What is Velacur?​

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Velacur is an FDA-cleared, ultrasound-based device. It is designed specifically to evaluate the liver for two key conditions that often go together:

• Fibrosis — scarring or stiffening of the liver tissue

• Steatosis — excess fat buildup in the liver (sometimes called "fatty liver")

These two conditions are hallmarks of liver diseases such as NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) and NASH/MASH (Metabolic-Associated Steatosis). Left undetected, they can silently progress over time. Velacur helps catch and monitor them early — without the need for a biopsy or an MRI.

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Fatty liver disease often has no noticeable symptoms, some subtle signs include fatigue, nausea, and abdominal pain. If you have type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or other metabolic diseases, you may be at higher risk for fatty liver disease.

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What makes this technology special?​

Most liver tests can measure either fat or scarring — but not both at the same time, and not with this level of accuracy. Velacur does both in a single session.

 

Measuring Fibrosis (Scarring): Velacur uses a technology called shear wave elastography to measure how stiff your liver is. A stiffer liver generally means more scarring. The device sends gentle vibrations into the liver at multiple frequencies and uses ultrasound imaging to map the results in 3D — giving your doctor a much more complete picture than older methods.

 

Measuring Steatosis (Fat): Velacur also measures how much fat is present in your liver using a proprietary tool called VDFF (Velacur Determined Fat Fraction). This fat measurement has shown a very strong correlation (85%) with MRI — currently considered the gold standard for liver fat assessment — and detects the presence of fatty liver with 95% accuracy. In fact, clinical studies have shown Velacur outperforms FibroScan®, the most widely used competing device, when it comes to detecting liver fat.

 

Velacur vs. Traditional VCTE (FibroScan)

 

While both Velacur and FibroScan (VCTE - Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography) are ultrasound-based elastography tools, Velacur offers a few technical distinctions: 

• Deep 3D Imaging: Velacur uses AI-enhanced, multi-frequency 3D wave technology to measure a larger, deeper volume of liver tissue.

• Better Fat Detection: Clinical studies indicate that Velacur significantly outperforms older VCTE technology when it comes to accurately detecting and quantifying liver fat.

• Body Types: Because it uses an external vibration source, the device is designed to measure through deeper tissue, making it effective across a broader range of patient body types without needing different probe sizes. 

 

Who should consider a scan?

​Patients with any of the following:

• At least one marker of metabolic disease

  • Obesity or are overweight

  • Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes

  • High cholesterol or triglycerides

  • High blood pressure

• Regular alcohol consumption

• Abnormal liver blood tests

• A history of fatty liver

• A family history of fatty liver

 

How to prepare for your exam

• Nothing to eat or drink at least 4 hours before your appointment

• Sips of water with meds is ok

• Wear comfortable clothing that allows access to your rib cage

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​​​What to expect?​

The Velacur test is simple, painless, and takes about 10 minutes:

1. You lie down comfortably on your back or side.

2. A small, gently vibrating pad is placed under the right side of your back.

3. A technician or provider moves an ultrasound probe over your rib area to scan your liver.

4. That's it — results are available immediately.

There is no radiation, no needles, and no special preparation required. The test is well-tolerated by patients of all body types, including those with higher BMIs.

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Note: Velacur is not recommended for patients with electronic implantable devices such as pacemakers or internal defibrillators. Please let your provider know if you have one.

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What do the results mean?​

Your Velacur report will show two key numbers:

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