Scanning infants adheres to the same rules as adults. However, the fixed probe width being wider than an infant’s neck necessitates a special protocol. If you are frequently scanning infants Titronics does offer a special infant scanner upon request. However using the adult scanner you will be using only one barrel/sensor to scan both sides of the spine, one side at a time. Once a patient has been selected via the Load Patient function, please follow these steps:

1. As with adults, pick up the scanner and pull the trigger. Once in the graph screen let go of the trigger. If you have previously selected a pattern from the patient’s database, you will be presented with it ready for an overlay of today’s scan. If you have not selected a pattern, you will see a blank screen with buttons at the top. 
2. Select the Infant Mode by hitting the I key or clicking on the button in the upper right area of the screen. You will be presented with a prompt reading READY TO SCAN.
3. Before you do anything else, you will need to mark a starting reference point for your scans. Using a pen, draw a horizontal line across the child’s spine as your scan starting point (remember to carefully palpate for your cervical or full spine starting point before drawing your line). You will now use only one barrel/sensor (the left one) to scan each side of the spine one at a time.
4. You will always start with the right paraspinal surface first. Place the wheels of the left barrel on the right paraspinal surface while maintaining the probe tip just above the skin and exactly on the drawn horizontal starting line.
5. Pull the trigger, but do not begin scanning immediately! First, a tone will be heard along with a screen prompt reading INITIALIZING SENSORS. Then you will be signaled to begin the scan with a second tone and the screen prompt reading SCANNING.
6. Begin scanning cephalad with an even cadence while maintaining the left probe tip just off the skin. When the hairline is encountered, gently press the probe down onto the skin to displace the hair. Stop the scan when the occiput is encountered and release the trigger before lifting the scanner off the spine. You will be presented with a prompt reading READY TO SCAN.
7. Now, place the wheels of the left barrel on the left paraspinal surface while maintaining the probe tip just above the skin and exactly on the drawn horizontal starting line.
8. Again, pull the trigger and wait for the sets of tones indicating when to begin the scan. However, this time do not stop at the occiput! Scan just past the termination point of the right paraspinal scan and release the trigger (the computer will reference the distance of the scan to your starting line and will only save the exact same amount of infrared signals as the right paraspinal scan).
    
9. Once you have terminated the left side scan, the thermal plotted graph will be immediately displayed on the screen. If you have selected a pattern for the patient (use Scan Utilities to select a pattern), or a previous scan has been performed on the same day, the current scan will be automatically overlaid. Hitting the ESC key, or clicking on the X box in the upper right area of the screen, will save the scan.
10. Unlike scanning adults, infant scan repeatability is dependent upon the scanner’s wheel encoder and the starting point of the scan. The reference point of each scan is the drawn horizontal starting line. Consequently, the only error involved will be your ability to start the scan at the same point each time.