资 源 简 介
Historically， ultrasound systems weighed hundreds of pounds and were large and expensive. In the past
it was more pracTIcal to bring the bedridden paTIent， bed and all， to the ultrasound machine rather than
vice versa. Only in the case of the criTIcally ill paTIents who could not be moved was the ultrasound
system maneuvered， with difficulty， to the patient.
Over time， portable ultrasound technologies emerged， but achieving image quality on a par with the
larger devices proved to be a challenge， as was achieving the battery life， high-power computing， and
efficient memory access that these applications require. As a result， physicians now see ultrasound as a
more cost effective and more mobile alternative to computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance
imaging （MRI） scanners.
High-quality handheld systems enable routine bedside scanning. This has not only improved patient
access to safe， noninvasive diagnostic medicine， but has also reduced the time and costs associated
with such diagnostics.
