If you you ever wished you had an ultrasound machine handy to check a patient's injury in the wild, look no further.

Clarius makes a handheld scanner that works with a smartphone and can be used anywhere.

“The single most useful thing has been bringing my ultrasound scanner to an area where I otherwise would not have the availability of point-of-care ultrasound,” says emergency physician Dr. Geoff Sanz, who works as a “patrol hut physician” at a mountain resort in Kelowna, British Columbia. The nearest hospital is over an hour away.
The device lets him evaluate injured skiers and snowboarders in the resort – checking for collapsed lungs, abdominal bleeding and dislocations and fractures.

“Clarius has been a complete game-changer in terms of my ability to clinically evaluate patients and being able to diagnose,” added Sanz.

His scanner uses a replaceable, rechargeable battery and can withstand rough environments.



Clarius Mobile Health received FDA clearance for its C3 and L7 wireless ultrasound scanners in late 2016. They were first introduced in March of that year.

"Clarius is the future of patient care," Dr. Steven Steinhubl, director of digital medicine at the Scripps Translational Science Institute, said at that time. "The image quality is amazing for any scanner, much less one that fits in my pocket."

The C3 is designed for abdomen and lung exams as well as quick heart scans, and L7 is for guiding procedures and imaging superficial structures.

When the device was showcased at RSNA in November, 2016, Clarius VP for marketing Neena Rahemtulla told HCB News that it “was developed because doctors have been asking forever for a hand-held, portable ultrasound that would work with their iPhones,” adding that, “It features a lot of automation, so it's easy to learn and use at the bedside.”

“There are no cables, no need to find a plug, no need to have a large room to allow for bulky equipment,” said Dr. Kevin Irish, an interventional radiologist. "I can literally walk into a room with the patient and can begin scanning.”

He stressed that the device was “ideal for pain management and limited interventional procedures such as line placements, thoracenteses, paracenteses and biopsies."

Convenient as it may be in a standard office or hospital setting, it can prove vital in the wilderness. In fact, in March the company inked a deal with North American Rescue (NAR) to sell the C3, L7 and C7Vet Clarius Wireless Ultrasound Scanners to medical professionals at military and federal agencies.

"Clarius scanners are designed to withstand austere environments and NAR is the perfect partner to deliver Clarius into the hands of medical professionals who need access to ultrasound in challenging situations," said Ron Dickson, Director of Corporate and Government Accounts.

With their magnesium cases and weatherproofing – they can be submerged for cleaning – the devices should prove a welcome addition to those health care professionals faced with triage while in the field.

"These rugged scanners are ideal for the future requirements of our customer base, and they will assist with saving lives by providing early detection and treatment of conditions that would historically be unavailable in the field," stated Jun Magpayo, senior VP of Business Development at NAR. "This capability meets a requirement during prolonged field care due to long evacuation and transportation times."

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