THE ULTRASOUND WAVE

sound is mechanical wave that travels in a medium in a

Longitudinal and straight-line fashion. When a sound travels
through a medium the molecules of that medium are alternately
compressed (squeezed ) and rarefied (stretched ). Sound cannot
travel in a vacuum. it requires a medium for transmission as the
sound wave is a mechanical energy that is transmitted from one
molecule to another. It is important to note that the molecules do
not move as the sound wave passes through them they oscillate
back and forth forming zones of compression and rarefaction in
the medium. Ultrasounds are mechanical pressure waves with a
frequency above the upper limit for human hearing . the
frequency of Ultrasounds are higher than 20KHz it cannot be heard
.by humans. Ultrasounds used medically in obstetrics and gynecology
Ultrasonic waves can be characterized by physical parameters as the
frequency, pressure, amplitude, propagation speed, intensity and
.wavelength
The main Features of ultrasonic waves that are travel slowly , about
100,000 times slower than electromagnetic waves, The velocity of
ultrasounds depend on two physical properties of material of the
medium are the density and compressibility and can easily penetrate
.opaque materials

Interaction of ultrasounds wave with

:matter
1. Refraction:
The change in direction of a beam when it crosses a boundary
between two media in which the speeds of sound are different is
called refraction. In low density media such as air and other gases
. the velocity of an ultrasound wave is relatively low
:Attenuation .2
When an ultrasound wave propagates through a medium the
energy reduces (I. e. the energy is absorbed ) this phenomenon is
.called attenuation. it is a function of wave frequency
:Reflection .3
This occurs at interfaces between soft tissues of differing acoustic
impedance. The percentage of the sound reflected is dependent on
the magnitude of the impedance and the angle of approach to the
.interface
:Scattering .4
smooth surface is one of the main reflecting surfaces that contribute
.to scattering the sound waves

:Ultrasound scan
Ultrasound or ultrasonography is a medical imaging technique
that uses high frequency sound waves and their echoes The
technique is similar to the echolocation used by bats whales and
dolphins as well as SONAR used by submarines And used to
evaluate fetal development.

:The ultrasound scan work as follow

The ultrasound machine transmits high - .1
frequency ( 1 to 5 megahertz ) sound pulses into your
. body using a probe
The sound waves travel into your body and hit a boundary . 2
.between tissues
some of the sound waves get reflected back to the . 3
probe while some travel on further until they reach anther
boundary and get reflected
the reflected waves are picked up by the probe and . 4
. relayed to the machine
The machine calculates the distance from the Probe to . 5
.the tissue and and the time each return
The machine displays the distances and intensities of . 6
.the echoes on the screen(2D)

An ultrasonic transducer is a device capable of generating and

receiving ultrasonic waves It is essentially made up of an active
element a backing and a wear plate The active element is usually
a piezoelectric material that converts electrical energy to
.ultrasonic energy

:How is ultrasound generated

Ultrasound waves are generated from tiny piezoelectric crystals
packed within the ultrasound transducers When an alternate
current is applied to these crystals they contract and expand at
the same frequency at which the current changes polarity and
generate an ultrasound beam The ultrasound beam traverses into
the body at the same frequency generated. Conversely when the
ultrasound beam returns to the transducer these crystals change in
shape and this minor change in shape generate a tiny electric that
amplified by the ultrasound machine to generate an ultrasound
.image on the monitor

:Forming of ultrasound imaging

It is important to note that tissues that strong
reflectors of the ultrasound beam such as bone or air
appear a hyperechoic image on the monitor and weak
reflectors of ultrasound beam such as fluid or soft tissue.
the ultrasound beam travels in a longitudinal format in
order to get the best possible image keep the angle of
incidence of the ultrasound beam perpendicular to the
object of interest as the angle of incidence is equal to the
.angle of reflection