As a demanding medical specialty, cardiology is one of the most competitive categories for manufacturers of diagnostic ultrasound systems. In fact, the cardiovascular ultrasound system market worldwide is projected to grow by $620 million by 2025.
Becoming more prevalent, 4D cardiac is now trickling down from premium into high-end and including some midrange ultrasound machines. Additionally, the wide range of cardiac sector probes single crystal and Matrix Array allows for scanning of every patient type. In fact, even pediatric and neonatal cardiology has seen rapid growth in probes built for small patients, finding their way into all segments, even the economy category. As a result, newer cardiac ultrasound systems are more likely to be purchased, allowing users to no longer be tethered to the same unit for a decade as sometimes happens in systems, not as power-and feature-rich.
Because the motion of the beating heart needs to be accurately measured and visualized, cardiac ultrasound demands faster screen refreshes than any other application. In fact, post-exam image and video clip processing are more common in cardiac ultrasound machines than in others. And cardiac-focused ultrasound typically sacrifices resolution for frame rate. With more probe types than any other applications, cardiac ultrasounds offer the adult sector probe, 4D sector, pediatric sector, neonatal sector, adult TEE, pediatric TEE, 4D TEE, and several Pedoff or non-imaging pencil probes. Because of this, cardiac ultrasound machines are predominantly more expensive than a GI/MSK or OB/Vascular unit within the same category.
Advanced Ultrasound Systems has worked to ensure customers have access to a wide range of new and used ultrasound systems from the top OEM brands. We focus on a variety of imaging types, including cardiac. No matter what you need to improve your practice or medical facility, our sales team is ready to help you find the best fit.
Our premium cardiac ultrasound recommendation: Philips iU22
As a premium, shared service ultrasound system, Philips iU22 provides the best possible image quality using xMATRIX transducers, combining the best characteristics of other 4D and single-crystal transducers. Introduced in 2004, the Philips iU22 has stood the test of time, remaining the gold standard in ultrasound for more than a decade.
Our high-end cardiac ultrasound recommendation: Philips EPIQ 5
This high-end ultrasound machine offers similar performance to theiU22but with a few top-of-the-line features missing in order to lower the price. Using the powerful nSight beamforming and a larger hard drive, Philips EPIQ 5 is a great replacement option for the extremely popular Philips iU22.
Our mid-range cardiac ultrasound recommendation: GEVivid S6
Balancing price with performance, mid-range cardiac ultrasound machines are ideal for medical professionals who need to do a large volume of basic exams with the option of a few high-end functions. The GE Vivid S6 replaces the older but very popular GE Vivid 7. Though much smaller and lighter, the S6 retains most of the features and image quality of the Vivid 7.
Our economy cardiac ultrasound recommendation: GE Vivid S5
Intended for only basic cardiac scans at the lowest price possible, the GE Vivid S5 uses the same probes as the Vivid S6 and, therefore, offers a larger variety of probes than any other cardiac ultrasound machine in this category. Unlike the S6, theS5 lacks the single-crystal M4S-RS probe, automated ejection-fraction calculations, AFI, CTO, the 17” monitor, and the 10-minute back-up power battery; however, it retains the excellent 6Tc-RS transesophageal probe, a unique option in the economy cardiac ultrasound category.
At AUS, our professional and knowledgeable team is ready to help you find the best fit while facilitating your organization’s transition to state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound equipment. With complimentary technical support before and after every sale, our sales team is ready to keep you happy and up and running with minimal downtime. To learn more about which cardiac ultrasound system is best suited for your facility, message us directly or call at (866) 620-2831