Ultrasound devices and applications

The first thing you need to consider when shopping for ultrasound machines is how you plan to use it in your practice. Most equipment includes the software, calculations, and presets for any application you need. It’s important to focus on ultrasound devices that are best suited for your area of expertise.

An OB/GYN, for example, will want ultrasound devices with the best real-time scanner to see a constant image of the moving fetus to monitor fetal heartbeat and growth patterns. On the other hand, a cardiac specialist will be more concerned with high-quality, low-frequency transducers to get the clearest images of organs deep in the body, such as the lungs or heart.

Image quality should also be a key concern. An ultrasonographer examining a blood flow problem or an artery blockage will want a machine that produces the clearest on-screen image to help locate and attend to the problem. Ask the dealer to provide sample printouts of an ultrasound image, or better yet, view an ultrasound procedure in person to determine if the machine offers the image quality you need.

Standard ultrasound devices

Here are the typical components you’ll find on an ultrasound machine:

• Central processing unit (CPU) – The CPU is the “brain” of ultrasound equipment, controlling the emissions and rendering images by calculating the speed and distance of the echoes.
• Transducer probes – Devices that produce the sound waves used to examine the fetus or body part. Transducers are available in different shapes and sizes that offer varying levels of penetration depth, wave frequency, and image resolution.
• Pulse controls – These allow the ultrasonographer to alter the frequency and duration of the sound waves.
• Display – The monitor that shows the processed image. Available in black and white or color and in sizes that range from 13 to 17 inches, portable ultrasound machines typically have monitor sizes that range from 10 to 12 inches.
• Input devices – Built-in keyboards and trackballs that allow you to enter and manipulate data and take precise measurements.

• Printer – Produces hard copies of a sonogram for doctor’s records and patients (typically expectant mothers who want to show it to family and friends). Thermal printers are less expensive but produce less-detailed images; high-quality printers can substantially increase your costs.
• Storage device – Allows you to store images to either hard disk, recordable devices (DVR, CDR), or radiographic film. Storage devices are becoming a more critical component of ultrasound machines as health-care facilities rely more heavily on electronic medical records to reduce their reliance on paper documents.

Standard ultrasound features

Ultrasound machines are flexible enough to help diagnose almost any abdominal, cardiac, vascular, or musculoskeletal problem. Here are some of the applications ultrasound equipment affords your practice:

• Doppler technology – Determines the frequency of sound waves to help you listen to the heart, determine blood flow, and create blood flow images on the monitor
• Stress testing (or stress echo) – Monitors the heart to see how it responds before, during, and after exercise


Since ultrasound images render immediately, doctors can show the patient what they find as they conduct the procedure.

• Tissue harmonics – Reduces artifacts that appear on ultrasound images by improving amplification of high-frequency sound waves
• Contrast imaging – Uses a contrasting agent that’s injected into the patient’s bloodstream to gauge blood flow
• Multi-directional transducers – Allows you to view organs in different directions and helps reduce artifacts in the images
• Remote diagnostics – Lets technicians easily diagnose certain problems remotely and repair them completely online