New ultrasound system gives Royal Liverpool Hospital ability to do liver elastography

24 October 2011

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is able to carry out strain and contrast imaging of the liver for the first time following delivery of its third ACUSON S2000 diagnostic ultrasound system from Siemens Healthcare.

Apart from the general ultrasound imaging applications, it is being used to measure the stiffness of liver tissue using the advanced Liver Tissue Analysis Package. 
 
The liver stiffness evaluation has been made possible via Siemens’ second generation implementation of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology in the S2000’s Virtual Touch HD application.  Using the 4C1 transducer ARFI uses an acoustic ‘push pulse’ to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the strain properties or stiffness of deep tissue. 
 
With the further addition of Siemens’ Cadence contrast agent imaging and Contrast Quantification package, the hospital anticipates being able to characterise focal liver lesions utilising the ultrasound scan and contrast examination.

A non-linear imaging technique to effectively separate and display tissue or contrast, Cadence is ideal for border and lesion detection and characterisation. Staff at the hospital hope its use will prevent the need for a follow up MRI or CT scan, which in turn will speed up the patient pathway, reduce cost impact on the hospital and radiation dose for the patient. 
 
“We chose the S2000 to replace our old system because of its superb image quality and capability for performing advanced elastography,” said Colin Griffin, Ultrasound Lead at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

“Staff are already familiar and very happy with the other S2000s we have in the department so Siemens was the logical choice especially due to the ARFI quantification package for giving specific values for tissue stiffness. In the future we are looking to use the system for an internal research project to evaluate its suitability for other types of contrast examinations.”
 
“It is very pleasing that the installation of the S2000 has enabled The Royal Liverpool University Hospital to improve the service offered to its patients,” said Bernadette Leonard, Regional Sales and Clinical Applications Manager for Ultrasound at Siemens Healthcare.  “Its capacity for yielding penetrating insight into complex anatomy will enable clinicians to offer confident diagnosis on liver lesions, plus its versatility as a general imaging system is advantageous for various other procedures.”
 
The hospital will also use the S2000 for vascular work including renal transplant imaging, dialysis patients, DVT imaging and carotid examinations.  In addition to the 4C1, the hospital has also purchased a number of Siemens’ other lightweight, ergonomic transducers

 

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