We're looking to buy another ultrasound machine here. I've used the M-Turbo but not the GE.
Anyone have any comments comparing them? Intended use would be PNBs and vascular access. No need to ever support TEE at this location.
M-Turbo would come with the HFL38 linear probe (6 - 13 MHz) and the enhanced needle visualization software.
Logiq e BT12 would come with the 12L-RS linear probe (5 - 13 MHz) and their advanced imaging pack software (cross beam imaging, b-steer, logiqview, easy 3D).
Overall quotes are roughly comparable.
Related question, on the Sonosite, impressions of the HFL50 vs HFL38 transducers?
Thanks.
Here is my take
boot up time is huge - you may not think it is a big deal, but it is. Even the rapid on of sonosite isn't fast enough sometimes. I would think hard about purchasing a machine that takes 3 minutes to turn on. I don't understand why a machine that does 1 thing, needs to boot like a Windows computer.
Knobology - GE has many knobs and many settings and the user can do many many things. You may think this is great - but it isn't. It actually sucks. The GE rep will come and set up the machine, and will place it on the patient and have an amazing picture. This only lasts a day, because the knobs get moved even slightly, and NO ONE in your department - I guarentee it - will be able to even come close to adjusting the picture to how the rep did. Sonosite has like 3 buttons.
Depth - GE looks beautiful with shallow structures, and when they demo, they make sure that you are looking at interscalene. It does very well. But anything beyond 2.5cm or so, it sucks. I think this is a big deal. If you do demo with GE, please make sure you look at deep things (infraclavicular, infragluteal sciatic - or mid thigh sciatic, etc.)
Ease of exporting pictures. Make sure you look at this. Our Logiq was extremely difficult to export images and it did it in a weird file format. They may have fixed this. Just make sure you demo exportation of pictures and video. Sonosite format is mp4. why the hell would any engineer do ANYTHING other than that - but nonetheless, GE decided it was a good idea to use something else, probably a proprietary format that you need software to look at it. Also, make sure it is very easy to capture video and decide if you think it makes sense in the way you capture the video.
Durability - sonosite is incredibly durable. It even looks water proof. I wonder if it is. You certainly could squirt your local on it and it probably wouldn't do anything. I bet you could drop it a bunch and it still would function. GE looks like an expensive laptop.
Screen size - if durability, ease of use, boot time, image quality aren't that big of a deal and you want a bigger screen size, I would pick the GE.
By the way, I have talked to GE engineers and the reps, and bitterly complained about boot time. There response is to say that 2-3 minutes isn't that big of a deal (so I guess I was the problem). Anyway, with that obtuse type of thinking, I hope they continue to loose significant market share.
The best picture of all is phillips, but that isn't a portable machine.
