Comparison of portable ultrasound machines from Acuson and Sonosite

by Sarah on May 27, 2009

Sonosite MicroMaxx ultrasound machine

Sonosite MicroMaxx ultrasound machine

If you go back a number of years, the words “portable” and “ultrasound” really didn’t go together. Most ultrasound machines were giant units weighing hundreds of pounds that were not portable at all. Fast forward to today, and there are numerous ultrasound systems that weigh just a few pounds and can easily be transported anywhere at a moment’s notice. When it comes to comparing portable ultrasound machines, you have plenty of choices from top companies like Acuson, GE, HP, Philips, Toshiba and Sonosite. So let’s compare two very popular ultrasound models, the Acuson P50 ultrasound and the Sonosite MicroMaxx ultrasound.

As you would expect with its name, the Sonosite MicroMaxx is small and extremely portable. At less than eight pounds, it is one of the smallest ultrasound machines on the market but it still offers many of the same features as the big boys and can handle applications from OB-GYN to vascular to cardiac. One of its best benefits is its durability and toughness. A machine this small can get bumped around pretty easily and maybe knocked off a table, but it offers a five-year warranty and heavy duty protection in case of a drop. Now let’s compare ultrasound machines with the Acuson P50. Although it checks in at about 11 pounds, the Acuson P50 is just as portable as the MicroMaxx and features the ability to run Microsoft Windows on an Apple MacBook Pro. It also boasts multi-view spatial compounding and speckle reduction technology. So when you are comparing ultrasound systems like the Sonosite MicroMaxx and Acuson P50, it really comes down to finding the best price and the model that you feel most comfortable with because both have received excellent reviews and offer all the latest features in an easy to use and portable package.

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