While watching the Olympics the other night, I noticed a commercial from GE talking about their new pocket sized ultrasound. I can see how such a small device could be very useful in many clinical settings, but especially in third-world settings or by first responders to an emergency. For some reason, this device reminds me of the the Tricorder from the Original Star Trek. I am sure the GE version costs more than the $40 Amazon wants to charge, but it should be more useful as well. From the press release:

GE Healthcare today announced the availability of Vscan, a new, pocket-sized visualization tool developed to provide physicians with imaging capabilities at the point-of-care. Roughly the size of a smart phone, Vscan houses powerful, ultra-smart ultrasound technology that provides clinicians with an immediate, non-invasive method to help secure visual information about what is happening inside the body. Vscan is portable and can easily be taken from room to room to be used in many clinical, hospital or primary care settings.

via : GE Healthcare Introduces Vscan Pocket-Sized Visualization Tool for Point-of-Care Imaging