What Is Ultrasonography?
Seeing inside the human body is no easy feat, and, other than an invasive procedure, there is really only one way. That would be using ultrasonography, a technique that uses high-frequency audio waves to actually see muscles, organs, and other things inside the human body. It makes doing so fairly simple and allows doctors to inspect the body internally without harming it.
Features
A computer and a hand-held probe comprise an ultrasound machine, which is the primary equipment for ultrasonography. The probe delivers ultrasonic waves into the patient and receives them after they bounce off various internal tissue. The computer controls the machine and has a screen where you can see inside a person near where the probe is placed. In order to get the best results, doctors also apply a gel to the skin of the patient.
Function
The sonographer will control the frequency of the waves that the ultrasound machine produces on the computer screen. Different frequencies are better suited for viewing different internal tissues. The ultrasound machine emits pulses at these frequencies that pass through the gel applied to the patient and into the body. The gel helps keep down outside interference and allows for a better picture. When the waves hit a solid tissue, they bounce back and are recorded by the probe, which then sends the signal to the computer, which puts up a black and white image based on the distance of objects from the probe.
Types
There are four different modes of ultrasonography that are implemented. Each one achieves a different result. A-mode is simplest mode and focuses on a small, singular point in the body. It is also used therapeutically to relieve stress from tumors and other impurities. B-mode creates a 2-D image of the internal tissues it is aimed at, with different depths for each area. M-mode creates motion on the screen by sending out continuous streams of ultrasound waves. Doppler imaging produces more 3-D images and relies on the Doppler effect.
Benefits
Ever since ultrasonography came into play, doctors have been able to have fairly clear pictures of what is happening inside a person's body. It has made detection of tumors, lesions, and other ailments very easy and completely painless. Ultrasonography also makes it easy for expecting mothers to see their child and for the baby to be monitored as it grows. This has led to fewer problems in pregnancy and allows doctors to have a detailed history of a child's growth.
Expert Insight
There are two different ranges of frequencies that are applied in ultrasonography. They depend on what a sonographer is looking at exactly. Tissues closer to the surface and those that are thinner in general are seen using higher frequencies in the 7-18 megahertz range. This allows for a better range of viewing. Deeper, denser organs and tissues are viewed with a lower frequency, in the 1-6 megahertz range. Lower frequencies are able to go deeper into the body.
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