If you walk through any hospital or outpatient facility you may see ultrasound machines and not think much of it. In fact, ultrasound technology has become commonplace today. However, this was not always the case and ultrasound provides a great deal of benefits to both the healthcare professional and patient today.
What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound is also called sonography and ultrasound machines utilize sound waves of high frequency. A wand called a transducer is pressed against the skin and this creates an electric current. Sound waves are then sent through the body and then bounced back. This provides an image of what is inside. It is an accurate and much safer way to look inside your body than using x-rays.
Not only is ultrasound much safer than x-rays, it provides the chance to see the internal body in action. For example, when a baby ultrasound is done, the child can be observed while in the womb and in some cases, it’s possible to see if the baby is in distress or having other health problems. Before birth, it can tell the doctor if the baby is breach and the mother may need a C-section.
Ultrasound History
It all started in 1794 when noted Italian physiologist, Catholic priest, and biologist, Lazzaro Spallanzani conducted a study on bats. This began the science of echolocation and it is all about animals emitting sound waves and reading them when they bounce back, to determine their location in space.
Nearly a century later, Pierre and Jacques Currie discovered piezoelectricity. This type of electricity is produced in specific materials when placed under stress or pressure. This paved the way for transducers which allow ultrasound machines to work.
In the early part of the 20th Century the first ultrasound tranducer was invented. Paul Langevin’s hydrophone was used to detect sunken objects in the ocean. During the 1920s, ultrasound machines were first used for physical therapy.
In the early 1940s ultrasound first looked inside the body and by 1948, it could detect gall stones. Since then, ultrasound technology has progressed at an amazing rate and become more effective and ultrasound machines are becoming smaller and even mobile.
Many forms of physical therapy utilize ultrasound for helping muscles relax and heal. Ultrasound is even being used in space by NASA. The technology is becoming common in medical diagnostics and it’s possible to view arteries in the neck to see if they have blockages or other problems.
When your healthcare facility needs high quality and cost effective ultrasound machines, go to Jaken Medical. They offer both Phillips and GE ultrasound machines.
