BCF Ultrasound in Mitcham, Victoria | Medical and health

BCF Ultrasound

Locality: Mitcham, Victoria

Phone: +61 1300 798 747

Address: Unit 13/23A Cook Road 3132 Mitcham, Victoria, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.bcfultrasound.com/

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25.01.2022 Canine Pregnancy Part 2: Assessing Foetal Viability Following on from our post on pregnancy diagnosis, let's look at using US to assess foetal viability. Size, movement and presence/absence of Doppler flow can be used to get a general overview but foetal heart rate (FHR) is the most definitive and reliable method of assessing foetal viability. ... Using FHR to assess foetal viability: Foetal HR should be about 1.5-2 times the maternal heart rate but the following is a rough guide: FHR >180-220bpm normal FHR 150-180bpm foetal stress FHR<150bpm C-section recommended To calculate HRs, use M-Mode or pulsed wave Doppler (PW) and place the vertical calipers between foetal diastolic excursions. You need to know how many cycles your machine uses to calculate HR. (hint: on a Mindray the number of cycles appears as a number in brackets: HR (2) indicates that the cursors be placed over 2 diastolic excursions). Can you guess which HR calculation in the image above is the correct one? Case material kindly provided by our friends @bendigovetclinic and ultrasound images/videos taken with their newly purchased Mindray M7 Premium. For instructions and a downloadable PDF on how to calculate HRs and more detail about other sonographic signs of foetal viability, follow this link https://tinyurl.com/y5k8jo84 And stay tuned for the puppy parade! #veterinarymedicine #veterinary #ultrasound #radiography #canine #caninepregnancy #foetalviability #pregnancydiagnosis #puppies #smallanimalmedicine See more

24.01.2022 Congratulations to the team at Rose City Vets! Rose City Vets in Benalla, VIC are the proud new owners of a Mindray Vetus 8 Ultrasound system. Peter has over 30 years of experience in mixed practice combined with residency training in internal medicine. He and his team pride themselves on attention to detail and making their patient's welfare top priority.... We delivered the Vetus 8 cart-based ultrasound personally to give them an in-clinic demonstration and application training. With exceptional image quality and intuitive workflow, the Vetus 8 will greatly assist Dr Peter and Dr Phoebe in their pursuit of optimum patient care. For more details on the Vetus 8 visit https://www.bcfultrasound.com/product/vetus-8-mindray/ See more

21.01.2022 We have recently covered some of the benefits of ultrasound in general and this week we thought we would go back to basics and start a series dissecting basic US principles and how they relate to practical scanning tips. What better place to start than where the sound waves are generated the probe! Anatomy of a Probe:... Most modern ultrasound transducers consist of: 1 Housing with lead (power supply), insulation, acoustic rubber lens and plastic case. 2 Matching layer between lens and crystals. 3 Series of ceramic or crystal elements with piezoelectric properties. 4 Electrodes either side of the piezoelectric element/crystals. 5 Damping (backing) material behind the element. Tip: Use a padded cover over the probe when not in use, used approved cleaners or IPA up to 70% only to prevent lens break down. To prevent lens damage, don’t place needle tips in direct contact with rubber lens for US guided FNAs. The Ultrasound Loop: The transducer is a generator, transmitter and receiver of ultrasound waves. Voltage from external power supply applied to the piezoelectric crystals causes them to deform, producing a pressure wave that generates a pulse of sound at a given frequency. Sound waves are transmitted through tissues where they are reflected (echoes), absorbed or transmitted to deeper tissue. Reflected sound waves or echoes from the patient are received by the crystals and converted back into an electric signal, transmitted to the machine and converted into a digital image on your screen Tip: Adjusting Acoustic Power (AP) on your machine alters the amount of energy transmitted to the patient. Adjusting Gain only amplifies or dampens the brightness of the returning echoes received from the patient and has no effect on the amount of energy transmitted. Set your AP at the lowest setting that gives you a diagnostic image to strike a balance between total energy transmitted to your patients without compromising your image quality See more

