Products › Ultrasound gel › Clear Image® Gel
Traditionally packaged clear gel for diagnostic imaging and non-invasive therapeutic ultrasound. Trusted by professionals for more than 30 years and approved by major diagnostic ultrasound equipment manufacturers.
Non-sterile, for external use only. Not for use in electromedical procedures.
Many gels are riddled with bubbles that can compromise image quality, and dyes or fragrances can irritate skin or degrade transducers. Our proprietary method produces virtually bubble-free gel.
Common questions about Clear Image® Gel.
Viscosity is a measurement of a fluid’s resistance to flow. Because ultrasound spans many applications, scanning gels are offered in several viscosity options — labeled high, medium, low or light (LITE).
In clinical use, the choice tends to be a matter of user preference. High viscosity gel is used for most scanning applications, especially when the gel needs to stay in place — applied directly on a transducer or on an angled part of the body. Medium or lower viscosity gel is thinner and offers less resistance as the transducer moves; sonographers often prefer it for OB/GYN to avoid the “snowplow effect” of thicker gel over large surface areas.
NEXT Medical manufactures both High and Medium (LITE) viscosity gels. Our medium viscosity gel is 40% less viscous than our high viscosity gel.
Viscosity varies with temperature: warmed gel may be less viscous than gel at room temperature, and gel can thin on the patient from body heat and salt in perspiration.
Not sure which is best? Request samples of both a high and a medium viscosity gel to try.
Some manufacturers dye their gel blue or green. NEXT Medical gels are clear, colorless and non-staining. We believe a dye-free gel helps reduce the potential for skin irritation in sonographers and patients who are sensitive to dyes. For the same reasons, we do not add perfumes.
Ultrasound gel is water-based, and over time it takes on the temperature of the room. An air-conditioned room averages around 78°F (26°C), while body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C) — so gel feels much cooler to most patients. Water’s high heat capacity also means cool gel takes time to warm up.
Many practitioners warm gel for patient comfort, typically to body temperature. Warming is not recommended on a regular basis or over long periods, due to infection control concerns. The NEXT Medical Gel Warmer holds single gel packets or bottled gel.
Household items like hand sanitizer, baby oil, lotion or vegetable oil are often suggested as substitutes, but a high quality scanning gel remains the best protocol for diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound.
Gel is a couplant: it maintains secure contact, prevents air pockets and is made so its sound velocity is as close as possible to that of skin, helping avoid refraction in the image.
Oil-based products can damage or discolor the transducer — many equipment warranties specifically warn against them, as well as fragranced products and lotions with emollients. New transducers can cost $2,000–$15,000.
Runny substitutes also pour off the patient. A high viscosity gel such as Clear Image Singles® can be applied to specific areas, or directly on the transducer, without running.
Air in the path of sound waves acts as a barrier, resulting in poorer image resolution. If sound waves can’t pass properly to and from the transducer, clouding, degradation or distortion may occur — potentially affecting the diagnosis.
In extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), studies have shown treatment effectiveness improves when bubbles are eliminated from the coupling media and when gel is applied in a way that avoids introducing bubbles.
NEXT Medical uses a proprietary manufacturing method to minimize air bubbles in our gels. Single patient packets also help avoid bubbles caused by repeatedly squeezing and shaking down gel bottles.
