FDA Clears Portable Viamo Ultrasound
In early February, the new portable Viamo™ ultrasound system from Toshiba America Medical Systems received FDA clearance. The Viamo, which was introduced at the 2009 meeting of the RSNA in Chicago, combines the portability of a laptop system with advanced radiology features, according to Erin Owen, product manager in Toshiba’s ultrasound business unit.
“The Viamo comes standard with Toshiba’s advanced features,” she says. “Not only does the system have the imaging features of our high-end products, but also its transducers are interchangeable and can be used with our advanced systems.” The ability to interchange transducers improves productivity and saves money for current Toshiba customers, while new customers will be able to use Viamo transducers with any other Toshiba ultrasound systems that they might implement in the future.
The Viamo weighs less than 20 pounds, making it possible to carry by hand, and is ideal for a range of patient exams, including general, pediatric, emergency, obstetrical/gynecological and vascular sonography. It is also optimized for bedside use, such as assessing blood flow during a transplant. Image quality and color flow are comparable to those of more expensive, cart-based systems, and a simple touchscreen interface, programmable in both panel and tablet modes, ensures ease of use. “The Viamo has radiology-specific features you wouldn’t expect from a handheld unit,” Owen says, “but at only 18 pounds, it’s in the same weight class as other laptop ultrasound systems.”
“The Viamo is specifically designed to provide advanced radiology capabilities in a portable system, creating more comfortable exams for patients,” said Owen. “Providing the best value in the handcarried segment, the Viamo delivers high-quality images for numerous clinical applications.”
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Tags: Ultrasound, Viamo
Category: Medical Equipment —