GE unveils new cardiovascular ultrasound

At this month’s Society of Echocardiography meeting in Chicago, GE Medical Systems showed a new cardiovascular ultrasound system named the Vivid FiVe. GE officials said this is the first ultrasound system on the market to offer a myocardial tissue visualization technique called “tissue tracking.”

The tool aids cardiologists in the diagnosis and monitoring of coronary artery disease.

Vivid FiVe was preceded by the Vingmed System FiVe in GE’s line of cardiovascular ultrasound products, and is an upgrade to this system. The Vivid FiVe includes three new features: tissue tracking, contrast imaging with real-time myocardial contrast, and four-dimensional imaging.

Tissue tracking provides more accurate imaging of the heart, contrast imaging allows clinicians to study myocardial perfusion, and 4-D imaging occurs when clinicians apply 2-D digital data to construct a 4-D model of cardiac functions.