Ultrasound - Animation

Ultrasound

Animation

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a scanning technique used to image the growing fetus. The transducer portion emits inaudible sound waves, which fan out as they travel through your abdomen. When they hit dense structures like the fetus and the wall of your uterus, the sound waves bounce back to the transducer and are translated into a visual image by the computer.

Ultrasound

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 19 weeks gestation. This is the type of spilt-screen display you might see during an ultrasound, or if the technician prints a copy of the ultrasound for you. This ultrasound shows both the left arm (seen in the left side of the display), and the lower extremities (seen in the right side of the display). The white areas of the arm or legs is developing bone.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. The development of the brain and nervous system begins early in fetal development. During an ultrasound, the technician usually looks for the presence of brain ventricles. Ventricles are spaces in the brain that are filled with fluid. In this early ultrasound, the ventricles can be seen as light lines extending through the skull, seen in the upper right side of the image.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - femur measurement

This is a normal ultrasound of the fetus performed at 19 weeks gestation. A clear view of the left femur (the large bone of the leg) can be seen in the middle, towards the top of the ultrasound screen.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - femur measurement

illustration

Ultrasound comparison

To demonstrate how an ultrasound works, imagine this tennis ball as an internal organ in the body. Like many organs, the tennis ball is solid on the outside and hollow on the inside. Solid structures, such as bones and muscles, reflect sound waves from the ultrasound transducer and show up as white in an ultrasound image. Soft or hollow areas, like chambers of the heart, do not reflect sound waves and appear as black. The white ring is the outer edge of the tennis ball being reflected back as an image while the center hollow area remains as black.

Ultrasound comparison

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. The development of the brain and nervous system begins early in fetal development. During an ultrasound, the technician usually looks for the presence of brain ventricles. Ventricles are spaces in the brain that are filled with fluid. In this early ultrasound, the ventricles can be seen as light lines extending through the skull, seen in the upper right side of the image. The cross hair is pointing to the front of the skull, and directly to the right, the lines of the ventricles are visible.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

This is a normal fetal ultrasound showing one pattern of the fetal heartbeat. Some ultrasound machines have the ability to focus on different areas of the heart and evaluate the heartbeat. This is useful in the early diagnosis of congenital heart abnormalities.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

illustration

Ultrasound, ventricular septal defect - heartbeat

This is an ultrasound showing a ventricular septal defect pattern of the fetal heartbeat. Some ultrasound machines have the ability to focus on different areas of the heart and evaluate the heartbeat. This is useful in the early diagnosis of congenital heart abnormalities.

Ultrasound, ventricular septal defect - heartbeat

illustration

Ultrasound, normal placenta - Braxton Hicks

This is a normal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. It shows the placenta during a normal (Braxton Hicks) contraction. Throughout the pregnancy, the uterus periodically contracts to facilitate better blood flow through the placenta and the fetus. In this ultrasound, the placenta can be seen as the mound-shaped object in the middle of the screen. At the bottom of the image, the mother's vertebra can be seen as a round object. When the uterus is not contracting, the placenta would appear much flatter.

Ultrasound, normal placenta - Braxton Hicks

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - face

This is a normal ultrasound of the fetus performed at 17 weeks gestation. The fetal face can be seen in the middle of the screen. The head is tilted left toward the placenta, which can be seen as a mound in the left of the ultrasound image. Both eyes are visible, and the area of white within the eye is the lens. Other facial features, such as the nose and mouth, are also visible.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - face

illustration

Prenatal ultrasound - series

Presentation

Ultrasound - Animation

Ultrasound

Animation

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a scanning technique used to image the growing fetus. The transducer portion emits inaudible sound waves, which fan out as they travel through your abdomen. When they hit dense structures like the fetus and the wall of your uterus, the sound waves bounce back to the transducer and are translated into a visual image by the computer.

Ultrasound

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 19 weeks gestation. This is the type of spilt-screen display you might see during an ultrasound, or if the technician prints a copy of the ultrasound for you. This ultrasound shows both the left arm (seen in the left side of the display), and the lower extremities (seen in the right side of the display). The white areas of the arm or legs is developing bone.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. The development of the brain and nervous system begins early in fetal development. During an ultrasound, the technician usually looks for the presence of brain ventricles. Ventricles are spaces in the brain that are filled with fluid. In this early ultrasound, the ventricles can be seen as light lines extending through the skull, seen in the upper right side of the image.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - femur measurement

This is a normal ultrasound of the fetus performed at 19 weeks gestation. A clear view of the left femur (the large bone of the leg) can be seen in the middle, towards the top of the ultrasound screen.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - femur measurement

illustration

Ultrasound comparison

To demonstrate how an ultrasound works, imagine this tennis ball as an internal organ in the body. Like many organs, the tennis ball is solid on the outside and hollow on the inside. Solid structures, such as bones and muscles, reflect sound waves from the ultrasound transducer and show up as white in an ultrasound image. Soft or hollow areas, like chambers of the heart, do not reflect sound waves and appear as black. The white ring is the outer edge of the tennis ball being reflected back as an image while the center hollow area remains as black.

Ultrasound comparison

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. The development of the brain and nervous system begins early in fetal development. During an ultrasound, the technician usually looks for the presence of brain ventricles. Ventricles are spaces in the brain that are filled with fluid. In this early ultrasound, the ventricles can be seen as light lines extending through the skull, seen in the upper right side of the image. The cross hair is pointing to the front of the skull, and directly to the right, the lines of the ventricles are visible.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - ventricles of brain

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

This is a normal fetal ultrasound showing one pattern of the fetal heartbeat. Some ultrasound machines have the ability to focus on different areas of the heart and evaluate the heartbeat. This is useful in the early diagnosis of congenital heart abnormalities.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

illustration

Ultrasound, ventricular septal defect - heartbeat

This is an ultrasound showing a ventricular septal defect pattern of the fetal heartbeat. Some ultrasound machines have the ability to focus on different areas of the heart and evaluate the heartbeat. This is useful in the early diagnosis of congenital heart abnormalities.

Ultrasound, ventricular septal defect - heartbeat

illustration

Ultrasound, normal placenta - Braxton Hicks

This is a normal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. It shows the placenta during a normal (Braxton Hicks) contraction. Throughout the pregnancy, the uterus periodically contracts to facilitate better blood flow through the placenta and the fetus. In this ultrasound, the placenta can be seen as the mound-shaped object in the middle of the screen. At the bottom of the image, the mother's vertebra can be seen as a round object. When the uterus is not contracting, the placenta would appear much flatter.

Ultrasound, normal placenta - Braxton Hicks

illustration

Ultrasound, normal fetus - face

This is a normal ultrasound of the fetus performed at 17 weeks gestation. The fetal face can be seen in the middle of the screen. The head is tilted left toward the placenta, which can be seen as a mound in the left of the ultrasound image. Both eyes are visible, and the area of white within the eye is the lens. Other facial features, such as the nose and mouth, are also visible.

Ultrasound, normal fetus - face

illustration

Prenatal ultrasound - series

Presentation