How to Choose Handheld Ultrasound

Start from the examination, not the device

The most common buying mistake is to start from a device and then look for examinations it can do. Start instead from the examinations your practice actually performs, and list them: abdominal, cardiac, obstetric, vascular, musculoskeletal, thyroid, small-part, paediatric or veterinary. Each examination points to a probe type: convex for deep abdominal work, linear for superficial and vascular work, phased-array for cardiac work and transvaginal for gynaecological work. A multipurpose probe that combines several types can cover a mixed list, while a specialist probe is the better choice when one discipline dominates the list. This site does not recommend a single model for all buyers, because the right model depends on that list.

Then check frequency, depth, connectivity and ordering terms

Once the probe type is settled, check frequency and depth for the exact model, because those figures determine whether the model reaches the structures you need to image. Then check connectivity: WiFi only, or WiFi and USB, and whether the app runs on the devices you already use. Then check battery, waterproof rating and the modes offered, especially whether colour Doppler, pulsed-wave Doppler or continuous-wave Doppler is included, because those modes differ between models. Finally, confirm the ordering terms: the model, the quantity, any customisation, the lead time and the price, in writing, before payment. Certificates are available upon request, and any certificate you need for your market should be confirmed before ordering, not after delivery.

Related pages: Ultrasound Probe Types · Products · Request a Quote

Before you inquire

Before payment, confirm the exact model, probe type, frequency range, scanning depth, connectivity, battery specification, included accessories, minimum order quantity, lead time and price for your order in writing. The minimum order quantity and lead time figures quoted on this site come from the supplier's marketplace listing (for example, a listed minimum of 1 piece and delivery within 15 workdays) and are shown only as listed values to confirm per order, not as a fixed quotation. Certificates available upon request.