Ultrasound and Ultrasonics
The term 'ultrasound' is used to describe a type of imaging technique using high-frequency sound waves to create images from areas invisible to the human eye.
There are several unique properties to an ultrasound.
It is an oscillating sound wave with a frequency that falls beyond the upper limit of the hearing range of humans; in other words, it is inaudible to the human ear.
The normal upper limit of hearing in a healthy young adult is 20,000 hertz or 20 kilohertz (kHz); frequencies for ultrasound devices are upward from 20 kHz to several gigahertz.
The use of ultrasound imaging technique is useful for many purposes such as cleaning, detection, imaging and measurement and extends to many fields from science and research to human and veterinary medicine, industrial and defense, and many more.
Ultrasonic imaging is referred to as 'sonography'.
In human and veterinary science and medicine, ultrasound imaging is used to study tissues, blood vessels and organs of the body for examinations and surgeries.
A device called a transducer sends sound waves over that part of the body that needs to be viewed on a screen that is part of the ultrasound machine.
The sound waves bounce off the tissues in the body and the transducer captures those sound waves; these bounced off sound waves are created into images by the ultrasound machine for a doctor, surgeon or scientist to view.
The application of ultrasound is known as 'ultrasonics'.
At very high levels, it is used to alter the chemical properties of substances.
Ultrasound has a very vibrant history.
The study and science of sound, 'Acoustics' was known as early as 6th century BC by famed mathematician Pythagoras who studied the 'mathematical properties of stringed instruments'.
In 1893 the first whistle produced ultrasound was put together by Sir Francis Galton.
In the modern 19th century, the first technological development and application was experimented.
A 1917 attempt was made by Paul Langevin to use ultrasound to detect submarines.
Decades earlier, Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered the Piezoelectric Effect in 1880, which was considered useful in the generation and detection of ultrasonic waves travelling through air and water.
Nearly a century earlier, the 'Echolocation' theory was propounded by Lazzaro Spallanzani as he studied bats and demonstrated their navigation and hunting techniques through sound waves and not by vision.
Probably the modern radar and underwater sonar techniques are an offshoot of such early experiments.
Ultrasound perception in humans and animals Due to the limitation of the middle or inner ear, the frequency of sound audible to humans is limited to approximately 20 kHz.
If high-intensity ultrasound is fed directly through bone conduction via the human skull to reach the cochlea, without passage through the middle ear, an amount of 'auditory sensation' can occur.
As humans age, the perception of hearing reduces due to age-related deterioration; children can hear high-pitched sounds better than adults.
Certain electronic equipment such as pest control devices and repellents use high-frequency ultrasound to frighten and deter them; however, there are no established studies to prove this theory.
In animals, nocturnal creatures like bats, beetles, moths and some night birds navigate through echolocation to find prey and also understand their location in the darkness.
Some insects emit sounds to disturb the echolocation factor of other preying creatures.
Dogs are able to hear ultrasound waves; a high-pitched whistle will trigger an instant response in a dog.
In the underwater world, several types of fish are able to detect ultrasound.
Scientists have long since researched dolphins, porpoises and whales and are amazed at their ability to hear ultrasound through water and use these sound waves in their navigational system to orient themselves in their positions and capture food.
This technique is known as 'biosonar'; the upper hearing limit for such ultrasound ability is known to reach 160 kHz.
There are several unique properties to an ultrasound.
It is an oscillating sound wave with a frequency that falls beyond the upper limit of the hearing range of humans; in other words, it is inaudible to the human ear.
The normal upper limit of hearing in a healthy young adult is 20,000 hertz or 20 kilohertz (kHz); frequencies for ultrasound devices are upward from 20 kHz to several gigahertz.
The use of ultrasound imaging technique is useful for many purposes such as cleaning, detection, imaging and measurement and extends to many fields from science and research to human and veterinary medicine, industrial and defense, and many more.
Ultrasonic imaging is referred to as 'sonography'.
In human and veterinary science and medicine, ultrasound imaging is used to study tissues, blood vessels and organs of the body for examinations and surgeries.
A device called a transducer sends sound waves over that part of the body that needs to be viewed on a screen that is part of the ultrasound machine.
The sound waves bounce off the tissues in the body and the transducer captures those sound waves; these bounced off sound waves are created into images by the ultrasound machine for a doctor, surgeon or scientist to view.
The application of ultrasound is known as 'ultrasonics'.
At very high levels, it is used to alter the chemical properties of substances.
Ultrasound has a very vibrant history.
The study and science of sound, 'Acoustics' was known as early as 6th century BC by famed mathematician Pythagoras who studied the 'mathematical properties of stringed instruments'.
In 1893 the first whistle produced ultrasound was put together by Sir Francis Galton.
In the modern 19th century, the first technological development and application was experimented.
A 1917 attempt was made by Paul Langevin to use ultrasound to detect submarines.
Decades earlier, Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered the Piezoelectric Effect in 1880, which was considered useful in the generation and detection of ultrasonic waves travelling through air and water.
Nearly a century earlier, the 'Echolocation' theory was propounded by Lazzaro Spallanzani as he studied bats and demonstrated their navigation and hunting techniques through sound waves and not by vision.
Probably the modern radar and underwater sonar techniques are an offshoot of such early experiments.
Ultrasound perception in humans and animals Due to the limitation of the middle or inner ear, the frequency of sound audible to humans is limited to approximately 20 kHz.
If high-intensity ultrasound is fed directly through bone conduction via the human skull to reach the cochlea, without passage through the middle ear, an amount of 'auditory sensation' can occur.
As humans age, the perception of hearing reduces due to age-related deterioration; children can hear high-pitched sounds better than adults.
Certain electronic equipment such as pest control devices and repellents use high-frequency ultrasound to frighten and deter them; however, there are no established studies to prove this theory.
In animals, nocturnal creatures like bats, beetles, moths and some night birds navigate through echolocation to find prey and also understand their location in the darkness.
Some insects emit sounds to disturb the echolocation factor of other preying creatures.
Dogs are able to hear ultrasound waves; a high-pitched whistle will trigger an instant response in a dog.
In the underwater world, several types of fish are able to detect ultrasound.
Scientists have long since researched dolphins, porpoises and whales and are amazed at their ability to hear ultrasound through water and use these sound waves in their navigational system to orient themselves in their positions and capture food.
This technique is known as 'biosonar'; the upper hearing limit for such ultrasound ability is known to reach 160 kHz.
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