More than 60 companies and organizations are displaying their latest products and services at the 2018 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 29th Annual Scientific Sessions, planned for June 22-26, 2018 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. ASE 2018 is the world’s premier meeting for cardiovascular ultrasound practitioners, and promises a wealth of cutting-edge education, research and the latest vendor technology.
Find all news, video and 360 images posted from ASE 2018.
Top Technology Trends in Echocardiography at ASE 2018
The President’s Reception on Saturday, June 23, 4:30-6:30 PM, will kick-off the opening of the exhibit and poster hall. The hall will also be open Sunday, June 24, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Monday, June 5, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Highlights from the show floor include:
• The ASE Headquarters (Booth #424) will feature six new ASE products including a guideline poster on Clinical Applications of Ultrasound Enhancing Agents (contrast) in Echocardiography, a Guideline Spiral that includes 18 guidelines, and the 2nd Edition of Proper Echocardiographic Measurements: How and Why DVD. Roberto Lang, MD, FASE, creator of the new Utility of 3D Echocardiography: Promises and Perspectives DVD, will be in the ASE Booth on Monday morning, 9:30-10:15 a.m. to talk about this new product. There will also be many opportunities in the ASE booth for attendees to talk with leadership on important topics like the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE), how to achieve the FASE designation, and how to submit cases to ASE’s online case reports journal CASE.
• The ASE Education and Research Foundation (ASEF) Booth, located on Level 2 in the Presidential Lobby of the convention center, is the central hub for all the Foundation’s activities and initiatives. Attendees are encouraged to join in the Cardiovascular Challenge sponsored this year by CAE Healthcare, Canon Medical Systems USA, Esaote North America, Lantheus Medical Imaging and Studycast, by Core Sound Imaging. The Chain Reaction Campaign, encourages a team approach to fundraising and the Images from the Heart Gallery features photos taken by ASE members that were taken at medical outreach events. The Foundation has provided travel grants for this year’s Scientific Sessions to 54 early career practitioners, totaling over $54,000.
• GE Healthcare (Booth #306) Celebrating 20 years of innovation and showing what the future may hold for cardiovascular ultrasound. Patient Centric Intelligence – Take a virtual tour of the heart and see what artificial intelligence may bring to healthcare.
• Siemens Healthineers (Booth #407) Acuson Bonsai Cardiovascular Ultrasound System. The essence of power and portability. The Acuson Bonsai ultrasound system is an ultra-portable system that provides the perfect harmony of power and portability. It performs in any environment — wherever and whenever you need it without compromising mobility or imaging performance. The highly compact system provides exceptional imaging results, a wide variety of advanced applications and workflow features that enable you to transform your care delivery and improve your patient’s experience throughout your day.
• 3D Systems Simbionix (Booth #527) Demo the U/S Mentor training simulator for TTE and TEE echocardiology training in compliance with ASE guidelines. Ask about the Ultrasound VR an innovative virtual reality ultrasound training solution that provides an immersive, fun, and affordable training like never before. Request a demo at your institution at [email protected] or 3DSystems.com/healthcare.
• Ascend Health Information Technology (Booth #121) At ASE 2018, Ascend Health Information Technology will showcase a transformative machine learning for echocardiography solution. Through the development of a machine learning algorithm, it has created the Adaptive Reporting Viewer, a solution designed to automatically characterize echo study images by view and modality transforming the process by which echo studies are read and reported. Adaptive Reporting Viewer uniquely elevates clinical reporting workflow to a new level of productivity. The solution supersedes the traditional acquisition order process by reorganizing images by structure to sync relevant image data in current and prior studies. Adaptive Reporting Viewer is pending regulatory review
• ARDMS and APCA (Booth #328) Now with over 1,000 physician enrollments, the Alliance for Physician Certification and Advancement’s (APCA) Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certification and Certificate program provides physicians a way to demonstrate commitment to excellence in patient care and provide a critical edge in promoting public safety through the proficient use of point-of-care ultrasound. Visit APCA.org/POCUS to find out more about the program, including eligibility requirements, how to apply, how to take the assessments at your convenience, and details on our new digital badging program.
