SECTION (ULTRASOUND) SCANNER

Typical Number in Hospital: 3

Cost Bands: 5,6

References: 1

This is an ultrasonic B-scanner which presents echo amplitude as brightness on the screen and relates the point of origin of the echo to the correct point on the screen of a cathode ray tube. There are many types of section scanner including static B- scanners on which the ultrasonic transducer is moved over the skin by hand, its position and orientation being related to the cathode ray display by a set of potentiometers mounted on an articulated connecting arm between the transducer and the scanner. In the case of moving picture scanners the orientation and position of the transducer, or active element on a multi- element transducer, is related to the display by a complex electronic mechanism.

The section scan takes the form of a 'bacon slice' of the tissue immediately beneath the scanning plane. See also B- scanner, Real-time ultrasonic scanner, Linear array scanner and Phased array scanner.