From Kontron Medical SAS;
Sigma 5000 Series
'THE ADVANCED VISION With the ability to continuously evolve over time for unprecedented return on investment, Imagic, Sigma 5000 Series, is the 2004 breakthrough in the ultrasound field.
The all digital platform coupled with some proprietary technologies and a high quality, extra-large flat TFT monitor, display state-of-the-art image quality.'

Specifications for this system will be available soon.

Lateral resolution is the minimum separation of two interfaces aligned along a direction perpendicular (objects that are side by side) to the ultrasound beam. The lateral or angular resolution directly relates with the collimation of the beam emitted by the crystal. Lateral resolution is proportionally affected by the frequency, the higher the frequency the greater the lateral resolution.
Higher frequency transducers are used in fetal and pediatric echocardiography because the lateral resolution displays the smaller structures better. Lower frequencies are used for adults where structures are larger and the need for greater depth penetration is important.

M-mode (Motion-mode) ultrasound shows the motion of cardiac structures. M-mode echocardiography records the amplitude and rate of motion of a moving structure in real time by repeatedly measuring the distance of the object from the single transducer at a given moment. The single sound beam is transmitted and reflected signals are displayed as dots of varying intensities, creating lines across the screen. It yields a one-dimensional image, sometimes called an 'ice pick' view of the heart.
M-mode echocardiography is used to detect valvulopathies (calcifications, etc.) and cardiomyopathies (dyskinesis, aneurysm, etc.).

See also Bicycle Stress Echocardiography, Transthoracic Echocardiography, and Transesophageal Echocardiography.

The matrix size is the number of data points collected in one, two or three directions. Normally used for the 2D in plane sampling. The display matrix may be different from the acquisition matrix, although the latter determines the resolution.

(MIP) Angiography (Doppler) images can be processed by Maximum Intensity Projection to interactively create different projections. Although the maximum intensity projection (MIP) post processing algorithm is sensitive to high signal from inflowing spins as used in MRI, it is also sensitive to high signal of any other etiology as used in ultrasound imaging. The MIP connects the high intensity dots of the blood vessels in three dimensions, providing an angiogram that can be viewed from any projection. Each point in the MIP represents the highest intensity experienced in that location on any partition within the imaging volume.
For complete interpretation the base slices should also be reviewed individually and with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) software. The MIP can then be displayed in a CINE format or filmed as multiple images acquired from different projections.

See also 3D Ultrasound.