Siemens ships 4D ultrasound upgrade

The Sonoline Antares from Siemens Medical Solutions is now shipping with real-time display of 3D images. The new capability is being demonstrated to the U.S. medical imaging community this summer as part of the company's 11-city symposium "New Visions in Ultrasound" tour. With the combination of 3-Scape real-time 3D imaging and fourSight 4D imaging technologies, Antares provides access to free-hand 3D and 4D imaging to accommodate a wide range of clinical applications in obstetrical, abdominal, and vascular imaging. The fourSight 4D imaging technology may prove particularly helpful in maternal/fetal medicine by facilitating the diagnosis of fetal malformations, such as craniofacial abnormalities, and improving communications among physicians and expectant parents, according to the company. The 4D imaging technology may also provide a more complete view of the uterus or breast, and could be used during interventional procedures such as 4D needle-guided biopsies.