Portable ultrasound

Portable ultrasound is a modality of

that utilizes small and light devices, compared to the console-style ultrasound machines that preceded them. In most cases these mobile ultrasound systems could be carried by hand and in some cases even operated for a time on battery power alone. The first portable ultrasound machines arrived in the early 1980s but battery powered systems that could be easily carried did not arrive until the late 1990s.

History

The ADR 2130, designed by Marty Wilcox was the first portable ultrasound unit commercially available in the United States, being released in 1975. This unit weighed about 25 lbs, had 3 linear probes to choose from and used an

has come out with the VScan and Vscan dual probe, which offer almost a micro-ultrasound. Importantly, its price point is such that they can be issued to individual physicians.

Color Portable Ultrasound

In 1994, Dr. Alice Chiang, through technology she developed at MIT, patented the first color portable ultrasound. Transferring the applications of radar, sonar, and telecommunications used by the U.S. Department of Defense. She founded Terason, a medical device technology company, increasing the availability of portable ultrasound imaging.^[6][7]

Uses

Portable ultrasound machines are typically used in situations where space is limited, mobility is important, or the scanning must be done in the field.

References