November 20, 2018 – Civco Medical Solutions will present Envision, the next generation of ultrasound probe covers and scan pads, at the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, Nov. 25-30 in Chicago.
Envision ultrasound probe covers and scan pads are viral barriers allowing for 100 percent gel-free ultrasound procedures. Radiology physicians and clinicians simply activate Envision with a sterile liquid to perform ultrasound procedures, removing the need for gel. The elimination of gel from procedures utilizing Envision can improve the quality of fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens, reduces the risk of contamination and simplifies workflow.
Envision covers can help improve the visibility of cells in FNAs by eliminating the need for gel from these procedures. Several studies show the adverse effects gel can have on FNAs:
- Impairs the visibility of cells and interferes with staining of cells1;
- Causes a significant increase in the number of slides with artifacts1;
- Causes widespread cell lysis, increasing the risk of misinterpretation and a false positive diagnosis2; and
- Mimics colloid, creating difficulty in differentiation between artefact and colloid.1,3
The removal of gel when using Envision can help reduce the risk of contamination during needle-guided ultrasound interventions or while scanning non-intact skin. Ultrasound gel has been shown to harbor and spread infection and can:
- Contribute to increasing nosocomial infection, the spread of hospital-acquired infections4,5,6,7;
- Cause bacteria to be introduced into the blood stream6,9; and
- Make the disinfection of sterilization process of devices, including ultrasound probes, less effective.8
The Envision ultrasound probe cover and scan pad enable physicians and clinicians to simplify workflow throughout a procedure.
- A quick-peel, silicone liner adheres safely to the probe face or to the patient’s skin – no gel needed inside the cover or applied to the patient;
- Apply a sterile liquid, such as sterile saline, to the Envision cover or pad, or directly on the patient’s skin, and begin scanning; and
- Pre-cleaning of the ultrasound probe is simplified without gel, before sending to high-level disinfection.
Envision is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance pending.
For more information: www.civco.com
References
1. A. Lalzad, D. Ristitsch, W. Downey, A. F. Little and M. E. Schneider-Kolsky “Effect of ultrasound transmission gel on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytological specimens of thyroid” Cytopathology 2012, 23, 330–333
2. A. J. Molyneux, S. B. Coghill “Cell Lysis Due to Ultrasound Gel In Fine Needle Aspirates; an Important New Artefact In Cytology” Cytopathology 1994 5, 41-45
3. Royer MC, Davidson DD, Dimitrov RK, Kuo CY, Kokaska MS “Ultrasound gel causes fine needle aspiration artifact? A clear choice.” Acta Cytol. 2012;56(2):146-54
4. Oleszkowicz SC, Chittick P, Russo V, Keller P, Sims M, Band J. “Infections Associated with Use of Ultrasound Transmission Gel: Proposed Guidelines to Minimize Risk” Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Dec. 2012, vol. 33, no. 12
5. Esteban C. Nannini, Adriana Ponessa, Rosa Muratori, Patricia Marchiaro, Viviana Ballerini, Luis Flynn, Adriana S. Limansky “Polyclonal outbreak of bacteremia caused by Burkholderia cepacia complex and the presumptive role of ultrasound gel” The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases 2015;19(5);543-545
6. Shaban RZ, Maloney S, Gerrard J, Collignon P, Macbeth D, Cruickshank M, Hume A, Jennison AV, Graham RMA, Bergh H, Wilson HL, Derrington P “Outbreak of health care-associated Burkholderia cenocepacia bacteremia and infection attributed to contaminated sterile gel used for central line insertion under ultrasound guidance and other procedures” AJIC 45 (2017) 954-8
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory tract infections associated with contaminated ultrasound gel used for transesophageal echocardiography - Michigan, December 2011-January 2012.” MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012 Apr 20;61:262-4.
8. William A. Rutala, Ph.D., M.P.H.1,2, David J. Weber, M.D., M.P.H.1,2, and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee “CDC - Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008” www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/disinfection-guidelines.pdf
9. Australian Government Department of Health Therapeutic Goods Administration “Safety Advisory – risk of bacterial contamination” 2017 https://www.tga.gov.au/alert/meditech-ultrasound-gel
November 18, 2025 
