ULTRASOUND

Dr. Usama Nasir

Ph.D*, M.S (Neurology)
Objectives
• Introduction
• Production of US
• Physiological & therapeutic effects
• Indication , contraindications
• Precautions , danger
• Techniques of application
Sound
• “Periodic mechanical disturbance of an elastic
medium such as air”
• Sound requires :
• Medium
• Oscillating source
• Sound waves are travelling pressure waves in
the medium which cause an alternate
compression & rarefaction of particles in
medium
• Ultrasound refers to mechanical vibrations of a
higher frequency, beyond the range of human
hearing
• Human hearing range 20-20,000Hz
• Therapeutic freq=1MHz or 3MHz
• Attenuation….
• Wavelength
• @ 1MHz would be 1.5mm
• @ 3 MHz would be 0.5 mm
• Frequency =1 or 3 MHz
• Velocity
• Air 344m/s
• Water 1410m/s
• Muscle 1540m/s
• Fat 1450 m/s
• Blood 1570 m/s
Production of ultrasound
• Transducer (sound head): A crystal that converts
electrical energy into sound
• Quartz or barium titanate crystal
• Piezoelectric effect
• The effect of varying potential on shape of
quartz crystal & the effect of US on adjacent
cells
Piezoelectric effect
Basic components of US
apparatus
1. High frequency Source
2. Coaxial cable
3. Transducer head (crystal fused to metal front plate)

• Any change in shape of crystal causes movement of

metal plate which in turn produces an ultrasonic wave
• Strict freq control ensures steady & regular rate of
deformation
• US propagated in a linear fashion up to the end of near
field at which point the beam starts to diverge
US Parameters
• Continuous mode
• Pulsed mode
Intensity
• Unit : watt
1. Space averaged intensity
• Average intensity over a specified area ,e.g.
watts/cm 2
2. Time averaged/space averaged intensity
• Pulsed mode
• Average intensity over whole treatment time
(/sec) for a specified area watts/cm 2
Pulsed mark:space ratio
“Ratio of time on to time off”
• Mark: space ratio
• Mark =the time US is on
• Space = silence
• Both measured in milliseconds
• Fixed M:S ratio = 2:8
• Variable M:S = 1:1 , 1:4 , 1:7
Reflection of ultrasound
• Sound obeys laws of reflection
• Air will not transmit ultrasonic waves
• Great care required to avoid leaving air btw
head & pt to minimize reflection

• Some reflection at each interface where beam

strikes
• Acoustic impedance (Z) = ratio btw reflected
&transmitted ultrasound at an interface
• When (z) is low, transmission is high & vice versa
Transmission of ultrasound
• If us beam encounters an interface btw two
media & transmitted it may be refracted ,i.e.
deflected from its original path
• Travelling from medium in which velocity is low
to the medium in which velocity is high, it is
refracted away from normal
• Significance : treatment waves travelling along
the normal refraction does not occur
Attenuation
• Gradual reduction in intensity of US beam once
it has left the treatment head
Absorption
• US absorb by tissues & converted to heat at that
point
Scatter
• Reflection at interface
• Bubbles or particles in its path
• Effect: intensity reduced the deeper it passes
• Half value distance
• Depth of soft tissue that reduces the ultrasonic
beam to half its surface intensity
• 1 MHz 4 cm
• 3 MHz 2.5 cm
Ultrasonic fields
• Near field
• Far field
Near field
• Extent of near field depends on:
• Radius of transducers
• Wavelength of US in medium
• Depth of near field = r2 /ʎ
• Freq & wavelength inversely related, depth of
near field varies with freq
• Near & far fields arise bcz the wave fronts from
the different parts of the source have to travel
different distances,& there is interference btw
adjacent fronts
• More profound effect of near field
• more intense than far field
• Variation of intensity greatest in near field
Coupling media
• Most efficient couplant reduces the dose to
quarter
• See table book