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Toshiba last week unveiled a smaller, more portable ultrasound machine aimed at improving ease-of-use while providing enhanced imaging capabilities for a wider variety of patients.

As the ultrasound market trends toward miniaturization, manufacturers are being challenged to provide smaller systems without compromising image quality.

"The basis of the Aplio MX is the intelligent component architecture, which is similar to the human brain in that everything is instantaneous," explained Cassie Murvay, a product manager in Toshiba's ultrasound department.

The second-generation platform allowed Toshiba to retain high resolution imaging capabilities while reducing the system's size and slashing its weight by approximately 30 percent.

"It can go anywhere it's pushed and fits through a doorway," said Murvay, who points out that this level of portability is especially helpful in emergency and hospice care, as it enables physicians to order ultrasounds for patients who cannot be brought to a stationary machine.

Toshiba is also hoping the mid-sized machine will help make performing ultrasound exams easier on ultrasound technicians.

"Ergonomics is a huge issue in ultrasound because of the repetitive stress stenographers are subjected to," Murvay explained.

The Aplio MX can be customized with a variety of configurations and add-ons, including Toshiba's iAssistTM technology, which pre-registers frequently-used protocols into the system, saving time during exams and increasing productivity for facilities performing multiple exams daily.

The Aplio MX comes with 4D imaging standard, allowing it to produce high-resolution renderings and arbitrary volume cuts in real-time or offline. It also includes Toshiba's ApliPure technology, which allows the machine to produce enhanced images while simultaneously performing special and frequency compounding during transmitting and receiving. In addition, the system features color Doppler imaging and shows flow with directional information, and Precision Imaging to provide more detailed ultrasound images by capturing information from multiple lines to improve definition of the structure and minimize noise.

However, the system's crown jewel, according to Murvay, is its Differential Tissue Harmonic Imaging. "This allows stenographers to penetrate larger areas without sacrificing imaging quality," Murvay explained.

Toshiba is marketing this technology toward the bariatric field, as it allows stenographers to target larger areas of increased depth without sacrificing resolution. The company does, however, intend the Aplio MX to be used as an all-purpose ultrasound machine; it's designed for head-to-toe scanning and boasts vascular and high-end cardiac capabilities.

"In today's cost-contained environment, ultrasound is going to become more and more the front line for diagnosing patients. It's relatively simple to use and provides results quickly," said Murvay.

She also points out that the Aplio MX is competitively priced for a premium machine. While costs vary depending on the system's configuration, the typical machine sells for about $160,000.