GE Vivid iq

The GE Vivid iq is a fully featured cardiovascular ultrasound that supports cardiac, vascular, transesophageal (TEE), vascular, venous, fetal, OB/GYN, abdominal, pediatric, small parts, neonatal cephalic, adult cephalic, and musculoskeletal imaging modes.

• Tissue synchronization imaging

• Intima Media Thickness (IMT)

• CW Doppler

• Strain/Strain Rate Mode (option, enabled by Advanced QScan)

• Tissue Synchronization Imaging Mode (option, enabled by Advanced QScan)

• B-flow

• 2D stress

• Auto EF

• Automated Ejection-Fraction Calculation (AutoEF)

• Z-Scores

• Quantitative Analysis Package (Q-Analysis)

• EchoPAC™/Patient Archive

• Insite™ Express Connection (ExC) Enables Remote Service and Training

The most obvious feature of the Vivid iq is its complete redesign of hardware and software. But first, let’s talk image quality: Its cardiac image quality is cleaner and less “grainy” than what was seen on previous Vivid portable ultrasound machines. It retains the great contrast notable to Vivid ultrasounds, however, it presents less image artifact and its image resolution and quality is now more similar to GE’s console ultrasound machines. The image quality is outstanding for a portable ultrasound machine, and most techs find the touchscreen interface easy-to-use and intuitive after just a few scans.

The Vivid iq lacks a keyboard and many traditional keys in favor of the versatility of a touchscreen and trackpad. We didn’t find this helpful at first, but after a day’s use, the trackpad/trackball combination was quickly more preferable to the traditional user interface of the Vivid ultrasound machines.

The GE Vivid iq is an all new system, but it was developed based on Vivid i and q. It is the 2nd generation of GE’s dedicated cardiovascular portable systems. Its console design is a complete redesign, with most controls found on its 15.6″ high resolution display. Its main competitor is the Philips CX50, which was updated after the release of the Vivid iq. The CX50 is significantly larger and “less portable” than the Vivid iq, although most Philips users often prefer to stick with Philips over GE.

The GE Vivid iq is a complete redesign over GE’s previous portable cardiovascular ultrasound machines: the GE Vivid i and the GE Vivid q. As a touchscreen-driven system, learning to use the GE Vivid iq takes some time to get accustomed to the relocation of controls and its overall workflow.

Part 1 of our GE Vivid iq training series takes you through this new system and user interface.

Part 2 of our GE Vivid iq Training series steps into performing 2D imaging and image optimization. This video builds on the previous video, learning how to use the touchscreen swipes, gestures and control panels to help you achieve the best image possible.

Part 3 of our GE Vivid iq training series shows the different ways you can use the comments and calc/measurement packages in an efficient manner. Because there is no keyboard, some find the methods somewhat inconvenient. However, there are ways to make it easier, including multiple ways of achieving the same task.

As the most powerful portable cardiovascular ultrasound machine on the market, the Vivid iq has many features that are found on a console machine. Part 4 of our Vivid iq training shows how to use Doppler, as well as how to activate the various advanced quantification packages.

The GE Vivid iq can export images to USB, Network, and DICOM/PACS. This video covers reviewing images, comparing images, creating a report and exporting. Before exporting to a DICOM/PACS, you’ll need to view Part 7 of this training series, which covers setting up the network and DICOM connectivity.

The GE Vivid iq has extensive system setup and customization options. As a touchscreen-based system, proper setup can help improve your workflow and make your exams more efficient. In this part of our video training I cover all the various screens and pages with explanations of the more important system setup features.

DICOM setup on the GE Vivid iq system can be quite difficult, and the user manual isn’t helpful in getting you connected properly. While it is quite powerful and allows you to do many things, following the correct steps will save you, quite literally, hours of frustration. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully as the steps don’t follow the workflow that seems natural on the Setup pages.