GE Healthcare Global Ultrasound division showed 16 percent growth in the first half of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004. The company in part credits this result to the demand for its Vivid i and LOGIQ Book XP compact ultrasound systems, Volume Ultrasound, as well as the Voluson 730.

With the introduction of the two compact ultrasound systems in late 2004, GE experienced an increase in the high-growth compact market in the first half of 2005. For instance, GE's new Vivid i, which is a compact cardiovascular ultrasound system, is being rapidly adopted within traditional echocardiography, in addition to operating rooms and intensive care units, the company said.

The Voluson 730 includes Volume Ultrasound capabilities that are designed to enable clinicians to more easily examine the outflow tracts of the fetal heart during a standard ultrasound exam.

In other good news for GE, a recent industry report issued by Klein Biomedical has GE remaining the world's No. 1 ranked ultrasound provider in 2004, the third consecutive year that Klein has given GE the top position in the market due to its growth rates as compared to the industry average.