by
Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | July 10, 2017
From the July 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Handheld vs. automated ultrasound
When it comes to breast ultrasound, there are two options — conventional handheld breast ultrasound or automated breast ultrasound (ABUS). The main difference between the technologies is the skill that’s required of the operator.
SonoCiné’s Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBUS), which received FDA clearance in 2008, has the patient in a supine position as an articulating robotic arm moves a handheld ultrasound over the breast. This system combines a conventional high-resolution 2-D handheld transducer with an automated scanning arm.
Ad Statistics
Times Displayed: 46633
Times Visited: 1311 Ampronix, a Top Master Distributor for Sony Medical, provides Sales, Service & Exchanges for Sony Surgical Displays, Printers, & More. Rely on Us for Expert Support Tailored to Your Needs. Email info@ampronix.com or Call 949-273-8000 for Premier Pricing.
Siemens Healthineers and U-Systems took a different approach and developed standalone ABUS systems that use high-frequency transducers.
U-Systems’ somo-V, which was approved by the FDA for screening purposes in 2012, is equipped with a larger transducer that’s similar in size and shape to a mammography compression paddle. The operator positions the transducer over the breast and presses a button to begin the acquisition.
Siemens’ ACUSON S2000 Automated Breast Volume Scanner was introduced to the market in 2009. A typical exam consists of three automated one-minute scans of each breast in an anterior-posterior position and both breasts in an oblique position.
“Traditional handheld ultrasound is a great technology, but there are some limitations,” says Srish Sinha, head of the women’s health segment at Siemens. “The transducer is a small footprint, so when you are scanning the breast you have to take small pieces of images and reconstruct them in your head, so it’s very subjective.”
He adds that handheld ultrasound is also highly operator dependent. If the operator is a good sonographer, then good data is obtained, but if not, then the quality suffers.
GE’s Suryanarayanan notes that some facilities may not be able to afford the human resources to scan patients every day with handheld ultrasound technology. He believes that ABUS can fill that need because the operator doesn’t have to be as skilled.
“The machine does it for them very similarly to mammography,” he says. “It makes the process repeatable, efficient and it delivers the same level of quality across patients, day in and day out, regardless of the type of operator.”
