Ever feel like your PoCUS image lacks clarity? Like.. you’re over the right area of interest but the lines aren’t crisp enough? In this post, our PoCUS pearl is all about using focus mode to optimize your images. 

Why Does Focus Matter?

Ultrasound machines use tiny piezoelectric crystals to send and receive information. However, these beams aren’t always completely vertical—they can be set to converge at a certain point. ¹ By adjusting the focus zone, you’re concentrating the beams at a specific depth to maximize resolution right where you need it. Think of it like adjusting a camera lens!

Steps to Optimize Focus

1. Locate the Focus Cursor

• • On the Philips Sparq machines, this appears as small “<+” symptoms next to the image
  • Other machines often use a triangle or arrow marker on the screen’s right side.

2. Adjust the Focus Depth

• • Find the focus control button on your ultrasound machine.
  • Move the focus zone up or down to align your target structure.
  • On Philips Sparq, you’ll find this control here:

3. Watch Your Image Sharpen! 

• • B-lines? Bring the focus zone up to the level of the pleura for better definition.
  • Gallstones? Center the focus at the depth of the gallbladder lumen.
  • Heart valves? Adjust to the valve level for crisper leaflet movement.

Caveat: Not all machines have manual focus

• Some machines like Sonosite XPorte don’t allow manual focus adjustments
• Instead, they use dynamic (adaptive) focusing, meaning the machine automatically adjusts the focal zone at all depths (apparently)