Evaluation: GE Healthcare Venue Go Point-of-Care Ultrasound Scanner

• POCUS refers to the use of the technology by the treating physician or other caregiver at the point of care, as opposed to sending the patient to an imaging specialist such as a radiologist.
• POCUS scanners are also used to guide interventional procedures, such as therapeutic injection of medications or diagnostic biopsies.

• There is a 39.6 cm (15.6 in) high-resolution, flat-panel touchscreen video display with a ±80° horizontal viewing angle.
  • The display is used to view acquired data, select transducers, select presets and imaging modes, adjust image quality, obtain measurements, annotate images, and perform calculations. All controls and a virtual QWERTY keyboard are accessed on the touchscreen. Touchscreen gestures are used to make some imaging changes, such as magnification and color Doppler imaging (CDI) region of interest (ROI) positioning and sizing. Automatic ambient lighting sensing adjusts display brightness based on the ambient light level, and can be disabled by the user.
  • The display is sealed for easy cleaning, and a clean mode locks the touchscreen to prevent inadvertent control changes during cleaning.
• Transducer ports—The Venue Go has three ports used to connect transducers. They are located on the back of the scanner, with probes kept readily available in holders on top of the display.
• Internal digital storage
  • The scanner has a 128 GB hard drive, with 60 GB dedicated for data archiving.
  • Used to archive acquired data and support software applications
• Wireless connectivity
  • The scanner has wireless LAN capability standard, and there is a Wi-Fi strength indicator on the display.
  • Wireless connectivity enhances communication with a hospital intranet, picture archiving and communication system (PACS), or cloud storage.
• Access ports
  • Access ports allow data to be exported for archiving or review and imported for fusion imaging and review.
  • The scanner has four USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an HDMI output port.
• Two removable lithium-ion batteries and a battery charge indicator on the video display
  • Batteries provide power to the scanner, and maintain the scanner while in standby mode.
  • Accessed through a panel on the rear of the scanner
• Major software components include the following:
  • The Venue Go employs the vendor's cSound beam-forming technology and has the standard imaging modes and features listed below. For more information about features not described here, please see Ultrasound Key Terms and Abbreviations.
    • Conventional B-mode imaging
    • Harmonic B-mode imaging
    • M-mode and anatomical M-mode, which allows an M-mode cursor to be placed in any desired location to assess and measure moving structures, such as cardiac wall motion
    • Pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler
    • Continuous-wave (CW) Doppler
    • CDI
    • Power Doppler imaging (PDI)
    • Doppler tissue imaging (GE feature name: Tissue Velocity Doppler, or TVD)
    • Needle visualization enhancement mode (Needle Recognition Mode)
    • Spatial compounding (CrossXBeam)
    • Noise reduction software (Speckle Reduction Imaging, or SRI-HD) to improve B-mode image quality
    • Virtual apex imaging, which provides a wider field of view in the near field than conventional imaging when using sector transducers
    • Trapezoidal imaging (virtual convex imaging), which provides a wider field of view in the far field than conventional imaging when using flat linear-array transducers
    • Automatic optimization for B-mode and PW Doppler
    • Sleep Mode, which saves battery power when the scanner is not in use and permits rapid power-up
  • Conventional calculation and analysis packages for cardiac, gynecologic, musculoskeletal, obstetric, and urologic applications. These packages enhance data analysis and reporting.
  • POCUS-specific calculation and analysis packages include:
    • Auto-VTI, which calculates the velocity-time integral (VTI) and cardiac output in a single step
    • VTI Trending, which provides trending data to enhance patient monitoring and management
    • A Lung Tool, which provides a lung exam protocol and graphic documentation
    • Auto B-Lines, which are used to assess the lungs
    • Auto-IVC, which automatically measures inferior vena cava (IVC) collapsibility for assessment of suspected shock patients By automating data acquisition, these tools have the potential to expedite diagnosis and management of patients who are assessed in urgent situations.
  • Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3.0 connectivity to permit access to PACS for image sharing for efficient data archiving and review.
  • Access to Qpath (from Telexy Healthcare)—Provides secure Internet access to a third-party cloud-based service used for image archiving, exam reporting, billing, and data tracking for professional credentialing and laboratory quality assurance.

Optional device components and software features include:

• Application-specific transducers (see the table below). For more information on transducer types and their applications, see our article Types of Diagnostic Ultrasound Transducers.
  • Transducers transmit the ultrasound beam into the patient's body and receive the returning echoes for data acquisition, processing, and display.
  • They consist of a handheld probe on a cable with a connector to attach it to the scanner.
• Venue Go wheeled stand
  • Allows the scanner to be mounted on wheels to create a self-contained system, as well as to enhance transportability within a facility and use at the bedside
  • The height-adjustable stand has a 37 × 15 × 18 cm (14.7 × 6.0 × 7.1 in) (L × W × H) removable storage bin for accessories and four 12 cm (4.75 in) swivel-casters that all have locks. When mounted on the stand, the scanner can swivel horizontally 115° left or right, 40° up, and 10° down to allow optimal viewing of the display. The stand has a compartment for the AC power adapter and hooks to store the AC power cord.
  • The scanner mounted on the stand measures 1,190-1,580 × 50.5 × 48 cm (46.9-62.2 × 19.9 × 18.9 in) (H × W × D) and weighs 32 kg (70 lb) without probes.
• An electrocardiogram (ECG) module
  • The three-lead ECG module allows assessment and display of patient cardiac electrical activity.
  • The ECG module connects to the Venue Go via a USB cable.
• Printer
  • Used to make hard-copy prints
  • The printer connects to the Venue Go via a USB cable. An optional mount is available to attach the printer to the wheeled stand.
• Bar-code reader
  • Can be used to enter patient data
  • Attaches to the scanner via a USB port
• Ophthalmic imaging software—Permits use of specific transducers for ophthalmic imaging applications

Transducers Supported by the Venue Go​ ​ Model ID and Type Bandwidth (MHz) Applications* Biopsy Attachment 3Sc-RSSector 2.5-4.5 Abdominal, adult cardiac, gynecology, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access No 6S-RsSector 4-6.5 Abdominal, adult cardiac, gynecology, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, neonatal cephalic, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access No C1-5-RSConvex linear array (CLA) 3-5 Abdominal, adult cardiac, fetal/obstetrics, gynecology, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access Yes 8C-RSCLA 6-10 Abdominal, adult cardiac, gynecology, neonatal cephalic, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, thoracic/pleural, urology No E8C-RSEndocavity CLA 6-10 Gynecology, obstetrics, transrectal, transvaginal, urology Yes L4-12t-RS**FLA 7-12 Abdominal, adult cardiac, gynecology, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access Yes 9L-RSFLA 3-8 Abdominal, adult cardiac, fetal/obstetrics, gynecology, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, neonatal cephalic, nerve block, ophthalmic, pediatric/neonatal, pediatric cardiac, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access Yes L8-18i-RSFLA 9-16 Abdominal, gynecology, intraoperative, musculoskeletal conventional, musculoskeletal superficial, neonatal cephalic, nerve block, pediatric/neonatal, peripheral vascular, small parts, thoracic/pleural, urology, vascular access No 6Tc-RSTransesophageal echocardiography (TEE) 3-8 Adult cardiac No * Applications and capabilities are based on vendor product literature. ** Has four configurable buttons to support various customizable functions, such as image mode selection, freeze, and image capture. ​...