OHAUS ADVENTURER™ PRO BALANCES CUSTOMIZED TO HELP BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANY
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Ultrasound devices are now an integral part of modern
medicine, with these tools used for therapeutic treatments, such as
muscle rehabilitation, and tests to assess bone, tissue, skeletal,
and fetal health. The accuracy of ultrasound equipment -
particularly the power levels - are critically important for a
patient's diagnosis and treatment. |
Ohmic Instruments Co., with the help of OHAUS Corporation, is
ensuring the reliability and accuracy of ultrasound power heads,
contributing to patient safety and well being. Ohmic manufactures
ultrasound power meters (UPMs) that test the total power output
levels of therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasound power heads, or
"probes." These meters help to ensure the safety and function of
ultrasound machines.
The accuracy of ultrasound power levels are
critically important for a patient's
diagnosis and treatment.
A widely used method to test average power-output levels of
therapeutic and diagnostic transducers - the device that converts
electrical energy into sound waves and back - is the "radiation
force balance" (RFB) method. The American Institute of
Ultrasound in Medicine chose the RFB method because it is
conceptually simple, relatively easy to build and use, and provides
a measurement that is acceptable to the National Institute of
Standards and Technology.
Adventurer Pro in use
Ohmic's ultrasound power meters are built around OHAUS
balances. The power meter includes a "target" - an aluminum
cone - suspended in a water bath. The target is connected to a very
sensitive balance - the OHAUS Adventurer™ Pro - with the ultrasound
transducer that will be calibrated mounted in the water bath
directly above the target. When the ultrasound is switched on, the
aluminum cone target experiences a force proportional to the total
power of the ultrasonic wave.
Adventurer Pro in use
This force changes the apparent weight of the target in the water
bath, and the change in weight is measured by the OHAUS balance. To
measure the force exerted on the target to the nearest 100
milliwatts, scale sensitivity better than 0.01 g is required.
The gram readings are converted by the scale, through custom OHAUS
software, to read out directly in watts. The user can then
calibrate the ultrasound appropriately using this wattage
reading.
"We use the OHAUS scale because of its programmability,"
said Ed Donovan, technical and sales representative at Ohmic.
"Another important feature of the OHAUS scales is their
sensitivity. That allows us to get an extremely accurate
reading."
Ohmic's first ultrasound power meter was made using the OHAUS
three beam mechanical scale long before the advent of the
Adventurer Pro, Donovan noted. In these early OHAUS
balance-based devices, users would take a reading in grams and then
multiply by a factor of 14.65 for the total power reading.
With the Adventurer Pro series' sensitivity, a direct readout can
be taken with no need for conversion.
The OHAUS Adventurer Pro family of top-loading analytical balances
offers more standard features and options than any other balance in
its class. Their ability for customization, by value-added
resellers including Ohmic, is a key feature of their
popularity
The Adventurer Pro is at the core of the Ohmic
ultrasound measuring instrument.