Basic Principles of Ultrasound - Dissertation Example

Basic principles of Ultrasound Chapter Introduction Aims and Objectives Ultrasound is an imaging technique, applied to peer into a medium or the body, by medical practitioners, making it possible to penetrate and reveal the inner structure of the body or any other medium (Pitt, 2003, p. 112). The sound pressure of Ultrasound is higher than the limit of human hearing, making it impossible for human ears to hear the Ultrasound. The major example of Ultrasound use is the application of Ultrasound in the field of medicine sonography, where it allows obtaining pictures of fetus that are still in the human womb. Ultrasonography makes it possible to view the internal body organs, tissues and cells, thus, giving an opportunity to diagnose and get images of the internal organs of the body. Ultrasound involves sound waves applied into the body inform of beams. When the sound waves penetrates the skin and hits the inner body tissues and organs, they form return sound echoes, which are reflected back forming a shadow of pictures that are visualized to give an image of the inner structures of the body organs or tissues (Dion, 1982, p. 124). When there is an inclusion of solid and fluid places within the body organs, the ultrasound image is clearer. Before an ultrasound diagnosis is carried out, a special gel is rubbed on the skin to ensure that the skin does not disrupt the sound waves going into the body and the return echo sounds coming back from the beamed region. The pressure of the sound beamed in the body varies depending on which organs or body tissues are to be visualized, since a higher sound pressure can burn most soft body tissues. The purpose of this study is developing a tool applied for education purpose, to demonstrate the specific aspects of diagnostic Ultrasound. This tool will help teach and demonstrate what aspects are contained in an Ultrasound diagnosis and demonstrate how medical practitioners apply them to give the desired results. The tool developed will illustrate all the procedures that are followed in Ultrasound diagnosis, indicating what aspects of the Ultrasound are involved in each stage and how the stages ends up giving an ultrasound image that is used to visualize various body organs and tissues that are of interest to the medical practitioners. The tool will also demonstrate different areas in which Ultrasound imaging is applicable. The paper, seek to understand what are the side effects of this practice to the individuals undergoing the diagnosis. The advantages and disadvantages of using Ultrasound imaging in the medical field will be tackled. The application of ultra sound in other areas apart from the medical field will be reviewed by this study. Therefore, the educational tool developed to demonstrate the aspects of Ultrasound diagnosis goes along way in enhancing the knowledge about this practice. Limitations associated with the diagnostic tests are addressed in this paper, where the instrument for educational purpose tackles what makes the Ultrasound diagnosis not full dependable in the medical field. The accuracy of the Ultrasound diagnostic test is an issue that the instrument developed will handle. Descriptive research design will be used to demonstrate various aspects of diagnostic ultra sound. Aims and objectives To describe what is diagnostic ultrasound To demonstrate the aspects of diagnostic Ultrasound and their application in the medical field To indicate other areas of diagnostic ultrasound application other than in the medical field To analyze the advantages, disadvantages and limitations associated with Ultrasound diagnosis in the medical field. Chapter 2: Literature review Many aspects of the body are not possible to study through CT scans, X-rays, or the normal microscopic observation of the body organs, tissues, cells, and muscles. Some structures of body organs and tissues cannot display through photo scans, for example, the size, sex, and health status of a fetus while still in the uterus. Even though photo scans can be used to some extent, the health risks they pose are dire. Such aspects call for an advances diagnostic test that can help in analyzing the aspects and help develop the right medical measures. It is in this respect that Ultrasound diagnosis comes in handy. Advanced technology such as the Doppler technology serves to ensure that even the difficult aspect of the body components such as blood movements is diagnosed. The combination of such technology with real time scanners ensures that such movements are monitored as they happen in real time. The images developed by the scanners are displayed on a screen, affording the medical practitioner analyze and consequently define the medical conditions under which the patients are. However, the technician administering this diagnosis determines the accuracy and dependability of the Ultrasound diagnosis (Corso, 1963, p. 174).The images developed from Ultrasound scans are displayed either in thin flat sections or in 3-D images. Medical sonology is a medical imaging technique that uses ultrasound diagnosis to visualize the inner structures of the body tissues, organs, muscles, and tendons (Dion, 1982, p. 124). This method has been practiced in the medical field for over fifty years, and is associated with minimal side effects on the side of the patients. One of the advantages associated with the method is that it does not emit ionizing radiation. Therefore, it is safe for use with patients since it does not pose any threat of breaking chromosomes or