Siemens Healthcare has contributed supplies of hand-held scanners and blood testing devices to the disaster relief effort in Haiti.

Immediately following January's earthquake, the company shipped diagnostic systems and supplies through Project HOPE to aid healthcare workers on the island.

Siemens has donated 20 Acuson P10 ultrasound systems: small handheld systems for triage and emergency situations, providing doctors and paramedics with accurate clinical assessment in seconds.

The Acuson P10 provides Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma, which can identify organ ruptures and foreign objects inside the body. The system runs on battery power, and can scan continuously for an hour on one charge. An average scan in emergency conditions only takes minutes. The Acuson P10's light weight (1.6lb) and pocket-sized design make it particularly suitable for cramped working conditions.

Siemens has also donated 10 RapidPoint 350 Blood Gas analysers to Project HOPE. These systems can be used to deliver blood gas and electrolyte test results within minutes in a field hospital setting. The company's partner, Smiths Medical, has donated enough sterile blood sample syringes for 90,000 blood tests.

In addition, Siemens has donated enough Multistix 10 SG Urinalysis Strips to perform 90,000 urine tests. The tests assist rapid diagnosis in kidney and liver function, urinary tract infections and glucose metabolism.

The Siemens technical team gave telephone support to Project HOPE in the set-up and operation of the systems.

Acuson P10 image