Introduction

Ultrasound imaging is the art of sending high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) into biological tissue from its surface and recording echos coming back to the surface from within the tissue and interpreting these echos to form an image.

Ultrasound imaging is considered one of the safest imaging methods, as it does not involve ionizing radiation thus is used as the principle medical imaging method for obstetrics.

The relatively low price of ultrasound machines has made them more accessible than other methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Yet the most significant feature of ultrasound imaging could be its real-time imaging capability, as it can provide the clinician with an tool to observe the internal organs in real-time.

In this white paper, the principles of ultrasound imaging are briefly reviewed for ease of reference with respect to the research tools provided by Ultrasonix Medical Corporation.

For further reading regarding this topic please refer to textbooks on medical ultrasound imaging.