ultrasound scanning - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about ultrasound scanning Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,725,356,744 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

ultrasound scanning

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

ultrasound scanning

Enlarge picture
Ultrasound scan of a 12 week-old fetus showing (from right) the head, an arm, the body, and a foot. Such scans are often taken at around the twelfth week of pregnancy to determine whether any obvious developmental abnormalities have occurred.

In medicine, the use of ultrasonic pressure waves to create a diagnostic image. It is a safe, noninvasive technique that often eliminates the need for exploratory surgery.

The sound waves transmitted through the body are absorbed and reflected to different degrees by different body tissues.

By recording the returning ‘echoes’, a picture of the various structures being scanned can be built up. Free of the risks of ionizing radiation (see radioactivity), unlike X-rays and CAT scans, ultrasound scanning is especially valuable in obstetrics, where it has revolutionized foetal evaluation and diagnosis.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.