Ultrasound Exam

Ultrasound is a technique which utilizes sound waves of high frequency (usually greater than 20kHz) to produce images of the body’s internal structures and organs such as the kidneys, heart, liver, and the developing fetus. It is safe as it does not use harmful radiation. Ultrasound is commonly used to track prenatal progress and diagnose organ-related diseases. In this procedure, the patient lies down while the technician, called the sonographer, moves the transducer (device which sends out sound waves) on the skin, over the specific structure. The transducer then picks up the sound waves which bounce back from the body part and is projected on the computer monitor. The output images are called sonograms.