October 2, 2009 – Verathon yesterday released the new AortaScan AMI 9700 aortic measurement instrument, which uses ultrasound to help physicians identify the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
Designed with emergency physicians, internists, and family practitioners in mind, the portable AortaScan AMI 9700 uses 3D ultrasound to quickly and noninvasively measure the diameter of the abdominal aorta, without the need for a sonographer. This crucial diameter measurement helps physicians identify the presence of AAA. The AortaScan AMI 9700 makes its official debut on Oct. 5 at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) conference in Boston (Verathon booth 1235), and Oct. 15 at the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) conference, also in Boston (booth 3244).
Abdominal aortic aneurysms, a localized dilation of the abdominal aorta that exceeds normal diameter by more than 50 percent, occur most frequently in men over the age of 60. In the United States, AAA occurs in 2-4 percent of the adult population, with men five to seven times more likely than women to develop AAA. Ruptured AAA is the 13th leading cause of death in the United States, with about 15,000 American deaths annually. In addition to age and gender, other patient risk factors include atherosclerosis, a family history of AAA, a history of smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. An estimated 40,000 surgical procedures are performed every year in the United States to repair AAAs.
The new device offers healthcare providers a quick, accurate, and reliable instrument for their emergency department (ED). The instrument, which has an onboard video tutorial and does not require a sonographer, is easy for nurses to learn and use.
When the scan button is pressed on the AortaScan AMI 9700, the instrument measures ultrasonic reflections on multiple planes inside the body and produces a 3D image. Based on this image, the device calculates and displays the diameter of the abdominal aorta on the color console, and offers aiming assistance to the user, on both the probe and the console.
The AMI 9700 instrument provides a print out or it can save exam data to an electronic medical record (EMR) via HIPAA-compliant ScanPoint online imaging technology. ScanPoint technology provides the ability to view, save and print exams as well as to quickly and easily calibrate AortaScan instruments online.
For more information: www.verathon.com