A European comparison of medical ultrasonic field measurements: Interpreting IEC 61157

摘要

A European comparison of measurements of medical ultrasonic fields at diagnostic levels has been carried out. The exercise, led by the United Kingdom's Nation al Physical Laboratory (NPL), also aimed to assess the ability of participants to apply the measurement procedures set out in the specification standard IEC 61157:1992 entitled "Requirements for the declaration of the acoustic output of medical diagnostic ultrasound equipment". Ten organisations representing seven different EC countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) and including national measurement institutions, academic organisations and hospital medical physics departments, took part in a series of measurements on a Dynamic Imaging portable diagnostic scanner and on an NPL pulsed ultrasound check source. Accurate measurement of tightly-focused highly-shocked acoustic fields requires the use of hydrophones with small diameter active elements and wide bandwidths. In the view of the authors, the extent of a laboratory's previous experience in working to IEC 61157 may contribute to its ability to make successful measurements to this standard. [References: 12]