Service - Did You Know...?
Read Below: Service: Did You Know…?
Top tips from our tip top Service team
Even during these challenging times, our expert IMV imaging Service team are here to help you and keep you up and running.
We have an expert team of Service Engineers both at our Service Centres as well as dedicated Field Service Engineers in your area and throughout the UK, who are at your service, ensuring that your imaging equipment is kept up and running, when you need it most. Our Service Centre team are hard at work and you can send your equipment to us to have maintenance servicing carried out or for any repairs- call the office on 01506 460 023 to arrange sending your equipment to us. Our Field Service Engineers are still working remotely and have technology at their disposal that allows them to continue to provide support to our customers with their imaging equipment.
We understand that most of all, you just want to get on with your day and using your imaging equipment. We have pulled together some top tips to help with the most common issues that our team come across, to help you prevent these happening with your imaging equipment.
Our Service Team are still here for you, if you have any issues with your imaging equipment, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01506 460 023.
How to warm up your X-ray tube
#DidYouKnow: If your X-ray generator has been sitting unused for a few days it is important to warm up the tube before you do a high exposure. For optimal use the x-ray generator should be warmed up at the start of every day. To start, take two X-rays on the lowest kV and mA with a one-minute break between shots. Don’t hold the prep button down longer than you usually would. Then increase the kV by 10, double the mA and perform two more shots ensuring that you keep a one-minute gap between shots. Increase the kV by 10 and double the mA again and take one shot, repeat these another two times and the X-ray tube will be ready for use again.
X-ray cassette preparation after sitting idle
#DidYouKnow If your X-ray equipment hasn’t been used for a week or so, it is advisable to give your DR panel or CR processor and cassettes a dust over. For advice on how to clean the CR cassette, see ‘How to clean my CR screen’. Also, before you insert the first cassette, check the opening of the CR to make sure no foreign objects will get pushed into the processor. It is also important to put each cassette through the processor first to erase any background scatter that may be present.
How to clean an ultrasound probe
#DidYouKnow: the best way to clean your ultrasound probe is to use a wet a cloth (with cold water) and wipe over the surface of the probe head. For extra help you can add a diluted soap solution to the cloth if needed. Be sure to dry the probe head after you’ve cleaned it. Do not use any other cleaning products on the probe, including hand sanitiser.
How to clean my CR screen
#DidYouKnow : to clean the white sheet in your X-ray cassette, you should remove the sheet and wipe over it with a dry cloth. You should not put water on this sheet as the sheet will begin to disintegrate if water is left on it for an extended period. To clean away any stains, use a damp cloth. It is important that you don’t let moisture get near the edges of the cassette and do not let moisture get in the cassette opening.
Why do my X-rays have artefacts?
#DidYouKnow: if your X-rays have artefacts, this is most likely due to a mark on the cassette screen. To sort this, first remove the screen from the cassette with the cassette tool. Check the white side of the screen for any marks that line up with the artefacts you’ve seen. Then take a blank X-ray of the cassette ensuring that you expose the whole cassette (about 2 mAs and 60 kVp will be enough). The normal colour for a processed cassette is a blurry-grey. Any artefacts will appear as distinct lines on this X-ray. You now have the option to continue using this or replace only the cassette screen.
How to store your X-ray cassettes
#DidYouKnow It is important to store your X-ray cassettes so they don’t have a line of sight to the X-ray generator. This is because the cassettes will pick up minor radiation and when you go to use them, they will already have had a slight exposure which will reduce the image quality. If you have no other alternatives, then you can process the cassette before you use it to erase any background radiation images.
A day in the life of an IMV imaging Field Service Engineer
#DidYouKnow a normal day’s work for Field Service Engineers can be quite varied! The practices we visit can range from swine farms to small animal practices and we support sites that have anywhere from 1 piece to 20+ pieces of imaging equipment. Animal welfare is our top priority which is why this job can be so rewarding as we support customers in providing the best animal care.
Common problems – Probe knicks
#DidYouKnow If the silicone is badly damaged and it’s affecting image quality the only option is to replace the probe entirely. The silicone provides a water-tight seal so that the probe elements don’t get damaged.
Pet hair in the scanner
#DidYouKnow a common problem we see in ultrasound scanners is overheating of circuit boards as a result of animal hair blocking the scanner’s cooling vents. We recommend regular cleaning of the air vents and if possible avoidance of shaving animals near the ultrasound scanner.
Ending exams
#DidYouKnow that it is important to remember to “end exam” for each of your ultrasound scans. Sometimes, if you try to backup all of your exams when the hard drive is full, your scanner fails to back up the exams that haven’t been ended.
