Monday, May 25, 2015

Ultrasound and Ultrasonics

The term 'ultrasound' is utilized to explain a kind of imaging method utilizing high-frequency acoustic waves to create images from areas invisible to the human eye. There are several unique properties to an ultrasound.

It is an oscillating noise wave with a frequency that falls beyond the ceiling of the hearing range of human beings; simply puts, it is inaudible to the human ear. The normal upper limitation of hearing in a healthy young adult is 20,000 hertz or 20 kilohertz (kHz); frequencies for ultrasound devices are upward from 20 kHz to numerous gigahertz.

Using ultrasound imaging method is useful for many functions such as cleaning, detection, imaging and measurement and extends to lots of fields from science and research to human and veterinary medicine, industrial and defense, and a lot more. Ultrasonic imaging is referred to as 'sonography'.

In human and veterinary science and medication, ultrasound imaging is used to study tissues, capillary and organs of the body for evaluations and surgeries. A gadget called a transducer sends out acoustic waves over that part of the body that needs to be viewed on a screen that is part of the ultrasound device. The acoustic waves bounce off the tissues in
the body and the transducer catches those acoustic waves; these bounced off acoustic waves are produced into images by the ultrasound device for a medical professional, specialist or scientist to see.

The application of ultrasound is known as 'ultrasonics'. At very high levels, it is used to alter the chemical homes of elements.

Ultrasound has an extremely dynamic history. The research and science of sound, 'Acoustics' was understood as early as Sixth century BC by renowned mathematician Pythagoras who studied the 'mathematical properties of stringed instruments'. In 1893 the very first whistle produced ultrasound was put together by Sir Francis Galton. In the contemporary 19th century, the first technological advancement and application was experimented. A 1917 attempt was made by Paul Langevin to make use of ultrasound to discover submarines. Years earlier, Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered the Piezoelectric Impact in 1880, which was considered beneficial in the generation and detection of ultrasonic waves travelling through air and water. Nearly a century previously, the 'Echolocation' theory was propounded by Lazzaro Spallanzani as he studied bats and showed their navigation and hunting techniques through acoustic wave and not by vision. Most likely the contemporary radar and undersea sonar methods are a descendant of such early experiments.

Ultrasound understanding in human beings and animals

Due to the constraint of the middle or inner ear, the frequency of sound audible to people is restricted to approximately 20 kHz. If high-intensity ultrasound is fed straight through bone conduction by means of the human skull to reach the cochlea, without passage through the middle ear, a quantity of 'auditory sensation' can take place.

As human beings age, the understanding of hearing minimizes due to age-related degeneration; youngsters can hear high-pitched noises better than adults. Specific electronic devices such as parasite control gadgets and repellents utilize high-frequency ultrasound to frighten and discourage them; however, there are no recognized studies to show this theory.

Pet dogs are able to hear ultrasound waves; a high-pitched whistle will certainly cause an instant response in a canine. Researchers have long since looked into dolphins, cetaceans and whales and are impressed at their ability to hear ultrasound through water and use these sound waves in their navigational system to orient themselves in their positions and capture food. This method is understood as 'biosonar'; the upper hearing restriction for such ultrasound capability is known to reach 160 kHz.

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