In short: A general practice buys an ultrasound machine for abdominal, thyroid, vascular, musculoskeletal and sometimes gynaecological examinations, a few to twenty a day. The right system is the one that matches those examinations and the room, with the probes decided first, DICOM to the practice software, the SGUM certificate sorted for billing, and training and service agreed before delivery. This checklist, from Meditron SA, Samsung Healthcare's partner in Switzerland, takes you through the twelve points in order.

Key takeaways

• List your examinations first; they decide the probes, and the probes decide most of the price.

• For a GP practice a compact system such as the Samsung V5 or V6 covers abdomen, thyroid, vessels and MSK; the V7 adds liver quantification.

• Check the SGUM certificate you need to bill before you buy; the system does not change the rules.

• DICOM connection to your practice software and a second training session are what make the system part of daily work.

• Purchase, leasing or certified pre-owned: decide with the quote in hand, not before.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Author: Nikita Müller, Sales Consultant Ultrasound.

The 12-point checklist

1–2. Which examinations, which probes?

Write down the examinations you perform or want to perform: abdomen, thyroid, carotids and leg veins, shoulder and knee, bladder and prostate, perhaps early pregnancy. Each maps to a probe: convex for abdomen, linear for thyroid, vessels and musculoskeletal work, endocavity for gynaecology and urology, sector for the heart. A GP practice usually starts with convex and linear; the rest follows the caseload. Probes are the biggest part of the price, so this list is the single most useful thing to bring to a quote.

3–4. Which room, and does the system move?

A compact system such as the Samsung V5 or V6 stands on about 56 × 63 cm and can be rolled between rooms; a full console needs more space and a fixed room. Check power, a network socket for DICOM and light that can be dimmed. If the system will travel to home visits or between sites, a wireless handheld is the complement, not the replacement; mobile or stationary explains the trade-offs.

5. Which Samsung system fits a GP practice?

For routine general imaging the Samsung V5 and V6 are the usual fit: Crystal Architecture imaging, automated measurements, compact footprint, with an optional battery on the V6. Practices with a liver focus look at the V7 for its quantification tools. A practice with a strong gynaecology share considers the V8. The full comparison is in which Samsung ultrasound system is right for my practice.

6. DICOM and the practice software

Ask your practice software vendor for the DICOM details and whether a worklist is supported. With a worklist, patient data goes to the system and images and reports come back into the record automatically. Meditron connects the system at installation; the vendor's details just need to be ready.

7–8. SGUM certificate and regulatory status

In Switzerland, billing ultrasound examinations to health insurers requires the corresponding SGUM certificate of competence for the examination type; check the current requirements with SGUM before you buy. The system itself must be CE-marked and compliant with Swissmedic requirements, which is the case for Samsung systems sold by Meditron.

9–10. Training, warranty and service

Plan two training sessions: one at go-live, one after a few weeks when the team has questions from daily use. Ask who honours the warranty in Switzerland, who repairs probes and how quickly, and whether a loan system or probe is available. Service, training and warranty covers this in detail.

11. Purchase, leasing or pre-owned

Purchase has the lowest total cost, leasing the lowest entry cost, a certified pre-owned system the lowest price for a given model. Decide with the quotes in hand: Meditron provides purchase and leasing quotes side by side, and pre-owned systems subject to stock. See ultrasound leasing for medical practices and new or pre-owned.

12. The demo in your practice

The last point is the one that settles it. Meditron brings the shortlisted system to your practice and scans your typical cases with your team in your room. Image quality, handling and footprint are judged where they will be used, and the probe set is confirmed before the quote is final.

Next step

Book a demo in your practice. Related: which Samsung ultrasound system is right for my practice. Overview of all models: Samsung ultrasound at Meditron.

Sources: Samsung Healthcare product specifications as listed on meditron.ch; SGUM (certificates of competence); Swissmedic; Meditron SA sales and applications practice.

Author: Nikita Müller, Sales Consultant Ultrasound, Meditron SA. Reviewed by: Christelle Sam-Hine, Applications Specialist Ultrasound. Last updated: October 2026.