GE Healthcare today announced FDA clearance for the Voluson i — which the company calls the world’s first 4D compact ultrasound system designed specifically for obstetric, gynecological, and other clinical applications focused on women’s health. The Voluson i is being showcased this week at the 54th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in Washington, D.C. 

This new compact system is designed to allow clinicians to make real-time diagnoses, particularly for high-risk patients, by providing high-quality 4D imaging at the point-of-care. The Voluson i is a console-size ultrasound system in a portable design that weighs slightly more than the average newborn. GE believes the system should enable facilities of all sizes to offer 4D imaging as the standard of care for pregnant women. Its portability could also make it ideal for community and rural clinics, as well as mobile imaging services, GE said.

 “With its ease of use and amazing diagnostic image quality, this portable ultrasound system makes it easy for me to go to the patient to perform an ultrasound scan, rather than the reverse. The remarkable portability this system offers will impact the care I give my patients,” said John Hobbins, MD, chief of obstetrics, director of the Prenatal Diagnosis and Genetics Center, University of Colorado Health Science Center.