FOCUS ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY Hand Carried Echocardiography Systems – A Beautiful Toy or a Useful Device With Major Impact on Clinical Practice?

Technological progress of recent years has made it possible that ultrasound industry can know offer affordable, portable and battery-operated ultrasound systems with the size of a laptop computer. Some of these hand-held echocardiography system can now provide all modalities including two-dimensional echo, continuous-wave, pulsed-wave and color Doppler and facilitate rapid bedside diagnosis and patient screening. However, besides skill in performing and interpreting echocardiograms, aware-ness of the devices ’ limitations and optimization of conditions and surroundings appear to be crucial for proper application of this new technology. This recent development in echocardiography also raises a number of questions and the actual impact on general clinical practice still remains to be seen. J Clin Basic Cardiol 2002; 5: 153–4. Key words: hand-held echocardiography, ultrasound devices, new technologie