A new Siemens real-time, three-dimensional, ultrasound software upgrade made its debut this week at the RSNA meeting. Known as 3-Scape Real-Time 3-D Imaging, the package is available as an upgrade for the Sonoline Elegra ultrasound system.
The upgrade moves 3-D ultrasound out of the research setting and into routine clinical practice, according to Rich Fisler, senior product manager for the company's ultrasound group in Issaquah, WA.
"It's fast and easy to use," Fisler said. "And it's more than playback mode. While you're scanning, you can see if you're imaging at the right angle and seeing the right structures."
Cleared by the FDA this summer, the upgrade's official release was Monday, Nov. 30. Shipping will begin in the first quarter of 1999. The software package costs less than $30,000, Fisler said.
"Now that this technology can be widely available to clinicians around the world, its potential is tremendous," said Dr. Markus Kirchgeorg, vice president of worldwide marketing for the ultrasound group.
The upgrade allows radiologists and other clinicians to view images in three scanning planes simultaneously for better images of complex anatomy. They also can select a two-dimensional image slice from the 3-D data set, similar to the way radiologists select MR or CT slices. A single scan can acquire both gray-scale and power Doppler images and the 3-D volume can be rotated up to 360 degrees in real-time for instant selection of specific 2-D slice views.
According to Siemens officials, primary applications include obstetrics and tumor imaging. Blood vessel infiltration of tumors of the pancreas, bile ducts, or duodenal wall should appear sharper with 3-D viewing. The software also can improve scanning of liver metastases.
