| Ultrasound printers require special thermal ultrasound | | | | of the end user. For example, thermal products |
| paper. | | | | designed for ultrasound medical imaging have |
| Ultrasound machines have computers and software to | | | | significantly improved image stability over thermal |
| process video images and pass them to special | | | | papers formulated for short duration such as gas |
| printers, like the Mitsubishi P-93W ultrasound printer and | | | | station receipts. |
| the Sony UP-895MD ultrasound printer. | | | | Image life can be greatly improved, to seven years or |
| What is Ultrasound Paper? | | | | longer, by selecting the appropriate grade for the |
| Ultrasound paper is thermal paper, and is coated with | | | | application and storage precautions. Remember that |
| an "ink" compound that you can't see, and when heat | | | | ultrasound paper is thermal paper, as in "heat sensitive", |
| is applied to it, an image will appear. | | | | and therefor should not be stored or carried near a |
| How Does Ultrasound Paper Work? | | | | heat source. |
| To get the ultrasound paper to display the image that | | | | How is Ultrasound Thermal Paper Made? |
| you want, the printer instructs the tiny print head | | | | Above it was stated that thermal paper is coated with |
| element to apply precise amounts of heat to cause a | | | | chemical compound. It feels kind of slippery, and often |
| reaction that creates a dark image. | | | | has an odd chemical smell. That is due to the chemical |
| * What Type of Ultrasound Paper Can I Get? You | | | | coatings. The chemical coating is what reacts to heat. |
| can get thermal ultrasound paper in rolls. | | | | Chemicals on the ultrasound thermal papers can |
| * It also comes in sheets. | | | | consist of dyes, antioxidants, inert pigments, and |
| * You can print color images onto color ultrasound | | | | waxes, among other things. |
| thermal papers. | | | | According to patent holders Sharad Mathur, Ivan |
| * You can print black and white images. | | | | Petrovic, David Lewis, Xiaolin D. Yang, and Ernest M. |
| There are many types of thermal papers that you can | | | | Finchhermal thermal paper usually consists of at least |
| get for a variety of applications. Some papers are | | | | three layers: |
| coated with a compound that will display an image on | | | | 1. Substrate layer: This is simply the paper layer. |
| paper for a long time, and less expensive papers will | | | | 2. Base layer: This includes a binding element, which |
| maintain a visible image for a short time. The life of the | | | | can consist of such things as starches, gelatin and |
| image depends on two critical criteria. | | | | certain alkali salts. Another component of this layer is |
| 1. Ensuring that the papers are matched to the | | | | what's called a porosity improver, which helps heat |
| ultrasound printer so that the image color will fully | | | | travel through the paper. |
| develop. | | | | 3. Active layer: This layer contains a colorless chemical |
| 2. Selecting the appropriate grade to match the needs | | | | formula that reacts to heat. |