Diasonics reveals future ofMasters Series at AIUM meeting

Vendor reintroduces Opus 2 unit as Compact

At this week's American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine meeting,Diasonics will lift the curtain on some of the technological developmentsthat have been under way at the Milpitas, CA, company.

Masters Gateway Series is the term Diasonics is using for anupgrade to VST Master Series that greatly increases scanner processingspeed and supports the use of specialized scanning packages forapplications such as vascular and neonatal hip measurements.

Masters Gateway Series also helps move Diasonics scanners intothe age of digital image management. The system includes an internalacquisition module that allows disk storage of up to 110 gray-scaleand color images, reducing the need to take along bulky on-boardperipherals when the system is moved from exam to exam.

As an option, the system includes external acquisition andstorage of up to 110 gray-scale and color images to a removablemagneto-optical disk. Diasonics is developing a DICOM 3.0 outputfor Masters Gateway Series as well, and will show ALI's new UltraPACSProdigy image management system in its AIUM booth (see story,page 6).

Diasonics is planning a series of upgrades to the new platformthrough 1995, according to Omar Ishrak, senior vice presidentof product development and marketing. One such upgrade, currentlya work-in-progress, is 2-D array transducer and beamforming technology,which promises significantly improved contrast and spatial resolution.The technique requires an enhanced beamformer and a new familyof probes but will also improve the performance of Diasonics'existing matched impedance probes, Ishrak said.

In addition to Masters Gateway Series, Diasonics will showCompact, a lightweight, general-purpose ultrasound scanner initiallydeveloped by Ausonics, which was acquired by Elscint (SCAN 7/27/94).The Ausonics scanner, which was called Opus 2, has been upgradedto be compatible with the same matched impedance probes that aremanufactured for the Masters machine.

The evolution of Opus 2 into Compact is evidence of Diasonics'intention to expand its product range into additional markets,including physician offices, Ishrak said.

"The objective is to develop new products for sale acrossall market segments that cost-effectively offer high-performancetechnology," Ishrak said. "Our goal is to be a marketleader in all areas of the world and in all price ranges."

Ishrak is upbeat about the new products and Diasonics' overallprospects. Diasonics' revenues have continued the upward climbbegun more than a year ago, with domestic revenues rising by about14% in 1994 over 1993.