Diagnostic Medical Sonography News November 2018 | Page 4

Fun Facts I Bet You Didn’t Know About
This Career
Cartoon of the Month
• Ultrasound was first developed for industry, not for medicine! The first ultrasound
machines measured flaws in metal castings in the 1940s.
• The first time ultrasound was used in medicine was in 1942 when an Austrian
neurologist named Karl Theo Dussick and his brother imaged the ventricles of the brain.
• Ultrasound waves are too high for humans to hear, but they are within the range of
what dogs and cats can hear.
• One of the smallest ultrasound transducers is compact enough to fit into a blood vessel.
• 3D ultrasound imaging can make live, moving images of a beating heart.
• Ultrasound can determine the sex of a fetus as early as 18-20 weeks.
• Veterinarians use diagnostic ultrasound for their animal patients.
• Ultrasound is not good at penetrating bone. For this reason, it only has very limited use
on the brain (because the cranium is in the way).
• Ultrasound is a favored method of diagnosis because it has almost no side effects and is
inexpensive compared with more invasive methods.
• Ultrasound can be used during surgical procedures to guide biopsies, injections and
more.
• Ultrasonic waves are used outside of the field of medicine. Of the many uses, ultrasonic
devices can be used to test products, to weld products and to clean jewelry, lenses,
watches and surgical instruments.
Tabitha Quinn, Intern
Q: How can I earn some extra points on
my application? Q: How would you describe the
atmosphere of the program?
A: We now offer extra points toward
your application for volunteering
as an ultrasound “model,” allowing
current students additional scanning
experience. A: It’s a family-style atmosphere that
makes you feel welcome instantly.
You would think these students
have known each other for ages.