Newsletter

Customer Feature - Hutson Angus

Hutson Angus is a large registered Angus operation based in Elk City, Oklahoma. Hutson Angus was introduced to ReproScan ultrasound equipment at the National Angus Convention in 2015. They discovered that ultrasound technology would be more efficient and provide better management tools than their method of preg testing at the time which was the BioPryn blood test.

Joe Sanders, the herd manager at Hutson Angus, went to The Graham School and spent one day with Frank Graham to learn to ultrasound. After going through setup and features of the machine, they ultrasounded cows until Joe was prepared to take the technology back to the ranch.

Equipment Care - Tips for Saving Battery Life

We have all experienced it, that dreadful moment when you turn on your machine…nothing. Your battery is dead. There are many reasons this occurs: forgetfulness, extended periods without use, extreme temperatures, battery age etc. What can you do to prevent your batteries from going dead? The simple answer is remembering to charge them, but there are other ways to elongate your battery’s life.

ReproScan’s equipment uses Lithium ion batteries. To learn more about your lithium ion battery, follow this link to the Battery University. Commonly, ultrasound equipment gets used seasonally. Therefore, the batteries often are not used for several months; this can be detrimental to the batteries. ReproScan recommends that you periodically charge your battery during the off season to keep a partial charge in the cells. Additionally, testing your batteries and chargers before the first day back may save you a headache later. Storing the equipment safe from extreme temperatures and large temperature swings will increase the longevity of the batteries.

Safety Precautions When Using Ultrasound

Let’s talk safety at the chute. Please continue this conversation with your co-workers and clients. It is a topic that needs to be discussed regularly.

Firstly, there is the safety of the person operating the ultrasound to consider. That is probably you if you are reading this and your safety is important to a lot of people. Make sure that you have enough training and experience for the different type of ultrasound scanning that you are asked to do. If you are not comfortable in some situations, discuss this with colleagues, staff, farmers and ranchers and make the changes necessary before proceeding.

Reproductive Ultrasound for Cow / Calf

There are 2 main types of reproductive ultrasound on cow calf operations. The first is the traditional “arm in cow” ultrasound that traditionally has been used for early pregnancy diagnosis and fetal aging (less than 120 days) and fetal gender determination in fetuses 58 to 80 days. The second type of reproductive ultrasound is extension arm ultrasound. With ReproScan equipment, this is done with a 4.0 MHz convex rectal probe on the extension arm (ReproArm). With the larger field of view provided by the 4.0 MHz convex rectal probe, more of the fetus can be seen at one time and pregnancy testings and some degree of fetal aging can be done from 30 days and up.

Tips, Tricks and Techniques - Cold Weather Stress On Your Ultrasound

It is cold here in Iowa! We have heard from numerous customers from around North America that winter is in full force everywhere. It’s a good reminder for us all that taking a bit more care if you are ultrasounding during this weather is beneficial to the longevity of your ultrasound equipment. When it is cold and windy, we recommend putting your ultrasound in a backpack. The heat generated from the battery will help keep the machine running smoothly. If the wind is blowing you might also wrap an old blanket or towel around your monitor if you feel that it is running slower than normal.

Equipment Care - Off Season Care and Storage

Preg checking season has come to an end for many northern ReproScan customers. It is all too easy to put your ultrasound equipment into the backroom without a thought. However, to get the most out of your ultrasound and viewing devices, ReproScan recommends that you fully charge your ultrasound battery as well as your monitor batteries, then run for 3 hours. Follow this link to the Battery University to learn more about lithium ion batteries. Storing your lithium-ion batteries while fully discharged greatly reduces their useful life. Additionally, store your equipment in a dry environment where it will not freeze or exceed 100F or 40C to reduce stress on your batteries.

AABP

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners 51st annual meeting and trade show was in Phoenix, AZ this year. In celebration we are offering an AABP sale to honor our large animal veterinarians for the month of September. Also, we did a drawing for a free 2.0 Wireless Monitor. A big CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Rathje from Wisconsin who won the drawing. He now will have the new wireless monitor that works great in bright sunlight. We greatly appreciate all of you who took the time to stop by the booth! We hope to see you next year in St. Louis.

Fall Photo Contest

ReproScan would like to see how you use your ReproScan Equipment. Send in your picture before Oct 27, 2017, for a chance to win a ReproScan accessory to fit your setup: (RAM Mount, Battery, Monitor Batteries etc). The only requirement is that ReproScan equipment is somewhere in the picture. Please send you picture to Elle: email: elle@repro-scan.com text: 515.468.7169. Please include your name and location where taken.

*Note: By submitting your photo you grant ReproScan permission to use and/or publish your photo for promotional purposes.

Why Train?

“Veterinary ultrasound equipment has helped a lot of people improve their ability to diagnose pregnancy and reproductive problems in beef and dairy cattle. People still need to continually ask themselves if they are using the equipment to the best of their personal ability and is the equipment set to the optimal settings for the type of examination being done. In the world of cattle reproductive ultrasound, many people work on their own and don’t have the opportunity to compare their skills to others and to learn more about setting their equipment.

Tips, Tricks and Techniques - Getting the Most Out of Your Battery!

It’s that time of year again… time to pull out the ultrasound and dust it off. Did you charge your battery in the off season? If not, you may not be getting the most out of your battery. Lithium Ion batteries do best if stored with a partial charge. Like most phones, ReproScan’s 2.0 Monitor has a constant slight draw on the battery, due to the touch screen. This means that even though you stored it charged, it would have died if not charged in the off season.