A Step Forward in Tablet Ultrasound Machines
A Step Forward in Tablet Ultrasound MachinesIt seems an obvious fit, doesn’t it? Take Samsung‘s tremendous success with tablet computers, then apply that knowledge to its portable ultrasounds. What you get is an intuitive, easy-to-use ultrasound machine with a solid feature set and great image quality.
Coooooool.
It’s called the UGEO PT60A, Samsung has done a nice job with this one. I think they focused on the right things: particularly image quality. In fact, I found this to have better image quality than some of its laptop machines. And I felt the color Doppler was more impressive than on quite a few of the Medison ultrasound machines.
My video review gives you my overall impression, shows some live images, and addresses its strengths and pitfalls. More about the PT60A after the review:
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UGEO PT60A vs Venue 40 vs SonoTouch 30 Comparison
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The PT60A is like a combination of many of the best features of Chison’s SonoTouch 30 and GE’s Venue 40. It feels a bit like a compromise of both systems, the PT60A takes the good image quality of the Venue 40 and the usability and functionality of the SonoTouch 30.
All three have their advantages, however. Venue 40s provide very good image quality at a great price. The SonoTouch 30 has the functionality and usability at a great price. The PT60A has both, but it’s also at a cost. The PT60’s initial pricing is a little high for this market, but if it comes down a smidge, it will make this ultrasound machine extremely attractive.
Finding a refurbished PT60A would be the best bet as they become available on the market.
PT60A Features
The key features of the PT60A are those that focus on the target market of bedside/Point-of-Care, Emergency Departments, Veterinary, MSK, Ortho, and needle guidance.
First, it has PW and Color Doppler, which makes it quite versatile for those markets.
Second, it has some of the better imaging and diagnostic assistance technologies, including needle guidance software, speckle reduction imaging, compound imaging, AutoIMT calcs, and a full touchscreen operation.
Finally, it’s lightweight and easy to hold and carry. The stand is a nice option, but the handle is quite nice and it’s easy to move around.
Images save to an SD card and are easy to transfer from the machine to the computer.
What’s Next?
It’ll be interesting to see what Samsung does here. With tablet ultrasounds entering the medical market, I imagine we’ll see some great interactions between the UGEO PT60A and tablet computers. Things like swiping images from the machine to a tablet with an EMR system, or immediate image transfer, or advanced reporting apps for the tablet.
Samsung is the company poised to do it, and this may be one of the more exciting technologies to watch over the coming years.
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