The first step in the high-level disinfection process of ultrasound transducers is cleaning. Ultrasound machines are highly sensitive pieces of equipment that require regular cleaning and sterilization. The ultrasound endocavity transducer, commonly called an ultrasound probe, is what we will discuss today. Properly cleaning the ultrasound probe optimizes the disinfection procedure and needs to always be performed before sterilization and high-level disinfection occurs. If this simple step is skipped or performed inadequately, then the entire disinfection or sterilization procedure could end up being compromised. Read on to learn some tips on how to clean your ultrasound transducer from Integra Medical Systems. Call Integra Medical Systems for your Miami medical equipment needs today!
Cleaning Your Ultrasound Probes and Equipment
The Center for Disease Control, or CDC, defines cleaning as: “The removal of foreign material (e.g., soil and organic material) from objects and is normally accomplished using water with detergents or enzymatic products. Thorough cleaning is a necessity prior to high-level disinfection and sterilization due to the fact that inorganic and organic materials that remain on the surfaces of instruments interfere with the effectiveness of these processes.” When cleaning endocavity transducers, we recommend to use running water to get rid of any residual gel or debris from the probe. You can use a damp gauze pad or other soft cloth and a small amount of mild nonabrasive liquid soap (such as household dishwashing liquid) to thoroughly cleanse the transducer. You can use a small brush for the crevices and areas of angulation depending on the design of your specific transducer. Rinse the transducer thoroughly with running water, and then dry the transducer with a soft cloth or paper towel. Essentially, the steps for cleaning ultrasound transducers are:
- Disassemble
- Take off probe cover
- Clean probe immediately by using a soft brush with nonabrasive detergent
- Rinse with tap water
- Dry with cloth/towel or air dry
- Visually inspect entire transducer to make sure that it’s clean
Tips On Cleaning Ultrasound Equipment
It’s important to remember that cleaning is still necessary when using an automated reprocessor. Just like with manual disinfection methods, you should start the disinfection process with the best-case scenario, i.e. a clean probe. You may wonder why cleaning is necessary if you’re going to perform a high-level disinfection or sterilization process anyways, but think about this:
- Cleaning residual organic or inorganic matter left on the probe increases the margin of safety and shortens the exposure time required to kill the entire microbial load
- Any remaining transducer gel will be a barrier to the high level disinfectant and diminish the efficacy of reusable disinfectant.
Contact Us Today
There are certain things to remember when cleaning your ultrasound transducers. Just because the ultrasound probe will end up going through a sterilization process afterwards doesn’t mean that you can skip the step of cleaning the probe first. This is due to the fact that any remaining transducer gel will be a barrier to the high level disinfectant and diminism the efficacy of the reusable disinfectant. Integra Medical Systems is a top provider of ultrasound machines in the Miami area. Call Integra Medical Systems for more information today!
