equipment, such as the Siemens Acuson P10 handheld device, in everyday usage has allowed doctors and practitioners the ability to gather information and make decisions for patients in a more efficient manner. However, it is not only the medical staff who are benefiting from the use of portable ultrasound machines; the patients are seeing reduced wait times and quicker turn around on prognosis.

    These benefits have resulted in a change in workflow for doctors by allowing for more information in the initial physical examination. In fact, many doctors are now comparing the portable ultrasound devices to a stethoscope, in that it is readily available and can be used easily.


    Posted by: MedCorp Ultrasound Machines
    on June 3, 2010 08:10 PM GMT

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