Survey Of Use And Performance Of Ultrasonic Therapy Equipment In Pinellas County Fla With List Of References

Author : Alfons Jayson O. Pelgone
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 70 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (989 download)

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Download or read book Evaluation of acoustic output levels of physiotherapy ultrasound equipment in hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) written by Alfons Jayson O. Pelgone and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biological effects of ultrasound used in therapy (TUS) are dependent on the acoustic outputs of the equipment and the duration of the treatment. Existing studies have shown that the inaccuracy of ultrasound physiotherapy machines affects its efficiency for treatment. There is a need to determine whether such machines are functioning properly especially in view of the dearth of data on how underexposure and overexposure actually affect human response to therapeutic ultrasound. This study evaluated the status of the ultrasound equipment utilized in physiotherapy and their acoustic output. The equipment used was the Ohmic Instruments DT - 1 - AV Power Meter (a radiation force balance) and the results were compared to the indicated acoustic output power levels ±20%. Timer accuracy was also checked using a calibrated digital timer and the results were compared to the displayed exposure time ±10% for timer accuracy. The allowable variations were stipulated in the IEC 60601-2-5 Ed. 3.0 (Particular Requirements for the Basic Safety and Essential Performance of Ultrasonic Physiotherapy Equipment). Out of the 11 TUS equipment tested for continuous wave (CW) mode, four (36%) were outside the technical specifications and standard for power output accuracy at one or more tested settings, and 2 (18%) were not within the standards at two or more settings. For the results in pulsed wave (PW), four (36%) of the equipment were outside the standard at one or more tested settings, and three (27%) were not within the standards at two settings 50% and 20% for the power output. The timer accuracy tests showed that all the equipment timers, all of which except one were digital, were within the allowable variations in the standard. The author recommends that testing of TUS equipment be done on a national scale and that other TUS output parameters such as the effective radiating areas and beam non-uniformity ratios also be measured. The results could be the basis for national regulations and standards to ensure the quality of treatment and the safety of physiotherapy patients such that the physiotherapy regimen results are achieved while the potential risks are minimized.