The Many Uses of Ultrasound

 

When we hear of ultrasound machines the image that comes in our mind is of a pregnant lady getting her check-up done by a gynaecologist. But not many people are aware of its other uses. Ultrasound is used in many different fields. Ultrasonic devices are used to detect objects and measure distances. Ultrasonic imaging also known as sonography is used in both veterinary medicine and human medicine.

The world has advanced so has the technology. Earlier there used to be the big non portable ultrasound machines which used to cause many problems for doctors regarding portability. Although they had relatively heavy probes that produced outstanding real time resolution in the near and far field (because of highly focused beams resulting from the relatively large curvature transducers and the lens apparatus).

Then came the laptop sized ultrasound machines that were portable and were convenient for the doctors, specially for the vets who used to treat big animals like cow, horse. In most cases these mobile ultrasound systems could be carried by hand and in some cases even operated for a time on battery power alone.

Also there are the pocket size machine that enables the doctors to visually inspect the inside of a patient’s body during a physical exam. By providing real-time black and white anatomic and color-coded blood flow images at the touch of a button.

The innovations in ultrasound equipment (whether it’s a black and white ultrasound machine or a colors Doppler one) have made it easy for doctors to treat their patients.