18.01.2022 The team at Rose City Vets in Benalla, VIC are the proud new owners of a Mindray Vetus 8 Ultrasound system. Peter has over 30 years of experience in mixed practice combined with residency training in internal medicine. He and his team pride themselves on attention to detail and making their patient's welfare top priority. We delivered the Vetus 8 cart-based ultrasound personally to give them an in-clinic demonstration and application training.... With exceptional image quality and intuitive workflow, the Vetus 8 will greatly assist Dr Peter and Dr Phoebe in their pursuit of optimum patient care. For more details on the Vetus 8 and other premium US systems in our range, click on the linktree in our bio! #vetus8 #mindray #vetsolution #bcfultrasound #veterinary #veterinaryultrasound #veterinarymedicine #veterinarian See more

18.01.2022 Overview of Transducers: Here is a brief overview of ultrasound probe options that are available for veterinary medicine: From left to right Convex Probes ... Also known as curvilinear, these probes are a compromise between linear and phased array probes, giving a balance between penetration and resolution. You will get an increased field of view from the wider sector shape and they come in a range of frequencies and sizes. These probes are most commonly used for abdominal ultrasound. The microconvex is our most popular in smallies due to its wide bandwidth with small footprint - it strikes the ideal balance between resolution and penetration. The large convex has a lower frequency range and larger footprint so is great for equine abdomens. Phased Array These probes are used for echocardiography. They generate a very high pulse repetition and thus allow a very high frame rate ideal for scanning a rapidly beating heart as you can scroll back frame by frame and detect small changes in position. These probes are also optimised for Doppler. They have good temporal resolution and penetration but the trade-off is resolution. The phased array probe produces a pie-shaped field of view with a small footprint, allowing you to get an image between rib spaces. Linear These are higher frequency probes so have an excellent resolution but lack penetration. Use for all types of superficial ultrasound in small and large animals (e.g. thorax, MSK, ocular, lymph nodes, SA abdomens, urinary tract, testicles.). The straight array produces a rectangular field of view. Rectal These are mid-range frequency linear probes that have specially designed casings to allow scanning inside body cavities. Our most popular ones are commonly used for reproductive scans via the rectum in large animals but can also be used with a standoff for tendon scans. They also produce a rectangular field of view. Check out our great range of probes via the link: https://www.bcfultrasound.com/product-category/transducer/ See more

17.01.2022 Happy Vet Nurse Day 2020 to all the extraordinary superhumans that are Veterinary Nurses! Here at BCF Ultrasound, we want to acknowledge that great veterinary care and diagnostic ultrasound requires not just a sound machine and experienced vet but also a great nurse/s to make it happen. You guys often set up the machine, prepare the patient, restrain the patient, calm the patient, calm the vet, clean the patient, remove excrement evacuated from the patient and move the pa...tient who sometimes weighs more than you do. Somehow, for the vet who usually can’t see what’s right in front of them you manage to anticipate everything they will need or want and find free hands to pass them all manner of bits and bobs such as gel, alcohol, needles, slides, extension sets, blood tubes, sample pots, lab request, instruction manuals (because they are hidden in a cupboard that only the nurses know about) .and then clean up the post-apocalyptic mess left behind. And so many vets who admit to being technologically challenged then rely on you to save and transfer the images or print reports and generally make the vets look good all while you simultaneously answer the phone, medicate hospital patients, fix that air in the drip line, serve a client and on and on .. Thank You for being so amazing! From us @ BCF Ultrasound

