First image of a single heart cycle
The Acuson SC2000 volume imaging ultrasound system - reported to be the first system in the world to acquire non-stitched real-time full-volume 3-D images of the heart in one single heart cycle - is launched at the ESC meeting in Munich.
Referred to as ‘Echo in a Heartbeat,’ this new technology marks the greatest paradigm shift in ultrasound since the introduction of 2-D imaging in the late ’70s, Siemens explains. Instantaneous, non-stitched, full-volume imaging comes 55 years after echocardiography pioneers Inge Edler und Hellmuth Hertz acquired the world’s first cardiac ultrasound recording using Siemens technology in 1953.
Klaus Hambuechen, CEO of Ultrasound, Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. added: "The system has unparalleled capabilities in information rate processing that allow us to acquire a full volume of the entire heart with 90 degree pyramids. With a high-volume acquisition rate like this – in one second, every second – acquisition time is dramatically reduced, improving the overall workflow in the echocardiography suite."
Next generation system architecture and transducer technology
The Acuson SC2000 cardiology platform is expected to change the way echocardiography is currently practiced. "Its advanced architecture delivers vastly more information than today’s conventional systems and is strengthened by Siemens patented Coherent Volume Formation technology. Coupled with the system’s high-volume acquisition rate, Coherent Volume Formation moves away from serial line-by-line acquisition towards simultaneous, multiple beams, delivering excellent image resolution," Siemens reports.
"The proprietary 4Z1c transducer features revolutionary, patented active cooling technology, enabling full output power within regulatory limits. This results in improved penetration, reduced noise and high-volume acquisition rates when compared to conventional 3-D transducers. The 4Z1c is a single transducer solution for adult echo applications that provides all the modes needed: volume imaging, 2-D, M-mode, colour Doppler, and spectral Doppler. This breakthrough technology showcases Siemens acoustic mastery and delivers on the long-awaited promise of true volume imaging for every patient."
Better outcomes through workflow-driven examination sequences
The Acuson SC2000 system is designed to support advanced cardiovascular applications. The knowledge-based workflow software uses learned pattern recognition technology and an expert database of real clinical cases. This enables the system to recognise anatomical patterns and landmarks, as well as to perform automatic measurements streamlining clinical workflow.
"The system automatically derives reference plane images from the full-volume cardiac capture dataset and offers automated full-volume contouring for fast qualitative and quantitative analysis. Customisable, programmable, and protocol-driven workflow sequences deliver repeatability for better outcomes: greater efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and care – from data acquisition to diagnosis," Siemens adds. "To further enhance efficiency, the offline workstation enables reporting as well as complete review and processing of the acquired volumes."
The company has also addressed the ergonomics of the system to meet and exceed today’s recommended ergonomic guidelines to reduce work-related stress injuries and to accommodate the varied work environment of sonographers. The new system is expected to become available in Europe this autumn.
02.09.2008
