Disclaimer: The information herein is not intended to replace the product’s User Manual. Please consult the User Manual for comprehensive information and cautionary guidance about the product’s operation and use.

The Lung Protocol provides a template to systematically acquire and evaluate thoracic ultrasound images. Images will be acquired in a defined order by thorax area. After completing image acquisition for whole thorax, each area can be reviewed and scored or qualitatively assessed. A simple report is summarizing findings. The lung protocol can be configured by number of thoracic areas, and by choice between qualitative assessment and scoring. With the latest app update, the user can set the default preset selecting between lung preset (linear transducer) and cardiac preset (sector transducer).


The application performs the following functions:

1. Automatic lung preset selection

2. Guides or helps assessing the stored images

3. Helps to calculate a total lung score

4. Generates a simple report at the end of the exam


Lung Protocol Settings

1. Press Start a protocol on the Menu screen.


2. Press the Lung Protocols Settings icon on the Protocols screen to choose the desired settings.

Start a protocol

Settings screen displays.

Settings

Settings menu has the following functions:

  • choose the number of segments to be scanned
  • choose the type of assessment
  • enable/disable the Help mode.


Number of Segments

Three different configurations are available for the number of segments. Press on the radio button to choose any one of the following:

  • 4 x 2
  • 7 x 2
  • 6 x 2

Types of Assessment

Two types of assessment are available. Press on the radio button to choose the desired type of assessment.

  • Quantitative
  • Qualitative


Help mode

Help mode helps the user with tips during the Lung Protocol.

Swipe from left to right to turn ON the Help mode on the Lung Protocol Settings menu. See figure 'Settings' above.

Help mode assists in the following:

  • Skip - when you enter the next segment, swipe from right to left to skip the current segment.
  • Next - swipe from right to left to enter the next segment.
  • When multiple images are scored in the same segment, a pop-up appears:

“Only latest saved image will be available for review”.


3. Press the Back arrow to return to the Protocols screen.

Back arrow


4. Press Lung Protocol to start using the lung protocol.


NOTE: The settings are automatically saved. If the settings need to be changed, stop the current protocol on the menu screen and modify the current settings on the Settings menu.


Using Lung Protocol

1. Press Menu.


2. Press Start a protocol.


3. Press Lung Protocol.

Lung protocol


4. The lung linear preset is automatically applied. The cardiac preset is added as favorite to easily switch to deeper organ scanning.

Preset menu


    Scan screen displays:

Lung protocol scan screen

  1. Displays current segment name
  2. Number and site indicator of current segment


5. Press Store to save the images or Cine loops for the current segment. The saved image icon appears at the upper left corner of the scan screen.


6. Swipe from right to left to move to the next segment, for example 1R to 2R, where 1R is the first segment of the right thorax. Similarly, 1L is the first segment of the left thorax.

OR

Swipe from left to right to move to the previous segment.

The number of segments that can be scored depends on the number of segments selected on the Settings menu.



NOTE: The user is able to store multiple images per segment. Only the latest saved image, for a particular segment, is available for review. However, the user can view all the images in the Gallery under the current exam.


NOTE: The appearance of the 'Gallery' icon indicates if an image and/or video is stored in the segment.


Review and score images

After all the images are stored for all the segments, a pop-up displays:

Score images


Press Score to score the images. Choose the score for each segment.

OR

Press Go Back to acquire more images.

Depending on the type of assessment chosen on the Lung Protocol Settings menu, either Quantitative or Qualitative assessment scores are displayed. Both the screens are shown below.

Quantitative and Qualitative Scores

1. Quantitative                                    2. Qualitative


NOTE:  It is not mandatory to score all images.


Lung Protocol Report

The report shows the current patient name, patient ID, and total lung score.

Quantitative report


Qualitative report


Press Save to save the report. The report is stored with all the images and videos from the gallery. 


Press Exams on the Menu screen to view the images and the report.


Exit Lung Protocol

1. Press Menu on the Lung protocol screen.


2. Press Stop current protocol. A pop-up displays.

 

Stop current protocol


 3. Press Exit to stop the protocol.