Prospective Comparison of Nine Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices by Ultrasound Experts with Regard to B-Scan Quality, Device Handling and Software in Abdominal Sonography

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Daniel Merkel - , Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane, Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf (Autor:in)
  • Christian Lueders - , Klinik am See (Autor:in)
  • Christoph Schneider - , Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf (Autor:in)
  • Masuod Yousefzada - , Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf (Autor:in)
  • Johannes Ruppert - , Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (Autor:in)
  • Andreas Weimer - , Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg (Autor:in)
  • Moritz Herzog - , Else Kröner Fresenius Zentrum für Digitale Gesundheit (Autor:in)
  • Liv Annebritt Lorenz - , Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)
  • Thomas Vieth - , Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)
  • Holger Buggenhagen - , Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)
  • Julia Weinmann-Menke - , Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)
  • Johannes Matthias Weimer - , Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)

Abstract

Background: The HHUS market is very complex due to a multitude of equipment variants and several different device manufacturers. Only a few studies have compared different HHUS devices under clinical conditions. We conducted a comprehensive prospective observer study with a direct comparison of nine different HHUS devices in terms of B-scan quality, device handling, and software features under abdominal imaging conditions. Methods: Nine different HHUS devices (Butterfly iQ+, Clarius C3HD3, D5CL Microvue, Philips Lumify, SonoEye Chison, SonoSite iViz, Mindray TE Air, GE Vscan Air, and Youkey Q7) were used in a prospective setting by a total of 12 experienced examiners on the same subjects in each case and then assessed using a detailed questionnaire regarding B-scan quality, handling, and usability of the software. The evaluation was carried out using a point scale (5 points: very good; 1 point: insufficient). Results: In the overall evaluation, Vscan Air and SonoEye Chison achieved the best ratings. They achieved nominal ratings between “good” (4 points) and “very good” (5 points). Both devices differed significantly (p < 0.01) from the other seven devices tested. Among the HHUS devices, Clarius C3HD3 and Vscan Air achieved the best results for B-mode quality, D5CL Microvue achieved the best results for device handling, and SonoEye Chison and Vscan Air achieved the best results for software. Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive study to directly compare different HHUS devices in a head-to-head manner. While the majority of the tested devices demonstrated satisfactory performance, notable discrepancies were observed between them. In particular, the B-scan quality exhibited considerable variation, which may have implications for the clinical application of HHUS. The findings of this study can assist in the selection of an appropriate HHUS device for specific applications, considering the clinical objectives and acknowledging the inherent limitations.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer1913
FachzeitschriftDiagnostics
Jahrgang14
Ausgabenummer17
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Sept. 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-0676-6926/work/175764353

Schlagworte

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Schlagwörter

  • B-mode quality, comparison, handheld ultrasound, handling, pocket device, POCUS, software