Diagnostic Imaging - Ultrasound Flashcards
what type of waves does diagnostic ultrasound use?
high frequency sound waves
what are the frequencies typically used in diagnostic ultrasound?
2-18 MHz
what level of Hz is audible sound?
20-20,000 Hz
how do sound waves and x rays differ?
sound waves need a material to travel through
why are soundwaves unable to move through a vacuum?
rely on compression and relaxation of the medium that they are traveling through
what does the velocity of a soundwave depend on?
the material it is traveling through - higher density will lead to higher velocity
what effect is relied upon to produce ultrasound?
piezoelectric effect
how does the piezoelectric effect work?
electrical voltage is applied to a disc within a transducer
the disc expands or contracts due to electrical current
movement is proportional to voltage and gives rise to sound wave
what is the piezoelectric effect?
conversion of kinetic energy to sound energy
what are the 2 types of disc used in production of ultrasound?
PZT
PVDF
what does PZT stand for?
lead ziconate titanate
what does PVDF stand for?
polyvinylidine difluoride
describe how ultrasound is produced
voltage applied across crystal
crystal deforms due to its piezoelectric properties
leads to emission of high frequency sound waves
is production of ultrasound in the transducer continuous?
no - transducer sends out a pulse of sound
how long is the pulse of sound emitted by the the transmitter usually?
typically 3 wavelengths - 1.5 mm
3 compressions and relaxations
what happens between pulses of ultrasound?
scanner waits for echos from tissues
what percentage of the time it is being used it the transducer producing ultrasound?
1% of the time
what percentage of the time it is being used it the transducer receiving ultrasound?
99%
how is the ultrasound signal received and an image produced?
sound wave returns from tissues to transducer
pressure of sound waves distorts disc and so piezoelectric crystal
generates a voltage proportional to pressure
voltage is then processed by the machine and displayed
describe the piezoelectric effect
voltage deforms piezoelectric disc in transducer pulse of sound into tissue hits tissue interface reflection from tissue interface returning echo of sound deforms piezoelectric disc in transducer voltage
define acoustic impedance
density of tissue x speed of sound in tissue
what has the most effect on acoustic impedance?
density of tissues
how do tissues vary?
in acoustic impedance
what happens when a sound crosses a boundary between tissues of different acoustic impedance?
some is reflected back to transducer
what does the proportion of reflected sound depend on?
difference in acoustic impedance of tissues
how much reflection of ultrasound is seen at soft tissue boundaries?
relatively little (e.g. fat / kidney interface)
how much reflection of ultrasound is seen at interface between soft tissue and bone?
much larger percentage - bone surface will appear very bright
when does specular (mirror) reflection occur?
when ultrasound beam hits a large smooth surface (e.g. small intestine wall)
when does non-specular reflection occur?
beam hits small structures which have density variations
the beam is re-radiated in all directions leading to weak echoes
what is enabled by non-specular reflection?
texture is given to organs which allows assessment
describe how echoes are detected
sound waves reflected from various acoustic interfaces within the body
the echoes deform the crystal, resulting in the production of electrical signals
electrical signals are displayed as image on screen
what are the 3 display modes of ultrasound images?
A mode
B mode
M mode
what is B display mode for ultrasound?
brightness
what is M display mode for ultrasound?
motion
what is A display mode for ultrasound?
amplitude - oldest method, only used in opthalmology
how is the image produced in b mode?
images a slice thorough a patient with a line of ultrasound
beam of ultrasound scans back and forth
image is produced from lots of lines
what does the brightness of an ultrasound image in B mode depend on?
amplitude of signal - stronger echo will be brighter
what does the position of a structure on the screen depend on?
time for the signal to return (longer time = further depth)
why must organs be scanned in more than one plane in B mode?
as it only images a slice so full impression cannot be gained from one view only
when is M mode most commonly used?
cardiac work
how is B mode utilised to aid M mode?
B mode image is used to position a single line - movements along this line are followed
how is the image in M mode displayed?
position vs. time