Electromagnetic radiofrequency interference with Doppler equipment. 1991

D H Follett
Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, Bristol General Hospital, UK.

Doppler ultrasound equipments incorporate radiofrequency (RF) receivers operating at the microvolt level and are liable to interference from radiated fields and mains disturbances. The most significant interference routes are: radiation from radio broadcast, paging, communication and diathermy picked up on the transducer and patient acting as an aerial; and mains disturbances from diathermy, x-ray sets, motors and thyristor controls, etc, reaching the equipment interior. Direct mains interference can be reduced by proper design incorporating a mains filter, a low RF leakage enclosure, a ground plane, careful layout and further screening of the receiver circuits. Pick-up via the transducer occurs even if the signal leads are completely screened because an RF potential can exist between transducer and equipment enclosure due to the considerable impedance at RF of any wire or cable, typically 70 omega at 5 MHz for 2 m. This potential, reduced by about 50-60 dB, appears at the receiver input because of imperfect common mode rejection of the coupling cable. As a result, induced voltages above 100-300 microV may cause problems. It is shown that such levels can easily result from the interfering field strengths of 1 mV m-1 or more that may be experienced in a hospital environment. On the other hand, field strengths of 300 microV m-1, as generally allowed by regulatory standards at 3 m from interfering sources, should not cause much effect. Other interference can arise from modulation of a strong RF signal by mains frequency power components in the Doppler equipment and from associated computer circuits. These require careful layout to reduce electric and magnetic coupling, decoupling and filtering of power supplies and components, screening of RF circuits and particular attention to the reduction of power and computer signal currents flowing in RF signal earth paths. Finally, some initial simple acceptance tests for interference susceptibility are proposed, based on the application of 300 microV of RF signal between transducer body and equipment enclosure and 10 mV to the mains supply.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011846 Radio Waves Electromagnetic waves with frequencies between about 3 kilohertz (very low frequency - VLF) and 300,000 megahertz (extremely high frequency - EHF). They are used in television and radio broadcasting, land and satellite communications systems, radionavigation, radiolocation, and DIATHERMY. The highest frequency radio waves are MICROWAVES. Hertzian Waves,High Frequency Waves,Radiowave,Radiowaves,Short Waves,Very High Frequency Waves,Frequency Wave, High,Frequency Waves, High,High Frequency Wave,Radio Wave,Short Wave,Wave, High Frequency,Wave, Radio,Wave, Short,Waves, Hertzian,Waves, High Frequency,Waves, Radio,Waves, Short
D004864 Equipment and Supplies Expendable and nonexpendable equipment, supplies, apparatus, and instruments that are used in diagnostic, surgical, therapeutic, scientific, and experimental procedures. Apparatus and Instruments,Devices,Medical Devices,Device, Medical,Devices, Medical,Equipment,Inventories,Medical Device,Supplies,Device,Instruments and Apparatus,Inventory,Supplies and Equipment
D013677 Medical Laboratory Science The specialty related to the performance of techniques in clinical pathology such as those in hematology, microbiology, and other general clinical laboratory applications. Medical Laboratory Technology,Technology, Medical Laboratory,Clinical Laboratory Science,Clinical Laboratory Sciences,Laboratory Science, Clinical,Laboratory Science, Medical,Laboratory Sciences, Clinical,Laboratory Sciences, Medical,Laboratory Technologies, Medical,Laboratory Technology, Medical,Medical Laboratory Sciences,Medical Laboratory Technologies,Science, Clinical Laboratory,Science, Medical Laboratory,Sciences, Clinical Laboratory,Sciences, Medical Laboratory,Technologies, Medical Laboratory
D013679 Technology, Radiologic The application of scientific knowledge or technology to the field of radiology. The applications center mostly around x-ray or radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes but the technological applications of any radiation or radiologic procedure is within the scope of radiologic technology. Radiologic Technology,Technology, Radiological,Radiological Technology
D014465 Ultrasonics A subfield of acoustics dealing in the radio frequency range higher than acoustic SOUND waves (approximately above 20 kilohertz). Ultrasonic radiation is used therapeutically (DIATHERMY and ULTRASONIC THERAPY) to generate HEAT and to selectively destroy tissues. It is also used in diagnostics, for example, ULTRASONOGRAPHY; ECHOENCEPHALOGRAPHY; and ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, to visually display echoes received from irradiated tissues. Ultrasonic

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