Case Study: Japan’s ‘Jet Ski Doctor’ improves remote elderly care with GE HealthCare’s Vscan Air

Japan’s ‘Jet Ski Doctor’ brings care to remote islands with GE HealthCare’s Vscan Air

The customer, Japan's 'Jet Ski Doctor' Dr. Keigo Yasukawa, faced the challenge of providing healthcare to elderly patients with limited mobility on remote Japanese islands, where access to hospital facilities was extremely difficult. To deliver precise diagnostics during house calls, he utilized a portable, wireless ultrasound scanner from vendor GE HealthCare, the Vscan Air.

The solution implemented by GE HealthCare was the Vscan Air, a pocket-size, waterproof ultrasound device that connects to a smartphone. This allowed Dr. Yasukawa to perform accurate scans and make diagnoses on the spot during home visits, even in harsh environments without an internet connection. The results included immediate treatment for conditions like bacterial mastitis and cystitis, preventing the need for arduous travel and enabling early disease detection for the isolated, aging population.