Siemens Medical Solutions previewed a hand-held ultrasound unit, the Acuson P10, intended primarily for triage and screening applications in acute care settings. In the future, personal imaging tools such as this could improve the standard of care for inpatient monitoring, critical care, outpatient specialty visits and bedside exams.
The system is about 1.5 lbs, was FDA cleared in Jan. 07 and will be launched in July. Target departments are ED, cardiology and Ob-GYN, and the system can be worn around the neck like a stethoscope. The u.s. screen fits in pocket and (general) transducer fits in other pocket. P.O.C, screening and trauma instant visualization can immediately influence care direction. The Acuson P10 instantly answers point and shoot questions for ultrasound, and it can scan for one hour on a battery charge. A spare battery can be kept in the physician’s pocket, and it’s rechargeable. Currently the system is only in black and white, but a color version is in progress.