In October Ultra Select Medical was given the opportunity to test the Mindray MX7. We were the only ones in the United States to check out the new stuff. We evaluated the new cart and the new machine. Even the new L13-3s probe was given the workout. Everyone here got the chance to see the new baby. There was plenty of ooo-ing and ahhh-ing.

First we looked at the cart. There is a triple port which was a big plus. This allowed more exam type flexibility. At the stroke of a finger you can change probes. The flexible height adjustment worked well. This allows you to vary the height by small increments and this was a great way to approach ergonomics. Some carts went all the way up or down. Other carts had only a few increments in height. The next innovation was the magnetic power connection from the actual unit to the cart. You just clip it together- no twisting or pins to worry about. The cart has a small foot print for increasingly tight spaces and the wheels are completely 360 degrees. The movement of the cart is very smooth with little effort. The cart came with two trays for storage and specially designed handles on the front and the back for cord control. The dream of every sonographer is retractable cords but that will come in time.

The L13-3s probe was a nice addition to the family of s class probes. We used it on all applications it came with. It was very good for vascular and MSK. The probe did well for large and multinodular thyroids. The color flow Doppler was very good without much adjustment. The power Doppler imaged well also. This probe required little adjustment to optimize the image. The test of any probe is the resolution at increased depths. This probe performed well there also. The images were crisp and clear on all exam types and body types. We scanned with other transducers for other types of exams.

Now let’s look at the unit itself. It was very light which was a bonus (only 3 kg). The biggest thing was that there was no focal zone to adjust. This was a time saver. The next big news was that the venous reflux and arterial measurements were already there, have right and left with segments tagged to the vessels. Custom measurements can be configured just like the M7 or M8 but easier in the steps involved. All custom measurements transferred to our PACs. The HGen FFR added a new dimension to echocardiography. Even with the traditional changes in frequency harmonics, dynamic range the HGen FFR gave the images an added boost. This helped both with penetration and resolution.

The user interface was partly buttons and partly touch screen. Touch screen is the direction that technology is going. The touch screen was well lit and the words were large enough to see well. The screen had a quick response time and packed much functionality into one area. This design made it so easy to clean.

There are two more unique features, probe check and HD scope. The probe check was located under the maintenance tab. This was a method to check the health of the probe crystals. Green was good and red was bad. If there is more red than green then you need another probe. This will be revolutionary for institutions that have detailed QA programs. The HD scope was a method used to increased focal detail in just one area. This had an ROI box that you placed over a small area that you would need better detail. We used it on abdomen, echocardiography, MSK, vascular, OB and gyn and it worked quite well. Both of these advancements will provide the ultrasound user with better tools for diagnosis.

The ZST or zone sonography technology was a breakthrough in penetration and resolution. ZST with dynamic pixel focusing is ground breaking in terms of work flow, time savings and image quality. This combination allowed us to see the maternal aorta/IVC and spine effortlessly in the field of obstetrics. This will be the shared service unit to get.

Call us now 843-566-1020 Product launched today 11/19/2020.

Many thanks to Ms. Nassrin Bonyadloo for her assistance in making this possible and coming to South Carolina to oversee this project. Many thanks to our patients for your time and input. There is no conflict of interest.

Photo credit Ms. Nassrin Bonyadloo