Acuson emphasizes new enhancements

Visitors to Acuson's booth (Hall B, #8311) will see the Mountain View, CA, vendor highlighting three technologies: Native Tissue Harmonic Imaging, MicroSon transducers, and image management with Aegis and the DIMAQ modules on the Sequoia and Aspen scanners.

Native Tissue Harmonic Imaging was introduced in June on Acuson's Sequoia C256 echocardiography scanner as an upgrade package and was migrated to the radiology version of Sequoia a month later. With the technique, a low-frequency ultrasound signal is transmitted into the patient, and the scanner is tuned to receive only those echoes that are twice the frequency of the original sound wave. The technique is especially useful for difficult-to-image patients who require the deeper penetration of low-frequency sound waves. It does not require the use of a contrast agent.

Acuson claims that Native Tissue Harmonic Imaging has been clinically successful since its introduction. At its RSNA booth, Acuson will highlight clinical studies using the technology for technically difficult patients, such as the overweight, elderly, and smokers, according to William Carrano, director of marketing for the vendor's general imaging business unit. Native Tissue Harmonic Imaging will be moved to Acuson's Aspen and 128XP scanners, Carrano said.

In the realm of transducers, Acuson's MicroSon line will be expanded with 15L8W, a work-in-progress wide-aperture version of the high-resolution 15L8 probe that was introduced earlier this year. The 15L8W transducer will become Acuson's primary breast imaging probe, and will also be used for pediatric imaging, while 15L8 will be positioned for musculoskeletal work.

Another new MicroSon probe is L10, an Aspen transducer that is being migrated to 128XP. The probe will improve 128XP's performance in breast and musculoskeletal imaging.

Advances to the Aegis ultrasound image management workstation and DIMAQ image processing modules will also be highlighted, with an emphasis on improving productivity. Acuson will discuss the migration of Aegis from the Macintosh platform to Windows NT, a move that is expected to be completed by the second half of 1998.

Also on display will be WebPro, a Web interface for Aegis; ObPro, an ob/gyn calculations package; DbPro, a database package for Aegis that allows the import and export of data; and ViewPro, software that allows clinicians to conduct off-line reviews of ultrasound images on a PC.