I. What is Ultrasound Gel?
Strictly speaking, the term "ultrasound gel" is incomplete as it can be further categorized into industrial ultrasound gel and medical ultrasound gel. These two types serve vastly different purposes. Industrial ultrasound gel is used in industrial applications and can withstand extremely low temperatures, such as below minus ten degrees, as well as high temperatures above 300 degrees. On the other hand, medical ultrasound gel is specifically used for medical ultrasound examinations and is used at room temperature.
II. What is the Purpose of Ultrasound Gel?
Both types of ultrasound gel serve as an assisting medium in examinations, enhancing the clarity of imaging. In terms of principles, industrial ultrasound gel works by eliminating air between the probe and the object being tested, allowing ultrasound waves to effectively penetrate the workpiece for testing. There are various types of industrial ultrasound gel, and choosing the wrong type or using it improperly can lead to errors or cause the coupling indicator to flicker, resulting in inaccurate measurements. Generally, when used on smooth material surfaces, low-viscosity ultrasound gel can be used, while high-viscosity ultrasound gel can be used on rough, vertical, and top surfaces of objects being detected.
The main purpose of medical ultrasound gel is to increase the lubrication between the ultrasound probe and the skin during ultrasound examinations. By filling the gap between the ultrasound probe and the skin, it reduces the loss of sound wave signals in the air, resulting in clearer ultrasound imaging. Additionally, it also serves to protect the probe. Moreover, products like disinfection ultrasound gel and sterile ultrasound gel have the added function of disinfection, preventing infection incidents caused by multiple people using the same probe.
Medical ultrasound gel plays an indispensable role in ultrasound examinations, and with the continuous strengthening of supervision by medical authorities, hospitals have gradually shifted from using regular medical ultrasound gel to medical disinfection ultrasound gel and medical sterile ultrasound gel.
