Ultrasound

High-frequency sound waves imaged in real time. A cart-based system + a family of transducer probes. No ionizing radiation. Shared-service systems run radiology, OB/GYN, vascular, cardiac, MSK, and pediatric applications from the same cart, swapping probes per exam type.

Physics

Piezoelectric crystals in the transducer convert electrical pulses to acoustic waves. Waves reflect off tissue interfaces; echoes return to the transducer and are converted back to electrical signal. Time-of-flight gives depth; amplitude gives brightness in B-mode. Doppler modes measure velocity.

History

• 1950s — early industrial ultrasound adapted for medical use.
• 1970s — gray-scale real-time 2D imaging.
• 1990s — digital beamforming, color Doppler ubiquitous.
• 2004 — iU22 ships with PureWave single-crystal transducers.
• 2010s — matrix arrays (xMatrix) enable live 3D / 4D.
• 2018+ — CMUT semiconductor transducers (Butterfly iQ) — handheld modality emerges.

Key specs

• Probe port count — 3–4 active on premium carts
• Transducer platform — PureWave, xMatrix, matrix/TIM
• Modes — 2D, M-mode, Color Doppler, PW, CW
• Application packages — Cardiac / OB / Vascular / MSK / elastography / contrast
• Probe family — curved, linear, phased, matrix, endocavity

Systems

• Philips iU22 family, Epiq 5 / 7
• Philips iE33 (cardiology)
• GE Logiq E9 / E10
• GE Vivid E9 / E95
• Siemens ACUSON Sequoia / S2000
• Butterfly iQ (handheld)

Service reality

Probes are the system. A fully-loaded iU22 probe set often exceeds the cart's refurb price. Probe damage is the #1 service event on any ultrasound. Refurbishment is 60–80% cheaper than replacement and usually returns probes to factory spec.

Regulatory

No ionizing radiation → no state radiation registration. ACR ultrasound accreditation for reimbursement of advanced indications. DICOM + HL7 for PACS/RIS integration.