GE Vivid T8: degraded image and Doppler quality
What happened
Complaints about poor ultrasound image quality; on another unit the same probes gave a good picture. As reported in the case, the 3Sc-RS probe also showed poor image and Doppler while the unit's other probes ran normally.
What was checked
- Swapped the probes to a known-good unit: with the same probes the image was good there, so the fault was localised to this unit, not to the probes.
- Compared performance between the probes on the faulty unit: since degradation also appeared on the 3Sc-RS while the others ran normally, the problem was not confined to a single probe.
Cause
The engineers found that the image and Doppler degradation was caused by electrical interference conducted through the mains supply into the unit.
What was done
Ferrite rings were fitted on the unit's power cord to suppress the mains-borne interference. As reported in the case, image quality recovered and the issue was closed as solved.
Safety
After any work on the power cord, including adding ferrite rings, check that the cord and connectors are undamaged and run the manufacturer's electrical safety tests (protective earth continuity and leakage current) before returning the unit to clinical use.
Lesson: When image quality is poor only on one unit, first prove the probes are good on a known-good machine — simple mains-noise suppression can then solve the problem without spare parts.
Covered in the course: Ultrasound Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.