7.2.12

Ultrasound Imaging 2

Test yourself on Ultrasound Imaging 2

Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Piezoelectric Devices

To produce ultrasound, we have to produce vibrations at a very high frequency. A piezoelectric crystal can do this.

Crystals

Crystals

  • When a voltage is applied across a piezoelectric crystal, the crystal begins to contract and expand at a high frequency, this produces very high-frequency vibrations (which are sound waves).
  • Similarly, if a pressure is applied to the crystal (in the form of a wave reflected off tissue layers), a voltage is produced which can be recorded.
  • The crystal acts as both a transmitter and a receiver of sound.
Recording readings

Recording readings

  • Ultrasound is partially absorbed by tissue on its path, both on its journey away from the transducer and on its return journey.
  • We can find the time between when the original signal is sent and when the reflections from various boundaries between media are received.
  • From this information, we can work out the nature and the position of the boundary
  • The loss of intensity can measure the density of the medium.

Acoustic Impedance Equations

Acoustic impedance defines how much sound can travel through a boundary.

Impedance calculations

Impedance calculations

  • Acoustic impedance is the factor defining how much sound is reflected at a boundary. If the gap is too large then ultrasound imaging cannot be used.
  • The equation for acoustic impedance is:
    • Acoustic impedance = the density of the material x the speed of sound in the material
    • Z=ρcZ={\rho}c
Reflection calculations

Reflection calculations

  • The intensity of the reflected wave can be found as a fraction of the intensity of the incident wave. For ultrasound to work the fraction reflected should be low.
  • The equation for the reflected fraction is given by:
    • IrIi=((Z2Z1)(Z2+Z1))2\frac{{I_r}}{{I_i}}={(\frac{({Z_2}-{Z_1})}{({Z_2}+{Z_1})})}^2
      • Where I is the intensity of the wave and Z is the acoustic impedance.
Jump to other topics
1

Physical Quantities & Units

2

Kinematics

3

Dynamics

4

Force, Density & Pressure

5

Work, Energy & Power

6

Deformation of Solids

7

Waves

8

Superposition

9

Thermal Physics

10

Communication

11

Electric Fields

12

Current Electricity

13

Magnetic Fields

14

Modern Physics

Practice questions on Ultrasound Imaging 2

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
Answer all questions on Ultrasound Imaging 2

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium