Immelt Unveils "Stethoscope of the 21st Century" at Web 2.0 Summit

October 21, 2009 - Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, unveiled what he called the “stethoscope of the 21st century” at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Calif., yesterday.

Immelt held up a smart phone-sized ultrasound system called Vscan. The white gadget with a flip-out screen and a control mechanism looks similar to the old iPod navigation wheel.

According to Immelt, such pocket-sized technology like Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical exam and improve patient care by enhancing a doctor’s ability to quickly and accurately make a diagnosis. For critical care clinicians, Vscan can offer an immediate look beyond patient vital signs with the potential to identify critical issues, like fluid around the heart, which could be a sign of congestive heart failure. And for cardiologists, Vscan provides a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping at a glance, so they can treat patients more efficiently.

Immelt said he didn’t know what price the new device would debut at. He said that it will hit the market sometime in 2010.

For more information: www.gehealthcare.com