Products › Ultrasound gel › Clear Image Singles® Gel
The original single-patient gel, approved by major diagnostic ultrasound equipment manufacturers. Clear scanning gel packets designed to help reduce cross-contamination from reusing or refilling multi-patient bottles.
Non-sterile, for external use only. Not for use in electromedical procedures.
To enhance infection prevention, help prevent cross-contamination from one bottle used on many patients, provide a controlled dose and prevent gel waste.
Common questions about Clear Image Singles® 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
By design. Tearing off the perforated end forms a dispensing spout, so the sonographer can dispense all the gel in a controlled way and apply it precisely — such as a dab on a transducer. It also exposes less gel along the edge, so it’s cleaner than wide-open packets.
Choose from two sizes: a 30 mL packet with 1/3 more gel than competitive 20 gram packs, and a 15 mL packet for procedures requiring less gel.