16.01.2022 Canine Pregnancy Part 1: Radiography vs Ultrasound Pregnancy diagnosis in the bitch is a common request in small animal practice. As with all exam types, there are going to be advantages and disadvantages of using ultrasound vs. radiography for diagnosis. Radiography is useful for: ... Diagnosing canine pregnancy in late gestation (after skeletal calcification occurs). Accurately estimating foetal numbers. Ultrasound is useful for: Earlier pregnancy detection (from as early at 20d gestation) and likely to get earlier as ultrasound technology improves. Assessing foetal viability (detect beating hearts and calculate foetal HRs). Foetal aging. Why is ultrasound not as accurate for counting foetal numbers? Because ultrasound is dynamic, and it may not be possible to scan the entire uterus definitively. So some foetuses may be missed OR some could be counted more than once. Follow this link for more in-depth tips on canine pregnancy detection with Ultrasound and some images from real case examples demonstrating the above principles: https://www.bcfultrasound.com/canine-pregnancy-part-1-radi/ Case material kindly provided by our friends @bendigovetclinic and ultrasound images/videos taken with their newly purchased Mindray M7 Premium. Watch this space for Part 2: Assessing foetal viability with ultrasound. #veterinarymedicine #veterinary #ultrasound #radiography #canine #caninepregnancy #pregnancydiagnosis #puppies #smallanimalmedicine See more

15.01.2022 Happy Waitangi Day to all our fellow New Zealand customers, followers, family and friends! #waitangiday #waitangiday2021 #newzealand

14.01.2022 Small Animal: Ultrasound vs Radiography Part 2 Earlier this week we compared some of the pros and cons of ultrasound vs radiography in small animal abdominal imaging. Here are a few others as well as some comparisons for extra-abdominal imaging Radiography is great at detecting free peritoneal gas and at distinguishing between emphysema vs. mineralisation in tissues. It is also great for imaging the skeleton. ... In contrast, ultrasound is better at imaging fluid, soft tissues and will pick up radiolucent urinary calculi that may be missed on radiographs. Ultrasound is more sensitive at identifying the origins of abdominal masses and their internal architecture. Ultrasound can also evaluate the internal structures and function of the heart. For a more detailed breakdown of the benefits of ultrasound in diagnosing intestinal foreign bodies, follow this link https://tinyurl.com/yxhdfljj See more

14.01.2022 Spring racing carnival is in full swing and today is the eve of the race that stops a nation: The Melbourne Cup Lameness workups and tendon injuries are a huge part of equine veterinary practice, especially in racing and sport horses. So to help you get the best tendon images during your leg scans we thought it would be a good time for a quick brush up on ultrasound preparation tips!... Follow this link for some handy tips on how to prepare the distal limb for ultrasound exam with or without clipping: https://tinyurl.com/y2brc9wb #ultrasound #equine #equineultrasound #equinelameness #equinetendon #bcfultrasound #mindray #m9 #fujifilmsonosite #veterinaryultrasound #veterinarymedicine #melbournecup See more

12.01.2022 Did you guess the correct FHR from Canine Pregnancy Part 2? The correct calculation was the 2nd one based on the image taken with a Mindray M7 Premium set up for using 3 cycles to calculate HR, denoted by HR (3). HR 201 Bpm > indicating normal foetal HR and viability.... Since then, our friends at Bendigo Veterinary Clinic have reported good news... The 2yr old French Bulldog (Case 3 from Part 1) has produced 4 healthy, viable puppies! Did you guess the right number of puppies from the Xray?? The following clinical case history and images have been kindly provided by a generous owner and the great team at Bendigo Veterinary Clinic: Day 56 post AI: US and Xrays for puppy numbers (4) and foetal viability (FHRs WNL), Prog 5.9ng/ml (Idexx) Day 61 post AI: Nesting behaviour noted and Prog 9.8ng/ml Day 62 post AI: Prog dropped 0.9ng/ml and Caesarean performed (she is a Brachy after all) Enter 1 very gravid mum, one handy surgeon (with a team of great support staff) and 4 adorable puppies! See more