• Biodex Medical Systems (Booth #519) A survey by the Society of Vascular Ultrasound suggests pain during ultrasound scanning may also affect scan quality. The Biodex Echo/Vasc Pro Vascular Echocardiography Table is designed with features to gain the best quality image while protecting the sonographer from injury. Unique for echocardiography, the Cardiac Scanning Cushion drops down to reveal the industry’s largest scanning cutout providing open access to the patient’s left thorax area for an unobstructed, apical approach. The Foot Support provides the sonographer with comfortable access to patients of various height. When not in use, the foot support stores beneath the table, allowing clear access to the tabletop. Learn about Biodex’s industry-leading features to ensure you get the best image, every time. Biodex.com/echovascpro
• British Society of Echocardiography (Booth #616) BSE are proud to present BSE Level 1 accreditation to its members. Level 1 is designed to be accessible to echocardiographers from a wide variety of backgrounds, and has, at its ultimate aim, the achievement and maintenance of high standards of clinical echocardiography to rule out life threatening and immediately reversible pathology in a time frame appropriate to the acute emergency patient.
• CardioVillage, University of Virginia (Booth #229) After 20 years of providing renowned e-Learning content for cardiology, and after much feedback from our faithful members, we have an all new website. The new site provides a steady beat of content with brand new courses and insights from respected experts in the field focusing on practicing cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, new topics and trends, and Fundamentals. In addition to a fresh new look and feel, the site is mobile-friendly to help you continue learning online and while on-the-go.
• Civco Medical Solutions (Booth #217) The ASTRA automated reprocessors for TEE and endocavity ultrasound probes are the latest in probe reprocessing and help users maintain confident compliance with Joint Commission and Infection Control standards. The ASTRA is compatible with three industry-leading high-level disinfectants: Revital-Ox RESERT (Hydrogen Peroxide), Cidex OPA, and Metricide OPA Plus; the reusable disinfectants significantly minimize cycle costs. Easy, step-by-step prompts take the user through ASTRA’s two-minute setup process. ASTRA controls the time, temperature, and rinse cycles for the probes while providing fully automated data logging. The data from the last 2,000 cycles are stored on the system and downloaded at your convenience.
• Epsilon Imaging (Booth #219) The newest application to be introduced from Epsilon Imaging is designed specifically to assess contrast enhanced echocardiography studies – EchoInsight for Left Ventricle (LV) Contrast. With the same robust strain imaging and intuitive user interface known to users, the software utilizes customized region of interest editing tools optimized for contrast enhanced images, to provide global longitudinal strain and serial study comparison.
• Esaote (Booth # 515) Esaote introduces the new ultra-performance MyLabTM9 Platform ultrasound system for top quality echocardiographic exams within reach. Take ultra-control of your images with unique visualization tools, and view results with clarity and sensitivity to help make more informed clinical decisions. Experience the ultra-comfort of Italian-designed ergonomics and an ultra-easy user interface that increases productivity. The MyLab™9 Platform ultrasound system provides unprecedented power to drive more confident, better informed healthcare decisions without compromise, at an ultra-value.
• Fujifilm Medical Systems U.S.A. (Booth #414) This year we are exhibiting a new, works-in-progress product called Synapse zero footprint Cardiovascular Viewer. Please find a product description and a short disclaimer to be included below. FThe company is exhibiting its Synapse zero footprint Cardiovascular Viewer, a next-generation, secure server-side technology that enables instant access of massive datasets. Synapse Cardiovascular Viewer works within the most popular browsers while using less bandwidth throughout the enterprise. Providing the ability to immediately interact with the data in Synapse Cardiovascular, this viewer facilitates productivity and a better overall user experience. Synapse zero footprint Cardiovascular Viewer is a work-in-progress and is not commercially available in the United States.
• ImageGuide Registry (Booth #326) The ImageGuide Registry provides the framework to support a community of cardiology labs committed to patient-centered imaging, patient safety, improving outcomes, practice transformation, and innovation through ongoing data collection and quality improvement. ImageGuide supports and enhances imaging as a strategic approach to image-guided disease management in the healthcare delivery paradigm. It is the first cardiovascular registry of its kind, focusing on SPECT, PET and Echo imaging studies. Through the ImageGuideEcho and ImageGuideNuclear modules, the registry provides a fully integrated platform to seamlessly collect data in nuclear and echo imaging labs to measure quality, safety and efficiency.
