India is set to experience a new concept: A laptop that can conduct ultrasound imaging

For the multitudes of private medicos who have pined for a cheaper ultrasound machine or prayed for its portability, Trivitron could be the new messiah. The leading Chennai-based medical technology firm has introduced a unique concept called t3000—a laptop that can conduct ultrasound imaging.

It’s an idea that Trivitron picked from the American diagnostic ultrasound technology firm, Terason, the brain behind the product. After the t3000 won the Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award last year, Trivitron decided to scoop it up for the Indian docs. The collaboration has opened up unlikely avenues for dissemination of medical services in the country.

“While post-graduate institutes have placed mass orders, the machine is likely to become more popular among private practitioners in two to three years because it’s small, handy, cheaper and easy to use,” says A.B. Sivasankar, Director (Imaging), Trivitron.

Weighing around 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and costing around Rs 10-12 lakh (“compared to the conventional ultrasound systems which cost Rs 14-15 lakh”), the machine can be used for general, vascular, and breast imaging, interventional radiology, image-guided intervention, endocrinology, laparoscopy, neuro-sonography and nephrology. A sensor attached to the laptop sends sound waves inside the patient’s body and the laptop placed half-a-metre away displays the images.

Though portable ultrasound machines are not new in India, the uniqueness of t3000 lies in the fact that it combines imaging with PC-related work functions. So images and reports can be transferred to standard Word processing and presentation software applications, and sent via e-mail to the desired destinations, all without compromising on image quality.

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