March 29, 2008 - Toshiba America Medical Systems presented the FDA 510(k) cleared Artida ultrasound system, designed to meet the demands of the growing cardiac 4D market, today at the American College of Cardiology's 57th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago, IL.
With Artida's real-time multi-planar reformatting capabilities, physicians should be able to quantify global and regional LV function, including LV ejection fraction, volume and severity of regurgitation. Arbitrary views of the heart not available in 2D imaging are also obtained that can help with surgical planning.
The Artida is engineered to track and display myocardial motion in 3D images. This wall motion tracking feature from Toshiba reportedly allows the user to obtain angle-independent, quantitative and regional information about myocardial contraction. This ability to identify wall motion defects aims to improve cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) using pacemakers by determining who will be a responder to CRT and who will probably not. It should also help physicians optimize the pace maker setting.
Artida includes new core architecture to enhance diagnostic capabilities, including:
Artida's SmartCore engine is said to elevate echocardiography to a new level of imaging performance and diagnostic accuracy. It employs the distributed processing power of more than 80 processor cores interconnected by a fast digital system interface. In fact, the SmartCore engine is so powerful it can process an amount of data equal to a fully loaded DVD every single second.
Artida's MultiCast Beamformer uses advanced digital signal processing to control the shape of the ultrasound beam more precisely and flexibly than in comparable systems. Notable performance improvements, such as a simultaneous multiple transmit focus or a doubled frame rate in color Doppler mode, help expedite exams while improving diagnostic accuracy.
Artida brings best-of-breed cardiac 4D imaging to everyday clinical use. A variety of prospective and retrospective volume acquisition modes provide the freedom and flexibility to easily acquire and store 4D volumes as raw data. The volume navigation is supposed to enable fast and accurate surfing of the volumes at any time, either on the system or off-line. Artida's SmartSlice functions allow physicians to cut, slice and position the 4D volume quickly and conveniently.
For more information: www.medical.toshiba.com
