GE Voluson E8

The Voluson E8 is currently GE’s longest-standing product, which means that many options have been changed, upgraded, removed, or made obsolete over this long period.

The most notable technology improvements came with the popular HDlive 4D technology. This provides a very lifelike image in 4D obstetrics, as it adds an adjustable lightsource on the in-utero fetus, creating shadows and more depth to the image.

The refurbished Voluson E8 price varies greatly, as the different software levels introduced more in-demand features. All units will have 4D imaging and provide excellent images for women’s health and OB/GYN. Nearly all with have the HDlive feature. Notable features include (not available on all versions):

• High Resolution 23″ LCD LED Display or 19″ High Resolution LCD Display
• 12″ Touchscreen
• 4D and Advanced 4D
• HDlive, HDlive Flow/Studio/Silhouette
• Elastography
• Electronic Height Adjustment and Floating User Interface
• Matrix Array Transducers
• SonoNT: Semi-automated, standardized measurements provided by the Voluson E8 of the nuchal translucency during the first trimester.
• SonoIT: This is another semi-automated, standardized measurement on the GE Voluson E8 of intracranial translucency during the first trimester.
• SonoAVC Follicle: This Voluson E8 feature gives accurate automatic measurements of follicular volume. These are much faster and more accurate than taking manual 2D estimates.
• SonoVCAD Heart: A computer-aided display of the fetal heart from a 4D transducer that automatically generates a four-chamber view according to recommended standards.
• SonoVCAD Labor: automates the measurement of fetal head progression, rotation, and direction during labor that is created by the Voluson E8 as an easy report.
• Advanced STIC: STIC (Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation) creates a full fetal heart examination in 2D and 4D, including a view of the entire cardiovascular system.
• Coded Excitation (CE): This feature on the Voluson E8 improves image resolution and penetration in the far-field. This allows the use of a higher frequency on technically difficult patients.
• Wide Sector: Standard on the Voluson E8, this widens the sector probe’s imaging field of view.
• SRI II: A nonlinear diffusion filtering technique that improves image quality in real-time by reducing speckles.
• CrossXBeam CRI: This core technology on the GE Voluson E8 uses compound resolution imaging to improve border and image clarity.
• TUI: This is a new visualization mode for 3D and 4D data sets on the Voluson E8. The data is presented as slices through the data set that are parallel to each other. An overview image, which is orthogonal to the parallel slices, shows which parts of the volume are displayed in the parallel planes. This method of visualization is consistent with the way other medical systems such as CT or MRI, present the data to the user. The distance between the different planes can be adjusted to the requirements of the given data set. In addition, it is possible to set the number of planes. The planes and the overview image can also be printed to a DICOM printer for easier comparison of the ultrasound data with CT and/or MRI data. Use low frequency to increase the penetration and higher frequency to keep a high resolution. It reduces speckle and artifacts in the 2D image to facilitate the examination of difficult-to-scan patients.
• SonoBiometry: The Voluson E8 provides an alternative to the common fetal biometry measurements. It provides system suggested measurements for BPD, HC, AC, and FL which need to be confirmed by the user or can be changed manually.
• SonoRender Start: This feature on the Voluson E8 speeds up the acquisition of the fetal face in 4D.
• Scan Assistant: Automated step-by-step help for those new to scanning.
• Focus and Frequency Composite (FFC): A Voluson E8 technology that utilizes two different transmission frequencies and two different focal ranges in the 2D image. This function combines a
• Beta View: Allows for the adjustment of the Volume O-Axis position of 3D probes in 2D mode. The green line in the displayed symbol indicates the position of the acoustic block. The “+” and “-“ define the corresponding sweep direction on the touchscreen.

It’s no secret that we love the Voluson ultrasound systems. From the user interface to the 4D imaging, this machine has always been efficient, reliable, and fun to use.

We’re not surprised by the popularity of the Voluson E8, and there’s a good reason GE held onto this product for so long. It continues to impress us through innovation and excellent features, making it a top choice for a premium 4D women’s health ultrasound machine.

With a long history, there are many options of the Voluson E8, spanning many different price ranges. Older machines don’t have as many ergonomic and efficiency features, but they all have excellent image quality and are a great choice for a women’s health ultrasound machine.