History Of The Ultrasound Test For Pregnancy

Getting a Private Ultrasound Scan London is still possible during the pandemic, allowing you to focus on your health. And, while this is a good thing, many people don’t understand just what an ultrasound scan is or where this test originated. Prenatal ultrasound or obstetric ultrasonography is the use of sound waves to create visual images of the baby inside the uterus. It’s an important, non-invasive procedure to check the size of the baby and give a more accurate idea of your due date, to check if you are having more than 1 baby, to detect some physical conditions, to show the position of the baby and placenta, and to check that the baby is growing normally. At the later months of pregnancy, an ultrasound scan could assess growth, determine the gender, check physical abnormalities, and check heartbeat. Private Clinic London sonographers and specialist doctors are trained to use ultrasound equipment safely and to obtain accurate results.

History Of The Ultrasound Scan

     Using soundwaves to determine the position of objects was first used by an Italian physicist in 1794. Two Austrian scientists, Karl Dussik and his brother Friedrich first used ultrasound to try to visualise the brain in 1947 but they only managed to show the skull! In 1949, George Ludwig at the Naval Military Research Institute, Maryland applied the technology to investigate the interaction between ultrasound waves and animal tissues, laying the foundations for successful use of ultrasound in medicine. Professor Ian Donald at GRMH (Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital) first used ultrasound in diagnostic medicine to determine the diameter of the foetal head in 1956. He and his team developed the world’s first compound 2D ultrasound scanning machine and published a paper in the Lancet detailing the physics of ultrasonography, safety experiments, the strengths and weaknesses of the technique and images of the foetus and gynaecological tumours. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s ultrasound technique developed and became an almost essential part of pre-natal care.

Technological Improvements Made Ultrasound Scans Safer And More Accurate

     The ultrasound machine built by Professor Donald was 8ft in height and difficult to use. Over the next decade, Douglass Howry in Denver, Kretztechnic in Vienna, Hewlett Packard in Copenhagen, and Aloka in Japan developed similar machines. The first (almost) real time scanner was developed by Siemens in Germany in the mid 1960s which became the most commonly used machine in Europe. These were quickly superseded by multi-element linear array and phased array scanners in the 1970s. With huge advances in integrated circuits in the 1980’s, ultrasound machines became more moveable, smaller, and lighter. A more mature technology in this sector allowed a significant reduction in costs and ultrasound tests became available in smaller hospitals and clinics. This development rendered large static scanners obsolete. Sam Maslak developed the Acuson 128 in 1983, which was the first with computed sonography technology for significant improvements in contrast and spatial resolution. It became easier for medical professionals to assess the condition of foetus due to the increased clarity.

Improved Image Resolution

     Early studies in 3D imaging in ultrasonography were first begun in 1984 by Kazunon Baba in Japan. The first machine with this technology was the 3rd generation model of 530D Voluson released in mid-1990’s. The 3D/4D ultrasound imaging currently plays a significant role for gynaecological and obstetrical purposes. Modern ultrasound equipment is now equipped with high resolution endo-vaginal and abdominal transducers, 3D/4D imaging, Doppler imaging, harmonic imaging, and colour display.

To schedule a Private Ultrasound Scan London, contact Northway Clinic today.

Contact Northway Clinic

     To learn more tips for choosing a private GP, contact Northway Clinic today and speak to a healthcare professional who can answer any questions you might have.

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