Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

Still one of the most inexpensive and effective imaging techniques in the medical field, ultrasound helps radiologists and other healthcare professionals gather significant data about their patients. In fact, no other imaging option is so well-suited to patient safety and overall healthcare. By giving patients a real-time look at their own anatomy, they can enter into more productive discussions with their physicians about their conditions.

Ultrasound machines have become quite commonplace among cardiologists, surgeons, urologists, obstetricians and physical therapists, among others. As the applications for ultrasound expand, medical equipment suppliers are responding to new market opportunities by creating highly advanced systems that use ultrasound technology.

For example, new miniaturized ultrasound machines are growing in popularity across many areas of medicine. A broad range of professionals, from internists to orthopedists are carrying these handheld systems in their pockets for use throughout the day. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are using handheld ultrasound equipment to quickly assess injuries before a patient is ever transported to a hospital. Ultrasound technology is a natural fit for portable medical equipment because of its compact size, user-friendliness and ease of mobility.

This trend toward miniaturization has swept the medical equipment industry so quickly; suppliers are scrambling to keep up with customer demand. Hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) lends itself so well to a variety of different applications. In fact it is so popular that it has even been added as an optional “app” for the iPhone. However, the portable ultrasound devices carried by doctors are far more advanced and are usually $9,000 and up.

Usually, when one hears the word “ultrasound”, the first thing that comes to mind is a photo or video of an unborn baby.  But surprisingly, there are a number of ways to use ultrasound machine technology that do not involve pregnant mothers.  The reason ultrasound has become so widely used throughout the medical profession is that it is a non-invasive way to make a diagnosis.

1.    In addition to giving mom and dad a “picture” of their baby-to-be, ultrasound helps the doctor check the baby’s position in the uterus, make sure the internal organs and brain are growing properly, and that the baby is the size that it should be for a specific stage of development.  Recently, ultrasound has been adapted to check for chromosomal abnormalities like Down’s syndrome as well.

2.    Using special ultrasound probes, gynecologists can also diagnose a cystic or solid mass in the pelvic area.  Urologists have a separate set of custom-designed probes to screen men for prostate problems.  And both men and women may have an ultrasound screening of the colon.

3.    General surgeons and internists often use ultrasound machines to examine the thyroid, breasts, gall bladder and spleen, as well as other organs.  There are ultrasound probes that can locate foreign objects in places as delicate as the eye, and they are not being used to guide doctors in performing fine needle biopsy procedures.

4.    People are not the only subjects where ultrasound is used.  Recently, a team of veterinarians from the Mississippi State University developed an ultrasound procedure that will help them to better understand the biology of cattle.  Ultrasound machines can also be used to make a quick diagnosis on horses, sheep, dogs and cats.

5.    Physical therapists use ultrasound machines in conjunction with deep tissue heat to treat arthritis, fibromyalgia, and certain injuries.  This process increases circulation to the affected area, which promotes healing.

According to the American Cancer Society, over 40,000 new cases of uterine cancer diagnosed each year, so it is important for high risk patients to be evaluated thoroughly.

In addition to the normal routine of colposcopy and ECC, women who already have some of the risk factors or symptoms of uterine cancer should ask the doctor to perform an ultrasound scan of the uterus. But diagnosing endometrial cancer (also known as uterine cancer) can be difficult. It doesn’t always show up in a pap test, and unless the test comes back showing atypical glandular cells (AGC), many patients can go undiagnosed for years.

Even when a patient’s Pap smear shows evidence of AGC, gynecologists often treat this result with less respect than it deserves. Unlike squamous cell atypia (the more common form of abnormal pap result), glandular abnormalities can be a sign of more advanced lesions in the uterus, or even an existing cancer, which may be difficult to find using the traditional follow-up tests.

Uterine cancers can also grow more rapidly than squamous cell cancers of the cervix. An ultrasound machine can be used to detect the elusive early stage uterine cancer known as adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS).

Using an ultrasound machine, doctors can get a more detailed internal picture of a patient’s uterus and provide an accurate diagnosis through sonohysterography. This type of scanning, which uses a transvaginal probe, allows for a more in-depth evaluation of the uterine cavity. It can be used to examine scarring, benign fibroid tumors, cancerous tumors, cysts or polyps that may be present within the uterus.
Ultimately, it will be the results of a biopsy, colposcopy and ultrasound scan together that gives doctors a clear picture of the patient’s condition, as well as the recommended course of treatment. If endometrial cancer is diagnosed, patients normally undergo a complete hysterectomy.

