How does Ultrasound work?
Ultrasound is similar to the sonar that ships and submarines use to show what's in the water around them. With medical ultrasound, a wand-like-instrument called a transducer sends out waves of high-frequency sound. As these sound waves pass through the body, certain structures like organs, tissues, and tumors reflect the wave back. That reflection, or echo, is then used to create a picture of what's ahead.
What are the common uses of Ultrasound?
In addition to taking those early pictures of a developing baby, ultrasound has many uses including helping doctors determine the causes of pain, swelling, and infection. Doctors also can use ultrasound services to view organs including
Heart and blood vessels including the flow of blood and potential narrowing of vessels
Liver, gallbladder, spleen, and pancreas
Kidneys, bladder, uterus, and ovaries
Eyes, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, scrotum
Ultrasound can help doctors with a number of medical procedures such as a biopsy of a suspicious mass.
What are the different types of ultrasound offered at your facility?
Today, there are many types of ultrasound used in the medical field:
Color Doppler helps doctors see the speed and direction of blood flow through a vessel.
Power Doppler has more sensitivity than a color Doppler and provides even more detailed pictures of the blood flow but doesn't indicate the direction of the flow.
Spectral Doppler develops graphs that show the distance blood flows over a period of time.