Ultrasound is a diagnostic technique that involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures. It is used by the medical practitioners to detect abnormalities inside the body. Ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that helps to view the structure and movement of the internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
The various types of ultrasounds in use are:
- Slice or 2D Ultrasound
- 3D Ultrasound Imaging
- Doppler Ultrasound
Ultrasound is used for:
- Ultrasound is used by medical practitioners to diagnose symptoms such as pain, infection, swelling, and hematuria.
- Ultrasound is used to diagnose various internal organs such as:
- Blood vessels and heart, including the abdominal aorta and its major branches
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Gall bladder
- Spleen
- Eyes
- Kidneys
- Bladder
- Ovaries, uterus, and fetus in pregnant ladies
- Thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Brain
- It is also used to:
- Guide procedures such as needle biopsies, in which needles are used to extract sample cells from an abnormal area for laboratory testing.
- Guide biopsy of breast cancer by imaging the breasts.
- Detecting the conditions of heart attack.
- Tumour and congenital defects
- Clots
- Narrowing of vessels
- Looking for masses in the colon and rectum
Ultrasound Machine: An ultrasound machine is basically a combination of a transducer, computer and peripherals, and a video display screen used to scan the body organs and blood vessels. Transducer is a handheld device, similar to a microphone, attached to the scanner by a cord. The transducer is used to send the sound waves inside the body which then listens to the echoes that come back after reflecting from body tissues and organs. It basically follows the principle of SONAR. The image is then displayed on the console that is used for diagnostic purposes.
Ultrasound Procedure: It involves the principle of sound waves to create images of organs and structures inside your body. Physicians or radiologists measure the echo waves that return after hitting an organ or a tissue and compare the distance, size, shape, and consistency of organs.In an ultrasound test, a transducer sends the sound waves and records the echoes of these waves. Practitioner presses the transducer against the skin and small pulses of inaudible, high frequency sound waves are transmitted inside the body. As the sound waves bounce off of internal organs, fluids and tissues, the sensitive microphone in the transducer records tiny changes in the sound's pitch and direction. These signature waves are instantly measured and displayed by a computer, which in turn creates a real-time picture on the monitor. One or more frames of the moving pictures are typically captured as still images.
Benefits of Ultrasound:
- Ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic tool and is usually painless.
- Commonly used imaging technique and is less expensive then other imaging procedures.
- The images produced after an ultrasound is quite clear that helps to analyze the changes that occur in various organs inside the body.
- This imaging technique is beneficial even for pregnant ladies that help to determine the growth of the fetus.
- It is not harmful as other imagind techniques such as X-rays.
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