Victoria F - Jan 11-14 - Research Project

Evolution of Ultrasonography By: Victoria Flynn

What is ultrasonography? Definition: Ultrasound is sound waves with a frequency higher that what can be heard by the human ear. A ultrasound scan in used in medical imaging. How it works: Ultrasounds transmit high-frequency sound waves into your body and are reflected back into the probe when they reach a barrier between tissue such as fluid, soft tissue or bone and a computer interprets these signals and creates an image on the screen. 3 Stages: Producing sound waves, Receiving echos and interpreting said echos. Common uses: An ultrasound can detect the difference between cysts and tumours, fetuses, gallbladder and kidney stones, liver disease, cause of stomach pain, location and blood flow of each organ, cartilage, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fluid or inflammation in joints. They are so common because they are relatively inexpensive, versatile, non-invasive and have no confirmed health risks.

Bats to Boats to Babies Italian biologist, Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799) had the first known insights into ultrasound physics. He wondered why bats could navigate so well in no light and preformed series of experiments such as plugging their ears. He then came to the conclusion that they can navigate using sound rather than sight. This is called echolocation where locations are determined from sound waves bouncing off of them. In 1915. After the tragedy of the titanic, Physicist, Paul Langevin used Spallanzani’s research to create a device that could detect objects on the seafloor refer to as the “first transducer”. Later on two men named Tom Brown and Ian Donald created a ultrasound machine that detected industrial flaws in ships and welding. In 1942 Neurologist Karl Dussik is credited with being the first to use ultrasound waves as a diagnostic tool. He transmitted waves through the human skull in order to detect brain tumours.

Continued… Ian Donald Tom Brown During the 20’s to 40’s ultrasound waves were used to treat soccer players as a form of physical therapy for arthritis pain, eczema and sterilizing vaccines. It wasn’t until 1958 that Ian Donald incorporated ultrasound into OB/GYN in Glasgow, Scotland. They are now a very important element of prenatal care. Up until to 70’s they were still not a common practice. Even in 1979 having an ultrasound picture of your baby was not a matter of course!

Ultrasounds Today! Over the years there has been many advancements in ultrasound technology. They have gotten physically smaller and require less power. They also produce less heat than early ultrasounds. We now get images in high resolution and even 5D, how cool is that! They can pick up things that x-rays cannot and have zero radiation. They have also been known to increase the bond between a mother and her baby. We can identify medical conditions in adults and fetuses which is why they have become such a huge part of medicine.

Old vs. New Present day ultrasound scanners (much less scary!) Man getting an ultrasound in 1958

“In the 1950’s Douglas Howry’s team was focused on “mapping” the body using ultrasound. The bath was successful but not very practical.” ME8 - Portable Ultrasound

2019 - 20 week fetal image 1958 - Ultrasound image of a fetal head

Did you know.. - Humans can’t hear ultrasound waves but dogs and cats can! - Ultrasound is a form of mechanical energy, not electrical. - One of the smallest ultrasound transducers is so tiny it can fit into a blood vessel - The gel is used to create a tighter bond between the skin and probe - In early ultrasound reading patients had to be submerged in water - First handheld scanner was in the united states in 1963 - There is now 2D, 3D, 4D and 5D ultrasounds - Ultrasound waves cannot pass through bone, air or gas

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