Ultrasound

Ultrasound

1. What is it?

   • High frequency sound waves
   • Have industrial and medical uses
   • Diagnose disease
   • Kidney stones treatment
   • Frequency of >20,000
   • Cannot hear ultrasound
   • Can be produced by some animals

2. Reflections

   • Can be partly reflected back
     • When it reaches a boundary between two substances with different densities
     • Detectors detect waves that are sent back
       • Measures the time between the wave leaving and returning
   • Distance traveled can be calculated by the equation
     • S=V*T
       • S=distance in meters, M
       • V=speed in meters per second, M/S
       • T=time in seconds, S
   • An ultrasound machine can be used to detect flaws in materials
     • Used for quality control
     • Railway tracks, oil pipelines

3. Medical uses

   • Medical Imaging
     • The human body has different tissues
       • Muscle and skin
       • Ultrasound will be partially reflected by boundaries between tissues.
     • Pre-natal scans
       • Check the developing feotus
       • Computers combine lots of scan to form a detailed image
     • Diagnostic purposes
       • Look at specific organs
       • Can help to diagnose disease
   • Removing Kidney Stones
     • Solid crystals formed from substances found in urine
       • Can build up into large stone in the kidney
         • Can pass into the ureter and cause a blockage
     • Cause severe pain
     • High frequency ultrasound waves are focused at the kidney
       • Causes them to vibrate
         • Breaks into smaller pieces
           • Can pass out with urine

4. They aren't ionising

   • Are safe to use in pre-natal scans

5. Aren't as clear as X-ray scans

   • They provide a clearer image

6. Use a much higher wavelength

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