Bladder Scanners

Bladder Scanners Australia – Portable Ultrasound Bladder Scanners for Clinical Use

Safety and Mobility supplies portable ultrasound bladder scanners used by clinicians in hospitals, aged care facilities, and community health settings across Australia to non-invasively measure urinary bladder volume. Bladder scanners allow clinicians to quickly and accurately assess bladder volume at the bedside, guiding clinical decisions around urinary catheterisation, voiding dysfunction, urinary retention, and continence management without exposing the patient to the risks associated with unnecessary catheterisation.

Post-void residual (PVR) measurement, the volume of urine remaining in the bladder after voiding, is a key clinical parameter in the assessment of urinary retention, neurogenic bladder, and lower urinary tract symptoms. Portable bladder scanners deliver fast, reliable PVR measurements that enable evidence-based catheterisation decisions, support catheter removal trials, and contribute to catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) reduction programs in hospital and aged care environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How accurate are portable bladder scanners?
Modern portable bladder scanners use 3D or 2D ultrasound technology to estimate bladder volume with a high degree of accuracy in most clinical situations. Accuracy can vary depending on patient anatomy, body habitus, and operator technique. Clinical protocols typically define a threshold volume (e.g. above 300–400ml) that triggers a further assessment or intervention.

2. Do bladder scanners require a gel to operate?
Most portable bladder scanners use ultrasound transmission gel applied to the skin over the pubic area to ensure good acoustic contact between the probe and the skin surface. Some newer models use a minimal-gel or gel-free approach. Contact our team for specific requirements for individual models.

3. Can aged care nurses use bladder scanners?
Yes, portable bladder scanners are designed for use by trained clinical staff including registered nurses, enrolled nurses, and allied health professionals. Adequate training in correct probe placement and interpretation of results is important for accurate readings. Contact our team to discuss training resources available for our bladder scanner models.