The S-2000 ultrasound scanner, takes shape this week as a new commercial product at the high end of the Siemens Medical Systems' ultrasound portfolio. The S-2000, cleared by the FDA in mid-October, does not replace the Sequoia, Siemens' flagship since it acquired ultrasound pioneer Acuson six years ago. Instead, it complements the system, according to Siemens executives, by combining best-of-breed technologies from Sequoia with Siemens' ultrasound platforms developed prior to the Acuson acquisition.

The new scanner is the first in the new S-Class of ultrasound systems, which Siemens will position at the top of its ultrasound portfolio. The S-2000 includes an elastographic capability, called Acoustic Radiation Forced Impulse, which the company is framing as the biggest change in the industry since Doppler imaging. This capability, yet to be cleared by the FDA, uses varying acoustic energies to assess tissue stiffness. This may help evaluate abnormalities such as liver tumors or fibrosis. The architecture of the S-2000 system is designed to accommodate a transducer technology in development, Silicon Ultrasound, which promises to enable isotropic 3D imaging over a wide range of applications. The S-2000 will also be able to handle Siemens' pending Automated Breast Scanning, a technique that provides automated, reproducible 3D ultrasound of the breast.