SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOGTop 7 tips for ultrasound equipment maintenance
Is ultrasound equipment maintenance a matter of concern?
Well! Yes, if you want it to continuously perform superiorly and provide an accurate diagnosis for your patients. Not only the performance but to work efficiently till its end of life cycle, maintenance of the ultrasound equipment is as necessary as watering a plant for its growth.
So what are the tips that can help you ensure the longevity of your ultrasound machine?
Worry not! We have curated a perfect guide to which you can stick to in your everyday schedule. It will help you ensure that your Ultrasound machine is in good working shape.
Ultrasound Equipment Maintenance Tips
Start with the regular checkups every day
Before you start with the everyday examinations of your patients, Make sure that all the connections of the ultrasound machine are plugged in properly. Check for the ultrasound wiring, transducers as well as cables for any cut or frayed areas. If you find any, ensure that you replace them with any backup supplies instantly.
Full system backup
It is necessary to take a full backup of your system at regular intervals. It helps in reducing that downtime in case the system fails given to any software or hardware problems. You can completely recover your system by backing up network data in just few hours. On the contrary, without a full system, it could take up days for you to recover your system completely.
Regular service of your ultrasound equipment
Planned preventive ultrasound maintenance & cleaning by a professional service representative on a quarterly basis. Experienced professionals have the utmost knowledge about the system and can perform tests to check how your system is performing. They will clean the ultrasound machine inside and out and will ensure to return it to a great condition.
Given the present-day ultrasound machines in the market, many of them have become more sensitive to heat than ever. During maintenance, cleaning of filters, air passages, intake grills, and brackets is also considered in order to prevent future failures.
With regular service of your ultrasound system on the defined interval, you can take a sigh of relief that your machine is in good hands and has great uptime.
Give extra attention to the transducer
The transducer in an ultrasound machine is what the technician rubs on the patient or sometimes inserts into the patient’s orifice. It is done to produce the image.
Since the transducer comes in contact with patients during diagnosis, it is important to keep it maintained and clean.
To ensure that the transducer is in top-notch condition, start by inspecting the pins on the pro connector. Lookout for any bent pins on the probe connector as they can damage another probe when they are plugged into the board. It can result in a cascade effect in the entire department has damaged crops move around those bending pins on other probes.
Also, keep a check on the cable connection to make sure that there are no cuts in the wire, frayed ends, or Exposed wires. If any one of these exists, there stands a chance of electrocution, which can harm the patient as well as the technician.
End your shift with the disinfection
Bodily fluids come in regular contact with an ultrasound machine. It is important to keep your machine disinfected before these fluids contaminate the machine. Use OEM-approved cleaners to wipe any fluid on the machine, especially for the user interface systems and monitor. These are the areas that technicians touch daily. So by disinfecting, you can eliminate any chance of contracting an infectious disease.
Once you wipe the machine all over, spray the disinfectant over a cloth and wipe every surface precisely. In case of any larger spill on the ultrasound machine, contact your service provider and have them clean the machine inside out.
Clean air filter to avoid overheating
Given the present-day models of the ultrasound equipment, overheating has been seen as one of the major issues leading to the breakdown of the machine. It occurs due to the dust in the fan, vents, and air filters. Start by Switching off the ultrasound machine before pulling out any of the filters. Move forward to checking and cleaning the air filters weekly or as directed by the manufacturer of the case on the machine.
If the air filters are dirty, clean them with soap and water or a vacuum cleaner. You can also refer to the ultrasound machine user manual to find out the professional way of cleaning them. Do keep A backup filter at your place that can be used when the dirty one isn’t dried out completely when you clean it with soap and water.
Bonus tips
- Clean all the filters regularly
- Check for power supply and system fans
- Clean the CRT and test performance
- Check and Replace the backup battery
- Clean hard copy devices and transducers
- Inspect probes for Wear or damage
- Generate clear phantom images of the probe to check the accuracy of the respective markings
- Check Eire logs, evaluate errors, run diagnostic tests, and clear logs
- Verify complete system operation
You are all set for everyday care of your ultrasound equipment
With all these tips on your list, you can take care of your invaluable piece of medical imaging equipment. You can save the accident cost of your ultrasound equipment and save up in the long term. If any of these tips too much, you can also take assistance of the experts that know the inside out of the machine.
KB Consulting is providing a full line of ultrasound equipment for sale. Get the best price on pre-owned ultrasound systems from major brands. To get further information on availability, price, specification, and condition, please feel free to call us at +1 586 917 0245 or email us at sales@kbdentalconsulting.com.
