Acuson to unveil ART/TCR upgrade

Acuson's major emphasis will be on a new upgrade to the AcousticResponse Technology platform that was released in 1993. DubbedTissue Contrast Resolution (ART/TCR), the upgrade enhances theability of Acuson's 128 XP/10 scanners to differentiate varioustypes of soft tissue (SCAN 11/9/95).

The ART upgrade improved the spatial and contrast resolutionof XP/10 scanners, but tissue differentiation remained a dilemmabecause tissues respond to ultrasound in different ways, accordingto Kerr Spencer, general imaging marketing manager of MountainView, CA-based Acuson. ART/TCR enables clinicians to see subtledifferences in tissue density and texture, Spencer said.

ART/TCR works with six Acuson transducers, two of which are newand will be debuted at the RSNA show: C7, a curved-array 7-MHzprobe, and L7T, a razor-shaped 7-MHz intraoperative transducer.Four existing probes support ART/TCR: V4, C3, V5M and V4C.

Acuson expects ART/TCR to find its greatest utility in gray-scaleimaging, although there should be improvements in image qualityusing the two new transducers in conjunction with the vendor'sColor Doppler Energy power Doppler mode.

ART/TCR will ship as an option on new XP/10 systems and willbe offered as an upgrade to XP/10 ART scanners in the field. Acusonexpects to begin shipping ART/TCR after the RSNA meeting.

In addition to the two new ART/TCR transducers, Acuson will displaytwo other new works-in-progress transducers: a 7-MHz probe forlaparoscopic surgical applications and a 7-MHz biplane endorectalprobe for prostate surgeries.

Acuson will also show enhancements to its Aegis ultrasound imagemanagement system. The company is improving its support for theACR-NEMA's DICOM 3.0 standard by developing a direct DICOM interface.Acuson is also developing an upgrade to be available in late 1996for its XP scanners that will allow new and installed XP scannersto be DICOM-compatible.