Products › Ultrasound gel › Ultrasound Gel Warmer
An industry first — a warmer designed specifically for gel packets. Also warms up to three bottles, top to bottom.
Common questions about the Ultrasound Gel Warmer.
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.
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.
