Reviews and News on Ultrasound Machines

In an era where the medical profession is constantly being informed of more dangers pertaining to x-ray radiation, medical equipment manufacturers are responding with new and improved versions of their most popular diagnostic machines. One example of this is the Hologic QDR 4000. A bone densitometer that has become the industry standard for many physicians, this Hologic machine is designed to do full scans of the lumbar spine, as well as the hip and forearm.

In addition to its longstanding reputation for making reliable bone densitometers, Hologic incorporates pencil-beam technology into its QDR series. Pencil-beam imaging techniques are widely known for providing the best quality image with a relatively low dose of radiation. Like all bone densitometers, the machine’s primary function is to assess a patient’s bone mineral status, but the QDR 4000 also offers a low-profile design for easy patient positioning.

DXA technology is considered the state-of-the-art method of diagnosing low bone mineral density (BMD), specifically as it relates to the disease of osteoporosis. As the technology behind these machines has improved, so has the package of software and peripherals provided to the physician. These tools help clinicians compare their patients’ relative BMD scores and more accurately determine the appropriate method of treatment to prevent additional bone loss.

The Hologic QDR 4000 bone densitometer features a compact 6 ft. patient table, pencil beam technology and a low patient dose of radiation, all packaged in a low-profile, state-of-the art design.

For physicians who want a quick and easy way to monitor their patients’ bone density before sending them out for DXA scan, Hologic makes a bone densitometer called the Sahara. This ultrasound based machine is radiation-free and weighs only 22 pounds, which makes it portable enough to be moved around from one examination room to another. While it takes up very little space – a cursory scan taking only one minute – it is the fastest bone densitometer on the market.

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The average patient may have a hard time imagining how ultrasound machines could play a role in pain management, but that is precisely what pain medicine clinics are focusing on. Using ultrasound guided nerve blocks; pain management specialists can now offer patients a more targeted therapeutic approach.

According to industry insiders, there are three ways in which ultrasound technology can be used to treat chronic pain sufferers. They include therapeutic and diagnostic procedures on nerves, new therapeutic and diagnostic actions on soft tissues, and certain types of injections.

This new form of pain therapy meets many objectives for patients and caregivers. Ideally, ultrasound imaging should produce images of both superficial and deep structures, using the highest possible resolution. It should also be a safe technique for both patient and operator and it should not require additional staff to operate. Medical professionals using ultrasound machines for pain management are looking for ease of use, portability, real-time guidance and compatibility with their existing pain management equipment.

Ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks can be done very quickly with no toxic side effects, as their safe needle positioning ensures the block only reaches targeted neuronal structures. The main advantages of this pain management technique are the absence of dangerous radiation and the ability for the practitioner to see the nerves and follow the treatment in real time. The use of ultrasound machines in pain medicine is relatively new, but it has been linked to improved outcomes in therapy and diagnostics.

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How are ultrasound machines providing patients with the option to stay awake during surgery?  Well, to avoid long recovery times and complications from general anesthesia, many new procedures are being done while the patient is fully awake; but it is only possible through the use of ultrasound guided anesthetics.

Now, instead of dealing with side effects from anesthesia and being confined to a hospital bed for days, “awake surgery” is allowing a patient to go home sooner, often on the same day that a surgery was performed.  This new technology is making routine operations safer and more efficient, especially for people who are at high risk of complications from general anesthesia.

Using a regional ultrasound procedure, local anesthetic can be administered to block nerve endings within the area of surgery.  This is just another example of an innovative technique that uses ultrasound technology in a new way, and recent advances in compact ultrasound machines have made this type of procedure more accessible to the general population.

This type of surgery requires an injection, which takes between 20 and 40 minutes to go into effect.  In surgeries of the hand or upper limbs, this injection is made in the nerves of the brachial plexus, which results in the arm becoming immobilized and completely numb.   In lower limb procedures, an injection is given in the sciatic nerves, either behind the knee or under the buttocks.  Depending on the type of drug used, patients can feel numb for up to 18 hours and get relief from post-surgical pain for up to 24 hours.

“Awake surgery” using ultrasound machines is still used primarily in procedures on the limbs, but it has also been used for heart and brain surgery.  Only time will tell how widely this procedure will be used in the surgical suite, but based on the results thus far it is here to stay.

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As ultrasound machines become more technologically advanced, so does the technology that goes into them, and one company is moving to the forefront creating solutions for the medical imaging industry. Samplify is a company based in Shenzhen, China, known for their wide range of optimized, high-performance medical imaging technology for OEMs.

