Ultrasound

Ultrasound

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Ultrasound of Female Abdomen showing Baby

Ultrasound, or medical sonography, is used by doctors to produce pictures of the inside of the body. It is a non-invasive technique, meaning that doctors can perform ultrasound without surgically entering the body.

Ultrasound provides real time tomographic images of the inside of the body. It allows doctors to visualize internal body organs, muscles, and other features to see their size, structure and any abnormalities. It is a particularly common procedure used during pregnancy to assess the health and development of the fetus.

Ultrasound does not use x-rays, and so is an easy and safe way to diagnose many types of problems. To perform an ultrasound, clothing over the area is removed, and a special gel is applied to the skin. This gel provides a good physical contact for the transducer, and allows it to easily slide over the skin. The transducer is position over the area of interest. The transducer emits sound and then detects the returning echoes. These sound echos are analyzed in real time to form an image or picture of the area under the transducer.

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