Ultrasound machines, with their various components and types, have revolutionized the field of medical imaging. These devices enable healthcare professionals to visualize internal structures, assess conditions, and guide interventions with real-time imaging capabilities. Today, medical ultrasound systems are complex signal processing machines. Assessing the performance of an ultrasound system requires understanding the relationships between the characteristics of the system, such as the point spread function, temporal resolution, and the quality of images. Image quality aspects include the detail resolution, contrast resolution and penetration. Systems with microbubble scanner modification are particularly suitable for contrast enhanced ultrasound.


In summary, ultrasound machines have diverse performance levels and corresponding price ranges, catering to various medical imaging needs. From low-performance systems with basic imaging capabilities to high-performance and premium systems with advanced features, ultrasound technology continues to advance healthcare imaging capabilities.
See also Ultrasound Physics, Handheld Ultrasound, Environmental Protection, Equipment Preparation.

Urologic ultrasound includes the examination of the kidneys, renal vessels, urinary tract, bladder, prostate, and scrotum.
Usual gray scale ultrasound equipment and standard probes are sufficient to examine the kidney parenchyma and renal pelvis, the urinary tract and bladder. Doppler ultrasound is a useful adjunct to kidney ultrasound. High ultrasound system performance is desirable to show the arterial system, because advanced power Doppler is significantly more sensitive to blood flow than standard color Doppler.
Transurethral sonography may be used to examine the bladder and urethra. Transrectal sonography is used to scan and treat the prostate e.g., with brachytherapy or high intensity focused ultrasound. Very small probes are used for these applications. Reflux sonography is especially used in pediatric ultrasound.

See also Ultrasound Imaging Procedures, Ultrasound Picture, Ultrasound Imaging Modes, Lithotripsy, Thermotherapy, Brachytherapy and Ultrasound Therapy.

From GE Healthcare.;
'Vivid 7 Dimension, a premier cardiovascular ultrasound system from GE Healthcare, expands on the strength of a powerful imaging platform to offer new, innovative technology of dimensional proportions.'

From GE Healthcare.;
'GE is defining a new age of ultrasound. We call it Volume Ultrasound. GE's Voluson 730 Expert is a powerful system that enables real-time techniques for acquiring, navigating and analyzing volumetric images so that you can make clinical decisions with unprecedented confidence.'

From Philips Medical Systems;
'The Philips iU22 system combines Intelligent Design, including breakthroughs in ergonomics, with Intelligent Control, providing new levels of automation, to give you revolutionary performance and workflow.'