Philips has launched a new point-of-care (POC) ultrasound system designed to broaden the accessibility of ultrasound for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
The Flash 5100 POC system is applicable for use cases in anaesthesia, critical care, emergency medicine, and musculoskeletal imaging. The system is built on Philips鈥� existing cardiology and general imaging ultrasound technology.
Philips describes the system as utilising an 鈥榚ncounter-based鈥� workflow, allowing clinicians to perform and document exams in real time. According to the company, this makes the new system best placed for use in high-pressure environments such as the emergency room (ER) and trauma units.
Following Philips’ recent Future Health Index 2025 report, which revealed that 33% of patients surveyed have experienced worsening health due to delays in seeing a doctor, with one in four patients ending up in hospital due to long wait times, the company noted that POC ultrasound is becoming increasingly vital.
Jeff Cohen, global business leader of ultrasound at Philips, said the new system represents a 鈥渕ajor leap forward鈥� in Philips鈥� commitment to the POC ultrasound segment, with the system joining Philips鈥� portfolio. This includes its app-based Lumify ultrasound system, which received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015.
鈥淒esigned for speed, mobility, and precision, the Flash 5100 empowers clinicians to make confident, real-time decisions in the most urgent settings 鈥� at the bedside, in the ICU, the emergency department, or the OR [operating room],鈥� Cohen said.
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By GlobalDataThe Flash 5100 is also designed to support Philips鈥� tele-ultrasound solution, Collaboration Live, in which clinicians can connect with remote colleagues in real-time to share images and guidance.
鈥淚n today鈥檚 overburdened clinical landscape, that kind of remote collaboration isn鈥檛 just helpful 鈥� it鈥檚 essential,鈥� Cohen added.
According to Ashley Clarke, senior healthcare analyst at GlobalData, POC ultrasound devices in the US currently have an annual growth rate of around 3.75%. Representing one of the highest uptake rates of ultrasound among healthcare systems and clinics in the US, Clarke said that the figure is primarily driven by the fact that POC ultrasound systems cost between $5,000 and $20,000 on average, whereas traditional ultrasound systems may cost anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000.
A market model by GlobalData forecasts that the handheld ultrasound market, of which POC ultrasound systems are a part, will reach a valuation of around $43.3bn by 2034, up from $29.2bn in 2024.
