Nov. 29, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Miniaturized ultrasound. Navigation during interventional procedures. Innovations in sound wave imaging. At RSNA 2009, GE Healthcare is finding better ways to see more. And using that information to do more.

Earlier this year, GE Healthcare introduced healthymagination – a new commitment to healthcare and to those professionals who deliver it. It’s an ongoing, sustainable initiative where innovative technologies help doctors help their patients live longer, healthier, happier lives by lowering costs, touching more lives and improving quality.

New Healthymagination Ultrasound products; system expansions and breakthroughs

• New Product: Venue 40®, the first product in GE’s new Venue miniaturized ultrasound product line, is also is the first new product validated under GE’s healthymagination initiative – dedicated to improving the quality, access and cost of healthcare. An intuitive touch screen interface makes Venue 40 easy to use and clean, especially for immediate care decisions, or to guide procedures in Interventional Radiology.
• Breakthrough: The LOGIQ® E9 general imaging ultrasound system expands its capabilities with new transducers and software enhancements to provide improved image quality and productivity to pediatric, vascular and cardiac imaging.
• Breakthrough: The new features of the LOGIQ P6 general imaging system include enhancements to help improve image quality, workflow and sonographer comfort. Real-time 4D has also been optimized to an improved performance level.
• Breakthrough: Voluson E8 includes innovative features to help improve workflow efficiencies, outstanding image quality, increased automation and improved speed for advanced imaging applications.
• Breakthrough: Features to help increase efficiency and quality for practices of all sizes were introduced for the ViewPoint Ultrasound Reporting and Image Management solution. Highlights include updates in vascular reporting and thyroid reporting.

Changing the Face of MR: healthymagination introduces new products and innovations

• MR-Touch: a visual palpation device that uses low frequency mechanical sound waves in combination with MRI to measure tissue elasticity. Based on technology invented at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), MR-Touch extends the principles of physical palpation with a precise, non-invasive, cost-effective way to visually evaluate tissue stiffness in patients as risk for developing liver disease. MR-Touch is a certified healthymagination product that has been third-party validated to reduce costs, improve access to healthcare technologies and improve quality.
• Optima MR360 1.5T: a new MR system that’s designed to combine value and versatility. Packed with advanced MR applications like breast imaging and fMRI, the Optima MR360 is engineered to deliver easy-to-use features to match the needs of today’s radiologist without the hefty price tag. The Optima MR 360 is 510(k) pending at FDA. It is not available for sale in the United States.
• Optima MR450w 1.5T: the 70-centimeter system that overcomes the traditional challenges of wide-bore scanning. While some have surrendered to the notion that 70 centimeters means a sacrifice in image quality, the Optima MR450w is wide bore done right.
• ONI MSK Extreme 1.5T and 1.0T: revolutionizing extremity imaging. These systems are dedicated solely for extremity imaging, meaning patients can enjoy truly outside the bore scanning, while facilities can benefit from a cost-effective solution to MSK imaging that doesn’t require a traditional whole-body scanner.
• Advanced applications: spanning new innovations in neuro, MSK, body, breast, vascular, cardiac and post-processing – ensure existing and new systems stay cutting edge and advance MR.