Vivid E9 Cardiac Ultrasound System with 4D transesophageal echocardiography probe receives FDA clearance

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GE Healthcare has announced the FDA clearance and availability of the latest version of its Vivid E9 cardiovascular ultrasound system. The Vivid E9 Breakthrough 2012 (BT12) includes a 4D transducer for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and also provides innovative tools designed to help improve workflow efficiency through simplified image acquisition, intuitive navigation and advanced yet easy to use quantification.  

Whilst Vivid E9 is currently used most frequently in the echo lab, the availability of the 4D TEE transducer enables the system to be used more often in settings including the cath lab, and the operating room. The TEE transducer will allow clinicians to view precise images of the heart during assessment/diagnosis performed in the echo lab, and support invasive surgical procedures in the operating room, as well as image-guided procedures in the cath lab. With the TEE transducer, Vivid E9 can now be leveraged for procedures including mitral valve repair, transcatheter aortic valve implantation, atrial septal defect closures and patent foraman ovale closures.

“The new 4D transesophageal probe developed by GE Healthcare is an advanced diagnostic tool,” said Luigi P Badano of the University of Padua, Padua, Italy. “It combines ease of use and flexibility to acquire 4D data sets, user-friendly navigation tools that allow users to quickly visualise the cardiac structure of interest, and effective quantification software to quantitate left ventricular pump function, myocardial deformation and mitral valve morphology.”

The Vivid E9 BT12 also includes several features that are new to cardiovascular ultrasound, designed to enhance 4D imaging and workflow. These include the industry’s first configurable TEE transducer, a new tilt and rotate function, and a live “2-Click Crop” tool. Workflow enhancements can also be achieved during mitral valve acquisition with a dedicated MV button and during quantification with a new plug-in tool that has the potential to decrease assessment time.