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Utune Medical
Medical Ultrasound Imaging Optimization

Set your protocol in minutes. Scan with confidence all day.

Utune's Optimizer fits your clinical day. A sonographer optimizes presets for the clinical site in minutes, locks them in, and moves on to patient scans with confidence. Because every patient image matters.

See how it works View the Optimizers
MinutesFrom setup to scanning your day
2 & 4mmLesion-mimicking spherical targets
USADesigned and made in the United States
See it in action

How Utune protects diagnostic integrity

A short walkthrough of the Optimizer and the imaging gaps it closes.

You Select, Test, and Tune Optimal Performance

Patient care begins with diagnostic imaging

At Utune, we believe quality imaging means quality care. Ultrasound is used more than ever for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, yet the risk of false positives and negatives remains because machines, transducers, and users vary. Utune's Optimizers eliminate that subjectivity, so clinicians deliver more accurate and reliable diagnostics every time.

Elevate

Raise confidence in every image set, so your data is clinically accurate and genuinely actionable.

Eliminate

Remove subjectivity from scans and strengthen data integrity across machines, transducers, and users.

Improve

Reduce image waste, rescans, and storage, along with the overhead costs that come with them.

The Problem

Is your ultrasound giving a false sense of accuracy?

Even when a QA protocol confirms proper calibration, default OEM presets can still produce false positives or negatives, putting patients at risk and driving unnecessary repeat scans.

Most QA tests only measure string, or linear target, visibility. A small change in field of view or focal zone can keep those strings visible while blurring the spherical targets that represent real lesions, so a flawed image still passes calibration.

The result is false positives and negatives that standard QA can pass, driving unnecessary repeat scans and real diagnostic risk.
Ultrasound comparison: spherical targets blur after a small field-of-view change
Utune Optimizer tissue-mimicking phantom
The Solution

The Utune Optimizer

The Optimizer is a tissue-mimicking phantom with randomized, lesion-mimicking spherical targets. A sonographer scans it, tunes the machine's presets to the clinical site in minutes, and validates true image integrity, then scans patients through the day with confidence.

Sees the real detail

Randomized 2mm and 4mm spherical targets mimic real lesions, revealing the diagnostic detail that string-only QA can miss.

Ready in minutes

Set and lock your scanning protocol on the Optimizer in minutes, tuned to the machines and presets your site actually uses.

Confidence all day

With validated presets, sonographers scan patients with confidence, reducing rescans, image waste, and second-guessing.

Optimized Clinical Workflow

Optimize once, then scan patients confidently all day

Utune fits the ultrasound clinical day. Set the scanning protocol on the Optimizer, lock it in, and move on to patient scans without second-guessing your image quality.

Select the application

Choose the Optimizer configuration, system, transducer, and preset for the exam you are about to run.

Test target visibility

Scan the randomized spherical targets across the depth and field of view that matter for that application.

Tune and document

Adjust the preset, then save the starting preset and a reference image, so the setting is documented and repeatable.

Scan with judgment and confidence

Start the clinical day from a consistent reference. It is a starting point, not a substitute for patient-specific adjustment.

Choose the right Optimizer

One platform, matched to your clinical applications

Small Parts Optimizer phantom
2mm Spherical Lesions

Small Parts Optimizer

Part no. UTN-01-002-1

Superficial applications for sites such as the thyroid.

  • Dermatologic ultrasound: small nodules and superficial lesions
  • Vascular imaging: small-caliber vessels
  • Musculoskeletal: fine tendon and nerve structures
Request details
Most common
General Use Optimizer phantom
4mm Spherical Lesions

General Use Optimizer

Part no. UTN-01-004-1

General parts applications for sites such as the breast and abdomen.

  • Abdominal: liver, kidney, and spleen at mid-depths
  • Obstetric: fetal anatomy surveys
  • General radiology: deep-tissue mass detection
Request details
Optimizers Bundle: General Use and Small Parts phantoms
2mm + 4mm Spherical Lesions

Optimizers Bundle

Part no. UTN-01-003-1

General, small, and custom parts applications in one package.

  • General Use Optimizer, 4mm spherical lesions
  • Small Parts Optimizer, 2mm spherical lesions
  • Coverage across superficial and deep-tissue exams
Request details
Technical Specifications

Engineered for precise, repeatable QA

Every Optimizer is built to defined acoustic and dimensional standards, so your results stay consistent across machines and sites.

