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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ultrasound Research Technician

💰 $50,000 - $85,000

ResearchMedical ImagingClinical ResearchBiomedical Engineering

🎯 Role Definition

The Ultrasound Research Technician is a hands-on technical specialist who plans, executes, and documents ultrasound imaging studies for clinical and preclinical research. This role requires expert operation and troubleshooting of ultrasound systems (linear, phased-array, high-frequency), strong data acquisition and signal-processing skills, rigorous adherence to IRB/GCP/GLP protocols, and effective collaboration with investigators, clinicians, engineers, and regulatory staff. The technician supports study design, participant/animal handling, image reconstruction, and dissemination of results through well-documented methods that enable reproducible science.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Diagnostic Medical Sonographer / Registered Sonographer (RDMS)
  • Research Assistant in imaging or biomedical labs
  • Junior Biomedical Engineer / Imaging Technician

Advancement To:

  • Senior Ultrasound Research Technologist / Lead Sonographer
  • Imaging Scientist / Research Engineer (Ultrasound)
  • Clinical Research Coordinator or Project Manager (Imaging Trials)

Lateral Moves:

  • Clinical Sonographer (hospital/clinic)
  • Signal Processing/Data Scientist in medical imaging
  • Regulatory Affairs associate for imaging devices

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Operate and optimize clinical and preclinical ultrasound equipment (convex, linear, phased-array, high-frequency probes) to acquire high-quality imaging and raw RF data in compliance with study protocols and safety standards.
  • Design, implement, and refine ultrasound imaging protocols and pulse sequences in collaboration with principal investigators, ensuring parameters meet scientific and clinical objectives.
  • Perform systematic phantom and bench testing to validate imaging settings, quantify system performance (resolution, contrast, sensitivity), and document repeatability for publications and regulatory submissions.
  • Prepare and screen human research participants and animal models for imaging sessions, following IRB/ IACUC approved procedures, informed consent, and safety checklists.
  • Conduct transducer calibration, maintenance, and routine preventive service; log service activities, replace parts, and escalate hardware issues to vendors or engineering teams.
  • Acquire, annotate, and maintain high-fidelity imaging datasets (B-mode, Doppler, elastography, contrast-enhanced, shear-wave imaging) and ensure DICOM/PACS/DAT archival with complete metadata for reproducibility.
  • Capture and store raw RF and IQ data for offline beamforming and advanced signal processing, ensuring synchronization with motion capture, ECG, or other physiological signals where required.
  • Implement and validate image reconstruction and signal-processing pipelines using MATLAB, Python, C/C++, or GPU accelerated code; perform quality checks and document processing steps.
  • Execute QA/QC protocols daily, weekly, and pre/post-study to identify drift, artifacts, and equipment degradation; produce reports and corrective action plans.
  • Maintain rigorous documentation standards (SOPs, lab notebooks, electronic records) to support data integrity, GLP/GCP-compliant studies, and audit readiness.
  • Support recruitment and scheduling logistics for clinical imaging appointments, coordinate with nursing and clinical staff, and ensure participant comfort and safety during scans.
  • Train and mentor graduate students, postdocs, clinical sonographers, and new technicians on ultrasound hardware, scanning ergonomics, safety, and research protocols.
  • Assist in the preparation of IRB/IACUC applications, study amendments, device use descriptions, and other regulatory documents; ensure study activities remain in compliance with approvals.
  • Collaborate with software and hardware engineers to prototype and test custom transducers, FPGA/data-acquisition boards, and beamforming software; support bench-to-bedside translation efforts.
  • Manage consumables, sterile supplies, contrast agents, and inventory for imaging labs; maintain vendor relationships and contribute to capital equipment procurement decisions.
  • Coordinate and execute contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies under supervised protocols, including preparation, safe handling, and documentation of contrast agents.
  • Conduct animal handling and anesthesia support for preclinical ultrasound studies in accordance with institutional veterinary guidance and IACUC protocols.
  • Collect and pre-process imaging data for statistical analysis, machine-learning pipelines, and cross-modality fusion, ensuring anonymization and HIPAA compliance when applicable.
  • Generate figures, methods descriptions, and technical documentation for grant proposals, manuscripts, conference abstracts, and presentations; contribute experimental data and technical expertise to publications.
  • Troubleshoot real-time imaging issues during acquisitions (artifacts, probe misalignment, coupling problems), adapt protocols on-the-fly while preserving scientific validity, and rapidly document deviations.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary lab meetings, contribute to experimental design discussions, and propose hardware/software modifications that improve throughput, image quality, or safety.
  • Implement and monitor safety procedures including electrical safety, laser/optical integration safety (when applicable), biohazard containment, and ergonomic practices to reduce occupational injury risk.
  • Provide on-call technical support for scheduled clinical research imaging sessions and ensure backup equipment and contingency plans are in place to minimize downtime.

