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 In 1979, Samuel H. Maslak, Sc.D. began developing a new approach to medical ultrasound
imaging. The scanners used in the existing ultrasound technology produced satisfactory
diagnostic images from the returning echoes through 64 electrical channels, but the machines
could not refine the images because computers for ultrasound imaging did not exist. Dr.
Maslak's work in applying computer technology to ultrasound led to the founding, with Robert
Younge and Amin Hanafy, of Acuson Corporation in 1982. Acuson introduced its first product
in 1983, the Acuson 128 Computed Sonography System which applied computer technology to
diagnostic ultrasound. The 128 channel software-controlled image formation process provided
black-and-white and color ultrasound images with high resolution and clarity.
Acuson continued to develop ultrasound technology. The introduction of the
Sequoia 512
system in 1996 provided clinicians with twice the amount of image information in half of the
time. Acuson's development of a new way to form ultrasound images called Coherent Image
Formation used both the phase and the amplitude information from ultrasound echoes to
produce images. Conventional ultrasound systems produced images based only on the
amplitude information. This discovery offered the user increased spatial and temporal image
resolution.
Available Acuson
ultrasound machines:
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