Other technical advances have benefited the project

Last August, when a French judoka injured his elbow during a fight in Beijing, the apparatus has guided the actions of the doctor forced to perform a puncture on the arm of the athlete. Similarly, when abdominal pain have awakened a swimmer in middle of the night, the machine has verified that there was nothing serious, avoiding a trip to the hospital to the sport. Dubbed "logiq e", this General portable ultrasound out of laboratories of GE Healthcare. The size of a computer, it weighs less than 5 kilograms, or 30 times less than the ultrasound installed in hospitals. But, according to professionals, it is capable of the same performance: "It allows to carry out all of our ultrasound of débrouillage on the ground," reflects Dr. Alain Frey, France judo team physician.

Made in the Chinese city of Wuxi by employees of the American giant, the nomadic device borrowed its technology to a cardiovascular ultrasound dubbed "Vivid-i", the first model dates back to late 2004. The most recent version, Vivid-Q, launched in early September, is not sparing of innovations: the machine can accommodate some 14 probes for various exams. Moreover, the unit can develop "raster" probes, allowing a more reliable diagnosis, with their miniature engines, by displaying images which, although in two dimensions combine consistency and accuracy. A great feat for a portable ultrasound. As the Vivid-i, the unit can store data, transfer pictures to a USB, connect in Wi - Fi and print remotely. An innovative system sold 100,000 euros.

But most innovative is the way in which this "family" was born at GE Healthcare. Approach has also been winning, end of August, by the management of the firm BearingPoint innovation trophies Paris. For three years, about 20 employees worked simultaneously to the design of the Vivid-i on three continents. The technology was developed by engineers of the Israeli site of Haifa. Alongside these scientists, a marketing team was hard at work in the American village of Wauwatosa, headquarters of the activity "ultrasound" of GE Healthcare.

French design

The design, it was thought to Buc, near Versailles. "Each had a part of the truth," says François Lenfant, responsible for the design for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The story starts in Israel in 2001. "We are taken to dream to condense in a small computer, high performance and 200 kilos monsters that were hospital ultrasound," remembers Ilan Lifshitz, responsible for the programs of engineering in Haifa. Other technical advances have benefited the project. "Ultrasonic world benefits from the advances of all kinds of technologies: computer, digital, mechanical, LCD displays...". ", continues Ilan Lifshitz.

Involved the early hours, a team of designers and ergonomists imagined "all the details that come into play, including the prioritization of information on the screen to limit errors from users", says François Lenfant.

French workers are, among others, at the origin of the shell in magnesium, rigid, solid and light the nomadic ultrasound as well as the surbaissées commands to avoid the stress of the wrist of users, or of the ventilation system of the device, which reduces the noise of the engine. For its part, the marketing has been busy: "we had to change perceptions and convince, relentlessly, many skeptics that the extreme miniaturization of the imaging system would not be detrimental to its performance," remembers Al Lojewski, global marketing manager at GE Healthcare.

Phones, video, software... "3D tools have enabled all build, ensures François Lenfant. We were negotiating permanent daily with other teams, as if we were in a remote partition. "To are added several meetings for themselves, especially Israel. "The biggest difficulties are cultural". "Need to know and interact, share and across borders, because we do not necessarily the same things behind the same words," says François Lenfant. Since then, GE repeated experience, doing work the France, the United States and Israel, but also the Austria, China, the India, the Norway...