Ultrasound Scan

Ultrasound Scan | Most pregnant women had undergone ultrasound scanning process. Particularly the mothers who get pregnant the first time; they will be very excited to see their baby floating in the womb. Black and white screen image of growing fetus will make the mother very excited. The father will also be happy.

But, ever get to know, what is ultrasound? And what is ultrasound scanning?

Ultrasound is a physical phenomenon frequency sound waves to produce more than 20 kilohertz sound. 20 kilohertz (kHz) means the sound waves that vibrate with a frequency of twenty thousand times per second. This noise can not be captured by the human ear. The human ear is only capable of capturing sound in the range of 20Hz to 20kHz only. Some animals are able to communicate with produce or listen to the voice of more than 20 kHz. Unlike infrasound, Infrasound is vibration with a frequency less of 20 Hertz. For example is elephants, to communicate with the other, elephant using infrasound and can be herds as far as tens of kilometers.

Ultrasound Scan

An ultrasound scan is signifies that a process using ultrasound imaging with the basic principles of sound wave reflections. Sound signals emitted by the transducer held in the hand and the reflection echoes that come back after bumping objects, mass or tissue in the body will be received and interpreted and translated into black and white image. Although the principle is quite complicated, but through innovation ultrasound scientists have managed to create emotional moments of a young couple.

Object detection with echo phenomenon is not new. Bats and dolphins have been making ends meet with this principle since ages. This is called 'echo-location'. In shipping and defense, radar and sonar systems using this principle. A doctor named Ian Donald ethnic Scots have used this principle for the first time in gynecological medicine in 1957.

Since its discovery in 1957, ultrasound has undergone numerous developments and reforms. At the very beginning of its creation, ultrasound machines also use a bath tab. The subject will sit in the water while a transducer mounted on the gantry and rotates around the subject. Seemingly similar to MRI machine. (Note: sound waves travel more efficiently through the water medium). With the advancement of computer systems and the creation of ultrasound gel, ultrasound machines become smaller and the resulting image is also becoming more beautiful and vivid high resolution.

Against popular belief, ultrasound is not to see the fetal invigorate young couple only. Ultrasound is also used as a diagnostic tool in a variety of diseases and other medical conditions. Examples of the use of ultrasound in areas of obstetrics and gynecology (obstetrics and gynecology: O & G), including cardiology (echocardiography), general surgeons (to detect gallstones, liver cancer), urology (detect kidney stones, prostate size, tumor of the testis, male infertility), thyroid, orthopedic (tracking tendon injury), vascular (vein thrombosis, carotid arteries) and as a tool to take samples of fine-needle aspirates. Ultrasound scanning is also use in the early detection of breast pathology. Ultrasound imaging can not detect brain injuries because the waves can not penetrate the skull and also not useful to the lungs scanning because the lungs contain gas because the waves are not reflected effectively through the medium of gas.

Advantages of ultrasound imaging is that it does not involve beams of electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays (X-Ray), CT (computed tomography), MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) or PET (positron emission tomography). Ultrasound waves is physical vibration. Therefore, it is safe to use regularly. It also does not require a high cost also not using a lot of electricity, and suitable for the purpose of screening and early detection. Ultrasound machine does not consume space. Patients with klaustrofobia not have to worry carried into narrow spaces such as MRI machines and it does not cause discomfort such as mammograms.

Ultrasound scanning is the screening and diagnostic techniques that often help doctors in providing the best treatment for their patients. This non-invasive procedure can provide important information needed to make an accurate diagnosis. The patients do not have to worry about side effects or discomfort during the procedure if understand the principles behind ultrasonic sound waves.