Reliability isn’t a goal in vascular diagnostics—it’s the baseline for safe, effective patient care. Unreliable tools create uncertainty for both clinicians and patients alike, wasting precious time and essential staff resources.
Doppler probe tools are essential in sterile, OR settings; consequently, even small reliability issues caused by traditional tethered, corded Dopplers can slow down teams when every moment counts. And with hospital labor costs accounting for 56% of expenses,1 whenever staff efforts are hampered by unreliable equipment, healthcare systems feel the pain.
Design That Can Help or Hinder
There are several key ways a Doppler tool’s design can help or hinder OR teams. From the number of operators needed to audio considerations to sterility, the way a Doppler is made can be an OR team’s best friend or biggest enemy.
Single-User Simplicity
Traditional vascular Dopplers with bulky cords require a second operator, tying the hands of an essential care team member while introducing potential risks of infection in the most sterile setting. Something as simple as a cordless build supports OR teams when every second (and every spare set of hands) counts.
Developed with the direct input from over 100 of the nation’s leading clinicians, VascuChek® handheld Dopplers are designed for single-operator use. The transceiver delivers three hours of continuous use off a single charge to keep OR teams in motion.
Audio Volume and Clarity
Any Doppler can produce blood flow audio feedback—the real question is, can the operator clearly hear that audio feedback over the din of a busy operating room? The new VascuChek handheld Doppler offers two integrated speakers, plus based on input from clinicians, it is now designed for louder and clearer audio even in the busiest ORs. With a new external Bluetooth® speaker for added volume, clinicians can clearly hear the blood flow and proceed with confidence.
Protecting Patient Safety in Sterile Settings
Traditional equipment further requires constant sterilization to ensure safety in OR settings, adding more manual labor to the equation.
VascuChek is the first cordless and rechargeable handheld Doppler FDA-cleared for evaluating intraoperative and subcutaneous blood flow inside a sterile field, with single-use probes and sterile sheaths to ensure optimal patient safety.
Traditional Doppler probes require lengthy, costly reprocessing efforts between each use. But, with single-use Doppler probes and sheaths, there’s no need for reprocessing or lengthy sterilization efforts; clinicians and nurses can simply click a new probe into place, then pull and seal the easy-to-use sheath, saving time and effort while safeguarding against healthcare-acquired infections.
And, single-use surgical probe tips are an affordable option to reprocessing, with many systems incorporating the cost into patient billing.
Margins Too Thin for Equipment Failure
Traditional Dopplers are rife with potential points of failure. Cords fail, batteries lose charge, equipment breaks regularly. A single Doppler’s functionality may seem minor, but for health systems who are already feeling financial pressures, these kinds of issues can add up fast.
According to a recent study from PwC, hospital year-end margins dropped to 2.1% in 2024—down from 7% in 2019. Coupled with new federal policies and legislation that reduce healthcare spend over the next 10 years,2 medical equipment that doesn’t work further imperils a health system’s bottom line. And with healthcare costs projected to rise 9.5% in 2026,3 hospitals need equipment they can count on now more than ever.
It’s not just an issue of equipment costs; Doppler failure causes disruptions to staff workflow that carry their own price tag. Traditional Dopplers are prone to malfunction, necessitating trips out of the OR to replace faulty cords and depleted batteries. Those errands, coupled with the time it takes to scrub back in for the procedure, can drastically extend the length of the procedure—and stretch overworked and understaffed clinicians beyond the breaking point.
VascuChek Dopplers are manufactured by Remington Medical, an industry-leading Class II medical device manufacturer since 1992. The company’s tools are relied upon by 88% of the top-ranked cardiology surgery hospitals and facilities, making VascuChek Dopplers a trustworthy tool even in the busiest ORs.
Raising the Standard with Modern, Handheld Dopplers
In today’s high-stakes healthcare environment, every patient interaction matters; VascuChek’s cordless, intuitive Dopplers provide consistency and ease of use during essential blood flow assessments.
When clinicians are equipped with portable Dopplers they can trust, they can deliver blood flow assessments with ease, ensure efficiency for short-staffed teams, and deliver better patient care.
Modern, handheld Dopplers like the new VascuChek Doppler eliminate the weak links of older, tethered devices. With a simple interface and effortless portability, VascuChek can help reduce operator variability and empower correct use at every instance.
VascuChek’s reliability empowers clinicians to deliver faster, more confident blood flow analysis, ensures better workflow efficiency, and improves the quality of care, even in the face of ongoing economic pressures and uncertainty.
Move Forward with VascuChek
With hospitals operating on such razor-thin margins with little relief in sight, the efficiency of every medical device matters more than ever. The new VascuChek Doppler is louder and clearer, for a reliable experience in the OR and beyond.
If you’d like to learn more about how VascuChek Dopplers can safeguard your quality of care and your bottom line, connect with us to schedule a demo.
Sources:
- Cost of Caring: Challenges Facing America’s Hospitals in 2025. https://www.aha.org/costsofcaring
- Behind the Numbers 2026: No Let Up in Sight. Medical Cost Trend Set to Grow at 8.5%. Is Your Playbook Ready? https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/behind-the-numbers.html
- Southwick, Ron. Health Care Costs Projected to Rise by 9% in 2026, Survey Says: 8 Takeaways. https://www.chiefhealthcareexecutive.com/view/health-care-costs-projected-to-rise-by-9-in-2026-survey-says-8-takeaways