Local podiatrist becomes first in U.S. to use portable scanning device

During the fall, when podiatrist Dr. Hugh Protzel was in the market for a new ultrasound unit, he began researching options and one portable unit caught his eye.

Made by General Electric, the device, called Vscan, is pocket-size and fits easily in the palm of a hand.

He said it is slightly smaller than his newer-model iPhone.

Protzel learned from the manufacturer that Vscan had not been used by any other physicians with his specialty, so they shipped him one on a trial basis.

Once he started using it, he quickly realized the benefits and officially became the first podiatrist in the country to use the device in his daily practice.

The Vscan machine can cut down on the need for MRIs and CT scans. (Fred Lynch)

Predominately used by obstetricians and cardiovascular surgeons, the ultrasound device provides instant digital imaging of soft tissue.

"It allows us to image any soft tissue, joints, nerves -- you name it, we can image it," Protzel said.

With two offices of the Foot and Ankle Centers of Southeast Missouri, one in Cape Girardeau and the other in Sikeston, Missouri, the portability of the device was very attractive to him. Protzel also sees patients twice a month at the Madison Medical Clinic in Fredricktown, Missouri.

Protzel learned from GE that while the device had not been distributed widely for day-to-day use, it had been used in remote regions because it operates on batteries. It will hold a charge all day long, he said.

Imaging with Vscan is useful in diagnosing conditions that might not be visible using other types of tools.

"It works excellently if you have something stuck in your foot," he said. "Unless it's metal, an X-ray won't show it, but it's right there on the screen."

Heel pain, a common complaint from Protzel's patients, is often caused by plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the fascia, which is like a tendon or ligament in the foot, he explained.

"If a patient comes in and the heel hurts and X-rays do not show anything, you can just take this out, put a little gel on it, and image the plantar fascia, and take a measurement right on the screen of how wide it is and how dark it is," Protzel said.

He also uses the Vscan to diagnose tarsal tunnel syndrome, a condition of the foot and ankle similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist or hand, caused by repetitive motion. The list, he said, is endless.

Added to the convenience factor for Protzel was a saving on business expenses, because the unit cost him $10,000, as opposed to his old laptop ultrasound that ran him $22,000 some years ago.

The handheld device serves another purpose.

"The flip side of the probe functions as one of the new cardiovascular units that replaces a stethoscope," he said.

The Vscan also helps in finding the exact location to insert a needle for giving an injection.

"The narrow side gives an excellent view of blood flow," he said.

The device also prevents Protzel from sending many patients for costly MRIs.

An MRI of a foot or ankle can cost between $500 and $1,000, while the charge for imaging with a Vscan is only about $100.

Images are available instantaneously, and once placed on a docking station and connected to a computer, download automatically into patients' electronic medical records.

This can can shave about a week off the diagnostic process, since patients don't have to make an appointment at a separate facility and wait for a report from a radiologist to be sent to Protzel.

"I use it all day long," Protzel said.