Medical Ultrasound 1957 – Imaging Technology

Ultrasonography (USG) uses sound waves at frequencies too high for the human ear to detect. In this technique, an ultrasound probe sends out high-frequency sound waves, which are reflected back by the body's organs. Inspired by the sonar technology that ships used to detect submarines, Scottish physician Ian Donald anticipated that a similar method could be used to visualize fetuses in the womb.

In 1957, Dr. Donald used ultrasound to examine a woman suspected of having a tumor before surgery. He identified an ovarian cyst and performed the operation, believing it could be easily removed. 

In 1959, Donald first observed that he could obtain a clear ultrasound reading of a fetus's head. Doctors began using ultrasound to determine whether a fetus was developing normally and how many fetuses were in the uterus. Ultrasound can also be used to determine fetal age, identify heart defects, and assess the fetus's position for birth. Because it does not use radiation, ultrasound is considered a safe alternative to X-rays.

Ultrasound scanners became commercially available in the 1960s, and computer technology became important in image formation in the 1970s.

Today, ultrasound is used in the following ways:

• It is used to visualize muscles, tendons, organs, and tumors, or to create three-dimensional representations of them.
• It is used to produce echocardiograms of the heart's structure.
• Doppler ultrasound is used to examine blood flow in blood vessels.
• Powerful ultrasound pulses can also be used to break up gallstones and kidney stones in a process called lithotripsy.

Description of the Article Image: Three-dimensional ultrasound can produce images of a fetus in the womb.

Historical Figures Mentioned in This Article: Paul Langevin (1872–1946), Ian Donald (1910–1987)

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