forming cancerous cells in the body of the patient (Wagner, 2010). Compared to other medical diagnostic test such as computed tomography, diagnostic ultrasound is found to be advantageous in that it is less expensive and more portable. However, the method is not without some negative impacts. It has an inflammatory effect on the tissues and organs that are beamed with the ultrasound beams. This point to a likely physiological effect; the proliferation of tissues and cell affected by the ultra sound beams (Pitt, 2003, p. 138). Another negative physiological effect of diagnostic ultrasound is that it can burn the soft body tissues through the release of mechanical pressure waves that sift through the body tissues. This may cause the distortion of the cellular membrane, which in turn causes the malfunction of cellular activities (Corso, 1963, p. 176). The long-term effect of this distortion is the reduction in the number of red blood cells. Primarily, diagnostic Ultrasound is used for obstetric tests, where the status of the fetus is observed while it is still in the womb. The tests are applied to give information as regards the age of the fetus, its sex, viability, location, assess the movement of the fetus in the womb and determine any abnormality tat the fetus might have (Pitt, 2003, p. 135). There are some limitations associated with diagnostic ultra sound. The accuracy of information obtained through the diagnosis is not a guarantee. There are chances of the patients being warned of abnormalities that are not actually existing. The accuracy of such tests can only be given, after the fetus attains twelve weeks (Wagner, 2010). Other than in pregnancy tests, ultrasound diagnosis is applicable for heart, liver, eye, breast, muscles, and joints diagnosis. As observed (Corso, 1963, p. 175), this test is more appropriate for patient scans since it does not involve any direct contact of the cells or body tissues with medical devices such as needles, syringes and tubes. It therefore eliminates the risks posed by such devices to these body components. Excessive exposure to ultrasound waves may cause hearing impairment, cell and tissue damage due to heating and even death (Pitt, 2003, p. 141). Therefore, much as Ultrasound diagnosis is a preferable method because of being less expensive and safe, the suitability of the technician administering the diagnosis, in applying the right pressure and interpreting the images formed is paramount (Corso, 1963, p. 178). Chapter 3: Methodology The purpose of this study is to describe how Ultrasound diagnosis operates. It entails a review of the procedures involved in undertaking the diagnostic ultrasound and how the results are interpreted. This paper seeks to understand the use of this medical imaging technology, with the aim of developing an instrument for education purposes to demonstrate specific aspect of diagnostic ultrasound. The study applied the descriptive research design. The research design observes the subject of study without influencing its normal behavior. The design is appropriate for this study since the variable; diagnostic Ultrasound is observed without any influence on its normal process. The study entails visiting various library books and articles, which supply information on Ultrasound diagnosis. The aim of the review is to observe how the practice is undertaken and what are the necessary equipment and tools used in the process. The data collected includes the requirements of successful scans, the devices that are used in the process and the procedure involved. The study also seeks to unearth the merit and the demerits as well as the limitations of the medical imaging technology. The information collected will be used to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the diagnostic ultrasound. Data analysis entails a comparison of Ultrasound diagnostic with other medical scan technology, to understand how better it compares to them and elicit what its limitations are, relatively to the other methods. The area of application of the method is also a subject of this paper. Chapter 4: Results Ultrasound involves the exposure of the body beams of sound waves that are of high frequency, to generate images of the inner parts of the body (Pitt, 2003, p. 139). It is a preferable method of body scan, since it is free of ionizing radiation that is harmful to the body cells and tissues. Ultra sound is applicable in assessing various conditions of the body such as pain, swelling, infection, as well as pregnancy conditions (Dion, 1982, p. 124). It scans body organs such as the brain, heart, kidney, liver, breasts, and eyes. There is a procedure to follow in ultrasound scan, involving the preparation of the patient to undergo the process. The equipment necessary for the Ultra scan is a computer and other electronic accessories, which include a video display screen and a transducer (Corso, 1963, p. 174). Most of ultrasound scans takes the duration of between thirty minutes and one hour. Ultrasound diagnosis is carried by channeling the sound waves through the skin or by inserting the transducer in body openings to view the inner body parts, which are not visible through the skin. Many of Ultrasound diagnosis are not painful and only take a short time, after which a medical practitioner, who has specialized in this field, interprets the information obtained through the image and gives it to the patient (Wagner, 2010). Since ultrasound diagnosis is highly limited by air or gas, it is ineffective in assessing the body conditions of organs that are gas or air