Case study of integrated ergonomic assessment of a portable ultrasound system.

In recent years, the portable ultrasound (PU) systems have worldwide increased their importance both economically (number of systems sold) and clinically. The major task for user interface (UI) designers is represented by the concentration of the necessary controls for advanced technical and clinical features within reduced dimensions. The MyLab30CV (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy) PU, was evaluated during clinical examination sessions by expert sonographers in different clinical applications. This PU has a typical portable systems graphical user interface (GUI) menu by means of soft keys in the lower part of the monitor with direct controls right under the screen. The outputs of this analysis were the design inputs for the UI of a new PU system, the MyLabAlpha (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy), characterized by the integration of a high definition touch screen (TS) within the control panel, a reduced number of physical controls, compact dimensions and decreased weight. A detailed description and an evaluation of the new UI and its features are provided.