Get Familiar with the Ultrasound Machine Components
An ultrasound machine is a complex tool that doctors and
medical professionals use to diagnose patients. The most common uses for an
ultrasound are prenatal and cardiac care, but it’s also helpful in finding
cancerous growths and kidney stones. In short, it’s an invaluable tool for
saving lives.
The
technology an ultrasound machine uses is complex and evolving. The individual
ultrasound machine components are not complicated, but together, they do
complex, lifesaving work.
COMPONENTS OF AN
ULTRASOUND MACHINE
Transducer
Probe
This
is the most important part of the machine. The ultrasound
linear probe is responsible for sending and receiving the sound waves
that create the image. It does this through the piezoelectric effect, a
phenomenon that causes quartz crystals within the probe to vibrate rapidly and
send out sound waves. This is done by using an application of an
electrical current. These waves then bounce off objects and are reflected to
the probe. After the probe sends out the waves, the front end processor
combines and amplifies them. This signal is then sent to the CPU.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The
CPU is the brain of the ultrasound machine: it tells the probe what to do and
how to do it. It also processes and interprets the probe’s electrical signals,
using a complex formula to convert them into an image. It then sends that image
to the monitor for the doctor or ultrasound technician to examine.
Display
The
display on the machine is like any other computer monitor. It takes the data
that the CPU analyzed and interpreted and shows the resulting image of the
scanned area. The doctor will then further analyze the image to diagnose the
patient if they see anything out of the ordinary. The display also helps the
sonographer ensure they’re scanning the right area of the body.
Keyboard with Control Knobs
The
keyboard’s function is to enter information and data into the computer. This is
usually patient information such as their name, height and weight, and why
they’re there. It’s important to record that information so that the results
don’t go to the wrong patient—this could lead to a misdiagnosis and cause the
patient to receive medication and treatments they don’t need. The control knobs
help the tech adjust the image on the screen to make it crisp.
Printer
The printer allows the technician to make a hard copy of the ultrasound image. A doctor or tech can use the hard copy for closer examination, but most often, they give the image to excited parents so that they can have a picture of their baby. The doctor can add any additional images to the patient’s file for use at a later date.
J. Guerra
Ultrasound Imaging Expert
MXR Imaging / Conquest Imaging