We’re excited to share the results of a recent study conducted at the University of Southern California comparing POCUS scanners! The Clarius L20 HD3 and Clarius L15 HD3 received first and second place rankings in this independent research study conducted at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California by Kristen E Park, Preeya Mehta, Charlene Tran, Alomi O Parikh, Qifa Zhou, and Sandy Zhang-Nunes.
“In our quest to find the best technology for us to use for both ophthalmology and aesthetic medicine, we tested many handheld ultrasound devices,” says Dr. Sandy X. Zhang-Nunes, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine. “We decided to approach it scientifically and do a study in an unbiased manner.”
The study, entitled “A comparison of five point-of-care ultrasound devices for use in ophthalmology and facial aesthetics”1 and published by Sage Journals, sought to help clinicians choose the best point-of-care ultrasound suited to their needs. Three clinicians scanned volunteer patients to obtain ultrasound images of eight arteries, four ocular and periocular structures, and areas of filler injections. The images were then rated by graders on a four-point scale on quality.
| Filler image quality ranking* | Mean scorea (n=7) | Artery image quality ranking* | Mean scorea (n=8) | Orbital image quality ranking* | Mean scorea (n=4) | Overall image quality ranking* | Mean scorea (n=19) | |
| 1 | Clarius L20 HD3 | 3.79 | Clarius L20 HD3 | 2.79 | Clarius L20 HD3 | 2.83 | Clarius L20 HD3 | 3.15 |
| 2 | Clarius L15 HD3 | 3.32 | GE Vscan Air | 1.88 | GE Vscan Air | 2.50 | Clarius L15 HD3 | 2.24 |
| 3 | GE Vscan Air | 2.21 | Butterfly IQ+ | 1.79 | Clarius L15 HD3 | 2.08 | GE Vscan Air | 2.13 |
| 4 | Butterfly IQ+ | 2.05 | Clarius L15 HD3 | 1.46 | Philips Lumify | 2.08 | Butterfly IQ+ | 1.87 |
| 5 | Philips Lumify | 1.68 | Philips Lumify | 1.46 | Butterfly IQ+ | 1.75 | Philips Lumify | 1.67 |
aScores were ranked from 1 (not visible) to 4 (excellent).
*p,0.05 based on ANOVA test.
“Our aim was to compare five commercial poses devices specifically regarding ophthalmological and[NR1] facial aesthetic applications, fields in which there is utility in expanded usage of POCUS devices,” the authors note in the study. “We feel that this area of research is needed to help guide ophthalmologists and aesthetic clinicians towards POCUS devices that are best suited for their practices, whether that may be an aestheticsfocused clinic, emergency room or resource-limited area.”
“The L20 received the highest image quality rankings,” the study notes, “followed by the L15 … (p < 0.05).” The study also suggested that clinicians consider factors beyond image quality when choosing the best point-of-care ultrasound device, including cost, wireless capabilities, range of presets, and battery life
With exceptional superficial imaging and advanced aesthetic presets that automatically optimize settings, the Clarius L20 HD3 is the leading choice of portable ultrasound systems for facial aesthetics, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years. It is the only specialty-designed handheld ultrasound with ultra-high frequency to 20 MHz, which shows detailed imaging from the skin to a depth of 4 centimeters. Vessel Depth AI enables clinicians to automatically measure the shallowest flow found in real-time using the power of artificial intelligence to streamline workflows.
“There’s really no competition with the handheld market in terms of an aesthetic device,” says Dani Sher, a Physician Assistant who uses the Clarius L20 at her Sparkle Aesthetics Medical Spa and teaches ultrasound for aesthetics. “It’s got a very small footprint and I think Clarius has done a really great job evolving the product to meet the demands of the injectors. They’ve come up with new presets, which are very elegant for each area of the face. Voice Controls is a whole new groundbreaking achievement and I really love the resolution you can get with Clarius. You can see filler very well and I’ve been able to diagnose some really interesting complications with it.”
Wireless and priced at a small fraction of the cost of traditional ultrasound systems, Clarius scanners operate with an easy-to-use app on iOS and Android devices. Visit our aesthetics web page for more information or book a personal virtual demonstration with a Clarius expert.
Park KE, Mehta P, Tran C, Parikh AO, Zhou Q, Zhang-Nunes S. A comparison of five point-of-care ultrasound devices for use in ophthalmology and facial aesthetics. Ultrasound. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/1742271X231166895
