Ultrasound vendor Ultrasonix Medical has collaborated with Ascension Technology on new ultrasound guidance products, which are being introduced and demonstrated at the RSNA 2011 meeting in Chicago.
The companies have integrated magnetic sensors developed by Ascension with Ultrasonix's SonixTablet and SonixGPS positioning system to create a more accurate way to perform interventional procedures without requiring x-ray or fluoroscopy guidance.
Miniaturized tracking sensors were applied inside ultrasound transducers and the tips of needles, catheters, and guide wires for use with Ultrasonix's new compact ultrasound system. Tracking data generated during interventional procedures enables the radiologist to determine with certainty where instruments will intersect the ultrasound plane.
Whether in-plane or out-of-plane, the system's display describes in real-time the instrument's projected trajectory and true path. The guidance and imaging package has implications for performing nerve blocks, vascular access, central line placement, small-organ core biopsies, and fine-needle aspirations.
