Siemens Healthineers Introduces New Advanced Liver Analysis Feature with Acuson Sequoia Ultrasound System

Siemens Healthineers has announced two new features on the ACUSON Sequoia which delivers a comprehensive liver assessment through quantification of liver tissue stiffness and hepatic fat in a single acquisition. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease globally.1,2 Of patients diagnosed with NAFLD, approximately 20% to 30% progress to more advanced NASH fibrosis.3 To date, MRI-PDFF (Proton Density Fat Fraction) is the non-invasive reference standard for assessing hepatic steatosis. Accessibility to MRI-PDFF for many parts of the global population may be limited. The association between hepatic steatosis and fibrosis progression underscores the need to have accurate and reliable noninvasive tools to aid in the assessment of both liver fibrosis and hepatic steatosis.

Addressing some key challenges in liver assessment, the new Auto pSWE on the ACUSON Sequoia is faster than conventional pSWE by delivering up to 15 valid pSWE measurements in seconds, reducing liver elastography exam time. The addition of UDFF delivers a similar clinical utility as MRI-PDFF for determining hepatic steatosis. Both methods classify hepatic steatosis as an index value greater than 5%. The combination of these tools may aid the clinician in streamlining patient care pathways and potentially avoid unwarranted and invasive medical intervention.

“The development of Auto pSWE and UDFF on Siemens Healthineers ACUSON Sequoia are significant innovations,” said Ajay Gannerkote, President of Ultrasound, Siemens Healthineers. “We are committed to developing solutions that matter to our customers and patients. Auto pSWE and UDFF will transform care delivery by improving the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver disease around the world through early detection. In addition, it will allow clinicians to monitor a patient’s disease state as well as the effectiveness of medications that treat liver disease.”

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