Measurement of tissue motion

A number of ultrasonic methods are available for the detection of tissue mo tion as it occurs physiologically in the body. The detection of echoes from within the body in less than 1 ms after the initial transmission of ultras ound and the Doppler effect have enabled a range of instrumentation to be d eveloped. The subject owes a great deal to advances in transducer design, e lectronics and computer technology. Over many years fast B-mode imaging and M-mode traces of boundary position versus time have been the main clinical tools. Currently new sophisticated detection and imaging techniques are be ing produced based on the Doppler effect and on tracking motion in tissue i mages. The measurement of several velocity components is permitting velocit y vectors to be determined more completely, adding to accuracy. Not surpris ingly, cardiology is the main field of application but there are other area s of interest, e.g. vascular, musculo-skeletal and foetal function studies.