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New, Miniaturized Cardiovascular Ultrasound System Developed By GE is the ``Visual Stethoscope of the Future''.


MUNICH, Germany -- GE Healthcare GE Healthcare is a $18 billion (USD) unit of General Electric (GE). It employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. GE Healthcare is the first GE business segment headquartered outside the United States. , a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
:GE), today announced that it has developed a new, miniaturized cardiovascular ultrasound so small and lightweight it will transform the way doctors see and treat heart disease.

The new Vivid i is the world's first miniaturized cardiovascular ultrasound system, the result of integrating more than 20 years of expertise in ultrasound and cutting-edge computing technologies, as well as new patented technology developed by GE researchers.

According to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3.
 Omar Ishrak, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  of GE Healthcare's Ultrasound unit, this new system will establish a completely new standard of efficiency for physicians. "The mobility of Vivid i will enable physicians to deliver care to the patient wherever it's needed. The freedom laptops and PDAs have brought to business will now be available to healthcare."

Visual Stethoscope stethoscope (stĕth`əskōp') [Gr.,=chest viewer], instrument that enables the physican to hear the sounds made by the heart, the lungs, and various other organs. The earliest stethoscope, devised by the French physician R. T. H.  of the Future

Vivid i will enhance the efficiency and reach of physicians by offering the functionality and high performance of full-featured, larger-scale systems - but in a portable and wireless design that weighs 30 times less. The system makes it possible for patients to receive diagnostic exams anywhere, including bedside, as opposed being transported to an imaging lab in a hospital.

Vivid i's portability also makes it ideal for urgent care areas, including the operating room operating room
n. Abbr. OR
A room equipped for performing surgical operations.
, critical care, and for mobile imaging services and outpatient clinics.

In addition, Vivid i features wireless capabilities, enabling physicians to transfer files instantly from the system to other physicians for consultation. As a result, physicians will be able to more quickly diagnose and treat patients and help ensure their patients are more informed and involved in their healthcare decisions.

According to Joe Hogan, president and CEO of GE Healthcare Technologies, the increasing miniaturization min·i·a·tur·ize  
tr.v. min·i·a·tur·ized, min·i·a·tur·iz·ing, min·i·a·tur·iz·es
To plan or make on a greatly reduced scale.



min
 of ultrasound technology allows physicians to treat patients in the most effective, least invasive manner possible.

"Vivid i addresses one of the biggest challenges physicians face in caring for their patients - access to complete, real-time information," said Hogan. "As GE Healthcare continues to improve on the portability and convenience of ultrasound technology, I believe it will become the visual stethoscope of the future."

Vivid i: Breakthrough Technology

GE's engineers developed Vivid i by miniaturizing the components of a premium echocardiography Echocardiography Definition

Echocardiography is a diagnostic test that uses ultrasound waves to create an image of the heart muscle. Ultrasound waves that rebound or echo off the heart can show the size, shape, and movement of the heart's valves and
 system weighing more than 400 pounds (180 kilograms), to provide a portable system weighing only 10 pounds (less than five kilograms).

Within GE Healthcare, Vivid i is considered an "Imagination Breakthrough" product -- a major new invention New Invention may refer to:
  • New Invention, Shropshire, a village in South Shropshire, England.
  • New Invention, Walsall, a suburban village of Willenhall in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, England.
Did you mean?
  • Invention
 with significant clinical and productivity value for clinicians and patients. Vivid i leverages GE's research and development investment in the areas of software-based ultrasound platforms and hardware miniaturization in a new, patented design.

"This innovative product, which represents a major milestone in healthcare, is the result of GE's commitment to developing new technologies and our significant investment in R&D," Hogan said. "Vivid i is a remarkable example of how GE is pioneering technologies that will change the way healthcare is delivered to patients."

Professor George Sutherland, Department of Cardiology cardiology

Medical specialty dealing with heart diseases and disorders. It began with the 1749 publication by Jean Baptiste de Sénac of contemporary knowledge of the heart. Diagnostic methods improved in the 19th century, and in 1905 the electrocardiograph was invented.
, St. George's Noun 1. St. George's - the capital and largest city of Grenada
capital of Grenada

Grenada - an island state in the West Indies in the southeastern Caribbean Sea; an independent state within the British Commonwealth
 Hospital in London, England said, "Echocardiography is about to undergo a major change. With its ease of movement and diagnostic image quality, this portable ultrasound system makes it easier for the doctor to go to the patient to perform an ultrasound scan ultrasound scan
Noun

an examination of an internal bodily structure by the use of ultrasonic waves, esp. for diagnosing abnormality in a fetus
, rather than the reverse. In intensive care and cardiac exam rooms this is a marked advantage."

GE received 510k clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Vivid i in early 2004. The system will be commercially available in fall 2004.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies that will shape a new age of patient care. GE Healthcare's expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, disease research, drug discovery and biopharmaceuticals is dedicated to detecting disease earlier and tailoring treatment for individual patients. GE Healthcare offers a broad range of services to improve productivity in healthcare and enable healthcare providers to better diagnose, treat and manage patients with conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases.

GE Healthcare is a $14 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) that is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 42,500 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Aug 30, 2004
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