Ultrasound: Improving performance and speeding up communication

The t3000

With over 55 years experience in diagnostic ultrasound, Aloka is the biggest independent manufacturer that is fully dedicated to diagnostic ultrasound. The company’s Prosound Alpha series represents the sophisticated and latest performance level in high-end and premium ultrasound. The Prosound Alpha 5, dedicated to high-end ultrasound, was launched in 2004, and the premium ultrasound system Prosound Alpha 10, new beamformer/front-end technology, was introduced at ECR 2005.

Alpha 10 - opens a new gateway to improved diagnostic levels. Key technologies, such as 12 bit digital beamformer, Quint Frequency Imaging, Pure Sound Transmission (PST), Hemispheric Sound Technology (HST) and Definitive Tissue Harmonic Echo (D-THE), are the bases of the Prosound Alpha 10 development.

The compound digital beamformer allows full access to all ultrasound parameters, resulting in a unique, exceptional quality level regarding spatial resolution, contrast resolutions, frame rate and artefact suppression in 2-D, Real-time 3-D, M-Mode and Doppler modalities. Another introduction is e-Flow or Contrast Flow, a unique technology to visualise blood perfusion at the highest achievable sensitivity.

E-Flow requires the new compound beamformer technology and is exclusively available on Prosound Alpha 10 systems. A Doppler-based technology, e-Flow allows diagnosis of smallest vessels at lowest perfusion. Whereas contrast agents were required before, e-Flow enables tissue perfusion to be visualised.

Prosound unlimited is open system architecture, ready for future technology introductions and developments via upgrades only. Access to digital raw data for research is available, along with the use of new transducer generations - Compound Array Probes, a technology that enhances focus precision in elevation direction and provides a homogeneous image performance throughout the entire image depth.

At the ECR, Aloka will present the next generation of Alpha 10 performance. With Prosound Alpha 10 and Alpha 10 Premier the company can provide this sophisticated technology at wider spread of budget levels.

Alpha 5 - represents the performance level in the high-end segment, without compromising ultrasound performance in 2-D and Doppler modalities. With the new High Density Digital Front End (HDDF), High Resolution Front Side Bus (HR-FSB combined with Pure Sound Transmission (PST), Hemispheric Sound Technology (HST) and Definitive Tissue Harmonic Echo (D-THE), Aloka provides the standard in high end ultrasound. Combined with a new intelligent Data Management System (iDMS) reliable clinical diagnosis is combined with easy, fast patient data documentation. In the next level of performance (to be introduced at the ECR) Contrast Harmonic Imaging used with leading ultrasound contrast agents impressively demonstrates technology migration to the Prosound Alpha 5 system level. Detection of the lowest contrast agent concentrations allows visualisation of tissue perfusion on smallest vessels level.

The t3000 - This mobile laptop-based ultrasound machine, which weighs under 3.6 kg, results from a co-operation with Terason Inc. Burlington, MA, USA. It has a 256-channel-hybrid-digital-beamformer, and addresses all major applications and probe technologies.

The software is standard OS-based and can be driven like any other PC application, resulting in exceptional ultrasound performance that is easy to learn and use. Latest screen/ monitor technology produce excellent images and display on large sizes.

Ambulances, A&E and other departments can use this smaller equipment without compromising ultrasound performance levels. The reliable system architecture supports highly swappable probe connector technologies, changing probes during examinations. High-resolution 2-D and PW- and Colour-Doppler capabilities are standard on any t3000.

01.03.2006

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