Which activity is performed annually?

• A. Calibrate intensity settings
• B. Electrical safety test
• C. Software update
• D. Recalibrate the ultrasound

Answer: (D)

Regular maintenance of PAM equipment focuses on keeping the therapy delivery accurate and safe over time. The ultrasound unit, in particular, can drift in how much energy it actually delivers due to aging components and transducer wear. Recalibrating the ultrasound aligns the device’s actual output with the set intensity, frequency, and treatment mode, and verifies beam characteristics and coupling. This annual recalibration ensures the dose you deliver to tissue matches what you prescribe, which is essential for both effectiveness and safety.

Daily or per-session verification of intensity settings is still important, but those checks are about immediate accuracy for a single treatment. Software updates happen when available and aren’t tied to a fixed yearly schedule. Electrical safety checks are also important and are often done annually, but they assess safety margins rather than confirming that the therapeutic output remains accurate over time.