Liver palpation is one of the essential procedures for patients undergoing a hepatological examination.

In fact, in both clinical practice and surgery, it is well known that a cirrhotic liver is firmer than a healthy liver. However, this manual assessment of the stiffness of the liver is subjective and remains vague as the doctor only makes a distinction between three stages: soft, firm and stiff.

Ultrasound elastography offers a number of advantages. It is easy to use and inexpensive. The acquisition speed is very high (less than one tenth of a second per acquisition) and, therefore, the acquisitions are not biased by cardiac or respiratory movements.

Once the probe is positioned correctly, the measurement is fully automated and independent from the operator.

The FibroScan is an active non-invasive medical diagnostic aid. It makes painless and immediate measurements of the stiffness (or elasticity) of the hepatic parenchyma.

It allows regular monitoring of hepatic fibrosis and enables the efficacy of anti-fibrosis treatments to be assessed.

Additionally, the FibroScan has a high capacity of discrimination and can measure the varying degrees of cirrhosis.

Read all about the new FibroScan installation at Frenchay Hospital on the BBC website. Click here to read it.

Click here to download datasheet.
Click here to find current Fibroscan installations in Great Britain.
Click here to watch FIbroscan Obese Solutions Presentation