MU “Achieving outstanding portability and low cost without performance degradation through STM’s technology”

Medical device manufacturer MU and semiconductor company STMicroelectronics (ST) announced that MU’s US-304 portable ultrasound imager, powered by ST’s STHV800 pulser, will improve the level of medical diagnostics in remote areas of Africa.

MU's device was developed for the 'Doctor Car', a mobile medical project that provides medical support in Africa. The project's medical team uses a special vehicle equipped with a remote healthcare system to diagnose people in remote rural areas who do not have access to medical facilities. The data collected by the portable ultrasound device is transmitted via mobile networks to medical institutions in cities for detailed diagnosis and appropriate treatment. MU plans to start supplying this ultrasound imaging device to clinics and medical vehicles in Africa within this year.



MU US-304 is a convex ultrasound imaging device (3.5MHz) that can perform abdominal diagnosis up to 15cm subcutaneously. It can also be easily connected to a laptop or tablet via a USB port. The device features ST’s high-voltage, high-speed ultrasonic pulser IC. It features an eight-channel transducer driver circuit manufactured using ST’s proprietary 200V SOI-BCD semiconductor process technology. This process allows high-voltage CMOS technology, precise analog circuits, and robust power stages to be integrated on the same chip.

ST's STHV800, the industry's most integrated ultrasound pulser, produces high-accuracy diagnostic images with low noise and a small footprint at a lower cost and power consumption than stationary ultrasound equipment.

“The biggest challenge in developing field ultrasound diagnostic devices is to achieve excellent portability and low cost without compromising performance, and ST technology has proven to be the most suitable solution,” said Yasuhiro Tamura, President of MU.

“This adoption of ST technology confirms our commitment to providing ultrasound equipment manufacturers with the highest-performance ICs on the market and solidifies our position as a trusted partner for the development of innovative applications that positively contribute to people’s health and quality of life,” said Hiroshi Noguchi, Executive Director of the Analog and MEMS Group at STMicroelectronics Japan.