Technological Evolution of Ultrasound Devices: A Review

Abstract

Numerous imaging technologies have been researched upon and applied in the field of medicine to enhance clinicians’ faculty for diagnosis of indispositions or diseases and the modalities include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US). One imaging technique that is used to identify abnormalities in various body areas is the ultrasound. It is a non-invasive method that provides real-time imaging without radiation exposure. This article mainly focuses on ultrasonography and the various technological and equipment advancements over the years. It is more difficult to operate conventional ultrasound equipment due to its complex structure, which is large in size and takes up more space. For scanning different parts of the body, there are a variety of probes to choose from. The probes are selected based on the size and shape of the beam. Imaging can be performed in several modes, such as A mode, B mode, M mode, D mode, etc. Capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs) replace the traditional piezoelectric crystals in a transducer that produces ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonography has many applications in the diagnosis of various parts of the body, i.e., lungs, abdominal parts, heart, bladder, and so on. From the earliest ultrasound machines in the 1950s with patient immersion tanks to the hand held ultrasound devices in the late 2000s where images can be obtained on mobile screens, the evolution of this device over centuries has been phenomenal.