Understanding The Ultrasound Process

The ability to see what is happening inside the body at any given time allows doctors to make more accurate diagnoses without compromising the safety of their patients. There are many tools that a medical professional can use to get an inside look at the body, but ultrasound is becoming one of the most popular.

How Ultrasound Works

You may be surprised to find that an ultrasound utilizes sound waves to create images of your body's interior. A transducer emits a series of high-frequency sound waves, which create an echo as they come into contact with the various tissues within the body.

These echoes are then transformed from raw data to a digital image that is displayed on a television screen. The images created by echoing sound waves offer medical professionals a real-time view of tissue density, organ health, and organ size without making a single incision.

Interpreting an Ultrasound

The process of creating an ultrasound image is complex, and the process of interpreting these images is equally challenging.

Sonography technicians are typically called upon to administer the actual sound waves. A sonographer has the training and experience needed to direct sound waves accurately so that a clear image of the body's interior can be created.

Once the data is captured and transformed into an image, the ultrasound session is recorded and evaluated by a radiologist. It is up to the radiologist to interpret exactly what the images are showing so that doctors can utilize this information to make an accurate diagnosis.

Applications

Because of the valuable imaging capabilities of ultrasound machines, these tools are used in a number of ways by medical professionals across the country.

Most people are familiar with the fetal images that can be obtained by a sonographer. A pregnancy can be closely monitored through regular sonography to ensure proper development of the fetus without posing a threat to the health of mother or child.

Ultrasound is also used in therapeutic settings to help identify and treat soft tissue injuries that might not be visible with any other type of imaging equipment.

Ultrasound is an advanced, yet valuable tool in modern medicine. Without sonography to help assist in diagnostics, it would be difficult for doctors to accurately pinpoint the cause of a patient's discomfort.

The value of ultrasound imaging becomes clear when you are able to accurately identify the many ways in which sonography is utilized by medical professionals on a daily basis. Contact a service, like EVDI Medical Imaging, for more information.

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