12.01.2022 The Big 4 of Basic Image Optimisation can be the difference between seeing a genuine lesion and seeing nothing at all With Ultrasound it is essential to get your image quality optimised before you draw any conclusions in order to accurately rule in or out various differentials and to prevent misinterpretation and wasting time. Often obvious free fluid or a great big tumour practically jump out at you during an AFAST emergency scan. However, sometimes subtle lesions are no...t so black and white.What do you do when a detailed exam is indicated on a patient with vague clinical signs and your image is not that great? Follow the link below to see 4 easy steps to get you started and on the right track! https://www.bcfultrasound.com/improve-your-ultrasound-imag/

11.01.2022 Do you clip your patients next to the ultrasound machine while it's running??? Here is what happens if you do that frequently Ultrasounds are electronic machines and all electronics generate heat as they run.... To stop your machine overheating, fans run to draw air into the machine, cooling everything down. If you happen to clip your fluffy patients right beside the machine as it runs, over time, hair and dust will build up inside the machine and clog your filters. Eventually this could end in disaster as the hair and dust layers will prevent the machine from cooling down and lead to overheating! In the pictures above, you can see lots of clipped hairs and dirt inside a machine and clogged filters of an ultrasound system sent in for service. Just a small layer of build-up on the side panel filter can cause power boards to overheat and fail. Small animal clinics should check/clean filters at least every 3 months and depending on the environment, this may mean as often as every month for equine or mixed practitioners- especially if working in dusty conditions. How to clean filters: 1 Turn off power before you remove the air filter Do not turn the power back on without the air filter installed 2The filters may be vacuumed or rinsed as long as they are completely dry prior to re-installation Installing a wet or damp air filter can damage the system Top Tips: 1 Clip patients prior to turning the machine on and vacuum up the hair straight after. 2 Clip your patients away from the machine if it is running so clipped hair isn’t sucked in. 3 Keep a breathable dust cover on your machine and store in a dry area away from clothes dryers and/or wet areas 4 If you are concerned about your machine, send it in for a routine service. Follow this link to download a service form https://www.bcfultrasound.com//BCF_Ultrasound_Client_Servi #diagnosticimaging #ultrasound #maintenance #bcfultrasound #mindray #m9 #filters #machinecare #veterinaryultrasound #veterinarymedicine See more

10.01.2022 Here's a fun fact! Ultrasound refers to sound with a frequency above the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above 20,000Hz (20KHz). Did you know Dogs can reportedly hear up to @ 65,000Hz (65KHz or 0.065MHz). And Bats and Whales can detect sound waves in excess of 100,000Hz (100KHz or 0.1MHz)!! ... Ultrasound used for medical diagnostic imaging utilises frequencies even higher again, typically from 1MHz-20MHz and above. So while we commonly refer to dogs as having ultrasonic hearing and some may well detect sound during an ultrasound examination, the frequencies used in a typical ultrasound exam are still mostly above a dogs hearing range and more than tolerable for our furry friends. To find out more about our great range of ultrasound systems follow the link https://www.bcfultrasound.com/product-category/machines/ See more

09.01.2022 Pretty spot-on for a Monday Cartoon by #davecoverly @speedbumpcomic

08.01.2022 #lestweforget #thankyou

08.01.2022 Spatial Resolution Part 2: Lateral Resolution Recall that Spatial Resolution describes the ability of the ultrasound system to detect & display structures close together as separate reflectors. Occurs in 3 planes relative to the direction of the US beam: Axial (X), Lateral (Y) and Elevational (Z) plane... Part 2 Lateral (Y Plane) Resolution: Refers to the US machines ability to resolve separate reflectors in the direction perpendicular to the US beam (ie across the scan lines). Lateral resolution is equal to the beamwidth. Lateral resolution is maximised at the narrowest part of the beam called the FOCAL ZONE (FZ) The FZ can be adjusted to different depths in most machines. If the distance between 2 reflectors (in the Y plane) is greater than the beam then 2 separate echoes are produced when the beam is scanned across them. If the distance between 2 reflectors is smaller than the beam width they will be resolved as a single reflector. Take a look at the US pics from a Mindray M9Vet and phantom and swipe between them to observe the following: For the same freq, the best lateral resolution is achieved where the beam is focused or at its narrowest (ie in the FZ level with the green triangle on the depth scale) When the beam is focused at depth, it still diverges so lateral resolution decreases with increasing depth even in the FZ. Notice how even when the FZ is adjusted the wires further from the probe still appear larger and less sharp than those closer to the probe. Frequency also influences beam width and hence lateral resolution. High Freq (MHz) has a narrow beamwidth and better lateral resolution than Low Freq (MHz) The best overall resolution is achieved at the intersection between Higher freq AND the FZ. Tips to achieve optimum AXIAL & LATERAL resolution: Always adjust freq to the highest possible for required depth. Adjust your FOCAL ZONE to the region of interest. For max accuracy take measurements within the FZ. Using multiple FZs reduces Frame Rate so use 1 FZ for abdominal and thoracic scans (can use more FZs for MSK scans). See more

