Innovation

Question 0

Higher frequency transducers/ imaging

Answer 0

• improves superficial resolution 15, 17, 20 MHz
• Improvements in penetration capabilities
• Doppler sensitivity has improved allowing detection of very small microvasculature
• power Doppler has increased sensitivity to lower flow states and is less angle dependent

Question 1

Fusion/ smart fusion/ percunav image fusion and navigation

Answer 1

Displays real timeU/S with another modality in the previously acquired in the same plane eg Ct, MRI, PET.
This enables direct comparison between U/S and other modalities
- can mark points in the body
-Can provide needle tracking
-Can visually track your position during the scan
- allows U/S to be used for biopsies or injections on lesions that may be difficult to determine conventionally on U/S
-avoids radiation, gantries, coils, non ferrous materials being required and position dependent scanning
- guides for biopsies, ablations etc to be directed to a ROI

Question 2

Small foot print

Answer 2

• originally for intra operative work
• allows easier access between joints and awkward spaces eg UCL of thumb
• intra oral for salivary gland calc

Question 3

Extended field of view

Answer 3

• by sliding the transducer along an extended area and expanded FOV can be displayed
• allows structures too large for the conventional FOV
• excellent for large muscle tears

Question 4

Widescreen

Answer 4

• allows a wider image display for linear, curvilinear and sector probe

Question 5

X- Res, SRI

Answer 5

• improves basic B- mode image
• real time processing algorithm which reduces speckle and increases resolution, border definition and continuity by decreasing clutter allows better visualisation of structures with low echogenicity

Question 6

Compound imaging

Answer 6

• conventional B- mode uses a single line of site while compound imaging uses multiple ( up to 9) overlapping scans of an object from different view angles by electronically steering the beam
• reduces speckle, clutter and acoustic artifacts
• Compound imaging

Increases contrast and detail definition for better tissue differentiation
Increases visualisation of border interfaces

Question 7

Tissue Harmonics

Answer 7

• tissue is non- linear so does contain an harmonic component
• Fundamental ultrasound is transmitted at a certain frequency
• the signal resonates from the tissue at twice the transmitted frequency, the harmonic. This higher frequency travels one way to the transducer so is not attenuated
• returned signals do not include the fundamental frequency and are therefore virtually free of artefacts such as haze and clutter
• harmonics provide better visualisation of tissue interfaces especially in technically difficult patients and dramatically reduces artifacts within anechoic structures

Question 8

Pulse Inversion, ensemble Tissue Harmonic Imaging

Answer 8

2 U/S pulses down each line of site with the phase of the second pulse shifted 180 degrees. Returning signals then added digitally

• if reflective source is linear, the 2 signals will cancel if non- linear they will combine to produce an image
• allows micro bubbles to detected at higher resolution

Question 9

Contrast

Answer 9

• used to characterise malignant from benign
• Injected intravenously it is a stable microbubble small enough to pass through the pulmonary circulation and stable enough to be visualised in the vascular system
• used to detect blood flow in vessels too small or too deep for conventional imaging
• used with harmonic imaging echoes from solid tissue and red blood cells themselves are suppressed

Question 10

3D

Answer 10

• acquisition of a volume of data, which can the be reproduced in planes that would be difficult to obtain
• can be stored and manipulated for later
  3D Doppler - allows demonstration of branching
  4D- Real time
  STIC- spatio- temporal image correlation
  Increased evaluation of fetal heart
  Presents the fetal heart beating in a multiplaner display with and without colour, preserving spatial relationships in B and C planes

Question 11

Matrix

Answer 11

• uses multiple elements

- allows real time scanning of multiple image planes simultaneously

Question 12

Elastography/ shear wave

Answer 12

• calculates the elasticity of cells and displays as a colour overlay
• tumour cells and inflammatory processes harden cells
• Elastography is manual compression and relies on the operator
• Shear wave is performed by the transducer therefore highly reproducible and quantitative measurements can be made