In a recent press release, the company announced the launch of a new “beamforming” technology that will provide added flexibility for ultrasound machine OEMs. Their AutoFocus™ product will allow for a differentiated approach to creating the algorithms within software system design, and this product can be implemented within all types of ultrasound machines, from low-powered handhelds to cart-style ultrasound machines.

The biggest news about their new beam forming technology is how it allows for a phased array of imaging techniques within a variety of machine types, most of which could otherwise only afford a single algorithm due to power and cost constraints. With Samplify’s highly configurable platform, manufacturers of ultrasound machines can now take advantage of lower power usage and cost savings while differentiating their core product lines.

The new technology works by integrating an auto-focus engine that can refocus the ultrasound’s receiver automatically. This allows for images to be captured at different depths without the delay involved in recalculating and downloading data on the back-end computer. Using their QuadBeam feature, ultrasound machines made with this new beamforming technology can scan four scan-lines simultaneously, allowing for better lateral resolution and geometric definition. Not only will this innovation provide flexibility and speed for the customer, it will also consume up to 90% less power than FPGA devices.

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Ever since ultrasound machines emerged as a new medical imaging technique in the early 1960’s, its diagnostic capabilities have expanded far beyond obstetrics to include cardiology and many surgical and therapeutic applications. Non-radiologists are now using ultrasound machines in record numbers as a non-invasive method of clinical treatment.

Perhaps some of the reasons for ultrasound’s expansion are its relatively low cost, high degree of safety and immediate results. Because of its ability to utilize sound waves rather than damaging radiation, it can be used to create images of a wide variety of bodily structures. Since its inception, ultrasound has emerged as one of the more cost-effective diagnostic procedures.

Recent advancements in ultrasound technology have made it possible for imaging to be carried out in 3D and 4D versions using more complex computing and signal processing. This relatively new technology is expected to create a new wave of interest in developing technologically advanced applications for ultrasound machines. It has already revolutionized the way that obstetricians can create images of unborn babies.

Another development is the use of ultrasound in liver elastography, which will help doctors detect early-stage liver disease. Using cutting-edge ultrasound scanners from Siemens, it is possible to analyze the elasticity of liver tissue in intricate detail for early diagnosis of liver diseases like cirrhosis. Ultrasound machines can also be used to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors in many parts of the body.

Ultrasound technology has also been used to study the heart through the use of echocardiograms, and researchers continue to explore new uses for focused ultrasound in carrying out non-invasive heart procedures. With all of this rapid advancement, there is little doubt that we will continue to see ultrasound play an important role in every area of patient care.

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The use of ultrasound machine technology in a physical therapy setting originated in Europe, in the 1940’s. Over the years, advancements have been made in regards to therapeutic ultrasound. Today, ultrasound machines are now more commonly being used by chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and in the field of Sports Medicine. Ultrasound machines utilized for therapeutic treatment has proven to be an effective tool in treating arthritis, muscle pain, and joint pain. Typically, the treatment is performed by a professional therapist and is recommended for approximately fifteen minutes on a daily basis for two to ten weeks. This is a non-toxic, non-invasive treatment that has been successful in providing relief from pain enabling the muscles to relax.

Ultrasound machine technology uses sound waves which generate heat to a particular area of the body. With the vibration generated from ultrasound machines, heat is generated by way of high frequency sound waves, and inflammation and swelling can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, when this type of heat is applied to a joint, it helps to loosen tissue and improves blood flow circulation. It can relieve some chronic and acute pain for patients participating in this type of treatment. Professionals have been known to successfully treat bursitis, shoulder dislocations, sprains, and tendinitis using ultrasound machine therapy treatments.

Ultrasound machine technology for therapeutic use is not a new concept. There are still some who are skeptical about its degree of effectiveness. However, ultrasound machines are being used more frequently by the medical community. While it is not guaranteed that it will alleviate pain indefinitely, or for all types of injuries, there are many patients who have been pleased with the results. When combined with stretching exercises, patients and therapists have concluded that the treatment is longer lasting and more noticeable. Patients have reported that some soreness is common immediately following treatment. Other benefits included repairing damaged tissue, relaxing muscle spasms, and a more rapid healing process.

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It was only a matter of time before ultrasound machines joined the vast array of medical devices that can be worn around the neck or carried around in a pocket. An extraordinarily small ultrasound made by Signostics has achieved the feat of being reduced to a lightweight eight ounces while still including all of the needed data converters, amplifiers, processing and circuits found in much larger models.

Other than our national obsession with gadgetry, there are several other factors driving this trend toward miniaturization.

