
India is set to experience a new concept: A laptop that can conduct ultrasound imaging
For the multitudes of private medicos who have pined for a cheaper ultrasound machine or prayed for its portability, Trivitron could be the new messiah. The leading Chennai-based medical technology firm has introduced a unique concept called t30008212;a laptop that can conduct ultrasound imaging.
8220;While post-graduate institutes have placed mass orders, the machine is likely to become more popular among private practitioners in two to three years because it8217;s small, handy, cheaper and easy to use,8221; says A.B. Sivasankar, Director Imaging, Trivitron.
Weighing around 8 pounds 3.6 kg and costing around Rs 10-12 lakh 8220;compared to the conventional ultrasound systems which cost Rs 14-15 lakh8221;, the machine can be used for general, vascular, and breast imaging, interventional radiology, image-guided intervention, endocrinology, laparoscopy, neuro-sonography and nephrology. A sensor attached to the laptop sends sound waves inside the patient8217;s body and the laptop placed half-a-metre away displays the images.
Though portable ultrasound machines are not new in India, the uniqueness of t3000 lies in the fact that it combines imaging with PC-related work functions. So images and reports can be transferred to standard Word processing and presentation software applications, and sent via e-mail to the desired destinations, all without compromising on image quality.
The t3000 runs on the standard Apple Mackintosh laptop and its brain is Terason8217;s Fusion Processor, the world8217;s only fully custom-designed, integrated ultrasound chip set. It has the familiar Windows graphical user interface, conventional user controls in a slideout console and can operate on batteries for over two hours.
The system has a modern scanner design with 15-inch TFT monitors, an electrocardiogram and DVR capability. It has a built-in hard drive, internal storage for more than 50,000 images, and J2K board for efficient video clip recordings and the imaging modes include 2-D, tissue harmonics, M mode, colour Doppler, spectral Doppler and power Doppler.
So far, Trivitron has introduced four machines8212;two in Bangalore, one each in Chennai and Jaipur8212;and will bring in 100 more this year in cities like Udaipur, Chandigarh and Delhi.
8220;We will begin advertising about the product by end-April, when Terason chairperson arrives in India,8221; says Sivasankar. The promotion will include advertising in medical journals, a series of roadshows, seminars and workshops. The active advertising notwithstanding, it8217;s unlikely that doctors will require much convincing to zero in on the product.