Common ultrasound supplies that are often used in conjunction with ultrasound imaging:
Common ultrasound accessories that are often used in conjunction with ultrasound imaging:
Consult with ultrasound equipment vendors or professionals in the field to determine the specific accessories and supplies that best suit your imaging needs and specialty. See also Equipment Preparation, Environmental Protection, Portable Ultrasound Machine, Ultrasound Technology, Ultrasound System Performance and Sonographer.

The ultrasound equipment includes the ultrasound machine, the coaxial cable, the transducer assembly, different modalities to print out and store the ultrasound pictures, ultrasound gel, and a couch for the patients.
Often, the ultrasound system is connected with the internal radiology information system which allows the takeover of patient data, and a picture archiving and communication system to store images.

See also Ultrasound System Performance.

Ultrasound machines, widely used in medical imaging, are essential tools in the field of diagnostic ultrasound. These devices utilize high-frequency sound waves to create real-time images of internal body structures. Ultrasound machines consist of several key components that work together to generate diagnostic images. These include:
B-mode machines represent the vast majority of machines used in echocardiology, obstetrical scans, abdominal scans, gynecological scans, etc. B-mode ultrasound machines usually produce the sector (or pie segment-shaped) scans. These ultrasound scans require either a mechanical scanner transducer (the transducer moves to produce the sector scan), or a linear array transducer operated as a phased array.


Ultrasound machines come in different types, each catering to specific clinical needs. The two primary types are stationary and portable ultrasound machines:


See also Handheld Ultrasound, Ultrasound System Performance, Equipment Preparation, Coaxial Cable, and Microbubble Scanner Modification, Environmental Protection and Ultrasound Accessories and Supplies.

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.

Conventional, CT and MR imaging technologies are limited in their availability, to depict soft tissue, or to show dynamic activity, like cardiac muscle contractility and blood flow. Easy applicability, real-time sonography and biopsy facilitation are important advantages in veterinarian medicine. Veterinary ultrasound has a very high sensitivity to show the composition of soft tissues, but the low specificity is a disadvantage. High ultrasound system performance includes Doppler techniques, contrast enhanced ultrasound, 3D ultrasound, and tissue harmonic imaging to improve resolution.
Technical and physical requirements of veterinary ultrasound are the same as in human ultrasonography. The higher the sound frequency, the better the possible resolution, but the poorer the tissue penetration. Image quality is depended of the ultrasound equipment. For example, a 10 MHz transducer is excellent for imaging of superficial structures; a 3.5 or 5.0 megahertz transducer allows sufficient penetration to see inner structures like the liver or the heart. In addition, the preparation and performing of the examination is similar to that of humans. The sound beam penetrates soft tissue and fat well, but gas and bone impede the ultrasonic power. Fluid filled organs like the bladder are often used as an acoustic window, and an ultrasound gel is used to conduct the sound beam.