Ultrasound, also known as sonography, is an imaging method that provides a real-time image of how structures within the body look and move. Most commonly, people associate Ultrasound with images of fetuses or embryos during pregnancy.

 

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves combined with other technology to present a real-time visualization of internal structures.

 

High frequency sound waves are transmitted into your body through a transducer probe that is placed above the area of the body that is being studied. The sound waves travel into the body and some are reflected back to the probe when they reach a boundary, such as between soft tissue and fluid, or soft tissue and bone. Other sound waves continue on until they reach another boundary and are then reflected back to the probe. The probe relays the information back to the machine that visualizes the structures. The Ultrasound then calculates the information based on distance and speed, and creates a two-dimensional visualization on the screen. Millions of pulses and reflections are transmitted during a typical ultrasound.

  

As mentioned, Ultrasound is most often used to visualize an embryo or fetus within the female uterus, but it is also used to visual organs, such as the heart, eyes, liver, kidneys and bladder. These studies demonstrate the movement of blood and organ function. Because Ultrasound is real time, it is also used to help guide other procedures, such as needle biopsies.

 

A special type of Ultrasound, know as Doppler ultrasound is used to diagnose blood clots, narrowing blood vessels, or tumors. It measures the change in echo frequency, calculating how fast the object being scanned is moving. This type of Ultrasound is used mostly to measure the rate of blood flow through the heart and major arteries.

 

Your Exam
Typically, an Ultrasound study will take about 30 minutes. You may want to wear loose clothing for the exam. Your doctor will give you any specific instructions about how you may need to prepare for the exam.

 

During the exam, the technician or physician will apply a lubricant to the area of the body that is being studied. A transducer probe – a small metal scanner about the size of a bar of soap – will be pressed firmly against the skin in the area being studied. The probe is then moved back and forth over the area. An image will immediately be generated on a screen. Images will be captured for later review.

 

The exam results are then read by a radiologist or physician and a report is prepared for your physician. Computer technology allows for digital transmission of images and diagnostic reporting.

 

For more information about Ultrasound, visit the American College of  Radiology/Radiological Society of North America Web site.