Veterinary Ultrasound Applications Essay -- ultrasound, technology,clin

When someone hears the word â€Å"ultrasound†, they probably immediately think babies, pregnancy, and those fuzzy black and white computer screens displaying the picture of a developing fetus. Modern medicine has now gone much further than those often grainy flat images a mother used to see. Three dimensional and even 4-D imaging is possible, and not only in medical facilities, but in veterinary clinics. Only a few universities were using this technology in the 1970 and 1980s, but today, modern advancements and availability allows clinics to depend on this technology for all kinds of cases. (Epperley, 2012) So how does it work, and is it actually worth all the training and expense to purchase one of these machines? One will see that each clinic may have its own needs as its own budget for this equipment, but only being fully educated on the uses of this technology will help owners decide if a machine is right for them. So what is ultrasound technology and how in the world does it work? The word â€Å"ultrasound† is actually the practice of using sound waves to produce an image called a sonogram. This works by the machine producing sound waves at a frequency higher than humans can hear, and sending them through a targeted area on the body. As these waves travel through the body, they hit objects such as organs, blood, and air, and bounce off of them. The more dense the surface of the object the stronger the waves will bounce, or echo back. A machine then converts these echoes into digital imaging, where a technician known as a sonographer, can view it on a computer screen in real time. For example, if gallstones are present in the gallbladder, sound waves passing through will echo off of these dense stones and they will show... ...ions Continue to Expand. Veterinary Ultrasound Applications Continue to Expand. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/small-animal-dept/veterinary-ultrasound-applications-continue-to-expand.aspx Tremayne, J. (2011, August 18). Veterinary Ultrasound: A Go-to Diagnostic Tool. Veterinary Ultrasound: A Go-to Diagnostic Tool. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/small-animal-dept/ultrasound-a-go-to-diagnostic-tool.aspx Tiffany, L. (2008, October 22). Ultrasound Remains A Sound Investment. Veterinary Practice News. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/equine-large-animal-dept/ultrasound-remains-a-sound-investment.aspxr What is an Ultrasound. (2012, May 16). Medical News Today. Retrieved March 31, 2014, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles