In this installment, we will look at image artifacts, a common service issue with diagnostic ultrasound. Image artifacts are described in many ways but are essentially the areas of the image with missing information (dropouts) and static (non-moving) and/or dynamic (moving) artifacts. When a service call comes in for image...

In the last issue of TechNation, Preventative Maintenance intervals were covered from the perspective of the manufacturers.  I also briefly touched on the American College of Radiology (ACR) maintenance and verification intervals.  Since publication, I have received many requests for our ACR compliant PM form and several questions regarding testing...

One of the most difficult issues to resolve with ultrasound is an image quality one. There are many variables that go into creating and fine-tuning an image, and as service engineers, we need to be able to check the fundamentals to make sure the system is set up properly. The...

In this article, ultrasound preventative maintenance standards and intervals will be addressed. This may seem like a straightforward topic, but as you will see, can be very confusing. Let’s begin by looking at what procedures the OEM requires during a PM and at what intervals. “Which OEM?,” you may ask....

Backing up configuration information on ultrasound systems is the foundation of equipment maintenance. The data saved during a system backup includes: customer presets, network configurations for the system and destinations, system preferences and licensed options files. This information is extremely difficult to restore manually if lost. As ultrasound systems become...