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Ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging equipment is a device used to visualize muscles, tendons, and internal organs. The purpose is to measure their size, structure, and provide surveillance for any pathological lesions utilizing real-time tomographic images.
Ultrasound, as diagnostic imaging equipment, has been used by radiologists to image the human body for over 50 years and has become one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in medicine. The reason is simple: the technology is relatively inexpensive and portable.
As a piece of diagnostic imaging equipment, ultrasound technology poses no risk to the patient. It is considered safe because it does not utilize mutagenic ionizing radiation. However, ultrasonic energy does produce a mechanical pressure wave through soft tissue that can enhance an inflammatory response and subsequently heat soft tissue. This effect is typically minor especially since normal tissue perfusion dissipates most of the heat.
There have been some interesting, but not conclusive animal testing regarding the exposure to ultrasound technology. However, most current medical thought leaders feel that based upon the available research, the benefits to patient outweigh any risks. As a result the "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" principle has been purported for ultrasound examination. The crux of this dogma is to keep scanning time and power settings as low as possible but consistent with diagnostic imaging.
Probably one of the largest areas for this type of diagnostic imaging equipment is the field of obstetrics. Obstetric ultrasound is used to identify many conditions that would be harmful to the mother and the baby. Many medical professionals consider the risk of leaving these conditions unexamined to be a much greater risk than the small risk that an ultrasound scan poses. In fact, routine ultrasound in early pregnancy (<24 weeks) has proven to facilitate gestational age assessment, early detection of multiple pregnancies, and earlier detection of clinically unsuspected fetal malformation.
As noted above, ultrasound technology is very important to obstetrics. However, there are many other specialties that benefit from this technology. Basically, any evaluation need of soft tissue imaging is appropriate. For example, scans of the heart, kidneys, liver and gallbladder are all common sites that possess scanning possibilities. In addition, imaging of muscles, ligaments, tendons, ophthalmic, and superficial structures such as testicles, thyroid, salivary glands and lymph nodes are areas of good use. Even within the field of radiology, because of the real-time nature of this particular type of diagnostic imaging equipment, it is often used to guide interventional procedures such as fine needle aspiration or biopsies of masses for cytology testing in tissue samples such as the breast, thyroid, liver, kidney, lymph nodes, muscles and joints.
Diagnostic imaging equipment such as ultrasonic technology has other documented therapeutic applications, which can be highly beneficial when used with proper dosage precautions. Here are just a few:
