Tips for choosing the right ultrasound machine for you

Any medical treatment facility needs to conduct ultrasound examinations. Buying an ultrasound machine is an essential step for the doctor and for the clinic. The whole purchasing process, starting with the device selection and finishing with the purchase itself, often takes more than a month. The equipment must not only pay for itself in the shortest time possible but also provide keen and tough competition to the ultrasound machines in other medical centers.

The decisions are influenced by such factors as cost (read more about ultrasound machine cost here), portability, versatility,  number of transducers and open options. Yet, the choice of the device profile, according to the examinations conducted with it, remains the main factor.

 

Types of ultrasound machines

All ultrasound machines are divided into several types:

• general imaging;
• cardiac;
• ob/gyn.

General imaging devices are the most common systems. They are used for all kinds of examinations due to their versatility. Their functionality and transducers allow conducting ultrasound examinations of the cardiovascular system, and internal organs in adults and children. The most popular general imaging machines are GE Logiq E9, Samsung SonoAce R7, and Toshiba Aplio MX. Among the budget devices, we can highlight Mindray M7 and Aloka ProSound F75 machines.

Elastography is an additional ultrasound machine function widely used in oncology. This option provides a more convenient way to get information about internal tissue structures, in other words, conduct “virtual palpation”. Besides, it has the potential to facilitate decision making regarding patient treatment, increases diagnostic confidence, and helps to reduce unnecessary invasive procedures. Many machines support the elastography option, and the best of them are Siemens S3000 and Toshiba Aplio 500.

Ultrasound machines utilization in the medical field

Cardiac ultrasound machines are used for detailed examination of the cardiovascular system. They allow conducting cardiovascular examinations using specialized software such as Speckle Tracking, Velocity Vector Imaging, and Wall-motion tracking.

Expert class cardiac machines also allow conducting 3D/4D heart and vascular examinations. In addition, if the machine is equipped with a transesophageal sensor, it is possible to conduct examinations on those heart regions which are difficult to investigate using transthoracic echocardiography. The most popular cardiac ultrasound systems are GE Vivid E9, Samsung EKO 7, Siemens SC2000, and Toshiba Artida.

The use of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology has become a major breakthrough in the past few decades for pelvic exams and fetal medicine. Such devices as Samsung UGEO WS80A, GE Voluson E8 Expert BT16 (HD Live), Philips Affiniti 70, Toshiba Aplio 500 and their budget alternatives: Chison I8, Aloka ProSound F37, and GE Voluson E8 Expert BT12 (HD Live) allow diagnosing various forms of diseases, as well as determining the fetal development pathology, substantially complementing conventional gynecological examinations. Undoubtedly, 3D/4D ultrasound in fetal diagnostics has recently become popular as well.

Due to modern ultrasound examinations, it has become possible to treat a variety of genitourinary diseases in early stages doing it less painful and without complications.

Using ultrasound machines in surgery is a major progress in comparison to conventional surgical manipulations. Laparoscopic ultrasound is based upon an invasive technique which allows obtaining excellent visualization and resolution at an 8-10 cm distance from the transducer. Laparoscopy has become most popular with those surgeons who perform surgeries on the hepatobiliary system because it allows determining the exact pathology location. The following ultrasound machines are able to provide laparoscopic examinations during surgical procedures: Aloka SSD 5500, Siemens P300, Esaote MyLab Twice, and SonoScape S20.

If your objective is to purchase an ultrasound machine, you have to keep in mind that special software in the system provides additional information what is being examined. They also require special skills for operating the machine and experience in interpreting the information received. 

It is quite difficult to choose the right ultrasound machine when the market offers a huge variety of them. If you need help when selecting an ultrasound machine, professional managers at BiMedis will help you find fair offers depending on your examination needs.

Tetyana Fedunyak, BiMedis Company