Course Description:
This course is based on ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) content guidelines. Here, you’ll learn physics of ultrasound, how to use ultrasound to diagnose the most important problems. It's a REQUIRED course for anyone who’s just starting to use ultrasound — be it in the hospital, general ward, or private clinic. Learn to use ultrasound to enhance your career, and increase your success rate in clinical diagnosis.
After completing this course, you will have learnt:
Physical Principles:
- Ability to distinguish gray-scale artifacts and reflectors
- Knowledge of the interaction between sound and matter (e.g., attenuation, reflection, refraction)
- Ability to integrate concepts related to all types of resolution
- Knowledge of axial resolution
- Knowledge of lateral resolution
- Knowledge of temporal resolution
- Knowledge of elevational resolution
- Knowledge of duty factor Knowledge of frame rate
Imaging Principles and Instrumentation:
- Knowledge of instrumentation and controls
- Knowledge of two-dimensional measurements
- Ability to recognize and measure anatomic structures
- Knowledge of imaging depth Knowledge of overall gain
- Knowledge of focusing
- Knowledge of two-dimensional real-time, gray-scale imaging (Bmode)
- Knowledge of time gain compensation
- Knowledge of zoom
- Knowledge of M-mode imaging
- Knowledge of harmonic imaging
- Knowledge of dynamic range
- Knowledge of edge enhancement
- Knowledge of persistence
- Knowledge of frequency compounding
- Knowledge of extended field of view
- Knowledge of compound imaging
- Knowledge of coded excitation
- Knowledge of three-dimensional/four-dimensional imaging
- Knowledge of storage systems and devices
- Knowledge of appropriate documentation of findings
Ultrasound Transducers:
- Ability to select the appropriate transducer frequency for a given situation
- Knowledge of transducers, use and limitation
- Ability to evaluate transducer integrity
- Knowledge of damage that contributes to degradation of image
- Knowledge of curvilinear transducers
- Knowledge of linear transducers
- Knowledge of sector transducers (phased array)
- Knowledge of endocavity transducers
- Knowledge of two-dimensional array transducers
- Knowledge of transducer components
- Knowledge of nonimaging transducers
- Knowledge of 1.5-dimensional array transducers
Doppler Imaging Concepts:
- Knowledge of proper measurement of blood flow velocities
- Knowledge of pulsed wave Doppler
- Application of proper Doppler scale adjustment (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of pulse repetition frequency (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of spectral Doppler gain
- Knowledge of spectral Doppler waveforms Knowledge of wall filter applications (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of continuous wave Doppler
- Knowledge of Doppler controls and instrumentation (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of spectral Doppler angle to flow
- Knowledge of Doppler artifacts (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of Doppler reject (spectral and color)
- Application of proper sample size (volume) adjustment (spectral and color)
- Knowledge of color flow imaging
- Knowledge of concepts related to color packet size Knowledge of power Doppler imaging
Clinical Safety, Patient Care, and Quality Assurance:
- Apply generally-accepted, infection control precautions and disinfectant techniques
- Knowledge of sterile technique
- Modify output power following ALARA principles
- Knowledge of bioeffects and ALARA Identify potential bioeffects
- Modify the exam based on the displayed mechanical index
- Modify the exam based on the displayed thermal index
- Knowledge of mechanical index and thermal index
- Apply ergonomic techniques throughout the workday
- Ability to perform appropriate patient care
- Ability to communicate with the patient and physician
- Knowledge of when and how to communicate through a patient representative
- Ability to acquire information from other imaging findings (e.g., computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray, etc.)
- Knowledge of parameters for measuring image accuracy
- Knowledge of gold standards (e.g., sensitivity and specificity standards)
- Knowledge of parameters for transducer element integrity tests Knowledge of damage that contributes to degradation of image
