Physics Flash cards

Chapter 4

What are the five

parameters that
completely describe
pulsed sound?
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Chapter 4

• Pulse duration (PD)

• Pulse repetition period (PRF)
• Pulse repetition frequency
(PRF)
• Duty factor
• Spatial pulse length (SPL)
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Chapter 4

What are the two

components of
pulsed ultrasound?
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Chapter 4

• Transmit- talking or “on”

time
• Receive, listening or
“off” time
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Chapter 4
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Define Pulse duration

(PD)…
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Chapter 4

…the actual time from the

start of a pulse to the end of
that pulse
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Chapter 4

What are the units of PD?

What is a typical value for PD?
What PD is determined by?
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Chapter 4

Can PD be adjusted?
PD is in units of time

Typical values of 0.3 to 2.0μs

PD is determined by the sound source

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Chapter 4

PD cannot be adjusted, natural of the

transducer

What is the equation(s) for

PD?
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Chapter 4

PD (μs) = # of cycles per pulse X

period (μs)
Or
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Chapter 4

PD (μs) = # of cycles per pulse Frequency

(MHz)

Explain PD relationship to …
# of cycles in the pulse
period
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Chapter 4

frequency

PD  # of cycles per pulse

PD ∝ period
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Chapter 4

PD ∝ 1frequency

What characteristics
distinguish pulses
with long duration
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Chapter 4

from those with short

duration?
Long duration- many
cycles, long periods
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Chapter 4

Short duration- few

cycles, short periods
Which type of pulse is
more desirable in
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Chapter 4

diagnostic imaging and

why?
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Chapter 4

Shorter duration pulses

are desirable in
diagnostic imaging
because they create
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Chapter 4

images of greater
accuracy.
What is spatial pulse
length (SPL)?
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Chapter 4

Spatial pulse length is the

distance that a pulse
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Chapter 4

occupies in space from

the start to the end of a
pulse.
What are the units of
SPL?
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Chapter 4

What is the typical value

of SPL?
What determines SPL?
Is SPL adjustable?
• SPL is in units of distance.
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Chapter 4

• Typical length for soft tissue,

0.1 to 1.0 mm
• SPL is determined by both the
source and the medium.
• SPL is not adjustable,
transducer fixed.
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Chapter 4

What is the SPL

equation?
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Chapter 4

SPL= # of cycles per pulse x

wavelength
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Chapter 4

What is SPL relationship with…

# of cycles within a pulse
Wavelength
Frequency?
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Chapter 4

SPL ∝ # of cycles within a

pulse
SPL  wavelength
SPL ∝ 1frequency
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Chapter 4

What is the difference

between PD and SPL?
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Chapter 4

• PD is the time that a pulse

is “on” and is typically
measured in μs.
• Pulse length is the distance
of the pulse end to end,
typically measured in mm.
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Chapter 4

Which characteristics
distinguish pulses with long
pulse length from those with
short length?
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Chapter 4

Two characteristics create long

pulses, many cycles, and
longer wavelengths. And, two
create short pulse lengths;
fewer cycles, and shorter
wavelengths.
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Chapter 4

Which type of pulse is more

desirable in diagnostic imaging,
and why?
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Chapter 4

Shorter pulses are desirable

because they create more
accurate image.
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Chapter 4

What is pulse repetition period

(PRP)?
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Chapter 4

PRP is the time from the start

of one pulse to the start of the
next pulse, one PD pulse one
listening time.

PD Listening time
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Chapter 4

What are the units of PRP?

What is the typical diagnostic
value for PRP?
What is PRP determined by?
Is PRP adjustable?
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Chapter 4

• PRP is in units of time.

• PRP typical diagnostic value is
100μs to 1ms.
• PRP is determined by sound source
based on the imaging depth.
• YES, PRP is adjustable by changing
the depth of view.
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Chapter 4

What is depth of view?

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Chapter 4

Depth of view describes the

maximum distance into the
body that an ultrasound
system is imaging,
controlled by source user.
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Chapter 4

How are PRP and depth of

view related?
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PRP and imaging depth are

directly related.
• As depth of view increases,
PRP increases.
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• As depth of view decreases,

PRP decreases.
What are the two
components of PRP?
Which one can the source
user change/control?
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Chapter 4

The two components of PRP are

PD/transit time and receive time.
PD is a characteristic of the
transducer, however the receive
time varies based on the depth
of the object being imaged.
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Chapter 4

What is pulse repetition

frequency (PRF)?
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PRF is the # if pulses that

an ultrasound system
transmits into the body
each second.
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Chapter 4

What are the units of PRF?

What is the typical
diagnostic value of PRF?
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Chapter 4

What is PRF determined

by?
Is PRF adjustable?
• PRF is in units of Hertz (per
second).
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Chapter 4

• PRF typical diagnostic value is

1000 (1 kHz) to 10,000Hz (10 kHz).
• PRF is determined by the source.
• PRF can be adjusted, by changing
the depth of view.
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Chapter 4

How are PRF and depth of

view related?
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Chapter 4

PRF and depth of view are

inversely related.
• As depth of view increases PRF
decreases.
• As depth of view decreases
PRF increases.
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Chapter 4

What is the relationship

between PRP and PRF?
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Chapter 4

PRP and PRF are inversely

related and are reciprocals.
PRF = 1PRP
and
PRF x PRP = 1
What is duty factor?
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Chapter 4

Duty factor is the % of

fraction of time that the
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system is transmitting a
pulse. The % of PD within
the PRP.
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Chapter 4

What are the units of duty

factor?
What is the typical value for
duty factor?
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Chapter 4

What is duty factor

determined by?
Is duty factor adjustable?
• Duty factor is a % of time.
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Chapter 4

• 0.2%-0.5% is the typical duty factor

(0.2% of the PRP is the PD or duty
factor).
• Duty factor is determined by the
source only.
• Yes, duty factor is adjustable by
changing the depth of view.
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Chapter 4

What is the duty factor

equation?
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Chapter 4

Duty factor (%) = PDPRP x 100

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Chapter 4

What are the maximum and

minimum values for duty
factor?
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1 for continuous wave, 0 for

transducer at rest
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Chapter 4

How does the sonographer

change duty factor?
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Chapter 4

Duty factor is altered when

imaging depth is altered.
Duty factor decreases as a
system images deeper,
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increases when a system

images more superficially.
Somethings to remember…
Shallow imaging Deeper imaging
Less listening More listening
Shorter PRP Longer PRP
Higher PRF Lower PRF
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Chapter 4

Higher duty factor Lower duty factor

Paramete Adjustabl Determined Typical

Units by
r e value
0.5-3.0
PD No μs, time Source
μs
0.1-1.0
PRP Yes ms, time Source
ms
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Chapter 4

Hz, per
PRF Yes Source 1-10 kHz
sec
Mm, 0.1-
SPL No Both
distances 1.0mm
Duty 0.2%-
Yes None, % Source
factor 0.5%