1540 m/sSpeed of sound
2–18 MHzFrequency range
0.5 or 0.7dB/cm/MHz attenuation
2 & 4 mmRandomized spheres, 20%
View full technical specifications and part numbers

Part numbers

  • General Use, 4mm spheresUTN-01-004-1
  • Small Parts, 2mm spheresUTN-01-002-1
  • Optimizer BundleUTN-01-003-1

Technical specifications

  • Speed of sound1540 m/s
  • Frequency range2-18 MHz
  • Attenuation0.5 or 0.7 dB/cm/MHz
  • Scanning surfaceComposite film
  • Case materialPlastic
  • General Use, dimensions13.5 x 6.5 x 16 cm
  • General Use, weight1 kg
  • Small Parts, dimensions12.5 x 6.5 x 13 cm
  • Small Parts, weight0.8 kg

Target specifications

  • Spherical targets20%
  • Small Parts diameter2 mm +/- 0.5 mm
  • General Use diameter4 mm +/- 0.5 mm
  • PlacementRandomized
Variation of attenuation with frequency: f1.08 for 0.5 dB/cm/MHz, f1.1 for 0.7 dB/cm/MHz. Do not freeze. Do not expose to extreme heat. Confirm configuration and current documentation before ordering.
Why Spheroidal Lesions

The same machine. The same tech. A different diagnosis.

Real examples of how small preset changes create diagnostic risk that string-only QA cannot catch.

A 5mm field-of-view change hides the lesion

Changing field of view from 4.5cm to 5.0cm keeps the strings visible but blurs the spherical targets entirely. Because most QA tests only measure string visibility, that image still passes calibration despite missing critical diagnostic detail.

Utune's spherical target detection flags the loss of resolution before it reaches a patient.
Ultrasound comparison showing spherical target blur after a field-of-view change

A focal-zone shift creates a hidden dead zone

Two images, same machine, same transducer, same technician. The only change is a focal zone of 2.5 to 7cm versus 0 to 5cm. That small adjustment creates a dead zone where key structures become unclear, an error that could lead to a missed or incorrect diagnosis.

Utune's Optimizer identifies and corrects these blind spots before a scan ever reaches the patient.
Ultrasound comparison showing a dead zone created by a focal-zone change

Calibration drift produces a false positive

A physician reviewed two scans of the same patient on identical machines and presets. One appeared indeterminate; the other showed a suspicious lesion and led to a biopsy recommendation. Engineers found the second machine's calibration board had drifted, producing a false positive that could have caused an unnecessary, invasive procedure.

Utune would have detected this calibration error before patient imaging began, protecting diagnostic integrity and patient safety.
Ultrasound scan illustrating a calibration-drift false positive
The evidence base

Recommended by the standard. Validated in the literature.

The national QC standard now recommends exactly what the Optimizer does, independent research shows why routine QA falls short, and the method is published in Medical Physics.

ACR–AAPM Technical Standard · Revised 2026

Spherical-lesion testing is now strongly recommended.

“It is strongly recommended that the program include newer tests with randomly placed spherical lesions.”Section IV.C, Continuous Quality Control
“A newer method with randomly placed spherical lesions is available that provides more rapid evaluation of system sensitivity, contrast resolution and spatial resolution.”Section IV.B, Equipment Performance Evaluation
✓

The Utune Optimizer is a randomly placed spherical-lesion phantom, the test class this standard now recommends. Build it into your QC program and accreditation preparation today.

ACR–AAPM Technical Standard for Medical Physics Performance Monitoring of Diagnostic Ultrasound Equipment, revised 2026, referenced by the ACR Ultrasound Accreditation Program QC requirements. The ACR does not specify or endorse a particular phantom.

Why it matters

Routine QA misses more than you think

39.8%

of 676 transducers in routine clinical use at 32 hospitals showed a transducer error.

Mårtensson et al. · Eur J Echocardiogr 2009;10(3):389–94 · DOI
27.1%

of transducers classified fully operational one year earlier were defective on retest. Annual testing is not sufficient.

Mårtensson et al. · Eur J Echocardiogr 2010;11(9):801–5 · DOI
4 years

of clinical ultrasound QC data across more than 45 scanners and 265 transducers, supporting systematic, ongoing testing.

Hangiandreou et al. · Ultrasound Med Biol 2011;37(8):1350–7 · DOI

Independent, third-party research that frames the industry problem Utune addresses; these are not Utune studies.

Published research

The method is peer reviewed

Peer-reviewedMedical Physics · 2026

Assessing imaging performance with a random hypoechoic sphere phantom

Yu B, Wu D, Baiu C, Lu ZF · Med Phys 2026;53(1):e70278

Automated freehand method. About 5% variability across operators and scan speeds. NIH-funded.

Read summary

This study evaluated a Random Hypoechoic Sphere Phantom, 2 mm spheres at 20% volume fraction, the sphere technology used in the Utune Optimizer, with an automated analysis method built for simple freehand scanning, no mechanical guide required. Lesion signal-to-noise ratio (LSNR) measured by the algorithm closely matched visual assessment and responded as expected to changes in frequency, imaging mode, transmit power, gain, dynamic range, and focal depth. Measurement variability stayed near 5% across different operators and scanning speeds, supporting the method as an accurate, reproducible, and clinically practical way to quantify lesion detectability for routine ultrasound QA/QC.

PMID 41539936 · PMCID PMC12807791 · NIH R01 EB035394

Read on PubMed
Utune presentationPDF

Ultrasound image optimization, QC and QA

Utune Medical · 20-slide technical presentation

Real missed-finding cases, the slice-thickness problem, and why random spherical targets matter.