Compared to other diagnostic machines, ultrasound machines are much safer for patients, and recent advances in ultrasound technology have allowed the applications for this test to expand beyond its traditional use in obstetrics.

While the benefits of ultrasound scanning far exceed the risks, no diagnostic tool is without some inherent limitations.

Here is a summary of ultrasound’s benefits:

* As an imaging technique, ultrasound is a widely available, less expensive and easy to use.
* Most ultrasound scans are non-invasive, requiring no needles or injections, and they test is usually painless.
* Ultrasound machines use no ionizing radiation.
* The ultrasound scan provides a clear picture of soft tissues that often are not visible on x-ray images. It can even help detect lesions in dense breasts.
* Because it provides imaging in real-time, ultrasound is great tool for minimally invasive needle biopsies or needle aspiration.

The limitations of ultrasound machines include:

* There are still many cancers not visible on ultrasound machines.
* Calcifications that are visible using mammography are not always seen on ultrasound scans.
* The procedure may not always be covered by insurance plans, and some facilities don’t offer ultrasound screening.

For breast cancer screenings, it is important to choose a facility where the radiologists specialize in this type of screening. The quality of ultrasound diagnostics is dependent upon the abnormality being recognized in “real time”. This requires a certain level of experience and up-to-date ultrasound equipment. The best facilities are accredited by ACR.

As with any type of diagnostic tests, some patients become nervous about the nature of the exam. Thankfully, ultrasound is one of those tests that should not cause a lot of patient anxiety.

Here is what patients should expect during an ultrasound exam:

o Depending on the area to be examined, patients may be asked to undress and wear a gown during the procedure.
o The ultrasound machine contains a transducer, video display screen and a console containing a computer and electronics.
o Patients will be able to view the ultrasound machine image immediately on a video display that looks a lot like a TV.
o The image itself is made by the amplitude, frequency and amount of time it takes for sound waves to return from the area being studied to the transducer.
o Technicians use a clear gel that is water based, which is smoothed on the spot where the body is to be studied. This ensures the transducer will will securely contact with the skin throughout the procedure, and it prevents pockets of air between the skin and the transducer.
o By pressing the transducer tautly on the body, the sonographer will sweep it over the area being studied to allow sound waves to pass over.
o A Doppler ultrasound is performed using a similar process and the same type of transducer.

An ultrasound machine exam usually takes 30 minutes, and it is a safe and painless procedure. If it is performed over a tender area, however, the patient may feel minor pain or pressure from the transducer. With Doppler ultrasound, patients may also hear sounds similar to a pulse as the blood flow is measured and monitored.

Once an ultrasound examination is complete, the patient may resume normal activities right away. Results are normally evaluated at the time of the exam, but may be evaluated further by another physician or radiologist.

Just last year, insurance companies announced plans to limit coverage of mammogram screenings in women who are under 45 or who are not within a high-risk category for breast cancer. Part of the reason for this recommendation may have been motivated by the high cost of the tests, but some in the medical community believe mammograms expose patients to higher levels of radiation than necessary.

Until recently, ultrasound scanning was not used to detect cancer because it could only provide a two dimensional image of the area in question. However, the new 3-D Doppler ultrasound machines use a special technique that allows doctors to evaluate the blood flow through the major arteries of the body, as well as the veins of the arms, legs, neck and abdomen.

Mammography is still the primary diagnostic tool for finding abnormalities in the breast, but the use of ultrasound, particularly Doppler 3-D ultrasound, is in on the rise. One reason for this is the improved safety of ultrasound, and another is relative cost of the test. Plus, mammography can be less than accurate when a woman has dense, glandular breasts. Many clinicians prefer to use ultrasound machine imaging as a secondary method of determining whether an abnormality is a sold mass, a fluid filled cyst, or both. It can also show some of the area’s other unique characteristics.

In addition to the size, shape and texture of a breast abnormality, Doppler ultrasound can assess the blood supply in lesions of the breast. As a result, it is often used as a supplemental method of cancer screening for women who are at high risk for breast cancer and unable to tolerate an MRI.

As the technology that fuels ultrasound machines continues to improve, doctors have found more and more uses for this noninvasive diagnostic tool. In many cases, ultrasound machines have been used to determine whether a tumor or mass is malignant before the biopsy results come back.

In the field of gynecology, doctors have been searching for ways to detect small tumors in the breast before they show up on a mammogram, and ultrasound has provided that technology.

