Ultrasound Imaging
Trusted Imaging Solutions in New Jersey
Ultrasound imaging (or sonography) is a common and convenient procedure for producing images of the inside of a patient's body. Unlike other radiological procedures, ultrasounds use sound waves—not radiation—to produce images and give doctor's insight into the health of a patient.
Ultrasound procedures are used to evaluate a patient's:
- Heart
- Liver
- Kidneys
- Pancreas
- Unborn child
- Brain (in infants)
- Spine (in infants)
- Unexplained pain or swelling
- Infections
- Various other parts of the body
What to Expect
During an ultrasound, a patient will be asked to lie back as a gel is applied to the designated area. A doctor will then use a handheld probe (a transducer) to scan the skin where the gel has been applied.
This probe emits and receives sound waves and a computer uses this send/receive information to create images. These images are created in real time, so that body functioning (like blood flow, fetal movement, etc.) can be seen as they happen.
Traditional ultrasound technology creates two-dimensional black and white images. However, we have also invested in 3D ultrasound technology that provides doctors even greater insight into the health of a patient.
Doppler Ultrasound Procedures
Doppler ultrasound imaging is a special form of ultrasound imaging that is used to assess patient blood flow. There are three major types of doppler ultrasound imaging procedures:
- Color Doppler produces an image that uses colors to indicate the direction and speed of blood flow.
- Duplex Doppler uses sounds to create a graph that demonstrates the speed and distance blood is traveling in a patient, indicating blood flow efficiency.
- Continuous Wave Doppler produces sounds that allow doctors to listen to the blood flow on a portable unit easily brought to patient's bedside.