* The medical equipment industry’s first “single IC” USB isolator was introduced in 2009, and it has significantly decreased the design time, size limitations and cost to create an isolated USB solution.
* Patients have demanded ways to monitor their own health without the need for frequent trips to the doctor’s office, especially since many doctors are already overbooked.
* Palm-sized ultrasound devices (like the Signos by Signostics) are capable of producing high-resolution imaging with a simple touch-screen display and the ability to store up to 10,000 images. The technology used here is reminiscent of a smart phone, both in size and ease of use.
* When doctors are moving from one room to the next, it is easy for them to carry a Signos around their neck like a stethoscope or keep it in their pocket until the next use.
* Unlike larger ultrasound machines, which use multiple transducers and a more complex circuitry, the pocket-sized Signos uses only one transducer, which is controlled by hand movements, to generate a high resolution image.

This miniaturized version of an ultrasound machine is so new that it’s still too early to tell how it will impact the use of large machines in a clinical setting, but it will certainly be an interesting trend to watch.

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Ultrasound technologists, also known as “diagnostic medical sonographers” spend their days operating ultrasound machines. Using high frequency sound (so high that humans cannot hear it), ultrasound machines use sound waves to create two dimensional images of the internal organs of the body. It is also commonly used to take images of a fetus during pregnancy, and to make images of the heart, cardiovascular system and abdomen.

Besides becoming ultrasound technologists, a medical imaging technologist can also specialize in CT scans, MRI and X-ray technology.

As a career choice, the field of medical imaging marries the use of technical knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment, with the ability to interact well with patients. As the population ages, the demand for ultrasound technologists is growing. They are not only needed in hospitals, but also at doctor’s offices and other health care settings. The recent expansion of ambulatory care and outpatient centers has created a new demand for medical professionals who can operate ultrasound machines, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this demand to grow another 18 percent by the year 2018.

As a prerequisite for a profession like this, it helps to be a person who enjoys working in a helpful role with people. This is because a technologist will be working directly with patients on a daily basis. Some hospitals offer non-degree training programs that typically last for two years and cost about $3,000 per year. According the Jackson Memorial School of Technological Radiology, a Florida-based ultrasound technologist can expect to earn about $47,000 right out of school.

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Ultrasound imaging was developed using the same principles as sonar, a technology that is used to find ships at sea. The only difference is, medical ultrasound machines are able to measure the length of time it takes sound waves to bounce back from internal areas of the body. The net effect is a two dimensional image that identifies the distance, size and shape of objects within. These images allow doctors to diagnose abnormalities, detect tumors, examine tendon tears, and evaluate the eyes.

During the course of an ultrasound examination, the machine’s transducer is used to show the targeted organ and produce images to be studied. The transducer itself emits sound waves and then detects the returning echoes as it passes over the body part being examined. It does this by differentiating between the sounds that are made by various tissues, because they each respond differently to the transducer’s frequency. The resulting echoes are then analyzed by a computer within the ultrasound machine, and they are shown to the doctor as moving images of the area being examined

Ultrasound waves pass quite readily through soft tissues and fluids, which make ultrasound machines the preferred method of examining fluid-filled organs like the uterus, liver and gallbladder. However, since ultrasound waves are unable to penetrate through bones or gases, the use of ultrasound machines for these areas is limited. Still, ultrasound is commonly used to study most parts of the body in hospitals and clinical settings.

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Ultrasound technology is used for many applications within medicine and industry, but its most common use is in the field of obstetrics. Doctors use ultrasound machines during pregnancy to view the uterus and fetus, a test that is usually performed between 16 and 18 weeks into the pregnancy.

Some of the ways that ultrasound is used in obstetrics include:

* Determining the date of conception and the expected due date, as well as fetal size
* Revealing multiple pregnancies
* Identifying fetal abnormalities
* Diagnosing congenital heart disease
* Amniocentesis
* Determining the position of the placenta
* Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy or impending miscarriage, or the cause of early fetal death

In addition to pregnancy-related issues, ultrasound can also be used to view the fallopian tubes, ovaries and other female reproductive organs to look for cysts and determine the cause of infertility.

Non obstetric uses for ultrasound machines include treatment and diagnosis of many disorders, including:

* Examination of internal organs, such as the appendix to diagnose appendicitis
* Scanning the brain of a newborn baby
* Evaluating the eyes
* Locating gallstones in bile ducts or the gallbladder
* Scanning the liver to diagnose cirrhosis, cysts, abscesses or tumors
* Scanning of the kidneys to diagnose congenital defects, hydronephrosis or other obstructions
* Close examination of tendon tears

The uses of ultrasound machines have grown exponentially since the early days of ultrasound technology, and the technology continues to advance. New ultrasound applications are discovered on a very regular basis, and it is now being used in many surgical procedures.

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