More Functionality in 5D Ultrasound

Samsung continues to grow its 5D ultrasound portfolio with the Samsung WS80A with Elite, which is part of the flagship ultrasound for women’s health care, the company announced today.

Samsung is currently the only player in the 5D ultrasound field.

“2D is basically an axial image, and 3D is volume, and 4D is volume with time, and really for us, the fifth dimension is how do you bring a level of workflow into ultrasound? And it is basically bordering on the sense of automation,” Doug Ryan, group vice president for Samsung Health and Medical Equipment, told Diagnostic Imaging. “The whole concept of 5D is workflow.”

Samsung entered the 5D ultrasound market after considering which ultrasound exams are the most time-consuming, and identifying a way to help sonographers improve that process, Ryan said.

“5D technology is a form of automation where you go through and do a scan and you get the results autopopulated for you,” Ryan said.

 “We take a more complex exam and provide assistance in getting that exam done or find a way to semi-automate that exam, which improves workflow dramatically. The other big advantage is that once we start doing standardization on how we do measurements and how we search through a volume to find data, you’re eventually going to improve consistency,” Ryan said. “Now we have to do more evidence-based outcome trials to prove that but the logical conclusion is you’re going to get greater consistency.”[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"31713","attributes":{"alt":"Samsung WS80A with 5D Heart","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_2295023413083","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"3339","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"height: 271px; width: 160px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 1px; float: right;","title":"Samsung WS80A with 5D Heart","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]

The Elite performance package includes a 5D Heart application, which generates nine standard fetal cardiac views simultaneously in a single template, according to a release. Samsung expects the technology to relieve the challenge of screening and diagnosis for congenital heart disease, the leading organ-specific birth defect, according to the release. The Samsung WS80A already included features like 5D LB (fetal long-bone) and 5D NT (nuchal translucency).

The Elite performance package integrates 5D Heart, 5D CNS, which is aimed at the central nervous system and displays six measurements (BPD, HC, OFD, Cerebellum, Posterior Fossa, Atria lateral ventricle) from three transverse views generated from a single volume of the fetal brain, and 5D Follicle, which identifies and measures multiple ovarian follicles for rapid assessment of follicular size, according to a release.

The Samsung WS80A with Elite performance package has received 510(k) clearance. The Elite performance package will have its U.S. debut at the 35^th Annual Meeting for the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine.