Ultrasound machines use high-frequency sound waves to safely produce images of internal organs and tissues without using harmful radiation. The machines emit ultrasound pulses that bounce off tissues and are detected to generate live images on a screen. While initially used mainly for obstetric imaging, ultrasound is now widely used by doctors to examine many organs and guide procedures, making it a highly cost-effective diagnostic tool. When operated by trained technicians, ultrasound is considered very safe due to its non-ionizing pulses and short exposure times.

1. Ultrasound Machines & UltrasoundUltrasound Machines & Ultrasound
Ultrasound machines
used for diagnostic
imaging or therapy
emit ultra sound (high-
frequency) waves that
penetrate different
types of tissue in the
body. Diagnostic
equipment produces
images without using
harmful radiation as
with x-rays. Due to the
fact that ultrasound
machines do not
produce any ionizing
radiation it is very safe
for human beings.

2. Ultrasound Machines & Ultrasound
With their own easily
obtainable ultrasound
machines, doctors' offices
and clinics are able to
examine various organs in the
body on-site without having to
send patients to the hospital
or expensive medical imaging
centers. Compared to
magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and computed
tomography (CT),
ultrasonography is relatively
inexpensive and the
equipment is very portable.
With today's healthcare
environment ultrasound can
be considered the most cost
effective modern imaging
modality.

3. What is Ultra Sound?
Ultra- is used to describe
sound waves as in
"ultrasound", that which
exceeds a frequency that a
human ear can detect.
Normally a human ear can
hear approximately 20 hertz
to 20,000 hertz (1 hertz is one
cycle per second). Ultra
sound, used for diagnostic
imaging or therapy, can be
employed to analyze or treat
medical conditions. It applies
cyclical sound pressure
pulsed at a frequency higher
than the human ear can
detect, or 20,000 hertz, hence
the name ultrasound.

4. Components of an
Ultrasound Exam
Sonographers & Ultrasound
Technologists are trained
operators of ultrasound
machines
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - The
ultrasound machine's brain. The
computer that contains the
microprocessor, memory, amplifiers and
power supplies for the microprocessor
and transducer probe. The CPU sends
electrical currents to the transducer,
which in turn sends electrical pulses that
bounce off of the target and return
echoes. The CPU calculates the location
of thousands of points of echo origins to
produce an image for output such as a
monitor, a printer, a network drive; or a
disk.

5. Transducer Pulse
Controls
The transducer pulse controls can set
and vary the frequency, amplitude and
duration of the ultra sound pulses.
Electrical currents are applied to the
piezoelectric (PZ) crystals in the
transducer/ probe^, as selected by the
operator.
Display - The display turns processed
data from the CPU into an image.
Sonogram images have typically been
black-and-white, but newer ultrasound
machines can produce color Doppler
images.

6. Transducer Pulse
Controls
Display - The display turns processed
data from the CPU into an image.
Sonogram images have typically been
black-and-white, but newer ultrasound
machines can produce color Doppler
images.
Keyboard/Cursor - Ultrasound
machines have a keyboard and
a cursor. The keyboard allows
the operator to add notes and to
take measurements of the
image; the mouse enables the
operator to interact with the
ultrasound machines software.

7. Disk Storage - The processed data
and/or images can be stored. Storage
can include hard disks, compact disks
(CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), or a
network drive. Most of the time,
ultrasound machines store data with
the patient's medical records.
Ultrasound Printers - Most ultrasound
machines have thermal or digital
printers connected to them. Ultrasound
images are in motion (real time), but a
still/ frozen image can be captured at
any point and sent to the printer for
printing.

8. Ultrasound Uses
Ultra sound machines can be used on many objects, typically to
penetrate them and evaluate the reflections that occur, or to supply
concentrated energy. The ultra sound reflection signature can detail the
internal structure of the medium. The most well known exam performed
on ultrasound machines is the obstetric ultrasound exam (imaging of the
fetus). While many people relate this applied science with obstetrics only,
there are many other applications for ultrasound technology. Now a days
ultrasound is performed in small offices and private clinics. Within the last
decade many endocrinologists and otolaryngologists have turned to
performing ultrasound exams in the comfort of their own offices.
Identifying and diagnosing many ailments using ultrasound imaging has
steeply declined our death rate from a variety of diseases and conditions.
Medical diagnosis, which is crucial in disease treatment, has been a chief
cause in the overall improvement of healthcare outcomes. Ultrasound
machines have given a huge boost to medical diagnosis. Ultrasound
machines can visualize problems in patients' organs and other tissues by
bouncing ultra sound waves off of them and using a computer to plot the
many points received and portrays these plots into images on a monitor
or print them onto thermal paper.

9. Ultrasound Uses
Ultra sound machines can be used on many objects, typically to
penetrate them and evaluate the reflections that occur, or to supply
concentrated energy. The ultra sound reflection signature can detail the
internal structure of the medium. The most well known exam performed
on ultrasound machines is the obstetric ultrasound exam (imaging of the
fetus). While many people relate this applied science with obstetrics only,
there are many other applications for ultrasound technology. Now a days
ultrasound is performed in small offices and private clinics. Within the last
decade many endocrinologists and otolaryngologists have turned to
performing ultrasound exams in the comfort of their own offices.
Identifying and diagnosing many ailments using ultrasound imaging has
steeply declined our death rate from a variety of diseases and conditions.
Medical diagnosis, which is crucial in disease treatment, has been a chief
cause in the overall improvement of healthcare outcomes. Ultrasound
machines have given a huge boost to medical diagnosis. Ultrasound
machines can visualize problems in patients' organs and other tissues by
bouncing ultra sound waves off of them and using a computer to plot the
many points received and portrays these plots into images on a monitor
or print them onto thermal paper.

10. Diagnostics - Capture size, structure, and any pathological lesions; Scans
routinely conducted are obstetric, cardiac, renal, hepatic (liver) and
gallbladder. Other applications include musculo-skeletal (imaging of
muscles, ligaments and tendons), endocrinology and otolaryngology
(thyroid, salivary glands, and lymph nodes), ophthalmic ultrasound (eye)
scans and other superficial structures such as breast and testicles.
Ultrasound is also increasingly being used in trauma and first aid cases
by (the likes of) EMT response teams. Because of the real time nature of
ultrasound, it is often used to guide interventional procedures such as
fine needle aspiration FNA or biopsy of masses for cytology or histology
testing in the breast, thyroid, liver, kidney, lymph nodes. Vascular scans
are possible with the use of Doppler to display blood flow. Doppler is also
being used to evaluate the blood flow of organs and cancerous regions.

11. Therapeutic - pulverize kidney- and gall-stones; focused ultrasound
surgery; acoustic targeted drug delivery; cataract treatment; stimulate
tooth and bone growth; non-surgical treatment of varicose veins;
liposuction and lipectomy; bacterial cell killing; and acoustophoresis
(contactless separation, concentration, and manipulation of
microparticles and biological cells). Again the real time nature of
ultrasound assists in injecting medications into muscles and joints.
Industrial
Cleaning - teeth and medical / dental instruments
Humidifiers
Echo Location & Range Finding
Chemistry
Weaponry

12. Ultrasound machines use ultra sound
These waves are emitted by the
machine and bounce back when they
collide with normal tissue or tumors.
The reflections occur at boundaries
between different tissue types. The
machine times the reflections to
calculate distances and generate
images of the organs. The different
shades in an ultrasound image are
equivalent to the intensities of the
reflectors.
Ultrasound machines provide the ability
to view live images of our internal
organs. By using the controls provided,
a sonographer can view the exact
section of an internal organ. (Portable
machines are also available for
emergency medical teams.)

13. How an ultrasound is
done?
In an ultrasound scan, a real-time scanner forms a
continuous range of images of a subject and places it on
the monitor. A transducer is used to produce these waves.
The recurring ultrasound beams scan the subject and then
go back to the transducer after reflection. The data
obtained from the different reflections recomposed in the
form of a picture that is displayed on a screen.
Ultrasound imaging is a complex medical procedure that
requires prior training. The potential health risks that
generated high frequency waves can produce damaging
the body tissue if exposure is too lengthy warrant this. As
such, only professional doctors and registered diagnostic
medical sonographers with experience in their field of
expertise can correctly regulate the duration of an exam.

14. Is Ultrasound Safe?
When applied by trained
ultrasound technologists or
sonographers, ultrasound
machines are generally safe with
no known risks to patients because
ultra sound machines do not use
mutagenic ionizing radiation. If
applied at length or at higher than
diagnostic power, there potentially
could be three effects created by
ultrasonic energy: These could be
enhanced inflammation; heating of
soft tissue from molecular friction;
and/or production of microscopic
bubbles in living tissues which
creates distortion of the cell
membrane. This though is not
known to occur at diagnostic
power levels used by modern
diagnostic machines.
Ultrasound machines use Ultra sound
in a generally safe manner. What
makes medical sonography safe is its
high frequency and low loudness, lack
of radiation, and skillful application by
trained sonographers. When it comes
to ultrasound, machines of this
complexity are only to be used by
trained ultrasound technicians or
sonogram machine operators who are
experts in medical ultrasound.
Machines are very expensive and
highly advanced.Article Source:
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