Another sporting success for the former Acuson business has come through its portable echocardiography scanners. They’re mainly used in coronary care units to examine patients’ hearts, but because they weigh in at just 8.6 kilos and can fit in the back of a car, they’re also increasingly being used at sports events.

The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young uses a portable Siemens scanner, pictured here, the British paralympic swimming team during a training event in Manchester. CRY is investigating heart disease in the young and how excessive exercise in some individuals can lead to sudden death.