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.

2D ultrasound imaging is a widely used technique in medical imaging that provides two-dimensional visual representations of internal structures. A handheld device known as a probe or transducer contains piezoelectric crystals that emit and receive ultrasound waves which penetrate tissues and bounce back as echoes. The echoes are detected and converted into electrical signals. These signals are processed and displayed on a monitor, creating a real-time 2D grayscale image, with different shades of gray representing various tissue densities. The brighter areas on the image correspond to structures that reflect more ultrasound waves, while darker areas represent structures that reflect fewer waves or are attenuated by intervening tissues. The 2D-mode (or B-mode) provides cross-sectional views of the scanned area, showing a single plane or slice of the scanned area at a time.

Key Features and Uses of 2D Ultrasound:

Comparison with 3D and 4D Ultrasound:
See also Ultrasound Technology, Sonographer, Ultrasound Elastography, Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound.

From Siemens Medical Systems;
The ACUSON Aspen™ ultrasound system resulted from a unique convergence of select ACUSON Sequoia™ ultrasound system technologies and other ACUSON innovations to form an entirely new imaging platform. Its new digital system architecture provides complete digital control of the ultrasound echoes from the transducer through the captured digital examination.

Specifications for this system will be available soon.

From Siemens Medical Systems;
'Conventional ultrasound systems are unable to compensate for the unique acoustic signature of individual patients. But there is nothing conventional about the new ACUSON Sequoia™ C512 echocardiography system with Sequoia™ matched response technology.'

From ALOKA Co., Ltd.;
'Superior Performance and Versatility
Based on decades of experience, the SSD-1000 is a high performance and versatile diagnostic ultrasound system. It uses our advanced technologies and over 5 decades of innovative ultrasound experience. Using the same technology as our more expensive systems, the SSD-1000 provides superior imaging capabilities in a compact and mobile setting.
We also employ Super High Density transducers (found our high-end systems) to enhance imaging resolution. High-quality images help you accurately diagnose patients in less time.
The SSD-1000 provides a fine balance of superb imaging and ergonomic design, well suited for a wide range of clinical examinations.'