GE Vscan Air Manual page 58

Safety
ALARA
2-22
Ultrasound procedures should be performed using output levels
and exposure times As Low As Reasonably Achievable
(ALARA) while acquiring clinical information.
During a diagnostic ultrasound examination, high frequency
sound penetrates and interacts with tissue in and around the
area of anatomy to be imaged. Only a small portion of the sound
energy is reflected back to the probe for use in constructing the
image while the remainder is dissipated within the tissue. The
interaction of sound energy with tissue at sufficiently high levels
can produce biological effects (aka bioeffects) of either a
mechanical or thermal nature. Bioeffect is generally undesired in
diagnostic application and may be harmful in some conditions.
ALARA training is provided in the Medical Ultrasound Safety
booklet, published by AIUM (American Institute of Ultrasound in
Medicine). This booklet is provided with the Vscan Air CL to
customers in USA. The ALARA education program for the
clinical end-user covers basic ultrasound principles, possible
biological effects, the derivation and meaning of the indices,
ALARA principles, and examples of specific applications of the
ALARA principle. This document is acceptable to FDA as
meeting the content of the ALARA educational program.
To contact the AIUM concerning their publications:
• In the USA, by telephone at 1-800-638-5352
• To write them, use the following address:
AIUM
14750 Sweitzer Lane
Suite 100
Laurel, MD, USA 20707-5906
In addition to the AIUM document, the sections 'The real-time
display of acoustic output indices' on page 8-3 and 'Controls
Affecting Acoustic Output' on page 8-5 should be studied
carefully in order to implement ALARA.
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Vscan Air
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