These are our Moments

Fifteen years ago, Voluson™ joined the GE family of ultrasound produts. From the first scan in Zipf, Austria (1967), we have a rich history of innovations of which we are incredibly proud. We are excited to share the many milestone moments that make up our legacy with you on this website.

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Voluson history of innovation

For 50 years, ultrasound technologies have enabled physicians around the world to improve women’s lives and ensure better health for generations.

Prof. Dr. Alfred Kratochwil scans on a "A-scan device“. He scanned his patients for their placental location before delivery by caesarean section. He noted that the ultrasonic findings and the actual placental location correlated 90% of the time.

Our Moments begin here.

Before ultrasound, producing an image of the womb meant exposing both mother and child to radiation. In 1960, Voluson changed all that by providing a live view into the womb without the dangerous ionized radiation used in x-rays

Ultrasound helps locate the placenta.

Doctors did not always have a safe and reliable way to see what was happening inside the womb during pregnancy. The location of the placenta – a critically important health indicator for mother and child – was difficult to pin down, leading doctors to prescribe weeks of bedrest to otherwise-healthy mothers. Thanks to Voluson ultrasound, expecting mothers could move freely until their due date, knowing their child was thriving on a healthy placenta.

Two-dimensional ultrasonic B-mode images are now possible with the Combison compound ultrasound system.

Observing the heart beat as early as 9 weeks.

The heartbeat of an unborn child is a precious thing. For parents, it might be the first indication of confirmed pregnancy. For obstetricians, it’s an important indicator of healthy fetal development – particularly in high-risk pregnancies. A vast upgrade to the stethoscope, Voluson’s transvaginal probe enabled physicians to observe a heartbeat as early as week 9, meaning better care could be taken to ensure a safe pregnancy.

World’s first real-time sector
 ultrasound system, the Combison 100. The synergy between the new probe technology and ultrasound system provided gray scale images with high detail ‘state-of-the-art’ resolution.

First endovaginal probe and panoramic ultrasound system is launched.  This new technology enables clinicians to see early OB and GYN pathologies.

Revolutionizing the delivery of care in Obstetrics

With the development of Voluson 3D ultrasound, parents and physicians could have much more peace of mind about the development of their unborn child. Obstetricians could quickly identify malformations, and even examine internal fetal organs – including the heart. This also meant more invasive techniques, such as amniocentesis, could be avoided.

Combison 330 - World’s first 3D ultrasound system and abdominal volume probe are launched.

Volume acquisition takes 1-2 seconds and rendering of the image takes up to 20 minutes on an external personal computer.

Enhancing anatomical visualization with 3D

When ultrasound technology could only produce a 2D image, physicians had to mentally combine several images in order to get a sense of what was going on in the womb. With Voluson 3D imaging, physicians gained a clearer and more comprehensive view than ever before of the interior of the uterus, and a fetus’ developing brain.

World’s first transvaginal volume probe is launched. A leap forward in technology with the Combison 530 – it takes 2-3 seconds to render the 3D image.

Evolution of ultrasound in GYN

Voluson 3D ultrasound had already proven its value in obstetrics, but when physicians began to apply the technology to gynecological practice, they learned the value of examining the uterus from the coronal plane – making it much easier to identify uterine anomalies.

3D ultrasound enhances connection

With the help of 3D and 4D ultrasound imaging, expecting parents are able to get a clearer picture than ever before of the health, movements – and even personality – of their developing child.

Combison 530D is the hallmark of innovation – live 3D is now possible with an acquisition of 4 volumes per second.

Accelerating innovation together

In 1995, it took a full minute to produce a single, static ultrasound image – 3 hours if you wanted a cine loop – and meaningful innovations to the technology happened about every 5 years. Since beginning its relationship with GE 15 years ago, Voluson innovations are introduced approximately every year.

GE purchases Kretztechnik and Voluson becomes a global ambassador for women’s health.

Launch of the Voluson E8 helps improve early OB diagnosis with the RIC6-12 endovaginal probe enabling clinicians to see small details with clarity.

Uncovering abnormalities quickly and confidently with HDlive technology

Thanks to HDlive™ and HDlive Silhouette, physicians can view abnormalities from a wide range of angles simply by turning a knob. No invasive action needed.

Voluson made for you

With feedback from our customers, Voluson ultrasounds are designed with a contemporary look and feel. The systems features and the proven Voluson workflow make it simple to learn and use on a daily basis.

