As part of an ongoing contract with medical imaging manufacturer, Siemens Healthcare, four ACUSON S2000 systems have been deployed at St Mary’s Hospital for Women and Children and a fifth at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

 

One of the systems at St Mary’s is situated in the fetal medicine unit and is used to scan tertiary referrals for fetal abnormalities. It has been equipped with Siemens’ syngo Auto OB application for performing automatic biometric measurements, plus a Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation application for assisting in the detection of fetal heart abnormalities.

 

Staff at the hospital are also using Siemens’ 9L4 linear transducer, which delivers high-frequency imaging resolution for improved clarity. The new technology is proving particularly helpful in the assessment of the fetal brain, spine and abdomen, with one case resulting in the identification of bowel loops in the thorax of a baby with diaphragmatic hernia at 20 weeks.

 

The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital will use its new Siemens ACUSON S2000 system for general and paediatric scanning

“Referrals from 20-week anomaly scans are incredibly anxious times for patients, but by using the 9L4 transducer, we can give a more-confident and assertive diagnosis that will impact significantly on our ability to give accurate counselling to parents,” said Dr Sarah Russell, consultant radiologist in obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics at St Mary’s Hospital. “Using the 9L4 for target scanning, particularly of the brain and spine, has also been very helpful in gaining extra diagnostic confidence.”

 

Commenting on the roll-out of the S2000 scanners, Bernadette Leonard of Siemens, added: “The S2000 combines superior image quality and an ergonomic design for wide-ranging clinical applications and we are delighted to see its versatility employed at Manchester, demonstrating its applications in women’s health, paediatric and newborn imaging.”

 

The other new units at St Mary’s have been placed in the ultrasound department for use in obstetrics, gynaecological and abdominal scanning and the newborn intensive care unit for portable ultrasound. As part of the contract with Siemens, two existing SONOLINE Antares units have also been upgraded to ACUSON Antares models.

 

The S2000 at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is being used for general paediatric scanning and is proving particularly beneficial for small parts and musculoskeletal work. This system features the lightweight 14L5SP hockey stick transducer with flexible cable.

 

Dr Musa Kaleen, consultant radiologist at the children’s hospital, said: “The system has lived up to expectations. The transducer has also been beneficial, offering greater accuracy and ease of use during target scanning.