Scan Pad Ultrasound Machine Controls

A video walk through of some of the most important controls on the ScanPad and ScanPad+ ultrasound machines. If you want to understand more about these controls, along with example images from canine pregnancies, you can get your copy of Ultrasound for Canine Pregnancy Scanning here. You may also find the Scan Pad QuickStart Guide very useful.

 

Gain and depth

Your two most important controls!

 

Frequency

Some ultrasound machines display frequency in MHz, and others will display three settings – Pen, Gen, and Res.

 

Focal Zone

The focal zone is marked by one, two or three arrows, depending on how many focal zones you have active.

Your machine sets your focal zone around the middle of your screen by default. Sometimes, you may need to change it. Here’s how.

 

Persistence & Dynamic Range

You are unlikely to need to change these controls, but may be curious about what they are for. Watching this video will answer those burning questions, and help you sleep better at night.

 

Colorize (Colourise!) Map

Let me know if you can find a more American English word than “colorize.”

 

Saving ultrasound images and clips

Whether you are only scanning your own dogs, cats or goats, or you are running a mobile scanning business, saving your work is one of the best habits you can get into. It allows you to:

• Learn more quickly
• Share your work with others when asking for help (and is so much better than a recording taken on a phone)
• Share your images and videos with clients (again, far more professional than a wobbly phone video)
• Evidence your findings if a client or veterinarian ever questions your work
• Have a collection of images always to hand to advertise your business, or to compare with a recent scan when unsure about something you may not have seen for a while (for example, pyometra).

 

Measurements

This clip shows where to find your measurement calipers. For a full tutorial on performing accurate measurements and calculating gestational age, please contact us for current training options during COVID-19.