Ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of internal structures. It is commonly used in obstetrics to visualize fetuses, but can also be used to view other organs and systems in the body. Ultrasound also has therapeutic applications, such as treating cataracts and kidney stones.
Ultrasound is an imaging technique used most often in the medical field for diagnosis or evaluation purposes. It is a completely non-invasive procedure that involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to map out an image of the body’s internal structures. The type of sound used, often called ultrasound, is at frequencies from two to 18 megahertz, far above the range that the human ear can detect.
The sound waves are transmitted through a portable probe known as a transducer, which also senses how the sound waves interact with the object being viewed. This data is translated into a visual image on a screen. These images are usually not very clear to the untrained eye, so a trained medical professional called a sonographer must interpret the image. The exact frequency emitted by the transducer is precisely controlled and will depend on the part of the body being imaged.
Ultrasound’s best-known use is in obstetrics, where it is used to visualize an unborn fetus. Fetal ultrasound serves a variety of purposes. The placement of the placenta, the relative position of the baby, as well as its gender and the health of its major organs can be determined through ultrasound. Potential complications and multiple births can also be detected, making ultrasound an invaluable tool in prenatal care. Barring any prior complications, it is typical for a routine fetal ultrasound to be performed when the fetus has reached a gestational age of 20 weeks.
There are also many other applications of ultrasound outside of obstetrics. Most areas of the body can be visualized through the use of ultrasound. The heart, bones, kidneys, digestive system, muscles and nerves are just some of the organs and systems that can be viewed with ultrasound. One of the only organs that cannot be observed well with this technique are the lungs, because they contain air, which prevents the ultrasound waves from passing through them.
The value of ultrasound as such is not only limited to diagnostics, but also has some therapeutic applications. For example, ultrasound can be used to clean teeth and treat cataracts. Concentrated in a certain way, it can also be used to destroy kidney stones and treat cancerous growths. Ultrasound has only been in widespread use since the latter part of the 20th century. Given the relative newness of this type of medical technology, further discoveries are likely to be made in relation to its usefulness for both diagnosis and treatment.
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