For a system clocking in under 10 pounds, GE Healthcare's Vivid iq portable cardiovascular ultrasound offers some heavy duty imaging capabilities.

The new high-end compact takes advanced diagnostic exams like transesophageal echo and enables clinicians to conduct them outside of the hospital.

Developed in partnership with an international group of clinicians, the touchscreen system is 10 percent lighter and thinner than its precursor and also has a one-hour battery life and a transportable cart. GE is calling it its most advanced portable cardiovascular ultrasound system ever.
"Vivid iq is a huge step forward in terms of image quality and innovative design," said Dr. Ferran Roses Noguer, head of the Pediatric Cardiology Department at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, in a statement. "It is extremely user friendly, truly portable, with a fantastic interface and a great design that is really futuristic and elegant at the same time."

The Vivid iq is the next generation of GE's Vivid q, a portable ultrasound system that traveled through space with astronauts on NASA's space shuttle Atlantis in 2011.

Vivid iq's rugged and cleanable design is built for tough conditions and has been verified for limited use outside of the health care setting. It has not been evaluated for use during transport.

The announcement of the new system was timed with the European Society of Cardiology's annual congress in Rome, Italy which kicked off on Saturday 27 and will be happening through Wednesday 31.

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