Voluson automation is unveiled with SonoVCAD™heart.
Since then, automation tools have expanded to help boost exam efficiency and accuracy. Examples of Voluson automation tools are SonoVCAD™heart, SonoAVC™follicle, SonoAVC™antral, SonoBiometry, SonoNT (NuclearTranslucency), SonoIT (IntracranialTranslucency)

Collaborate directly from your Voluson with Tricefy™.

With the press of a button on your Voluson system, physicians can send an ultrasound image using Tricefy – safely and securely – straight to a smart phone.

e4D technology designed for women's health.

Thanks to Voluson’s Electronic 4D technology, physicians can steer, and focus the ultrasound beam in any direction and sequence. This agility is the key to unlocking new modes such as ‘Bi-plane’ imaging, and leads to fast volume rates for real time display of motion, and superb visibility of anatomical structures and functionality.

Advanced VCI with OmniView help improve contrast resolution and visualization of rendered anatomy with clarity in any plane – even when viewing irregularly shaped structures.

Support when you need it

Cutting edge technology is only part our relationship. Voluson provides ongoing support when quick service is needed, and application specialists are always on hand to guide physicians to obtain the best images possible.

See finer details of the fetus

Thanks to the transparent view that Voluson’s HDlive™Silhouette offers, physicians can see through multiple fetuses and gestational sacks, allowing a clearer view of each of them during multiple pregnancies.

HDlive begins to light up our images with a virtual moveable light source. Increased functionality has led to a suite of HDlive technologies bringing unprecedented anatomical realism to help reveal a unique perspective for a higher level of diagnostic confidence.

Obtain feedback instantly

When performing a fetal scan, it’s important to have context as to whether the measurements for a child’s head, arm, or leg are within normal ranges. The graphs on the side of the Voluson screen provide instantly-accessible context – allowing physicians to assess whether measurements are normal or not, saving significant time.

Launch of the Voluson E10 and the world’s first commercially available curved electronic matrix 4D probe, eM6C - delivering ultra-fast volume rates, flexible imaging formats and excellent resolution for routine OB exams to complex fetal echocardiography. 

Revolutionize how you look at the fetal heart

With Voluson e4D technology, ultrasound image quality is enhanced dramatically by almost completely eliminating artifacts. Imaging of the fetal heart has been revolutionized.

Collaborate with colleagues, get instant feedback, achieve best diagnosis.

With Tricefy™, physicians have the ability to store and share images quickly and securely with colleagues and patients. This leads to quicker, better-informed collaboration, and enhanced diagnoses for patients.

Expanding services in your remote offices

Voluson’s fluid interface with Tricefy gives physicians the ability to store images offline for analysis, and send them to colleagues – allowing them to see exactly what the referring physician saw. These technologies enable physicians to expand their business to now include remote offices.

Directly export 3D print files in multiple formats from your Voluson to enhance communication with your patients.

Fixing a broken heart... in the womb!

“As a new mother, I didn’t even know a child could survive with just half a heart.” Erica and Nate expected to simply walk out with more images of their son. However, the appointment did not go as smoothly. During the ultrasound exam, something caught the doctor’s attention. Using GE’s Voluson 4D ultrasound, the doctor suspected that their son might have a congenital heart defect.

With 3D Printing, It’s Love at First Touch for These Parents-To-Be

“For people like us, who are visually impaired, this was a real gift.” Without the gift of sight, pregnancy can be a very different experience. Ana Paula Silveira and her husband, Alvaro Zermiani, are both visually impaired, and thought they would have to guess what their baby would look like.

A Pinky Promise: Even The Most Advanced Machines Didn’t Prepare This Doctor For A Mid-Surgery Magical Moment

When women visit Jin Chung Shih, it’s almost always because their doctor suspects there’s a problem with the pregnancy. Shih runs the labor ward at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and a recent visit from an expecting mother who was 31 weeks pregnant was no different. The woman’s gynecologist suspected the twins she was carrying suffered from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

The gift of (ultra)sound

“I want to help mothers safely deliver their children,” said sonographer Abekah Adams, one of the trainees. “I know that my mother suffered a lot when she delivered, so I always had it in my mind that, when I grew up, I would help mothers deliver and return home safely.”

With the Click of a Button: Bringing Clinicians Closer to their Colleagues and Expectant Parents that Much Closer to their Babies

For expectant parents, one of the most exciting moments is receiving their baby’s first images after the ultrasound exam. These images often are printed out at the doctor’s office or transferred to a removable flash drive or DVD. Now, there’s a simpler way to receive these images: with the click of a button.