Basics of Ultrasound

Dr. Mohan Kumar

M.S.(Ay.)
 History

The bat use Ultrasound for navigation

 ULTRASOUND: BASIC
DEFINITION
 Ultrasound is acoustic(sound) energy in the form
of waves having a frequency above the human
hearing range(i.e. 20KHz)
 Ultrasound is a way of using sound waves to
look inside the human body.
Pan-Scanner - The transducer rotated in a semicircular arc
around the patient (1957)
Scan converter allowed for the first time to use the
upcoming computer technology to improve US
Ultrasound Parts
The Ultrasound Machine
A basic ultrasound machine has the following parts:
1. Transducer probe - probe that sends and receives the sound
waves
2. Central processing unit (CPU) - computer that does all of the
calculations and contains the electrical power supplies for
itself and the transducer probe
3. Transducer pulse controls - changes the amplitude, frequency
and duration of the pulses emitted from the transducer probe
4. Display - displays the image from the ultrasound data processed
by the CPU
5. Keyboard/cursor - inputs data and takes measurements from
the display
6. Disk storage device (hard, floppy, CD) - stores the acquired
images
7. Printer - prints the image from the displayed data
 ULTRASONOGRAPHY

• Ultrasonography or diagnostic sonography is an

ultrasound based diagnostic imaging technique used
for visualizing internal body structures.
 MAIN IMAGING
MODES

GREY SCALE DOPPLER IMAGING

IMAGING  Continuous wave Doppler
 Power Doppler
 A-Mode
 Color Doppler
 B-Mode  Duplex Doppler
 M-Mode  Pulsed wave Doppler
 A
MODE
Simplest form of ultrasound
imaging which is based
on the pulse-echo
principle.
A scans can be used to
measure distances.
A scans only give one
dimensional information
 Not so useful for
imaging
Used for echo-
encephalography and echo-
 B MODE

 B stands for Brightness

B scans give two dimensional

information about the cross-
section.
Generally used to measure
cardiac
chambers dimensions,
assess valvular structure
and function.
Development of the B-mode Ultrasound image quality
 M MODE

 M stands for motion

This represents
movements of
structures over time.
M Mode is commonly
used for measuring
chamber
dimensions.
This is analogous to
recording a video in
ultrasound.
 DOPPLER IMAGING

It is a general term used to

visualize velocities of moving
tissues.
Doppler ultrasound evaluates
blood velocity as it flows
through a blood vessel.
Blood flow through the heart
and large vessels has certain
characteristics that can be
measured using Doppler
instruments.
 BLOOD FLOW PATTERNS

LAMINAR FLOW TURBULENT

FLOW
• Layers of
(normal) flow • Obstructions
• Slowest disrupt laminar flow
wall at vessel • Disordered
• Fastest within directions of flow
center of vessel
TYPES OF DOPPLER ULTRASOUND

1. CONTINUOUS WAVE DOPPLER (CW)

 Uses different crystals
to send and receive the
signal
 One crystal constantly sends
a sound
frequency wave
the of aother
,single receives the
constantlysignal
reflected
2. PULSED WAVE
DOPPLER
 Produces short
bursts/pulses of
sound
 Uses the same
crystals to send and
receive the signal
 This follows the same
pulse-echo technique
used in 2D image
formation.
3. COLOR
DOPPLER
 Utilizes pulse-echo Doppler flow
principles to generate a color
image.
 Image is superimposed on the
2D image.
 The red and blue display
provides information regarding
DIRECTION and VELOCITY of
flow.
 Used for general assessment of
flow in the region of interest
 Gives only descriptive or semi
quantitative information on blood
flow.
4. POWER
DOPPLER
5 times more sensitive in
detecting blood flow than
color doppler.

It can get those images

that are impossible with
color doppler.

Used to evaluate blood

flow through vessels within
solid organs.
 APPLICATIONS

 Obstetrics and Gynecology

1. Measuring the size of the fetus
2. Determining the sex of the baby
3. Monitoring the baby for various procedures
 Cardiology
1. Seeing the inside of the heart to identify abnormal functions
2.Measuring blood flow through the heart and major
bloo vessels
 Urology
1. Measuring blood flow through the kidney
2. Locating kidney stones
3. Detecting prostate cancer at early stage
 RISKS

The two major risks involved with Ultrasound are:

 Development of heat:
Tissues or water absorb the ultrasound energy
which
increases their temperature locally.

 Formation of bubbles ( cavitation):

When dissolved gases come out of
solution due
to
 BENEFITS

 Images muscle, soft tissues very well

 Renders “live images” where most
desirable section is selected
 Shows structure of organs
 No long-term side-effects
 Widely available and comparatively flexible
 Highly portable
 Relatively inexpensive
 Spatial resolution is better in high frequency
ultrasound scanners
 LIMITATIONS

 Sonographic devices have trouble penetrating bone

Sonography performs very poorly when there is a gas

between the transducer and organ of interest

Body habitus has large influence on image quality

Method is operator-dependent

No scout image as there is with CT and MRI