WHAT IS AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?
Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles involved in sonar. When a sound wave strikes an object, it bounces back.
By measuring these waves and their behaviour it is possible to determine how far away the object is as well as the object's size, shape and consistency - whether the object is solid or filled with fluid.
Ultrasound imaging, also known as sonography, uses a small probe and some gel placed on the skin of the patient.
The probe, a transducer, transmits sounds through the gel and into the body.
When the transducer collects the sounds that bounce back, a computer then uses those sound waves to create an image.
Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles involved in sonar. Ultrasound shave a range of uses, but are most widely used for creating images of a foetus in the womb during pregnancy
Ultrasound imaging does not use high-energy or ionising waves of light, so there is no damage to the patient.
Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Conventional ultrasound images are flat and two dimensional, but recent advancements have allowed hundreds to be taken simultaneously to create a 3D image of the area.
Ultrasounds have a range of uses, but are most widely used for creating images of a foetus in the womb during pregnancy.
They are also used to assess pain, inflammation and swelling in afflicted areas.
As well as assessing symptoms, they can be used as a diagnosis tool for determining the cause of illness in most organs.
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