Unit 5 Medical ultrasound

 the nature of ultrasound

 the generation and detection of ultrasound
 the factors that affect reflection of ultrasound
 Ultrasound scan
 ultrasound diagnostic and imaging
 Doppler ultrasound blood flow measurement
The nature of ultrasound and its use in medical

Ultrasound – sound with a frequency above 20 000 Hz

(20 kHz) is defined to be ultrasound.
Ultrasounds have frequencies and wavelengths, just
like all other types of waves. The wavelength of
ultrasound limits the fineness of details that it can
detect. Details significantly smaller than the
wavelength of a probe cannot be detected. This is true
for all types of waves. Because the wavelength of
visible light is significantly longer than atoms, we can
not see atoms with visible light.
The nature of ultrasound and its use in medical

The medical applications of ultrasound are very broad.

• In therapy: pulverization of tumor, diathermy;
• In diagnostic:
• ultrasound scan for the determination of
organs and bones thickness,
• ultrasound scan for imaging,
• Doppler ultrasound for blood flow rate,
blood pressure measurement
 Production of ultrasound

An ultrasound is produced by ultrasound

transducers. An ultrasound transducer works
like both a speaker and a microphone.
 Reflection of ultrasound waves

When an ultrasound is incident on a boundary between

two media, reflection and refraction occur, the fraction of
reflected ultrasound depends on the acoustic impedance
(Z) of the media on either side of the boundary.
• If there is large difference of the acoustic
impedances of the two media
• Strong reflected of ultrasound.
• Weak transmitted signal.
• In order that large portion of ultrasound penetrate
into the body from transducer when making
ultrasound imaging, gel is applied on the skin to
eliminate air between transducer and skin.
 Pulse echo measurement
Ultrasound can be used to detect the thickness of a
medium much like sonar is used to detect depth.

The total distance traveled by the pulse

=(sound speed x the echoes time)/2
 Ultrasound scan – A scan

A – scan of an ultrasound pulse

When ultrasound is sent into a patient’s body, the

reflections from the boundaries are detected by a
transducer. Both the outgoing, and reflected ultrasounds
are amplified and graphed against time on a cathode ray
oscilloscope (CRO).
Peak 1 comes from the reflection from boundary one.

Peak 2 comes from the reflection from boundary two.

The time interval between peak one and peak two is the
time it took for the ultrasound to travel from boundary
one to boundary two and back to boundary one.

‘A scans’ are commonly used to measure the thickness

of the lens in the eye before surgery.
Ultrasound scan – B scan

For the B scan, the

intensity of the
reflected signals is
represented as the
brightness of a spot.
The transducer can be placed in different angles to
obtain a series of spots .
In modern B scans, a series of transducers are
arranged in a row and send out ultrasound pulses one
at a time .
Ultrasound in medical diagnostics

(a) An ultrasonic image is produced by sweeping the

ultrasonic beam across the area of interest, in this case
the woman’s abdomen. Data is recorded and analyzed
in a computer, providing a two-dimensional image.
How much detail can ultrasound reveal
Abdominal scan : 7 MHz
Speed of sound in tissue : ~ 1540 m/s
λ = v / f = (1540 m/s) / (7×106Hz) = 0.22 mm
In practice 1 mm resolution is obtainable.
The penetration depth is proportional to the wavelength.
Typical Penetration depth in tissue : ~ 500λ
So penetration depth = 500 × 0.22 mm = 0.11 m
 Ultrasound in medical therapy

The tip of this small probe

oscillates at 23 kHz with such a
large amplitude that it pulverizes
tissue on contact.

Focused to intensities of 103 to 105 W/m2, ultrasound

can shatter gallstones ( 胆结石 ) or pulverize cancerous
tissue.
Ultrasound diathermy (deep-heat treatment) – energy
converts from sound to thermal energy.
Intensities – 103 to 104 W/m2
Frequencies – 0.8 to 1 MHz
Ultrasound diathermy is applied to overworked or
damaged muscles in athletes and in physical therapy to
relieve pain and to improve flexibility .
 Doppler ultrasound
The Doppler effect is change in the perceived sound
frequency due to movement of the source or the
observer .

(a) x: fobs =fs (b) x: fobs <fs (c) x: fobs <fs

y: fobs =fs y: fobs >fs y: fobs >fs
 Doppler ultrasound
The frequency shift of the reflected ultrasound :
2 fv cos θ
∆f =
vw
Where f is the
source frequency,
v the speed of the
moving blood,
and vw is the
speed of sound in
the tissue.
By measuring the frequency shift ∆ f, the average speed
of the blood can be calculate.