Ultrasound is a to and fro moving sound pressure wave that ranges from 20 KHz to some gigahertz. Ultrasonic waves are used for detecting any object by sending an ultrasonic pulse which will echo back or reflect back after getting hit by the object, this concept is implemented in SONAR, but with some improvement a ultrasonic pulse between 2 to 15 MHz can help us getting an optical image of the object we are projecting upon. This property of ultrasound is used in ultrasound scanner for imaging of muscles, tissues and organs.
AN INITIATIVE BY MICROSOFT
The image processing utilizing the ultrasound wave reflection requires a bulkier device and many machineries to operate upon. So it can only be done inside a hi-tech Medical System that can only be afforded by a medical organization only. But Microsoft had taken initiative and offered 100,000$ to Washington University Computer Science undergoing graduates to design a mechanism to integrate an USB based ultrasound device into a smartphone. And this initiation has resulted in a hand-sized ultrasound device which can be used anywhere even if that place does not have any access to medical facility. Doctors from any institution can check patients in remote areas where there is deficiency of medical equipment (MRI scan, CT scan, etc.) as well as well-equipped doctors.
 |
| Ultrasound Scanner |
 |
| MobiUS Device connected to a smartphone |
A smart tech known as MobiUS scanner is set bring revolution in medical field, with this tech we will be able to get the scan image just by plugging this device into any smartphone or tablet. The price has been set at 7000 pounds as compared to a full ultrasound model 60000 pounds, so this tech will be avail to countries where technology is not widely seen.
SOME FACTS ABOUT ULTRASOUND
-Since the range of ultrasound is more than the upper limit of human hearing range, due to some limitation of our middle ear the range is limited to 20 kHz, it is believed that auditory sensation is possible by feeding high-intensity ultrasound to human skull without passing through middle ear.
-It has been seen that high-pitched sounds can be heard by children but the younger humans are unable to hear.
-There are several animals which can generate ultrasound by themselves not just for communication but also for detect obstacles in their path. For example Bats does echolocation during its flight, Dolphins. Most of the animals are nowadays being studied in various medical institutions to discover more efficient ways of producing ultrasonic waves.
No comments:
Post a Comment