Frequently Asked Questions

No. However, it can be used in combination with a sterile probe cover by first placing the aiSon Focus on the transducer and then covering both the transducer and the aiSon™ Focus with the sterile cover

No. The aiSon™ Focus is a indicated as single-use disposable.

Yes, but depending on your application, the required amount may be significantly reduced. A small amount of ultrasound gel needs to be applied between the transducer and the aiSon™ Focus to ensure coupling between the transducer and the pad. You also need a coupling medium between the patient’s skin and the aiSon™ Focus. However, while you may use ultrasound gel in small amounts on the skin, you can also use disinfectant or other liquids instead, while still getting great image quality.

Everywhere where the CE-marking for medical devices is accepted. These are mainly countries of the European Union and European Economic Area, as well as Turkey. In the UK we can supply the product until the introduction of mandatory UKCA marking. The aiSon™ Focus is a CE-conform class I medical device under EU MDR.

Yes.

Please contact your local distributor for specific information applicable to your country (see list here). For direct orders, the smallest quantity is a box of 50 pieces.

Please contact your local distributor for specific information applicable to your country (see list here).

The aiSon™ Focus

1. is adaptive and deforms easily to mimic the patient’s anatomy, therefore ensuring perfect skin contact even on uneven and difficult-to-scan areas of the body, such as those around bony prominences.
2. reduces the pressure required to acquire good images and can therefore assist diagnosis of superficial perfusion and liquid collections, as well as making the experience more comfortable for scans on painful and sensitive areas.
3. attaches directly to the ultrasound probe and stays there effortlessly, removing the necessity to use a second hand to hold in place or move the stand-off pad.
4. can be used in combination with sterile probe covers for interventions without hygiene concerns.
5. produces less artefacts thanks to its liquid contents instead of using more rigid materials such as silicone.
6. can be used with disinfectant liquid only as a coupling medium while providing images otherwise only possible with generous amounts of ultrasound gel.

The aiSon™ Focus solves several inefficiencies of conventional diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, thereby making procedures easier and faster. There are numerous aspects in which the aiSon™ Focus is superior to these methods: 

• When using copious amounts of ultrasound gel to bridge the gaps on uneven surfaces, frequent re-application of gel is required, as the gel runs off, especially as it becomes warmer. In addition, movement of the probe will distribute the gel away from the uneven surfaces. The aiSon™ Focus always stays in place and right in front of the transducer, always ensuring continuous skin contact and significantly reducing the necessity to re-apply gel. The workflow is interrupted less frequently, speeding up the procedure. 
• When dispensing ultrasound gel from its typical container/bottle, air bubbles/pockets in the gel are almost unavoidable and these air enclosures will cause image artifacts, hindering the view and making accurate diagnoses more challenging. The aiSon™ Focus only requires a very thin layer of coupling agent between the pad and the patient’s skin, which is not thick enough to contain air pockets, and the pad itself is guaranteed not to contain any air pockets. A view without artefacts caused by air bubbles will increase diagnostic and therapeutic certainty. 
• To ensure good skin contact, frequently it is necessary to exert pressure with the ultrasound probe. However, this may lead to compression of underlying tissues and potentially thereby distorting the view. Superficial liquid collections may be less prominent or missed entirely when applying pressure. The same applies to superficial perfusion and small vessels. With the aiSon™ Focus, good skin contact and a full view is possible without exerting any pressure, avoiding the compression of tissues, leading to easier diagnosis and increased diagnostic certainty. 
• For uneven anatomies, such as the fingers or the ankle, among others, it often takes considerable amounts of time to establish a good view of the desired anatomy. A significant contributor to the increase in procedure time can be the difficulty to achieve good coupling and not having enough gel in the right places. The aiSon™ Focus allows obtaining a full, unincumbered view easily, also while moving around, thereby letting you focus on the diagnosis, not the image acquisition.  

• Using abundant amounts of ultrasound gel during any procedure will increase cleaning required by both patient and medical professionals. Patients also prefer lesser amounts of gel to be applied. With the aiSon™ Focus only a thin layer of coupling agent is required, significantly reducing the cleaning effort after the procedure and increasing patient comfort throughout. 

To prevent the liquid from evaporating. As soon as its package is opened, we do not guarantee the aiSon™ Focus to retain the full amount of liquid for more than a few hours. The aiSon™ Focus has barrier properties, so germs cannot get into or out of the liquid, nor does it leak, however, it will evaporate over time.

It is made of latex- and phthalate-free plastic foil and contains an aqueous liquid. The liquid is fully encased by the plastic foil and does not come in contact with the patient or ultrasound probe. The aiSon™ Focus has barrier properties, so germs cannot get into or out of the liquid.

The aiSon™ Focus is designed to withstand up to 20 kg of force and conforms under pressure. The aiSon™ Focus is safe to use for all indicated applications with the typical levels of pressure applied to ultrasound probes. It will not burst unless force that significantly exceeds such levels is applied. Please refer to the official IFU for details about indicated use.

The aiSon™ Focus is designed to be compatible all linear and convex probes from any manufacturer with a transducer up to 7.6 x 2 cm. While it can work with other probes, as well, its shape may not be optimized for attachment to those (e.g., hockey-stick probes, phased array probes, etc.).

After pulling the aiSon™ Focus over the ultrasound probe and centering the liquid repository on the transducer, it is held in place with a strong rubber band. It is easy and quick to attach and remove with no training necessary (> 5 seconds).

Currently, there is only one version designed to fit most common linear and convex ultrasound probes.

It can be used in almost any specialty, but some of the areas that offer the most benefits are:

1. MSK sonography
2. Rheumatology
3. Hand & foot surgery
4. Veterinary medicine
5. Aesthetic medicine & dermatology
6. Emergency medicine

No. So far, the aiSon™ Focus has the CE-marking and is available in Europe and countries recognizing the CE-marking for medical devices. However, the aiSon™ Focus may be used in the U.S.A and other countries for less regulated environments and applications, in particular for research purposes and in veterinary medicine.