We've put together the most frequently asked questions in radiology ultrasound in one place for you so that you can reference these as a quick guide to all things radiology. The following questions are frequently asked by customers who are looking into purchasing radiology ultrasounds from our expert sales team here at Probo Medical. If you are wondering what radiology ultrasound is best for you but don't know where to start, read our Radiology Ultrasound Buyer's Guide. In the month of February, we are focusing on radiology ultrasound and are covering the basics, and not-so-basics, of the world of radiology and general ultrasound. More of these FAQ guides are coming, so check our Probo Medical blog posts for more insights and tips on ultrasound.

 

What is a Single Crystal Probe?

Single crystal probes greatly improve image quality and penetration, with more uniform clarity throughout the image. single-crystal probes provide a dramatic and powerful impact on image resolution and quality.

XDClear Probes

What is M-Mode?

M Mode, or motion mode, is the time display of an ultrasound wave along a single 2D line of your ultrasound scan, meaning this is your post-processed cineloop. M Mode is applied to myocardial functions in echocardiography.

 

What is elastography?

Elastography maps the “elastic properties” (stiffness) in tissue. This is important because diseased tissue is most often stiffer than normal tissue. Using various methods, the ultrasound can display or quantify various levels of stiffness in tissue.

ShearWave-Elastography-Ultrasound

What is SRI?

Speckle Reduction Imaging is GE’s terminology for a certain type of imaging optimization. Speckle Reduction Imaging (SRI) allows the ultrasound to better define tissue and artifact, which creates a smoother, clearer image without creating a harsh, heavy contrast image. It’s a common feature among most modern ultrasounds and is one of the best imaging technologies in recent history.

Speckle Reduction

What is VOCAL?

VOCAL, which stands for Virtual Organ Computer-Aided Analysis, is a program that automatically calculates the vascularization within the shell by 3D color histogram by comparing the number of color voxels to the number of grayscale voxels. VOCAL stands for Volume Calculation. It allows for calculations of volumes using 3D technology.

 

What is Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging (TUI)?

Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging uses 4D imaging technology to create multiple “slices” of an image acquisition for clinical evaluation. This is a new visualization mode for 3D and 4D data sets on radiology ultrasounds. The data is presented as slices through the data set which are parallel to each other. An overview image, which is orthogonal to the parallel slices, shows which parts of the volume are displayed in the parallel planes. This visualisation method is consistent with how other medical systems, such as CT or MRI, present the data to the user. The distance between the different planes can be adjusted to the requirements of the given data set.

 

What is fusion imaging?

Fusion imaging is designed to expand your clinical capabilities. It is used to overlay images from two separate imaging modalities, such as placing your ultrasound images on top of CT or MRI, to enhance the scan's diagnosis, which can be simplified as "fusing" the images.

 

What is compound imaging?

Compound Images combine three or more images from different steering angles into a single image. Compound imaging increases image resolution by using multiple lines of site to eliminate artifacts, shadows, and increase edge detail.

Compound imaging

What is DICOM?

DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, it is a software option that makes image transfer easy. DICOM is an industry standard that is designed to allow easy communication across multiple modalities among multiple manufacturers.

 

What is Power Doppler vs Color Doppler?

Power doppler, which is a type of color doppler that is more sensitive, shows the strength, or power, of the doppler waves in a color range. Whereas color doppler shows sound waves in different colors to show the direction and speed of a person's blood flow.

 

What is a continuous wave?

Continuous wave, which is also referred to as CW doppler, is the continuous transmission of ultrasound waves through the probe and receives them together in real-time.

 

What is B-Steer?

B steer is a “beam steering” technology that allows the ultrasound to steer the beam so that it reflects more perpendicular to the needle. When this happens, the visualization of the needle is improved dramatically, almost as though the needle lights up.

 

What is Shear Wave elastography?

Shear Wave is the more advanced method of elastography. It’s considered more beneficial because it provides quantitative results to the elasticity of tissue, which can be especially helpful when comparing tissue stiffness over time. Shear Wave Elastography is a more complex and advanced method because it uses a transducer that can perform a specific task when sending and receiving an ultrasonic signal, which allows it to measure a specific amount of stiffness.

 

What is Strain Rate?

Strain Rate measures the speed of deformation, while Strain measures the percent of deformation. It is typically used by researchers to measure the percent of regional deformation of the myocardium.

 

What is Tissue Velocity Imaging (TVI)?

Tissue Tracking displays Tissue Velocity over time and displays a color band that represents motion or distance during systole, resulting in a display of systolic longitudinal displacement.