A History of Ultrasound and the Transducer Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 791 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 3

History of Ultrasound Physics and the Properties of the Transducer

Today, innovations in medical imaging allow clinicians to view the soft tissues, organs and blood flow inside the human body in ways that provide the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of disorders as well as to monitor neonatal health (Goldberg & Verny, 2007). The introduction of ultrasound technologies, though, has only taken place since the second half of the 20th century, although there were a number of earlier attempts in the late 19th century that met with limited success. To determine the facts about this important innovation, this paper reviews the relevant literature concerning the history of ultrasound physics and the properties of the transducers that are used for ultrasound imaging, followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

According to Levine (2010), ultrasound is defined as "[S]ound with frequencies above 20 kHz (twenty thousand cycles per second)" (p. 179). Ultrasound physics relate to a physical or electromagnetic wave that is capable of interacting with some type of object; the extent of the interaction, or the crests and waves that are created, is a function of the size of the object versus the radiation wavelength that is used (Levine, 2010).

Stuck Writing Your "A History of Ultrasound and the Transducer" Term Paper?

View All Our Example A History of Ultrasound and the Transducer Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

An important point made by Levine is that, "Only objects similar in size or larger than that wavelength interact significantly with the [ultrasound] wave" (p. 179).

Ultrasound for medical diagnostic purposes was first attempted in 1937 but technical problems limited their use until after World War II when the use of the same transducer to send and receive ultrasound was used, a configuration that remains the standard for ultrasound imaging today (Levine, 2010). For medical diagnostic applications, ultrasounds are capable of traveling more rapidly compared to the time required to travel through the air because soft tissues are comprised mainly of water (1,540 meters/second in soft tissue versus 330 meters/second in air) (Levine, 2010). In this regard, Levine advised that, "Ultrasound frequencies on the order of megahertz are used for diagnostic soft tissue imaging. At 2 -- 20 MHz, the most useful frequencies for diagnostic imaging, the wavelengths in water are between 0.77 mm and 0.08 mm, which theoretically can distinguish structures of similar sizes" (2010, p. 179).

As depicted in Figure 1 below, the transducer that is used in ultrasound imaging….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"A History Of Ultrasound And The Transducer" (2016, January 13) Retrieved June 7, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/history-ultrasound-transducer-2157761

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"A History Of Ultrasound And The Transducer" 13 January 2016. Web.7 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/history-ultrasound-transducer-2157761>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"A History Of Ultrasound And The Transducer", 13 January 2016, Accessed.7 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/history-ultrasound-transducer-2157761
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example