CHICAGO – MARCH 30, 2008 - GE Healthcare, a global ultrasound leader, continues to re-invent and re-imagine the technology behind its success, addressing the growing demand for cardiac imaging at the point of care. 

At this year’s meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Chicago, GE Healthcare is launching its latest ultrasound system designed to deliver excellent performance and breakthrough technology.  The all-new, mobile, streamlined Vivid S5 cardiovascular ultrasound system has been designed as a dedicated cardiovascular solution for various care areas, from the hospital and clinic to the physician’s office, in a practical, easy to use design.

By leveraging GE Healthcare’s miniaturization expertise gained from the compact Vivid i, the performance expertise of the console Vivid 7 and the proven utility and versatility of the Vivid 4, GE introduces a new concept and performance level for its ultrasound consoles.

In the vein of the Vivid S6 signature class cardiovascular ultrasound system, introduced at the American Heart Association meeting last fall, the Vivid S5 delivers strong performance, excellent image quality and innovative design.  Its stress echo capabilities and raw data DICOM expand the reach of patient examinations while its 154 pound miniaturized console includes a 15-inch LCD monitor, three active transducer connectors plus room for on-board peripherals. 

In addition, both the powerful Vivid S6 cardiovascular and shared-services system and the all-new Vivid S5 feature backward data compatibility with the rest of GE Healthcare’s Vivid family, including Vivid 3 and Vivid 4. Enhanced connectivity and productivity tools, as well as its new ergonomic design, make both great fits for routine cardiovascular and shared service ultrasound exams.

“These characteristics obviously reflect the successful history of the Vivid product line, which for the new system has been further developed and completed by a lot of comfortable user friendly features,” said Dr. Wolfgang Fehske, Internist and Cardiologist, St. Vinzenz Hospital, Cologne, Germany. “The very mobile design of the machine is keeping with times and is practical in use, also with limited space in labs. For an overall GE echo lab environment, a very exciting feature is the 100% adaptation to the Vivid family in terms of keyboard operation and EchoPAC functionality.”

The all-new system is loaded with the same ergonomically friendly features as its sibling, Vivid S6.  Its “Flex-Fit” mechanism enables continuous pivoting height adjustment of the control panel, while keeping optimal distance from the user and leaving just the right legroom for standing or sitting positions.  Its horizontal keyboard swivel ensures optimal placement and comfort in operation.  A “Flex key,” next to the trackball, can be assigned to assume the function of other, more distant keys for minimal effort, increased speed, and ease of use.  The high contrast wide-angle display monitor includes an auto sensor, automatically adjusting brightness, contrast and gamma levels for environment light, ensuring minimal eyestrain.  Occupational Health consultants Sound Ergonomics, LLC, performed an extensive evaluation of the Vivid S6 and determined it “meets or exceeds the majority of ergonomic standards for ultrasound systems.” These standards are published by the Society for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

“Here at GE Healthcare, we are continuing to evolve and enhance our complete Vivid product line,” explained Anders Wold, general manager of GE’s cardiovascular ultrasound business.  “The Vivid family of products does not sit still. We are already engineering the future of cardiovascular ultrasound even as we unveil these new consoles for our healthcare industry to use for years to come. Each innovation moves us closer to our vision of ‘early health’ where clinicians can predict disease, save costs and greatly improve the patient’s quality of life. That’s ‘healthcare re-imagined’ and it’s here, today.”