• KeLabs (Booth #619) For the first time at an ASE meeting, KeLabs will showcase Introduction to Echocardiography, an accelerated way to learn echocardiography. Developed by ASE founder Harvey Feigenbaum, M.D., FASE, this online simulation learning software offers users exposure to a wide variety of case types and pathologies for reviewing and understanding cardiac ultrasound images. All cases include expert teaching points and all user interactions can be monitored using built-in administrator features. Used successfully for training cardiology fellows and cardiac sonographers at Indiana University, in addition to 40 other institutions across the U.S., this program is also recommended for residents, nurses, and point-of-care physicians.
• Medical Positioning (Booth #319) Medical Positioning Inc. (MPI) is excited to announce our partnership with Lode B.V. to bring the latest generation of our longstanding product, the supine bike Stress EchoBed. The Stress EchoBed is a multimodality product designed for all resting, treadmill and supine bike stress echocardiography. Our partnership with Lode and the utilization of their advanced ergometer technology provides direct interfacing between the Stress EchoBed and all known ECG systems.
• National Board of Echocardiography (Booth #318) The National Board of Echocardiography is thrilled to announce the new Examination of Special Competence in Critical Care Echocardiography (CCEeXAM). The first administration date will take place on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at Prometric Testing Centers across the United States. The content outline can be found on the NBE website, www.echoboards.org.
• Oregon Institute of Technology (Booth #124) Oregon Tech is pleased to announce a brand new all online master's of science in allied health degree focusing on building healthcare leadership competency. The degree is designed by following the National Center for Healthcare Leadership Model. Students are equipped with a broad ranch of skills including leadership, research methods, statistics, curriculum design, grant writing, finance, political strategies, assessing, planning, teaching, administration and team building skills,. The graduates will have the leadership skills to be creative, think out of the box to solve healthcare shortages and problems within their own communities and globally. These healthcare leaders will advance their careers and improve patient care in meaningful ways. Students get to choose their own topics for their final capstone projects in the program.
• Sheehan Medical LLC (Booth #118) Company is presenting the Real Ultrasound line of transthoracic and transesophageal echo (TTE and TEE) simulators. Our simulators display original, real echo images acquired from patients. At ASE 2018 we are introducing another first in echo simulation: 3D TEE with real time volumetric rendering. This innovative technology expands the range of educational experience from novice fellow to advanced interventional echocardiologist. The 3D TEE visualization is accompanied by 2D measurement tools for training in procedural guidance. Real Ultrasound simulators enable cardiologists and anesthesiologists to practice, for the first time, complex TEE procedures in a safe but realistic environment.
• Sound Ergonomics (Booth #131) The company is introducing Sound Work Environments, a program to address worker wellness by focusing on all components of the work environment. An ergonomics work environment includes not only good worker postures but the work equipment, administrative support and ergonomics education. You can show your investment in your workers by proudly becoming a designated Sound Work Environments facility. Learn more at www.soundergonomics.com or email us at [email protected]
• Studycast by Core Sound Imaging (Booth #415) Does your echo reporting prompt you when published guidelines indicate valvular regurgitation? Studycast Advisor does. Using auto-populated study measurements, the Advisor offers prompts for findings aligned with ASE guidelines for regurgitation, hypertrophy and more. It is just one of the leading-edge features that make the Studycast system a perfect fit for cardiologists. Also new in 2018, our comprehensive fetal echo workflow includes z-scores and the ability to view these critical findings from anywhere. And coming later this summer, our zero-footprint cloud viewer gets even faster and more powerful.
• Ventripoint Diagnostics Ltd. (Booth #333) The company announces that it has received market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its VMS+TM machine with the 4-chamber heart analysis system in the United States. The VMS+ is the first system that utilizes conventional 2D echocardiography source images for 3D volumetric analysis of all four chambers of the heart to be approved by the FDA. The size and function of all four chambers of the heart are increasingly recognized as being critically important in monitoring patient responses to cardiac medications and for predicting outcomes. This information is often unavailable as access to cardiac MRI is limited due to cost and availability worldwide. 2D cardiac ultrasound is universally available and with the VMS+, it is possible to obtain this valuable information easily.
As the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging, the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines. Comprised of over 17,000 physicians, sonographers, nurses, and scientists, ASE is a strong voice providing guidance, expertise, and education to its members with a commitment to improving the practice of ultrasound and imaging of the heart and cardiovascular system for better patient outcomes. For more information about ASE visit ASECho.org or the 2017 Scientific Sessions, visit ASEScientificSessions.org.
June 12, 2024 