06.01.2022 Convex Transducers Part 1: Large Convex Also known as curvilinear, these probes are a compromise between linear and phased array probes, giving a balance between penetration and resolution. ... They have a large footprint and wide sector shape that is curved at the acoustic window and extends outwards in a fan-like shape distally. The lower frequency bandwidth gives these probes excellent depth penetration usually exceeding 25-30cm which makes them ideal for imaging deeper structures on large animals (ie horses and very big dogs). Commonly used for: Transabdominal scans (full exam, FLASH, AFAST, reproduction) Musculoskeletal scans (ie deeper muscles, interarticular exams, sacroiliac region on horses) Emergency thoracic scans (TFAST/VetBLUE) on larger animals as well. The convex probe can also be used for basic cardiac imaging by flipping the marker to the right and using the same windows as for an echocardiogram with a phased array probe. Swipe sideways to see US pics: Pic 1 - Equine abdomen at the nephrosplenic window showing anechoic peritoneal effusion between the Left kidney and spleen Pic 2 Cranial equine abdomen showing relative echogenicity of the liver cranially compared to the spleen caudally Pic 3 - Equine thorax showing Right parasternal long axis view of the LV and LA at the level of the mitral valve We have a great range of large convex probes compatible with both our Mindray and Sonosite Ultrasound systems featuring multiple frequency settings, Tissue Harmonics, colour doppler and compound imaging. Check out our great range of probes via the link https://www.bcfultrasound.com/product-category/transducer/ See more

06.01.2022 Small Animal: Ultrasound vs Radiography Part 1 Radiography and ultrasound are very different imaging modalities and their strengths and weaknesses vary. Where possible, they should be used in combination to complement one another. Most vets would be aware that radiography is a great overview of organ size/shape and/or location within the abdomen whereas ultrasound is far better for assessing subtle changes and echotexture within individual organs. ... Follow the link for some other examples of where ultrasound and radiography differ and stay tuned for Part 2 later this week! https://tinyurl.com/yylkytn9

05.01.2022 Canine Pregnancy Part 1: Radiography Vs Ultrasound Pregnancy diagnosis in the bitch is a common request in small animal practice. As with all exam types, there are going to be advantages and disadvantages of using ultrasound vs. radiography for diagnosis. Radiography is useful for: ... Diagnosing canine pregnancy in late gestation (after skeletal calcification occurs). Accurately estimating foetal numbers. Ultrasound is useful for: Earlier pregnancy detection (from as early at 20d gestation) and likely to get earlier as ultrasound technology improves. Assessing foetal viability (detect beating hearts and calculate foetal HRs). Foetal aging. Why is ultrasound not as accurate for counting foetal numbers? Because ultrasound is dynamic, and it may not be possible to scan the entire uterus definitively. So some foetuses may be missed OR some could be counted more than once. Follow this link for more in-depth tips on canine pregnancy detection with Ultrasound and some images from real case examples demonstrating the above principles: https://www.bcfultrasound.com/canine-pregnancy-part-1-radi/ Case material kindly provided by our friends @bendigovetclinic and ultrasound images/videos taken with their newly purchased Mindray M7 Premium. Watch this space for Part 2: Assessing foetal viability with ultrasound. #veterinarymedicine #veterinary #ultrasound #radiography #canine #caninepregnancy #pregnancydiagnosis #puppies #smallanimalmedicine See more

