GE announces availablity of new ultrasound platform
NEW YORK – GE Healthcare, a unit of the General Electric Company, has announced the commercial availability of the LOGIQ E9.

The LOGIQ E9 is an ultrasound platform, fusing ultrasound images with images from other imaging technologies like CT and MR.

Through a tool called Volume Navigation, the LOGIQ E9 incorporates two key components to maximize the system's new agile ultrasound architecture: fusion to combine the advantages of real-time ultrasound imaging with the high spatial and contrast resolution of CT, MR or PET; and a GPS-like technology to track and mark a patient's anatomy during the ultrasound exam. 

A new GE architecture, called Agile Ultrasound, replaces old assumptions of conventional ultrasound systems with new, modular mathematical models that provide more accurate measurements of how sound interacts with different body tissue types.

Handheld camera computes wound area
ATLANTA – Technology development company IP2Biz is testing a prototype wound measurement camera. Wound specialty nurses at the Shepherd Center, a not-for-profit hospital in Atlanta, Ga., are putting the camera through its paces.

The handheld device determines and captures wound boundaries and wound area using proprietary software and low-cost hardware. The device provides fast, accurate and repeatable digital documentation of wound progression, a necessary component to validate payment from insurance and government agencies.

Stephen Sprigle, associate professor of Applied Physiology and Industrial Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology, led the technology development.

"We designed the device to address a key and growing need in wound management," said Sprigle. "Our goal was to provide a low-cost, easy-to-use device that used the latest technology to provide measurements of the area of the wound. The device does not require patient contact, thus providing maximum infection control. The simple design is intuitive to use and requires minimal training, thus making it ideal for use in a wide range of environments, including homecare."

John Hitt of IP2Biz sees a growing need for wound management. "Hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and specialized care centers all need to address the increasing requirements for pay-for-performance healthcare," said Hitt. "This device enables healthcare providers to consistently document healing and meet validation requirements from Medicare/Medicaid and insurance agencies."

The technology is licensed exclusively to IP2Biz from the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.