What instruments are used?
Ultrasound scanners consist of a stand with a computer and electronics, a display screen to show the image, and a hand-held transducer that is used to scan the body. The transducer emits high-frequency sound waves and receives the returning waves (echoes). The computer collects the echoes and creates an image on the screen.(1) In creating the final image, the computer analyzes several characteristics of the returned sound waves:
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Amplitude: strength of the signal
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Frequency: the number of waves received per second
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Time Delay: the time it takes for the signal to return from the targeted region to the transducer
How does ultrasound work?
Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles of physics that bats use to locate their prey. When the transducer emits a sound wave and it hits an object, the wave bounces off the object. By measuring the echo waves, the computer can determine how far away the object is, its size, shape, uniformity, and consistency (whether the object is solid, fluid-filled, or a mixture).(1)
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