04.01.2022 Contrast resolution fun fact! Did you know in ultrasound there are actually 256 shades of grey and not just 50!? Contrast resolution is determined by these shades of grey and how light or dark they appear. In most machines it is referred to as the Dynamic Range (DR) or Compression. Adjusting the DR alters how many of these shades of grey are displayed. Adjusting the Grey Maps alters the brightness of each of the shades of grey. A higher dynamic range will display m...ore shades of grey and appear smoother but reduces the contrast while a narrower/lower dynamic range will display fewer shades of grey and look more black and white, giving a higher contrast image. Echocardiography and musculoskeletal ultrasound require more contrast and hence a lower dynamic range, whereas abdominal imaging requires more subtle detail and less contrast so a higher range... Why you ask? When scanning the heart, you want to see the contrast between anechoic blood vs. echogenic soft tissue of valves and myocardium (black vs. white). In contrast (pun intended) when scanning the abdomen, you need to see subtle variations in soft tissue densities such as the liver or kidneys so you want to see more shades of grey. NB: Making the range too high will result in a flat image with loss of distinction between tissues and making the range too low results in so much contrast that critical detail may be lost both resulting in reduced diagnostic information. As with all aspects of ultrasound, finding the right balance with the dynamic range appropriate for the setting is the key to getting the best diagnostic information. Adjust your DR first (higher for abdo, lower for cardiac/MSK) then adjust your Grey Map for more or less contrast between each of the shades in your selected dynamic range. #veterinarymedicine #veterinaryultrasound #veterinaryultrasonography #veterinarian #vetstudent #ultrasound #ultrasoundphysics #50shadesofgrey #256shadesofgrey #dynamicrange See more

03.01.2022 Spatial Resolution P 3: Elevational (Z Plane) Resolution The elevational (Z plane) is a 3rd plane perpendicular to the scan plane & both the X & Y planes. It’s the plane responsible for Slice Thickness or Volume Averaging artefact. Occurs when echoes from reflectors outside the Z plane are projected into the 2D X and Y planes. Most common when the beam in the elevational plane passes across a fluid-filled structure and solid tissue and the information from both stru...ctures is averaged. These false echoes are displayed as overlapping the structure of interest. The thicker the beam in the elevational plane, the more slice thickness artefact occurs. Most obvious when scanning cystic or fluid filled structures. Mimics sediment creating pseudo-sludge or suggests a cyst is solid rather than fluid filled. Tips to tell Pseudo sludge from True sludge: Scan structure in multiple scan planes Reposition the patient - True sludge or sediment moves to the dependent side of the bladder due gravity whereas pseudo sludge remains in the same position on screen. (Except in the case of gall bladder mucoceles where biliary sludge may adhere to bladder walls). Pseudo sludge has a slightly echogenic, subtle curved margin whereas true sludge is usually more echogenic with a flat, well demarcated margin. When balloted true sediment can be stirred up into a snow globe effect, unlike artefact. Tips to minimise Slice Thickness artefact: Reduce the width of the beam in the elevational plane by: Select highest Freq which enables visualisation of the structure of interest Set your Focal Zone to the region of interest Reduce overall Gain: Weaker artefact echoes will be minimised with low Gain while high Gain makes them more prominent Use Tissue Harmonic Imaging (THI), a feature available on all our premium Mindray machines to help improve elevational resolution & minimise slice thickness artefacts US Pics from a Mindray M9 of a urinary bladder in 3 planes where subtle pseudo sludge is evident in the same location curving along the distal bladder wall in all 3 views. Hence it isn’t gravity dependent but artefact. See more