Use of a precise and portable flow standard to improve the accuracy of medical and scientific laboratory flow measurements

The authors have used a portable and precise flow standard to assist in the evaluation of a number of instruments and technologies that are commonly utilized to determine flow and/or velocity of a liquid in both the medical and non-medical laboratories. They have demonstrated the kind of error that one gets from medical ultrasound equipment when random checking of the equipment is performed. They have determined that it is easy for medical ultrasound technologists to incorporate a factor in their peak velocity or flow calculations to convert their qualitative data into reliable quantitative data. The portable flow standard has been used extensively in the authors´ laboratory to allow quick and accurate checking of various electromagnetic, ultrasonic and optical flow evaluation probes. Finally, the authors have utilized this portable flow standard to assist in the initial set-up and debugging of laser-based hydrodynamic systems and have found it indispensable in these particular applications. More work is ongoing evaluating the long-term reliability of this device