Basic UltrasoundPhysics

Application SpecialistTeam
Dwi Gunawan Saputra
Ultrasound

What is Ultrasound?
Nature ofUltrasound
• Medicaldefinitionof sound
“Soundis mechanicalenergytransmittedby
pressurewavein a materialmedium”
Frequency
Frequency: Numberof cycleoccurringper second
(Hertz:1cycle persecond)
f = C / λ (sound speed/wavelength)
Period: The timeit takes to complete1 cycle(P=1/f)
Wavelength: The wavelengthis the distancebetween 2 peaks on
cycle(λ=c/f)c : speed of soundin medium
Amplitude: differencebetween baselineand maximumamplitude
Frequency Wavelength
(MHz) (mm)

1.0 1.54

2.0 0.77
3.0 0.51
5.0 0.30
7.5 0.20
10 0.15
Sound Speed
Sound has a constantspeed in each medium.
Air : 330 m/s
fat :1460 m/s
Mercury : 1450 m/s
Water : 1480 m/s
Soft tissue : 1540 m/s
Muscle : 1600 m/s
Lead :2400 m/s

Sound can’t propagate in vacuum.

Propagation withina solid medium is faster.
Interactionof Ultrasoundwith Tissue
Attenuation
Attenuation
– It occurs while sound beam being propagated to
medium,when strengthand the amplitudeis reduced

Absorption (conversion of sound energy into heat)

Reflection(sound energy returnedto the sound source)
Scatter(sound energy redirected in multipledirections
includingback to the soundsource)
Reflection

• This is one of the main ingredients of medical ultrasound diagnosis.

• This occurs where an acoustic impedance mismatch.
Ø Acoustic impedance (Z)= medium density (ρ)*speed of sound (c)
Refraction
If the sound refraction occurs
oblique to the incident.

In this case, the density difference

between the two media along
direction of changes.

Two kinds of preconditions

1.Sound beam should be oblique

incident.
2. Speed of sound between two i
medium should be different.
*snell’s law t
: sinθt/sinθi = c2/c1
(c=speed of sound)
Scattering
Factors affecting the scattering
amplitude within the object.

1. Frequency
(high frequency occur more scattering)
2. Scatter density
3. Size of scatter
4. Acoustic Impedance
: acoustic mismatch of
the scattering medium

* Back scattering : go back to the

incidence direction.
Transducer
Transducer construction

crystal Handle

Matching layer

Backing material(Damping)

Ultrasound transducer should never be heat sterilized!!

– because PZT loose piezoectric effect
Piezoelectriceffect

An effect associated with materials having aligned dipolar molecules

in which a pressure wave(sound wave) induces an electrics signal in
the material.
This permits the material to be used as a receiver
* Conversion piezoelectric effect – A property of piezoelectric materials whereby
an electric stimulus causes the dipolar material to expand and contract,
producing a pressure wave(sound wave). This property permits a material to be
used as a transmitter of ultrasound.
Type of Transducer
Ø Linear Transducer
• High frequency (over 5~10Hz)
• Peripheral vascular, small part

Ø Convex Transducer

• Low Frequency, curved linear

• Abdominal scan, OB
Type of Transducer
Ø Phased array Transducer (sector)
• Low Frequency, Small footprint
• Echocardiography

Ø Endovaginal (Endocavity) Transducer

• GYN, 5~8 Hz
• microconvex array
Resolution
Spatial resolution
Ø Axial resolution
- The abilityof an ultrasoundsystemto separatetwoobjects
lyingalongthe axisof an ultrasoundbeam
- Howto improve€ Use HighFrequency
Spatial resolution
Ø Lateralresolution
- the resolution of objects in a plane perpendicular to the axis of an ultra
sound beam. It is a measure of the ability of the system to detect closel
y separatedobjects,such as adjacentbloodvessels.
- Howto improve€ Beam focusing
€ Dynamic aperture
Contrast Resolution &Temporal Resolution
Ø Contrastresolution
- Contrast resolution is the ability
to distinguish subtle differences
in similartissues

Ø Temporalresolution
- Temporalresolutionis abilityof an ultrasoundmachineto depict
rapidlymovingstructuresaccuratelydeterminedby Frame rate
- Improvetemporalresolution€ Decreasingsectorwidthsize(FOV)
€ DecreasingImage depth
€ Increasingframerate
Image displaymode
B -mode
B mode displayreturningechoes as bright dots
It provideanatomiccrosssectional information
as well as information concerningreflectormotion
M -mode
M modeis a b mode operationwhichdisplaysthe depthof structures
overtime.
It provideaccurateinformationof reflectormotion,excellenttemporal
resolution,Poorspatialinformation(only1 dimensional)
Color Flowmode

Color flow assigns different hues

to the RBC in a vessel depending
upon their

average velocity and

the direction of blood flow relative
to the transducer
Power Doppler
Power Doppler Directional Power Doppler

Doppler imaging technique in Display directional flow

which the signal strength (not velocity)
of moving reflectors at each sampling site
is encoded by color
Pulsed waveDoppler

When a high frequency sound beam meets a moving structure,

such as blood, the reflected sound returns at a different frequency.

The velocity of the moving structure can be calculatedfrom

this frequency shift.
Continuous wavedoppler

One Crystal acts as the transmitter.

The other as the receiver.
The continuous sound wave is reflected
From the moving interface

€ Detect high velocity

CW VsPW

CW PW

Velocity range infinity Limit on PRF

Accuracy of
velocity High Mid
distribution

Depth
Do not know observable
information

Sample volume x o
 Thank you !

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