Portable Ultrasound Systems

As ultrasound machines become more compact and their image quality more precise, doctors have begun carrying the body-imaging technology to rural U.S. hospitals and developing countries. No longer is ultrasound available only to hospitals with reliable power supplies and room for bulky equipment. The fledgling industry of portable ultrasound units has grown rapidly the past two years and it's expected to become an even bigger part of the ultrasound market. It is dominated by Sonosite of Bothell, Wash., and GE Healthcare, based in the Milwaukee. Each commands about 40% of the worldwide market. Sonosite pioneered the technology of hand-carried units in 1999. Industry leader GE health care entered that market later — in 2002. The portable battery-operated machines aren't expected to completely replace standard console-sized units, just as laptop computers haven't rendered desktop models obsolete.

National Ultrasound offers all of the portable/hand-carried systems on the market today. The Sonosite line includes Micromaxx, Titan, 180 Plus, and 180. GE Healthcare systems now include Vivid i, Vivid e, Logiq i, Logiq e. GE has also incorporated Live 3D/4D technology in the portable/Hand Carried Voluson i and Voluson e. Other players in the market today offered new and refurbished by National Ultrasound include Siemens/Acuson Cypress, Sonoscape SSI-1000, Mindray DP6600 and Mindray M5.