In short: A stationary console is the right choice when ultrasound is a core exam in your practice and image quality, probe choice and reporting matter most. A compact cart system such as the Samsung V4 or V5 fits small rooms and practices that move the system between rooms. A wireless handheld such as Clarius is a point-of-care tool for home visits, emergency and sports medicine, and a supplement to a console rather than a replacement. Meditron SA, the official Samsung Healthcare distributor in Switzerland, supplies all three.

Key takeaways

• Three classes: full-size console, compact cart, wireless handheld. Each answers a different question.

• Image quality and probe flexibility still favour the console; handhelds win on speed of access and price.

• Compact carts (V4, V5) give console-class imaging on about 56 × 63 cm and can be wheeled between rooms.

• Billing rules do not depend on the device: the SGUM certificate applies to handheld exams too.

• Many practices end up with a console plus a handheld, not one or the other.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Author: Dr. Henri Hagenmüller, Managing Director.

What are the three classes of ultrasound system?

Full-size console. Systems such as the Samsung HERA Z20, R20, V8 and V7: the largest monitors, the widest probe choice, the most imaging packages and the most automation. Built for a fixed room and daily use.

Compact cart. Systems such as the Samsung V4, V5 and V6: console imaging in a smaller, lighter cart, some with a battery option. Built for small rooms and for moving between rooms.

Wireless handheld. Clarius scanners: a probe with the electronics inside, connected to a tablet or smartphone by app. Built for point of care, home visits and quick answers at the bedside.

How do console, compact cart and handheld compare?

When does a mobile ultrasound system make sense?

• You examine outside the practice. Home visits, nursing homes, sports events, emergency call-outs: a handheld in the bag answers the question on the spot.

• One system, several rooms. A compact cart with a battery can move from room to room without shutting down.

• Quick answers, not full studies. Is there free fluid, is the bladder full, is there a DVT, where is the vessel for the puncture? Point-of-care questions suit a handheld.

• A second device for the team. Physiotherapists, sports physicians and emergency staff often use a handheld alongside the practice console.

When is a stationary system the better choice?

• Ultrasound is a core exam. Gynaecology, radiology, internal medicine and cardiology practices need the imaging depth, the probe choice and the reporting of a console.

• You need specific packages. Elastography, contrast, liver quantification, 3D/4D obstetrics and advanced automation are console features.

• You bill many exams a day. Presets, automated measurements and DICOM reporting save time on every exam.

• You want one workflow for the whole team. Same presets, same reporting, same archive.

A compact cart such as the V4 or V5 is the middle ground: console imaging and reporting in a footprint of about 56 × 63 cm, movable between rooms. For many general practices it is the right first system.

What can a handheld ultrasound do, and what not?

It can: answer focused clinical questions at the point of care, guide punctures and injections, scan in places a cart cannot go, and start within seconds. Clarius scanners run via an app on a tablet or smartphone and come in several probe formats.

It cannot: replace a console for detailed diagnostic studies, run several probes at once, or offer the full measurement and reporting packages of a cart system. Screen size, battery and heat limit long sessions. Use it as a supplement, not as the only system, in a practice where ultrasound is billed daily.

What about billing, data and Swiss requirements?

• Billing. The device does not change the rules. To bill ultrasound exams to insurers, physicians need the SGUM certificate of competence for the relevant module, whether the exam is done on a console or a handheld.

• Regulatory. Consoles, carts and handhelds are medical devices. Systems sold by Meditron are CE-marked and placed on the Swiss market in line with Swissmedic requirements.

• Data. Consoles and carts send images to your practice software or PACS by DICOM. Handhelds store images in the app and cloud; check where the data is stored and how it reaches your patient record before you buy.

• Service. Probes are the component most likely to need repair. A service contract from a Swiss distributor covers consoles and carts; ask about the warranty terms for handhelds.

Next step

Ask for a demo of a compact cart and a handheld 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 for V4, V5 and V6 and Clarius product descriptions (as listed on meditron.ch); SGUM; Swissmedic.

Author: Dr. Henri Hagenmüller, Managing Director, Meditron SA. Reviewed by: Christelle Sam-Hine, Applications Specialist Ultrasound. Last updated: September 2026.