Ultrasound and Medicine. A Survey of Experimental Studies

Abstract

Expts. indicate that ultrasound may prove useful for therapy, diagnosis, and biological measurement. Ultrasound, although dangerous in unskilled hands, is an excellent agent for structural heating of living tissues. The term "structural heating" is used to denote heating at abrupt interfaces which are numerous in the living organism. Ultrasound promises to become a reliable diagnostic tool; either transmitted or reflected ultrasonic energy can be used. Tumors, gallstones, kidney stones, stones in the salivary glands, foreign bodies, and abnormal collections of fluid were located accurately. Preliminary observations on the use of ultrasound for certain biologic measurements are encouraging. Instrumentation for biologic measurement includes ultrasonic flowmeters, devices for measuring thickness of some tissue structures, and equipment for measuring the viscosity of blood.