(Click here for a larger view of the Sonosite M-Turbo)Resembling a laptop computer, the M-Turbo weighs 6.7 pounds and has a 10.4-inch display. It also includes a trackpad, an alphanumeric keyboard, and a bevy of application-specific keys.
Sonosite says the M-Turbo employs Texas Instruments'
TMS320DM644x SoC, which integrates a TMS320C64x+ DSP along with an 300MHz ARM926 RISC processor core. Also included as part of the device are custom ASICs and 8GB of flash storage.
Claimed to operate on its internal lithium-ion battery for about two hours, the M-Turbo features dual USB ports on the right side. These allow exporting images to USB storage devices in MPEG4 (H.264), JPEG, HTML, and BMP formats.
On the back, the M-Turbo has an input for external DC, an electrocardiogram (ECG) connector, and a connector for an optional mini-dock. The latter provides an additional USB port and ECG connector.
Other information provided by Sonosite for the M-Turbo focuses squarely on its ultrasound imaging capabilities. As the company notes, the device obtains images by transmitting ultrasound energy into the pelvis or lower abdomen, using 2D, color Doppler, color power Doppler (CPD), Tissue Harmonic Imaging (THI), and pulsed wave (PW) Doppler. Two transducers are included in the M-Turbo M-OB/GYN Office package -- the C60x/5-2MHz curved array transducer for abdominal scanning, and the ICTx/8-5MHz intracavitary curved array transducer for pelvic imaging.
Measuring 12 x 11 x 3 inches, the M-Turbo can withstand three-foot drops onto hard surfaces, and has sealed surfaces that can easily be wiped down with disinfectant, the company says. It can be operated in temperatures ranging from 10 to 40 deg. C (50 - 104 deg. F).
According to Sonosite, the M-Turbo M-OB/GYN Office is shipping now. Pricing was not specified.
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