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04.12.2007 
In the future, the world’s smallest ultrasound device will enable doctors to make
initial diagnoses wherever a patient happens to be at a given moment. Known as the
Acuson P10, the device is being presented by Siemens at the Radiological Society of
North America’s (RSNA) Technical Exhibition, a leading event held in Chicago,
from November 25 to 30. Small enough to fit into a pocket of a doctor’s lab coat,
the device is particularly well-suited for use in emergency situations, ambulances,
rescue helicopters, and intensive care units.
In emergencies, the first few minutes are often crucial. The sooner a diagnosis
can be made, the better the chances of patient recovery. The new handheld
ultrasound scanner can be taken along anywhere, and its special lithium-ion
batteries provide power for up to one hour of scanning. The doctor can store
the images and after transforming them via a DICOM viewer feed them to the
hospital’s IT system assigning them to the relevant patient file.
The Acuson P10 is roughly the same size as a Blackberry. The developers at
Siemens Medical Solutions not only managed to fit the ultrasound system’s
complex components into the miniature device, but also to create high-quality
images. As with handheld computers, the user operates the scanner with the
thumb. The scanner’s black-and-white monitor measures almost ten centimeters,
and the device weighs around 700 grams, including its recording head.
The miniature ultrasound system is particularly helpful during emergency
triage, when patients need to be quickly sorted according to the severity
of their injuries. The rapid assessment of injuries allows doctors to treat
patients quickly and appropriately. The Acuson P10 can also be used for
special emergency applications such as abdominal sonography of severely
injured patients. In addition to enabling an emergency care physician to
determine if the patient is suffering from internal bleeding, for example,
it allows the doctor to check the heart rate and find out if fluids have
accumulated in the heart. The device also detects life-threatening vascular
dilations (aneurysms) and hip bone injuries.
The scanner can also be very useful in maternity wards during childbirth.
In the delivery room, the device allows a doctor to determine the position
and mobility of a fetus, as well as the quantity of amniotic fluid, and
also detect any bleeding or other complications. The Acuson P10 is suited
for use not only with human beings, but also by veterinarians.
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