One reason why ultrasound has become so much better at detecting these abnormalities is the development of new 3-D color Doppler ultrasound machines. They use the measurement of sound waves, along with some very sophisticated computer equipment to show doctors the speed at which blood is moving through the veins and through blood vessels. When blood flows through or around a suspicious area, and it can be seen in three dimensions, it is easy to detect some cancers before they become large tumors.

How does the measure of blood flow help ultrasound machines locate cancer?

Cancer cells grow very rapidly and need extra blood in order to multiply. Because Doppler ultrasound machines have the ability to monitor blood flow, it can also distinguish between a cancerous and non-cancerous (benign) mass. By picking up early signs of increased blood flow in a cancerous area, it can diagnose a malignancy faster than any other imaging technique.

While certainly not a replacement for mammography or biopsy, physicians expect 3-D Color Doppler ultrasound machines to play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Today’s ultrasound equipment is now being used for everything from chronic pain to surgery, but modern ultrasound machines are a far cry from the huge apparatus that once occupied a whole clinical imaging suite. Thanks to microcircuits, some of the most powerful new devices are no larger than a cell phone or iPod.

Portable ultrasound devices will soon become a common way to treat arthritis and joint pain. Biomedical engineering has made it possible to create miniature devices with tiny ceramic transducers that can actually deliver high frequency sound waves. Physicians are hoping these devices will enhance the mobility of arthritis sufferers because they can deliver pain relief “on the fly”.

One challenge with any portable medical devices has always been the battery life. This is an important element of their success since most users would want to carry a portable ultrasound device without the need for constant recharging. Depending on the dosage level, most portable ultrasound machines maintain a charge for four to eight hours. Most patients are so grateful to be able to wear a device like this on the elbow, back or knee while running or biking that they will put up with the minor inconvenience of keeping the device fully charged.

With the support of the National Science Foundation and physician researchers at the Weill Cornell School of Medicine, prototypes of consumer handheld ultrasound sound wave generators will be soon be brought to market. Down the road, they may also be used to activate implanted cancer drug treatments or deliver medicine through the skin.

Today’s ultrasound equipment is now being used for everything from chronic pain to surgery, but modern ultrasound machines are a far cry from the huge apparatus that once occupied a whole clinical imaging suite. Thanks to microcircuits, some of the most powerful new devices are no larger than a cell phone or iPod.

Portable ultrasound devices will soon become a common way to treat arthritis and joint pain. Biomedical engineering has made it possible to create miniature devices with tiny ceramic transducers that can actually deliver high frequency sound waves. Physicians are hoping these devices will enhance the mobility of arthritis sufferers because they can deliver pain relief “on the fly”.

One challenge with any portable medical devices has always been the battery life. This is an important element of their success since most users would want to carry a portable ultrasound device without the need for constant recharging. Depending on the dosage level, most portable ultrasound machines maintain a charge for four to eight hours. Most patients are so grateful to be able to wear a device like this on the elbow, back or knee while running or biking that they will put up with the minor inconvenience of keeping the device fully charged.

With the support of the National Science Foundation and physician researchers at the Weill Cornell School of Medicine, prototypes of consumer handheld ultrasound sound wave generators will be soon be brought to market. Down the road, they may also be used to activate implanted cancer drug treatments or deliver medicine through the skin.

In the rapidly evolving field of rheumatology, portable ultrasound machines used to diagnose and treat a variety of diseases that affect the joints and soft tissues of the body. Thanks to recent advancements in Power Doppler ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), effective imaging techniques have enabled doctors to help patients find relief from the chronic inflammation associated with rheumatic diseases.

The benefits of these recent advancements include the ability to view ultrasound images in full color, with the Power Doppler giving clinicians virtual “map” of affected tissues. The color is a measurement related to blood flow, which allows for more accurate assessment of the vascular tissues related to soft tissue inflammation and the detection of soft tissue perfusion.

Doppler ultrasound imaging is able to evaluate the flow of blood as it moves through blood vessels and arteries, particularly within the major passageways of the arms, legs and neck. In addition to its use in rheumatology, Doppler ultrasound machines are also used to diagnose the risk of potential stroke by examining blocked or reduced blood flow through narrowed arteries in the neck. It can also reveal a potential deep vein thrombosis in the veins of the legs before it breaks off and causes a pulmonary embolism in the lungs.
Power Doppler is up to five times more sensitive than regular Doppler imaging, making it ideal for detecting an increase in soft tissue perfusion and monitoring the flow of blood within solid organs. When used within the field of rheumatology, Doppler ultrasound machines allow doctors to better visualize and treat areas of inflammation. As a result, more and more rheumatologists are using it on their patients.