Ultrasonic Imaging (Ultrasound Experimental Set 10)

B-mode imaging is an ultrasound method frequently applied in medicine or in non-destructive material testing. Similar to X-ray or MRI procedures, the B-mode method delivers sectional images of the internal structure of a technical body or an organism, however without exposing it to radiation.This experimetal set was composed to be able to track the individual steps from the ultrasound signal to the complete B-scan image and to examine the possibilities and limits of the B-scan method as well as training its practical application. The set enables basic and application experiments for training and lab courses in medical and medical engineering specialities.The 2 MHz ultrasonic probe and the test block enable experiments in view of the fundamental physical principles of ultrasound propagation (time of flight, acoustic attenuation, reflection at boundaries, acoustic shadow, …). By using a single-element-transducer, it is possible to track the way from the ultrasound signal via the amplitude signal (A-scan), its conversion into a grey scale or coulor coded line scan and the composition of such line scans in a complete sectional image (B-scan).
For practical experiments, the set comprises two ultrasound phantoms with acoustic characteristics similar to those of human tissue.In order to image the internal structures of the phantoms, an array probe is used, as for example applied in medicine for examining the abdomen. This ultrasound probe possesses an array of 64 convexly arranged transducer elements. For the controlling of the array probe and the recording and analysis of the signal, a separate extension module is integrated in the GS200i ultrasonic echoscope.
The internal structures can be imaged and their dimensions can be measured by means of the measurement software. Furthermore, the influence of various parameters (focus, dynamic range, graphic filters, brightness, contrast, …) on the processing of signal and image can be examined.