Ultrasound Vocabulary

Front 1

B-Mode

Back 1

Brightness mode; ultrasound image displayed in grayscale

Front 2

gray scale

Back 2

B-mode

Front 3

transducer

Back 3

converts one form of energy into another; name of ultrasound probe

Front 4

attenuation

Back 4

loss of energy as a sound pulse travels through a medium

Front 5

frequency

Back 5

energy at which the ultrasound transducer is performing at(MHz) Higher the frequency = better detail, less penetration (5-15 MHz) Lower the frequency = less detail, better penetration (2-4.5 MHz)

Front 6

ultrasound

Back 6

frequency of sound above 20 KHz

Front 7

Hertz

Back 7

cycles per second

Front 8

pulse wave

Back 8

crystals both receive and transmit sound; alternating between listening and sending. (imaging ultrasound)

Front 9

continuous wave

Back 9

2 crystals; one receives constantly and one sends constantly (non imaging ultrasound)

Front 10

duplex

Back 10

ability to do two things at once; doppler and image

Front 11

sweep

Back 11

overview of entire anatomy of interest in long and transverse; look for pathology and view all organ structure

Front 12

echogenicity

Back 12

what type of echo display; (an/hypo/hyper echoic)

Front 13

anechoic

Back 13

without echoes; black; fluid filled structure

Front 14

hypoechoic

Back 14

with low-level echoes; grays; more solid structure

Front 15

hyperechoic

Back 15

echogenic; bright echoes; white; dense or strong reflector

Front 16

isoechoic

Back 16

same echogenicity

Front 17

heterogenous

Back 17

different echogenicities within; not smooth texture

Front 18

homogenous

Back 18

same echogenicity through; smooth texture, even composition

Front 19

complex

Back 19

both solid and fluid components

Front 20

cystic

Back 20

fluid filled

Front 21

noise

Back 21

artifact caused by echoes not being bounced directly back

Front 22

shadowing

Back 22

a black area under a structure that could not be penetrated

Front 23

posterior enhancement

Back 23

an area that is brighter underneath a structure that surrounding tissue due to lack of absorption/reflection

Front 24

interface

Back 24

two adjacent structures; used to compare echogenicities to determine if normal

Front 25

gain

Back 25

amplification of returning echoes (makes makes the picture brighter if increased, darker if decreased)

Front 26

TCG

Back 26

Time Gain Compensation; amplification of echoes at specific depths

Front 27

focus/focal point

Back 27

area of best definition; where ultrasound beam is narrowest

Front 28

depth

Back 28

how much time machine listens for returning echoes

Front 29

superior

Back 29

above; top of; closer to the head

Front 30

inferior

Back 30

below; bottom of; closer to the feet

Front 31

proximal

Back 31

closer to the heart

Front 32

distal

Back 32

farther away from the heart

Front 33

anterior

Back 33

front of; on top of; closer to the front surface

Front 34

posterior

Back 34

back of; underneath; closer to the back surface

Front 35

medial

Back 35

towards the midline

Front 36

lateral

Back 36

towards the side

Front 37

sagittal

Back 37

longitudinal view; always displayed head on left of screen

Front 38

transverse

Back 38

cross sectional view; axial

Front 39

coronal

Back 39

side view; scanning from the side

Front 40

color doppler

Back 40

a directional color display of flow, going toward and away from the transducer

Front 41

spectral doppler

Back 41

a special display of frequencies along a timeline, going toward and away from the transducer

Front 42

doppler shift

Back 42

how the machine figures out velocity and direction of flow; the difference between frequency sent and return frequency