Context

The physics of emergency medicine ultrasound (EMUS)

In the hands of an expert, the production of an ultrasound image looks easy. However, both image acquisition and interpretation are hugely reliant on a reasonable depth of understanding of how ultrasound works. Where this is lacking, there is considerable scope for confusion and mis-diagnosis.

Basic components of an ultrasound system

Any ultrasound machine is composed of a transducer to transmit and receive ultrasound, a computer for storage and manipulation of the acquired data and a monitor to display the image. Some form of image storage or hard copy device is needed to provide a permanent record of each examination.

The quality of the displayed data is determined by the skill of the operator and the inherent quality of each of the above components.