Medical Ultrasound > What is Medical Ultrasound? > Back to Medical Imaging
Dr Jack Jellins AM PhD (Hon)MD
Ultrasound Imaging and Education
Ultrasound imaging is an excellent non-invasive, safe and painless mode to examine patients. The technique involves scanning the patient’s body with sound waves to produce an image.
There’s a variety of ultrasound imaging equipment. Hospital clinical departments have quite expensive, large sophisticated models capable of producing high quality diagnostic images of patients.
In urgent cases away from the main clinical departments , medical staff may have to use a smaller, portable, relatively cheap ultrasound imaging equipment. This is known as ‘point-of-care screening’ (PoCUS).
Ultrasound Scan Images
The most common ultrasound scan is a 2-dimensional (2D) image. A 3-dimensional (3D) image can be produced by recording a series of two-dimensional ultrasound images.
The 3D image is better because it shows the anatomical structures more clearly.
Further advances in technology have made it possible to obtain 4-dimensional (4D) images. This is by continually recording and updating the 3D image data in real-time. The image can display moving organ structures.
The ultrasound imaging equipment can also measure blood flow. Using what is called the ‘Doppler Principle’, the ultrasound device measures the speed and direction of the blood. Consequently, it has the added bonus of being able to show the blood flow in colour on the 2D or 3D image.
The Ultrasound Imaging Procedure
What to expect during an ultrasound procedure is nicely described in this youtube video produced by I-Med Radiology Network.
In our next ultrasound article, we will explain:
Jack Jellins AM PhD (Hon) MD, 8 June 2019
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Please Note:
Articles and news of interest will be continually updated or revised to keep subscribers up-to-date with healthcare technology improvements.
So, make sure you register for news and posts and become one of the many betterhealthcaretechnology.org followers and supporters.
Medical Ultrasound > What is Medical Ultrasound? > Back to Medical Imaging
0 Comments