See the heart beat in real time from outside

Here's a cool little tech story to get you going over Labor Day.

Siemens says its new Acuson SC2000  ultrasound can "acquire non-stitched real-time full-volume 3D images of the heart in one single heart cycle."

In English, it lets a doctor watch your heart beat, in real-time, from outside your chest.

The final image is both a visual record and a computer file that can be manipulated, examined from every angle, perhaps seeing a bulging artery ready to pop.

I had an electrocardiagram done a few years ago, and that equipment is primitive by comparison. Electrodes were glued to my chest and arms. The result was a printed record of several heartbeats, examined for abnormal patterns.

This unit has the same intent, but it's a completely different kettle of fish. It's the difference between reading an old ticker tape and running a modern trading terminal.

Want to hear something neater? The new unit includes an expert system and clinical database, allowing it to recognize patterns in your data, and perform new measurements automatically.

Siemens Medical says this makes the employee more efficient. It also makes their results more accurate. The machine can catch things the person may not.

Almost makes me wish I could have a heart attack right now. But I think I'll wait...