At past RSNA meetings, more attention has been accorded to corporate acquisitions than to ultrasound products and upgrades. But relative calm has settled on the ultrasound industry as the frenetic pace of corporate wheeling and dealing has slowed. Now GE, Siemens, and Philips will be expected to prove that the consolidations will benefit customers and patients, not just corporate ledgers.

A number of key product introductions were planned. Siemens is debuting the Sonoline G50 digital ultrasound system, a midrange shared services product that complements the G60S, which was released in July. Like its more expensive kin, the G50 supports a range of applications, including vascular, cardiac, breast, abdominal, small parts, and ob/gyn.

"Its architecture is very similar. It is very small and portable," said Bill Carrano, vice president of worldwide marketing for ultrasound at Siemens Medical Solutions.

The G50 also has a small price: The scalable system will be sold for $50,000 to $80,000, yet it features continuous-wave spectral Doppler, tissue harmonic imaging, and 2D image processing and display.

Ergonomics as well as economics is a common thread uniting ultrasound vendors. The upgraded HDI 5000 from Philips Medical Systems is built for ease of use and comfort, according to Jim R. Brown, senior director of clinical and technical marketing for Philips ultrasound. The enhanced system is being shown for the first time during the RSNA meeting.

"It certainly is a big step in taking a flagship product into a more ergonomic setting," Brown said.

The HDI 5000 was introduced in 1997 as ATL's flagship successor to the HDI 3000. Previous upgrades of the HDI 5000 focused primarily on image quality. The XRES imaging algorithm, for example, improves images by reducing speckle and noise and enhancing tissue margins and boundaries. Improvements this time around are more subtle. They include a reengineered computing architecture that makes the HDI 5000 twice as fast, an articulating monitor, palm rests, foot rests, and a lighter, more maneuverable cart.

The shift toward ergonomics and power is accompanied by a political shift. With the acquisition of Agilent last year, the ultrasound division could no longer use the ATL name. Technologies and product lines are being blended. Consequently, Philips Medical Systems has begun phasing out both the Agilent and ATL brands.

The technology itself is becoming hybridized. Among the ultrasound highlights at the Philips booth is EnVisor, a general-purpose, midrange ultrasound system that combines Agilent and ATL technology. The system will be offered in both general imaging and dedicated cardiology configurations at a price ranging from $40,000 to $60,000. It was scheduled to be unveiled just prior to this year's RSNA meeting.

"This is the first major product introduction that combines technologies from both our heritage companies, ATL and Agilent," Brown said.

Other highlights include the company's HDI 4000 with 3D imaging, introduced at the European Congress of Radiology in March. The system

is intended primarily for obstetric applications but will include software for cardiac and vascular applications. Live 3D echo will be framed as an upgrade for the Sonos 5500, the dedicated echocardiography system.

"This is a very exciting technology," Brown said. "Seeing real-time, 3D volumes of the beating heart instantaneously while scanning is very impressive."

Last year, Toshiba unveiled the all-digital Aplio, the newest addition to its line of premium ultrasound systems. This year, the company is showing an upgraded Aplio and an enhanced version of Nemio, which was first released in spring 2001.

"On the high end, with our Aplio, we're delving into more applications using contrast agents," said Lani Young, marketing manager for ultrasound. "That's a little limited in the U.S., due to the FDA status of the contrast agents themselves. But there's certainly been a lot of exploratory work abroad."

Toshiba has enhanced its transducer line to make Aplio capable of more applications and more diagnostically sensitive, Young said. The company has also boosted the capability of Nemio, adding, for example, a stress echo package suited to the U.S. marketplace. To complement these changes, Toshiba has increased its sales staff by about 50%.

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MR. WAGNER is a freelance writer in Claremont, CA.