Read summary

Why conventional string-and-cylinder phantoms can miss what matters: real cases where two same-model machines with the same transducer passed routine QC yet rendered the same nodule easy on one system and nearly invisible on the other. The presentation walks through the slice-thickness problem, the case for high-density randomly distributed spherical targets (1-10 mm, with 3-5 mm suiting most applications), and how a phantom image acquired at the start of an exam can serve as a standardized reference for radiologists and AI-based tools. It closes with the published Figure 6 validation data and the ACR-AAPM technical standard language (revised 2026) recommending randomly placed spherical lesion tests, the approach the Utune Optimizer implements.

Download the PDF
Team research3 papers

More peer-reviewed research from the Utune team

Co-authored by scientific co-founder Cristel Baiu

Tissue-mimicking materials, calibrated phantoms, and quantitative ultrasound. These studies did not evaluate Utune products.

View the 3 publications
  1. First standard quantification of ultrasound attenuation in healthy periodontal soft tissues in vivo
    Poul D, Betancourt AR, Samal A, Quesada C, Lynch T, Baiu C, Fowlkes JB, Chan HL, Kripfgans OD · Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 2026;52(10):2213–2224 · doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2026.06.010
    The attenuation technique was first validated with custom tissue-mimicking phantoms of known attenuation, then used to quantify high-frequency (24 MHz) attenuation of gingival tissue in vivo.
  2. Characterization of blood-mimicking fluids for quantitative flow imaging with ultrasound
    Ayala-Dominguez L, Baiu C, Castaneda-Martinez L, Esquivel-Sirvent R, Zeighami Salimabad M, Rosado-Mendez IM · Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 2025;51(8):1261–1275 · doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2025.04.012
    A preparation and characterization method that identified a blood-mimicking fluid formulation matching IEC 61685 reference values, evaluated in a calibrated custom-made microflow phantom.
  3. Three-dimensional US for quantification of volumetric blood flow: multisite multisystem results from within the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance
    Kripfgans OD, Pinter SZ, Baiu C, et al. · Radiology 2020;296(3):662–670 · doi:10.1148/radiol.2020191332
    Benchmarked a user- and machine-independent volumetric flow method on three clinical scanners at three laboratories, using a calibrated flow phantom.

The featured Medical Physics study evaluated a random hypoechoic sphere phantom supplied by Utune; co-author Cristel Baiu is employed by Utune, as disclosed in the publication. Its results are phantom-method results, not demonstrated improvements in patient diagnosis or AI accuracy.

Beyond the Optimizer · Custom Solutions

Custom phantoms and tissue-equivalent materials

Utune specializes in custom ultrasound materials engineered for tissue equivalence. We design phantoms to your acoustic specification, from speed of sound and attenuation to echogenicity, internal structure, and targets.

ResearchersDevelopersCliniciansOEMs
UltraPure High Dynamic Range Phantom
UltraPure ultrasound image showing nylon string targets
Nylon string targets, curved array, 16 cm depth
New · Patent pending

UltraPure High Dynamic Range Phantom

Customizable acoustic properties with water-equivalent echogenicity

Designed for high-dynamic-range ultrasound imaging and slice-thickness evaluation. The water-equivalent background returns very little signal, so filament targets stand out with a well-defined echo peak against a near-zero background.

Nominal values (22 °C)

  • 0.5 dB/cm/MHz at 5 MHz
  • 1540 ± 10 m/s
  • Water-equivalent echogenicity

Fully customizable

  • Internal structure
  • Speed of sound
  • Attenuation
  • Target materials and arrangement

Filament targets and slice thickness. The phantom shown uses 100 µm nylon monofilament targets. Alternative filaments are 25 to 100 µm nylon, stainless steel, or tungsten. Target strings run perpendicular and at 45° to the front wall, so slice thickness can be measured with the Skolnick method.

Independent UW–Madison acoustic measurements are included in the data sheet.

Request UltraPure details Download the data sheet (PDF)
UltraPure linear array image in the phantom and in air
Linear array, same scanner settings: in the phantom (left) and in air (right).
Grayscale profile across one UltraPure filament target
Grayscale profile across one filament target. It illustrates target visibility and does not by itself establish a maximum achievable contrast.
Tissue equivalence

Materials built to your specification

Tissue-mimicking materials matched to target speed of sound, attenuation, and backscatter, for research protocols, device development, and clinical QA.

Quantitative ultrasound

Ultrasound-derived fat fraction phantoms

Reference phantoms for testing and calibrating ultrasound-derived fat fraction measurements, with configurable combinations of speed of sound, attenuation, and backscatter.

Research and OEM programs

Custom geometry and targets

Internal structures, target materials and arrangement, and housings designed around your transducers, frequencies, and test methods.

Request a custom quote

It's time to eliminate the subjectivity

Because every patient image matters. Talk with us about optimizing your imaging protocols for your clinical site.

Contact Utune
Contact Us

Get in touch

Tell us about your clinical site and imaging goals, and we will respond promptly.

OriginDesigned and made in the United States