A medical imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of structures inside the body.
A transducer sends sound waves into the body and detects the echoes that return from different tissues. A computer processes these echoes to produce an image.
Ultrasound is widely used to examine organs, blood vessels, soft tissues, and developing pregnancies. It does not use ionizing radiation, although it should still be used appropriately by trained professionals.
QUICK FACT
Ultrasound can also assess blood flow using Doppler techniques.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
X-ray: X-rays use ionizing radiation to create images, whereas ultrasound uses sound waves.
SEE ALSO
- Medical Imaging
- X-ray
- MRI
- Doppler Ultrasound