Ultrasound Machines: Accurate Diagnosis at Your Fingertips

Historical facts about the development of ultrasound diagnostics

Ultrasound is a special sound wave that exists everywhere, but the human ear is not able to hear it. It passes through the tissues of the human body, reflecting from them, reproducing the image on the monitor. Ultrasonic waves were first studied by Leonardo da Vinci. The scientist immersed a tube in water to determine the distance between ships. The study of ultrasound features has been ongoing since the XV century.

When did ultrasound imaging appear? Attempts to make phonograms of the human body were made in 1942. One of the first in the history of research was a scientist from Germany, Dussile, who enlightened the human body with an ultrasound beam and measured the intensity of the waves during passage. He adopted this system from Mühlhauser, who patented the first ultrasound examination system in 1933.

The first developments of ultrasound were already used in the late 19th century in industry to identify defects in metal products. The invention was applied in medicine only in the mid 1920s. Initially, the device was used in physiotherapy. The first prototypes of ultrasound machines were created in early 1950. The first device was the creation of the American inventor Douglas Khoury. It was a large container filled with water, into which a patient was placed. The scanner rotated around and took pictures. The patient was not allowed to move during the procedure.

The next stage was the development of the Pan-scanner. In 1958, the device was awarded the highest marks by the American Medical Association. There was no longer a reservoir, the patient sat in a chair, and the device with the filled liquid rotated around. The camera took several pictures to get the final picture.

Ultrasound equipment close to the modern one was developed in the 1960s. It was large and heavy, but it worked in real time. Gynecology received the first ultrasound scanners in 1965. This reduced the number of X-ray examinations during pregnancy by 90%.

Today, it is impossible to imagine medicine without ultrasound diagnostics. The examination is fast, effective, painless and safe. The technique is used in ophthalmology, surgery, gynecology, endocrinology, pediatrics, and gastroenterology.

What is ultrasound?

Ultrasound diagnostics is based on the use of ultrasound waves. They help to recognize the structure of internal organs and systems, their relative location and functioning. The research is based on a simple and effective principle. A special probe generates high-frequency ultrasound waves that propagate through the body tissues. When they collide with body structures, they are reflected back and return to the probe. Changes in frequency and return time are interpreted into an image by a computer system. The technique allows a specialist to obtain visual information about the condition, size, structure of internal organs, to detect pathologies and dysfunctions.

Ultrasound in medicine: benefits

Ultrasound imaging methods are widely used for the examination. Ultrasound does not cause radiation exposure to patients and has a wide range of applications:

• examination of internal organs;

• early preclinical diagnostics;

• detection of diseases of the kidneys, thyroid gland, heart, blood vessels, mammary glands, etc;

• diagnosis of emergency conditions requiring surgical intervention;

• examination during pregnancy;

• screening.

Ultrasound is allowed to be used repeatedly, even within one day. High informational content allows to examine individual organs, groups of organs, and tissue condition. Ultrasound examination has limitations. For example, overweight and flatulence interfere with ultrasound. The method is not standardized and the quality of the examination depends on the equipment and the qualifications of the doctor.

Ultrasound in the present day

Since the middle of the XX century, medicine has received a harmless method for examining the human body from the inside. Modern ultrasound methods are aimed at:

• improving the image;

• adaptation of visualization for the researcher's perception;

• Increase in the resolution of sensors;

• increase of wave frequency.

The latest ultrasound machine has an advanced structure. Thanks to computer processing of the received signal, noise and interference for high-quality diagnostics are minimized. Multibeam scanning makes it possible to see even hard-to-reach concretions and formations. Blood flow is studied almost at the level of microcirculation.

Effect of ultrasound on the human body

Ultrasound is considered to be one of the safest diagnostic methods for a number of reasons:

• absence of ionizing radiation;

• non-invasiveness;

• absence of harmful effects;

• diagnosis of pregnancy;

• availability and wide range of applications.

During examinations, patients are not exposed to high doses of radiation emitted by X-ray machines or computed tomography. Due to this, doctors diagnose diseases, which contributes to the timely detection and selection of effective treatment.

Types of ultrasound examination

Ultrasound sources are designed to study various organs and systems. That is why there are types of ultrasound examinations:

1. Transabdominal — used for examination of abdominal and digestive organs: liver, kidneys, spleen, gallbladder.

2. Transvaginal — used for examination of female pelvic organs: uterus, ovaries. The probe  is inserted vaginally, which provides detailed, clear images.

3. Cardiology — determines the features of the valves, myocardial structure, and blood circulation volume.

4. Mammography — diagnostics of the mammary glands to prevent and detect tumors, cysts, and abnormal processes.

5. Duplex — examination of blood vessels, blood flow velocity, detection of atherosclerosis and other abnormalities.

6. Ultrasound of pregnant women — determination of sex, growth characteristics, fetal development, prevention of anomalies.

During the diagnosis, a special gel is applied to the patient's skin. It provides a special conductive medium between the probe  and the human body.

How to choose an ultrasound machine?

A wide range of models, price ranges, and a variety of equipment and ultrasound probes make it difficult to choose equipment. Before buying an ultrasound machine, you should pay attention to the main criteria:

1. Scope of application.

2. New or refurbished model.

3. Design of the device.

4. Image modes.

5. Resolution, screen diagonal size.

6. Number of sensors required for the examination.

7. Scanning depth.

8. Number of ports for simultaneous connection of sensors.

9. Possibility of additional equipment and installation of options.

10. System weight.

The device should be chosen depending on the specialization of the medical institution and the examinations that specialists plan to conduct. Multifunctional models are the most popular because they cover a large number of tasks. B, 2D, M, Doppler modes are used as standard in ultrasound devices. Depending on the increase in needs, it becomes necessary to use additional modes: color, tissue, energy, pulse, DC, B-Flow, Easy 3D, and others. The compact size and minimal weight make it easy to transport the device and place it in small spaces. Special programs in the ultrasound diagnostics system provide additional information about the objects of study, but require special skills of the doctor, as well as the ability to interpret the data.

Where to buy an ultrasound machine?

There are many suppliers of medical equipment. To purchase a device, you should contact a reliable supplier. Bimedis marketplace offers to order ultrasound machines from trusted sellers. Thanks to a wide range of products, competitive prices, a user-friendly interface, and quality equipment, choosing goods is convenient and fast.. For advice or assistance, please contact our managers.