TomTec builds product line at ACC with 3-D and networking products

Vendor also announces deal with MedSim

TomTec Imaging Systems added new 3-D technologies and an echo-review station to its product line at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology last month in Anaheim, CA.

The Boulder, CO-based company debuted the Compact 3-D acquisition and reconstruction system, which can be integrated directly into an ultrasound platform. Compact 3-D includes specialized configurations for cardiac, vascular, ob/gyn, abdominal, and general imaging applications. A work-in-progress 3-D intravascular ultrasound technique will also be available, according to the vendor.

Although not demonstrated at the meeting, a freehand scanning technique will be available on Compact 3-D. This technique orients scan planes for 3-D reconstruction and allows users to acquire 3-D data sets while performing general 2-D imaging, according to the company. Freehand scanning will also be available on the vendor's Echo-Scan dynamic 3-D acquisition and reconstruction system.

In other 3-D development news, TomTec showed an integrated 3-D 64-element phased-array probe that can be used for general 2-D scanning as well as dynamic 3-D ultrasound data acquisition, according to the company. It is available in frequencies of 2.5, 3.5, and 5 MHz.

To acquire 360 conical sets, the acoustic array of the probe can be automatically rotated within its housing in a prescribed sequence, according to the vendor. These data sets are then reconstructed into 3-D and dynamic 3-D images. TomTec is selling the transducer to ultrasound scanner manufacturers on an OEM basis.

The vendor also showed a work-in-progress review station for its ImageNet echo-networking systems line. The Windows-based review station allows users to review multiple types of studies, customize report layouts, and automatically distribute reports by hard copy. Fax, e-mail, and multimedia report capabilities are also included. The review station is compatible with the DICOM 3.0 standard, according to the company.

TomTec also showed work on a number of investigational projects, including 3-D quantification of color flow and a new augmented-reality 3-D image display.

In other meeting news, TomTec announced that MedSim's UltraSim simulation-software applications will be integrated into TomTec's digital ultrasound acquisition and analysis systems.