Siemens Healthcare unveiled its Acuson SC2000 volume imaging ultrasound system, the first system to acquire non-stitched, real-time, full-volume 3D images of the heart in one single heart cycle, during the ESC meeting in Munich, Germany. Called “Echo in a Heartbeat,” this new technology marks the greatest paradigm shift in ultrasound since the introduction of 2D imaging in the late 1970s, according to Siemens.
“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,” said Klaus Hambuechen, CEO Ultrasound, Siemens Medical Solutions USA.
The Acuson SC2000 system’s 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. 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 3D transducers. The 4Z1c is a single transducer solution for adult echo applications that provides all the modes needed: volume imaging, 2D, M-mode, color Doppler, and spectral Doppler.