Primary Care Ultrasound

Basic Ultrasound Review

 The "gain" function on an
ultrasound system controls:

2
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
B-Mode Optimization
Depth – allows you to scan deeper or more superficially
Frequency – balances resolution and penetration
Gain – increases/decreases overall brightness
TGC – increases/decreases brightness to specific area on
image

The internal structures and boarders of these 2

lesions were enhanced by layering both
CrossXBeam and
3
SRI-HD technologies
What is TGC?

4
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Time Gain Compensation (TGC)
Helps compensate for attenuation

For Internal Use Only.

Diagnostic ultrasound
frequency

6
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Transducers are
characterized by their
High Frequency
frequency.
• High frequency
probes - good
resolution, poor
penetration.
• Low frequency
probes - good
penetration, poor
resolution.
Low Frequency

For Internal Use Only.

What does Color Doppler
mode provide?

8
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Why would ultrasound be
preferred over other
imaging modes?

9
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Advantages of Ultrasound
• Portable
• Relatively inexpensive
• Non-invasive
• Non-ionizing radiation
• No Magnets
• Relatively quick
• Dynamic and Real-time
• Easy side-by-side imaging

For Internal Use Only.

Hypo-echoic
Hyper-echoic
Anechoic
Iso-echoic
11
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
What is attenuation?

12
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Attenuation

The weakening of the

ultrasound wave as it
passes through tissue and
returns to the sound source.
• High frequency ultrasound
pulses are attenuated faster
than low frequency
ultrasound pulses.
• Low frequency ultrasound
pulses are attenuated
slower than high frequency Returning Echo Sound Beam
ultrasound pulses.

For Internal Use Only.

What is resolution?

14
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Resolution

Poor Resolution Good Resolution

For Internal Use Only.

In general, what do the
colors mean in color
Doppler?

16
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
 Color Doppler
The result is an image with colors representing the average
velocities (color is an overlay over the B-Mode image).

General direction of
ultrasound beam.
Jugular Vein
Flow away from the
Transducer (from Left
to right.

The colors in the

image match the
colors of the color Carotid Artery
bar – red towards, Flow towards the
blue away. Transducer from right
to left.
Why use high frequency
probes?

18
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
When would you want to
use lower frequency
probes?

19
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
 What is the difference
between color and power
Doppler?

20
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
Power Doppler Imaging (PDI)
• Uses intensity to map the flow information.
• Does not provide velocity information.
• Is less angle dependent than Color Doppler
• Is not subject to aliasing.
• It appears to be more sensitive to slow flow states and
flow in small vessels.
• Can help answer the question – Is there flow?

21
 What kind of probe is
generally used to image the
abdomen?

22
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018
A linear array probe is most
often used for:

23
GE Title or job number
3/30/2018