The South Birmingham Breast Unit, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), is located at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital in Edgbaston. It recently installed an ACUSON Antares™ ultrasound system from Siemens Healthcare.
Funding for the purchase was raised by the charitable organisation Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer. Set up eight years ago in memory of a patient treated at the Trust, the charity aims to donate vital equipment to the department in order to improve diagnosis and treatment.
The ACUSON Antares is a complete ultrasound solution that features superb imaging capabilities and advanced workflow solutions. Equipped to meet the evolving role of ultrasound, the Antares is able to work as an integral part of the breast lesion imaging process and features a speed-of-sound adaptation specifically designed for fatty tissue. It optimises the image in real-time to enhance B-mode image quality, providing superior detail resolution of a traditionally challenging region.
“We are delighted with our new ultrasound system,” said Dr. Angela Luck, Consultant Radiologist at UHB. “It is a state-of-the-art unit that has improved not only our visualisation of breast tissue but also our diagnostic capabilities. The money for the system was raised by Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer, a very dedicated group of women who have supported the department over many years.”
“The ACUSON Antares is a comprehensive solution for high quality diagnosis and will provide an efficient service for follow-up scans and referred patients,” said Bernadette Leonard, Regional Sales Manager for Ultrasound & Women’s Health Products at Siemens Healthcare. “Ultrasound is becoming an increasingly important diagnostic technique for breast cancer due to its ability to provide high quality images under challenging conditions. The innovative capabilities of the ACUSON Antares will ensure that sonographers can optimise scanning procedures to deliver a first class service.”
About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2008 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €11.2 billion, orders of €11.8 billion, and Sector profit of €1.2 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.co.uk/healthcare.
About University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) runs two hospitals, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital, located 1.5 miles apart in south Birmingham. UHB’s vision is to deliver the best in care for the patients and communities it serves. It has 40 specialities, the widest range provided by any hospital in the UK – and is a regional centre for organ transplant, trauma, burns, plastic surgery, cardiology and neuro-sciences. UHB is the leading teaching and research hospital in the Midlands. Its new £545m hospital, which will replace the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak Hospitals, opens in June 2010.
For more information please contact:
Siemens Healthcare
T: 0800 512 128
E: ultrasound.med.gb@siemens.com
