Historically， ultrasound systems weighed hundreds of pounds and were large and expensive. In the past

　　it was more practical to bring the bedridden patient， bed and all， to the ultrasound machine rather than

　　vice versa. Only in the case of the critically ill patients who could not be moved was the ultrasound

　　system maneuvered， with difficulty， to the patient.

　　Over time， portable ultrasound technologies emerged， but achieving image quality on a par with the

　　larger devices proved to be a challenge， as was achieving the battery life， high-power computing， and

　　efficient memory access that these applications require. As a result， physicians now see ultrasound as a

　　more cost effective and more mobile alternative to computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance

　　imaging （MRI） scanners.

　　High-quality handheld systems enable routine bedside scanning. This has not only improved patient

　　access to safe， noninvasive diagnostic medicine， but has also reduced the time and costs associated

　　with such diagnostics.