Quality Assurance of Ultrasound transducers/probes. EBQA Evidence Based Quality Assurance

Introduction/Background: Studies * have shown that 35 – 40% of the ultrasound transducers/probes at a non tested hospital have to be attended to. The handling (dropping), the wrong gel or cleanser used is the most common reasons for damaged/defective probes. The performance of an ultrasound probe decreases over time. Probes can also be damaged during production process or during transport. Studies and experience from 12 years testing, approx. 10 000 probes in daily use at Scandinavian hospitals, have shown that the problem is as common independent of brand and type. Most common faults on ultrasound probes: Eleme…