Probe reprocessing

There are multiple steps involved in ultrasound probe reprocessing and decontamination: cleaning, disinfection, transport and storage. Each of these steps is paramount to the overall success of the ultrasound probe reprocessing.

Appropriate reprocessing of ultrasound probes is required to prevent transmission of infection when probes are used on subsequent patients. There are four important stages involved in effective reprocessing:

  • Disinfection

    Automated or manual, select the solution that best suits your needs.

    High-level Disinfection Solutions for endocavitary and surface probes:

    trophon2 automated solution

  • Probe disinfection guidelines & recommendations

    There are number of European and international recommendations for ultrasound probe disinfection. The most recent recommendation comes from the European Society of Radiology1 published in November 2017. It states:

    “High level disinfection is mandatory for endo-cavity US and all interventions after each exam.”

    “Subsequently, these consensus recommendations were discussed and agreed by the WG members who undertook this task, stressing that they need to be incorporated into local guidelines and must be compliant with respective national legislation.”

    “Another important aspect of automated systems is the standardised and reproducible decontamination process thus avoiding operator-associated errors or variations.”

    Furthermore, the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB)2 published its recommendations in 2017:

    “All internal transducers (e. g. vaginal, rectal, transesophageal transducers) and intra-operative transducers, require a high-level of disinfection before they can be used in a new patient […] Automatic processes such as hydrogen peroxide methods are preferred, where approved by the manufacturer to guarantee a reproducible standardised and fast process.”

  • Learn more about probe reprocessing

    High-level disinfection is defined as the complete elimination of microorganisms in or on an instrument, except for small numbers of bacterial spores.

    Why and when is probe disinfection required?
    How should a probe be disinfected? What does the Spaulding classification correspond to?

  • GE Healthcare Ultrasound transducers are designed for reliability and durability. By following recommended care and handling procedures, you can help maximize your transducer’s performance and product life. This page provides a summary of compatibility between GE probes and cleaning, disinfection and gel solutions.

  • Discover the GE European portfolio
    for proper ultrasound probe reprocessing.

  • E-COMMERCE

    Some of our hygiene solutions are available online!
    Discover and buy our consumables and accessories.

  1. Nyhsen CM, Humphreys H, Koerner RJ, Grenier N, Brady A, Sidhu P, et al. Infection prevention and control in ultrasound — best practice recommendations from the European Society of Radiology Ultrasound Working Group. Insights into imaging. 2017.
  2. EFSUMB (European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology) - 2017 http://www.efsumb.org/safety/resources/2017-probe_cleaning.pdf

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