prone. Ultra sound diagnosis is more effective in patients with small bodies, as opposed to those with large ones (Pitt, 2003, p. 136). Chapter 5: Discussion Ultrasound diagnosis is an easy, fast, and painless procedure that requires the patient to first prepare by wearing loose clothing and remove all in the area to be diagnosed. The equipment used for the process is a computer fitted with a digital video display screen and a transducer, which looks like a small microphone (Wagner, 2010). The physician applies a water-based gel to eliminate air between the body and the transducer. Then the transducer is placed on the part of the body that is to be scanned, where it sends the high frequency sound waves to the body and listens to the echo that is formed back (Pitt, 2003, p. 136). This echo is transmitted to the computer where it forms the shadow of the body part that was scanned. By measuring the echo sent back, it is possible to determine the shape, size, the nature; whether solid or liquid and the distance of the organ or body part/structure being scanned. This is formed by the computer in form of a shadow. The shadow is then displayed on the video screen as an image (Wagner, 2010). In some ultrasound diagnosis, where it is difficult to scan the body organ from the skin, the transducer is inserted into body openings, where it sends the waves and receives back the echo. For example, to study the heart, the transducer is inserted in the esophagus, from where the heart can be accessed. Similarly, to scan the prostate, the transducer is inserted in a man’s rectum while the same is done into a woman’s vagina to scan her cervix, uterus, and the ovary (Pitt, 2003, p. 120). A physician or a medical practitioner who has specialized in this area interprets and inform the patient of the outcome of the ultrasound diagnosis. There are normally more than one diagnose undertaken on any single patient, more so where the results of the first scan are not clear or are suspicious (Kundu, 2004). There are some limitations associated with ultrasound diagnosis. The quality of the image formed depends on the size of the patients or the body organs and tissues to be diagnosed. The larger they are, the lesser the clarity of the image formed. The precision of the result is dependent on the skillfulness of the medical practitioner undertaking the diagnosis, while the presence of gas and air, as well as bones hinders the effective penetration of the ultrasound waves (Dion, 1982, p. 126). However, Ultrasound sound diagnosis is not without a number of advantages. It is less expensive, painless, and fast. It gives clear images that could not be visualized using other medical technologies such as X-Rays (Pitt, 2003, p. 112). It eliminates the risks of ionizing radiation, while providing real-time results that are followed and interpreted on the spot. However, there is a disadvantage associated with this method, in that, if applied in excess, the high frequency ultrasound waves can burn body tissues and cells causing their malfunctioning (Wagner, 2010). This notwithstanding, there is no harmful effect, yet known caused to humans by this method (Kundu, 2004). The principle of ultrasound is applicable in other animals such as the dogs and the bats. Ultrasound diagnosis can also be applied to other animals such as horses and cattle to determine their health conditions. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion In conclusion, Ultrasound diagnosis is a medical technique applied to study the health conditions of human body, where these conditions cannot be observed through other method such as microscopic observation and X-Rays. It is a preferable method since it does not pose any health risk of ionizing radiation (Kundu, 2004). Further, it is a fast, inexpensive, and painless method. However, its application is dependent on the suitability of the medical practitioner administering the diagnosis. In case they expose the body to excessive ultrasound waves, it is likely to harm the body. Recommendation Although there are no known negative impacts of a standard ultrasound diagnosis on human health, more study needs to be done in this area, to come up with the facts. This is so because, the negative impacts associated with the exposure of human body to excessive ultrasound waves could be caused by the standard waves. Since the key to good ultrasound diagnosis is a good technician or medical practitioner administering it (Kundu, 2004), the role of ultrasound technicians and medical practitioners in affording good ultrasound diagnosis results need to be studied. The influence of other factors such as the size of the patient, air, gas, and bones on the clarity of ultrasound image is yet another area for study. References Corso, F. (1963). Bone-conduction Thresholds for Sonic and Ultrasonic Frequencies. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 173–178. doi:10.1121/1.1918804. Dion, P. (1982). Ultrasonic Inspection of Fiber Suspensions. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 124–126. doi:10.1121/1.388688. Kundu, T. (2004). Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation: Engineering and Biological Material Characterization. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN 0824707931. Pitt, R. (2003). Ultrasound Increases the Rate of Bacterial Cell Growth. Journal of Biotechnology Programs. 108–44. doi:10.1021/bp0340685. Wagner, W. (2010). Extension Effort in Beef Cattle Breeding & Selection. West Virginia University Extension Service. Archived from the original. Retrieved February 27, 2010. Read More