Ultrasounds use reflected sound waves to examine important organs and bodily systems. One form of them, the Doppler ultrasound, specializes in the examination of blood flow through blood vessels. Healthcare professionals can use Doppler ultrasounds to detect restricted blood flow, clots, and heart defects, and monitor an individual’s heartbeat.
There are a few basic types of Doppler ultrasound, each serving its own unique purpose. Wondering what the types of Doppler ultrasound are? Let’s find out.
Exploring the Different Types of Doppler Ultrasound
There are a few basic types of Doppler ultrasound, each serving its own unique purpose. Understanding the distinct applications of each type is crucial for healthcare professionals and for those who manage ultrasound equipment, whether through ultrasound repair service, ultrasound maintenance, or sourcing the right devices. Wondering what the types of Doppler ultrasound are? Let’s find out.
Continuous Wave Doppler
The Continuous Wave Doppler, as its name suggests, continuously sends and receives signals. Doctors use the Doppler’s sound waves to assess blood flow through a restricted or blocked area. It allows for accurate measurement of fast-flowing blood and can quickly check the extent of damage or disease to the affected vessels. The procedure, typically done at a patient’s bedside, uses a small, portable machine. For these reasons, it’s also commonly referred to as a bedside Doppler.
Continuous Wave Doppler utilizes two separate transducers—one constantly transmitting a sound wave and the other continuously receiving the reflected waves. Because it transmits and receives simultaneously, it can detect very high velocities but cannot determine the exact depth or location of the flow.
Duplex Doppler
The Duplex Doppler makes use of standard methods to form images of blood vessels and the surrounding organs. A computer translates these images into a simple-to-read graph, which shows the speed and direction of blood flow through the vessels.
Color Doppler
Another type of Doppler ultrasound is the color Doppler. The color Doppler, much like the duplex Doppler, relies on standard ultrasound methods. A computer translates the Doppler’s sound waves into a vibrant, colorful overlay that’s placed above an image of the blood vessels.
Color Doppler is a form of pulsed wave Doppler that overlays blood flow information onto a standard B-mode ultrasound image. The blood flow is color-coded, with red often indicating flow toward the transducer and blue indicating flow away from it. The intensity of the color can also represent the speed of the flow. These colors provide real-time information about the speed and direction of blood flow.
Power Doppler
Power Doppler, or "energy Doppler," is another variation of pulsed wave Doppler. Instead of measuring the speed and direction of flow, it measures the amplitude (or strength) of the Doppler signal. This makes it much more sensitive to low-velocity flows than standard Color Doppler and less susceptible to the angle of the transducer.
Why Are Doppler Ultrasounds Important?
Doppler ultrasounds, no matter the type, are essential for examining a patient’s blood flow. They can help doctors detect conditions that are blocking or restricting blood flow, along with diagnosing instances of heart disease. They can check the heart’s function, look for blockages in blood flow, detect damage and defects in the blood vessels or heart, and monitor the heart rate and blood flow.
The procedure is simple and has no known risks. If patients are experiencing symptoms such as numbness, shortness of breath, painful cramping, swelling, and discoloration, their primary care physician might recommend an ultrasound.
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