Protecting Your Ultrasound Investment

Proper handling techniques can have a great impact on the performance of your ultrasound probes.  It goes without saying that all hospital protocol must be followed for patient and sonographer safety.  Our intention is to offer handing tips to prolong the life and image quality of your ultrasound equipment. Here are some great ways to extend the life of your ultrasound probe:

  1. Follow the user manual instructions and follow hospital safety protocol.Refer to your user manual for precleaner and disinfectant instructions, and follow all hospital/clinic safety testing protocol.
  2. Education of non-traditional users.
    While sonographers are well educated to protect ultrasound equipment, the growing user base of non-traditional users can result in increased accidental damage of the equipment. In general, the probe handle and the lens area must be protected with careful handling.  When it comes to equipment handling, it’s critically important to ensure that everyone handling and using ultrasound equipment is fully trained.
  3. There is no 5-second rule!
    A large percentage of ultrasound probe repair is required because probes are accidentally dropped.  While there are patient throughput requirements that require imaging staff to move efficiently, everyone should be aware of equipment costs, and every effort should be given to keep probes from hitting the floor (or any other hard surfaces).
  4. Can I borrow your glasses?
    Regular visual inspection of ultrasound equipment for cuts and cracks is important. The widening use of ultrasound has increased the daily runtime of many probes, making it even more important to regularly inspect probes from tip to connector.  It is important to identify damage as early as possible to better allow for probe repair, as repair can be significantly less expensive than purchasing another probe.

Implementing best practices for handling ultrasound probes can go a long way to protect your investment.  But even with the best handling practices, accidents do happen.  Probo Medical is your go-to repair expert for ultrasound probe repair.  Our Probo Medical employees make the repairs, and we offer multiple repair/pricing options to fit your budget.  Contact us today to experience the Probo Medical Advantage!

About the Author

Brian Gill is Probo Medical’s Vice President of Marketing. He has been in the ultrasound industry since 1999. From sales to service to customer support, he has done everything from circuit board repair and on-site service to networking and PACS, to training clinicians on ultrasound equipment. Through the years, Brian has trained more than 500 clinicians on over 100 different ultrasound machines. Currently, Brian is known as the industry expert in evaluating ultrasounds and training users on all makes and models of ultrasound equipment, this includes consulting with manufacturers with equipment evaluations during all stages of product development.