Secondary Functions

  • Support data curation, anonymization, and submission to institutional repositories and multi-site trial databases; ensure identifiers and metadata meet study specifications.
  • Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for new imaging methods, QA tests, and device handling to standardize multi-user labs.
  • Participate in vendor evaluations and acceptance testing for new ultrasound systems, providing technical requirements and acceptance criteria.
  • Assist investigators with budget planning related to imaging equipment, consumables, and personnel time tied to research grants.
  • Contribute to the lab’s data-management plan and advise on secure storage, backup strategies, and long-term archiving for large imaging datasets.
  • Facilitate cross-training sessions with radiology, cardiology, vascular labs, and engineering teams to broaden translational collaboration.
  • Help build annotated image libraries and ground-truth datasets for machine-learning development and benchmarking across projects.
  • Participate in outreach and training workshops that demonstrate research ultrasound techniques to collaborators, students, and external stakeholders.
  • Support pilot studies and feasibility testing for novel imaging modalities and hybrid systems (ultrasound + photoacoustics, ultrasound + MRI).
  • Maintain a registry of technical performance metrics and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to reduce variability in multi-operator studies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced hands-on experience operating clinical and research ultrasound systems (e.g., GE, Philips, Siemens, VisualSonics, Verasonics, FUJIFILM VisualSonics).
  • Proficiency acquiring and managing DICOM and raw RF/IQ data across B-mode, Doppler, elastography, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies.
  • Strong signal processing and image reconstruction experience using MATLAB and/or Python (NumPy/SciPy, scikit-image), including beamforming, filtering, and spectral analysis.
  • Familiarity with ultrasound hardware: transducer types, coupling media, probe calibration, and phased-array/linear-array concepts.
  • Experience with research DAQ systems and APIs (e.g., Verasonics SDK, LabVIEW, custom C/C++ or CUDA code) for real-time data capture and control.
  • Knowledge of QA/QC procedures, phantom testing, and performance metrics (axial/lateral resolution, contrast-to-noise ratio, sensitivity).
  • Practical experience with clinical research systems: PACS, DICOM routing, data anonymization, and secure transfer (HIPAA-compliant workflows).
  • Experience supporting IRB/IACUC-approved studies, including informed consent workflows, protocol compliance, and documentation.
  • Basic understanding of clinical trial operations and GCP/GLP principles as they relate to imaging studies.
  • Familiarity with image analysis software and platforms (OsiriX, 3D Slicer, ITK-SNAP) and ability to prepare data for downstream statistical or machine-learning analysis.
  • Experience with animal handling and ultrasound imaging in preclinical models (where applicable) following institutional animal care standards.
  • Competence in maintaining equipment logs, inventory systems, and managing reagent/consumable procurement for imaging labs.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent attention to detail and commitment to reproducible, well-documented research methods.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for clear documentation, training, and collaborator interactions.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple studies concurrently, and meet strict timelines in a fast-paced research environment.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to troubleshoot complex hardware and software issues under time constraints.
  • Collaborative team player who can work productively with clinicians, engineers, statisticians, and regulatory staff.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new imaging techniques, programming tools, and lab procedures.
  • Ethical conduct and commitment to participant safety, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance.
  • Teaching and mentoring aptitude to train junior staff and students on technical skills and safety practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Radiologic Technology, Biomedical Engineering Technology, or comparable technical field with hands-on ultrasound experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Radiologic Sciences, Electrical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
  • Master’s degree beneficial for roles emphasizing algorithm development, image reconstruction, or lead technical responsibilities.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Medical Physics
  • Radiologic & Imaging Sciences
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Biology / Physiology
  • Computer Science / Data Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of hands-on ultrasound imaging experience in clinical or research settings.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years supporting ultrasound research projects, experience with research systems (e.g., Verasonics, VisualSonics), and demonstrated contributions to protocol development, data processing pipelines, or peer-reviewed publications.
  • Prior experience participating in IRB/IACUC-regulated studies, QA/QC documentation, and multi-disciplinary research teams.
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