When you think of an equine veterinarian’s ultrasound unit, what comes to mind? A hospital-sized machine on wheels that rolls around the vet clinic? Well, think again.?
And if you are in Hong Kong at the Olympics, go take a look and see for yourself!
GE Healthcare’s LOGIQ e, a compact ultrasound system, is in use at the equine medicine facilities at Hong Kong’s Olympic Equestrian Games facility.
The innovative, compact ultrasound system is available to all national team veterinarians, who are caring for over 200 horses, to help identify early signs of tendon and ligament injuries as well as other health markers that affect performance such as infection, bruising at the surface of the bone, or the mapping of blood flow.
GE Healthcare’s LOGIQ e has high-quality imaging capability, operates on battery power alone for approximately one hour, and is easily carried to where it’s needed, when it’s needed, thanks to its laptop size. This results in safe and versatile options, especially for event veterinarians or those who work in remote areas or have to go to horses not housed in traditional stables.
“A large effort has been made to ensure the horses’ welfare is given top priority throughout the Beijing Games,” said Dr. Chris Riggs, Olympic Veterinary Services Manager and Head of Veterinary Clinical Services at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “This includes the construction of a dedicated Olympic Veterinary Clinic, which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The LOGIQ e ultrasound machine is an invaluable tool in our array of diagnostic facilities. Image quality is excellent and the user-friendly platform facilitates easy use by many different veterinary surgeons. In addition, the machine is easily portable, which is extremely useful given the multiple venues involved during the Games.”
The evolution of ultrasound in recent years has positioned this imaging technology as a unique and valuable tool within sports medicine. Today, more and more clinicians are trading in their 400-pound hospital-based equipment for a more portable, more affordable healthcare solution.
Veterinarians have had a need for portable equipment in Hong Kong so far. A temporary hospital area will be set up on Sunday at Beas River, a park where the eventing cross-country will be held. A fully-equipped veterinary truck has been accompanying the horse vans to and from the airport.
It would be nice if the unit could just stay closed for the next 10 days, but that’s not likely to be the case. But the nice thing about ultrasound is that, in addition to use as a diagnostic tool, the unit can also monitor healing and recovery from injury.