by
Olga Deshchenko, DOTmed News Reporter | June 10, 2010
The device is already being used in several countries outside the U.S. This particular trial will enroll 200 participants nationwide before its closure. Dr. Huang is optimistic about HIFU's potential.
"At this point, it is used for patients who have failed previous prostate cancer treatment utilizing external beam radiation. In the future, this can be used as a primary treatment modality, as well as treatment for other organs," he says.
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Looking Ahead
Ultrasound's versatility, size and cost-effectiveness will keep the ultrasound market strong.
"Ultrasound systems are being used in a variety of places and for purposes that were not common in the past," says Cowan of Liberty Diagnostic Services. "Years ago, it was rare to see an ultrasound in the ED, now it is not uncommon to see a major hospital with more than one in the ED."
The ubiquity of the technology kept the resale and service sectors strong. For the most part, sales were steady or up in the used market during the last year. Many companies also saw an increase in international sales. MedCorp., one of the largest distributors of new and reconditioned ultrasound equipment, does business in countries all over Europe. Mark Asmer, the company's director of sales, believes that ultrasound will continue to grow, despite reimbursement issues.
"There have been some cuts in reimbursement that physicians have been concerned about, but ultrasound is still the most cost-effective modality for screening a lot of abnormalities and for diagnosing different indicators. I think in the long run, it's going to grow and be more readily adopted," says Asmer.
Others predict that some of the new technologies will become more prevalent in the resale market.
"More and more equipment is capable of 3D and 4D and everyone seems to want a smaller portable system," says Derrell McCrary, president of Choice Medical Systems Inc., a company that specializes in used ultrasound equipment sales. "Portable sales will be stronger in the marketplace than the console models," he says.
As a modality living in both diagnostic and therapeutic worlds, it is safe to say that ultrasound will remain an essential part of patient care.
