Used for medical diagnosis. Can visualize internalizing organs for diagnostic ultrasound without causing any harm to the patient. However, cannot use it to image bones or air-filled structures like the lungs. Bones (in a fetus or infant) and the lungs and lining around the lungs (when they are full or partially full of fluid) can be imaged by ultrasound. Ultrasound has various applications outside of pregnancy monitoring, including imaging the heart, blood arteries, eyes, thyroid, brain, breast, abdominal organs, skin, and muscles, to name a few. Two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and four-dimensional (4D) displays are all used for ultrasound scans (which are 3D in motion).
Diagnostic ultrasound’s practical applications
Doppler and color Doppler ultrasound are examples of functional ultrasound applications that can use to measure and see blood flow in vessels throughout the body or the heart. Color Doppler imaging is used to create these visual aids. Doppler ultrasound is routinely used to ascertain if the carotid artery plaque obstructs cerebral blood flow.
Elastography, a type of ultrasound that measures and displays the relative stiffness of tissues, is useful for identifying malignancies while preserving healthy tissue. Color-coded maps of relative stiffness, black-and-white maps showing high-contrast images of tumors compared to anatomical imaging, and color-coded maps superimposed on the anatomical image are all possible ways to present this data. Liver fibrosis, in which abnormal scar tissue develops in the liver due to inflammation, can be detected via elastography.
Another crucial application of ultrasound is in diagnostic imaging for medical procedures inside the human body. For example, ultrasound-guided needle biopsy helps physicians see the position of a needle. At the same time, it is being guided to a selected target, such as a mass or a tumor in the breast. Ultrasound is also utilized to visualize the catheter’s tip in real time. At the same time, it is placed and directed through a blood artery. It can provide live views of the surgical site during minimally invasive procedures.
Using ultrasound for medical purposes, such as in therapy or intervention.
To heat, ablate, or break apart tissue, therapeutic ultrasound generates strong acoustic output targeting precise locations. High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a therapeutic ultrasound that uses focused beams of sound waves with a high peak intensity (HIFU). To modify or kill unhealthy or abnormal tissues inside the body (for example, tumors) without having to open or tear the skin or cause damage to the surrounding tissue, HIFU is being studied. Ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to localize the treatment area, track the treatment’s progress in real time, make adjustments if needed, and verify its success. The FDA has recently approved HIFU for the ablation of prostate tissue, joining its use in treating uterine fibroids and relieving pain caused by bone metastases. In addition to its use in treating cancer, HIFU is being researched for its potential to seal wounds and stop bleeding, dislodge blood clots from vessels, and temporarily access the blood-brain barrier for the delivery of drugs.