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Innovative Ultrasound Technology Now Available At
Southern Maryland Hospital Center
CLINTON, MD – As part of its commitment to provide patients with the most advanced technology available, Southern Maryland Hospital Center (SMHC) has acquired the LOGIQ E9 ultrasound system, developed by GE Healthcare. This system combines three major advancements in ultrasound technology:
1. The LOGIQ E9 provides a remarkable level of ultrasound quality using a new technology that compensates for the variety of tissue types through which the sound passes as it makes an image. The result is a cleaner, clearer, and more uniform image for a wider range of patients than was previously possible. Because clinicians can now see a patient’s anatomy more clearly, they can provide more confident diagnoses.
The system truly brings a new dimension to ultrasound at SMHC. 3D imaging is combined with real-time ultrasound to add a fourth dimension: motion. The LOGIQ E9 not only provides 4D ultrasound imaging, but it also allows SMHC’s physicians to examine organs throughout the body from almost any angle. “The system can virtually rescan a patient’s information and look at the image as though the transducer were placed inside the patient’s body, a feature which has not been available before,” said Emily Haley, Director of SMHC’s Ultrasound department.
2. SMHC’s new system gives clinicians the ability to fuse together live ultrasound with a patient’s previous CT, MR, or PET study. “The real-time ultrasound slice presented on the screen is shown side-by-side with the corresponding slice through the previous study,” said Nordine Guaouguaou, M.D., SMHC Chair of Radiology. Alternately, the two images can be placed on top of each other in an overlay mode. This function allows SMHC’s doctors and staff to broaden their assessment so that they can provide diagnosis and therapy guidance with higher confidence.
3. LOGIQ E9 also includes an advanced software package that combines the benefits of a checklist and speed dial for ultrasound. This tool makes ultrasound studies at SMHC more efficient as well as consistent. Like speed dial on a telephone, the system responds to single keystrokes from the operator and performs multiple actions according to a pre-programmed protocol. GE reports that studies have shown that this tool reduces keystrokes by over 60% and cuts exam time in half. By helping to reduce the amount of time the ultrasonographer spends pressing buttons, this program also helps the technician focus more on patient care.
Ultrasound, also known as sonography, creates images of internal body structures and organs for diagnostic medical purposes. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves and advanced computing technology to create a real-time, multi-dimensional clinical image. Ultrasound is non-ionizing (doesn’t use X-rays), fast (images are displayed in real time), and versatile (has interventional applications as well as a wide variety of diagnostic ones).
Founded in 1977, Southern Maryland Hospital Center is a 358-bed full service hospital serving the Washington, D.C., metro and Southern Maryland areas. Additionally, SMHC operates a state-of-the-art twenty-four bed subacute unit. Throughout SMHC’s history, it has remained a community leader, a strong supporter of health care education, and a dedicated advocate for quality health care services.
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