Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

When a patient shows up at their dermatologist with a suspicious skin lesion that looks like skin cancer, the traditional method of diagnosis has always been biopsy. But thanks to advancements in high frequency ultrasound machines, doctors can now diagnose skin cancer using a method known as elastography.

This new technology has the potential to make skin cancer diagnosis a lot simpler and less painful for patients because, like all ultrasound techniques, it is non-invasive. Using this new form of ultrasound machines technology has proven to be highly successful in differentiating between benign and malignant skin abnormalities.

In the United States, over a million people are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every year. While melanoma is still the rarest form of skin cancer, it is also the most deadly because it often goes undiagnosed. Had they been detected sooner, most cases of melanoma would have been cured, which could have prevented nearly 12,000 deaths in 2009 alone.

One would think that dermatologists would be practiced enough in identifying skin cancer that they would catch most cases of it with the naked eye, but in many people, malignant lesions can appear benign at first glance, especially early on. By using high frequency elastography, doctors will now be able to perform a quick, noninvasive test right in their office, using a special type of ultrasound machine. In many cases, this technique may help patients avoid a biopsy, and in other cases it may cause their doctor to take a second look at an otherwise un-suspicious lesion.

Elastography works by measuring the elasticity, or relative stiffness of a specific lesion. Because malignant lesions tend to be stiffer than non-cancerous growths, doctors can more readily detect the presence of skin cancer by using a specially equipped ultrasound machine.

Thanks to a simulation training course in ultrasound guided procedures, many medical residents have been able to hone their skills in a learning environment that doesn’t affect patient safety. The Henry Ford Hospital conducted a study that found this to be a highly effective teaching tool that will undoubtedly improve confidence among residents when they start using these new skills on the job. While conducting an ultrasound test may look easy enough to the outsider, practitioners need practice to gain the knowledge needed to use ultrasound machines with dexterity and speed.

The study was conducted while would-be doctors performed some of the most common ultrasound procedures, including biopsies of the breast, liver and thyroid, as well as the draining of excess fluid from the body. Students were able to use mannequins instead of actual patients, which allows for a more standardized form of teaching. Because they can practice the same procedure again and again, students were able to become more proficient than they would otherwise have been if their procedures were done on humans.

Each radiology student participating in this study was given a chance to learn techniques when using ultrasound machines through a combination of live training, video and written coursework. They each had six months to learn the skills within a simulated medical environment that recreates live surgical procedures as well as emergency care, intensive care and routine medical scenarios.

The mannequins themselves were equipped with hypo-echoic and hyper-echoic nodules that allow for a real-life ultrasound experience. Both before and after their training, student doctors were tested on their proficiency and knowledge of ultrasound technology. Not surprisingly, the students showed significant improvements after learning in a simulated hospital environment.

With the changing guidelines on the frequency of mammograms recommended for women under 50, the news about targeted breast ultrasound is drawing a lot of interest from the medical community. IN November, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force revised its recommendation about mammography, saying that women under 50 only need testing every other year. This news drew ire from women’s health advocates and young breast cancer survivors whose lives were saved through early detection.

Until now, it was unclear whether the use of targeted breast ultrasound would be a clinically approved method of diagnosing cancerous tumors in young women, but two new US studies confirm this method as the “tool of choice” for use in women under the age of 40. Ultimately, this new test is expected to reduce the need for invasive biopsies in younger women. It is also less expensive and far safer than surgical excision or needle biopsy, which can be quite painful.

One of the two studies, led by the University of Washington between January 2002 and August 2006, involved 1,123 ultrasound examinations with women under 30 and the other one included 1,577 women between the ages of 30 and 39. The first study compared testing by using ultrasound machines to mammograms and the second compared it to biopsy.

Not only have these studies proven that ultrasound testing is an accurate way to diagnose cancerous tumors in younger women, it is also a positive sign for the advancement of ultrasound technology in general. According to Dr. Constance Lehman, who led the studies, it is time we started using ultrasound machines to reduce unnecessary dangers and costs associated with more invasive approaches.

Modern ultrasound machines are used in a variety of diagnostic capacities to help physicians identify disorders in a safe, radiation-free way. Because they are so easy to administer, ultrasound testing can detect problems earlier and allow treatment to start quickly. As a result, ultrasound machines are one of the most widely used pieces of medical equipment used in health care settings these days. Compared to early ultrasound equipment, today’s machines are far safer and more effective.

How is ultrasound equipment used today?

Since the introduction of ultrasound machines nearly fifty years ago, many breakthroughs have been made. Today’s machines use cyclic sound pressure that has a higher frequency than what human beings can hear, with a lower limit average of 20 KHz. As the sound energy penetrates its intended target, the machine measures the reflected projection and creates an image that renders the variances in projection.

Intrauterine photos are often taken of a gestating fetus using ultrasound technology, but medical sonograms, or “ultrasonography” is also a common technique used for diagnostic testing. By creating a 3-D image of internal organs, tissues and other structures, ultrasound machines can determine the size, depth and shape of tumors or lesions.

For biomedical purposes, therapeutic ultrasound can also be used in occupational or physical therapy, as well as cancer treatment. This type of ultrasound machine actually uses its power to do more than create an image; it can also create localized heating of bodily tissue. High intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU is used by internists and oncologists to treat benign and malignant tumors. Ultrasound is also used in clinical settings to detect abnormalities of the abdominal, rectum and pelvic areas. Even cosmetic surgeons use ultrasound machines to assist in liposuction, sclerotherapy, elastography and plastic surgery.

Beyond its many traditional uses in human health care, veterinary clinics are also using ultrasound to treat and detect anomalies in pets and other mammals. But keep in mind that while ultrasound is non-invasive and safe, it is still a medical procedure and should be administered with care by a trained radiology clinician. Experienced professionals know how to regulate the machines to prevent overexposure to high frequency waves.