<s>
Ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
,	O
simply	O
known	O
as	O
ultrasound	B-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
mechanical	O
energy	O
called	O
sound	O
characterized	O
by	O
vibrating	O
or	O
moving	O
particles	O
within	O
a	O
medium	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Application
is	O
distinguished	O
by	O
vibrations	O
with	O
a	O
frequency	O
greater	O
than	O
20,000	O
Hz	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
audible	O
sounds	O
that	O
humans	O
typically	O
hear	O
with	O
frequencies	O
between	O
20	O
and	O
20,000	O
Hz	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
requires	O
matter	O
or	O
a	O
medium	O
with	O
particles	O
to	O
vibrate	O
to	O
conduct	O
or	O
propagate	O
its	O
energy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characteristics	O
of	O
the	O
traveling	O
ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
greatly	O
depend	O
on	O
the	O
medium	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
traveling	O
through	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
propagate	O
through	O
a	O
medium	O
,	O
the	O
amplitude	O
of	O
the	O
wave	O
is	O
continually	O
reduced	O
or	O
weakened	O
with	O
the	O
distance	O
it	O
travels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
medium	O
that	O
changes	O
the	O
mechanical	O
energy	O
from	O
the	O
vibrations	O
of	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
into	O
thermal	O
or	O
heat	O
energy	O
is	O
called	O
viscoelastic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
properties	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
traveling	O
through	O
the	O
medium	O
of	O
biological	O
tissues	O
has	O
been	O
extensively	O
studied	O
in	O
recent	O
years	O
and	O
implemented	O
into	O
many	O
important	O
medical	O
tools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
stated	O
above	O
,	O
properties	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
traveling	O
through	O
biological	O
tissues	O
has	O
been	O
extensively	O
studied	O
in	O
recent	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
attenuation	O
due	O
to	O
scattering	O
of	O
energy	O
in	O
different	O
tissues	O
can	O
be	O
measured	O
by	O
a	O
device	O
called	O
a	O
transducer	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recorded	O
information	O
from	O
transducers	B-Algorithm
such	O
as	O
the	O
relationship	O
to	O
the	O
site	O
of	O
origin	O
and	O
intensity	O
of	O
the	O
signal	O
can	O
then	O
be	O
put	O
together	O
to	O
form	O
images	O
of	O
what	O
lies	O
inside	O
the	O
target	O
tissues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Higher	O
frequency	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
generally	O
produce	O
higher	O
resolution	O
images	O
,	O
but	O
attenuation	O
also	O
increases	O
as	O
frequency	O
increases	O
which	O
restricts	O
imaging	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
more	O
common	O
ultrasound	B-Application
tests	O
include	O
A-scans	O
,	O
M-scans	O
,	O
B-scans	O
,	O
and	O
Doppler	O
techniques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
advent	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
technology	O
has	O
completely	O
changed	O
the	O
medical	O
diagnostic	O
field	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
non-invasive	O
characteristic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonogram	B-Application
-	O
Ultrasound	B-Application
images	O
of	O
an	O
unborn	O
fetus	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
check	O
for	O
proper	O
development	O
and	O
other	O
characteristics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
characteristic	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
previously	O
discussed	O
is	O
that	O
of	O
attenuation	O
of	O
an	O
ultrasound	B-Application
signal	O
partly	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
conversion	O
of	O
mechanical	O
wave	O
energy	O
to	O
thermal	O
energy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
therapy	O
being	O
studied	O
as	O
an	O
anticancer	O
treatment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intensified	O
ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
can	O
be	O
directed	O
at	O
cancer	O
cells	O
to	O
heat	O
them	O
and	O
kill	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
testing	O
has	O
shown	O
that	O
ultrasound	B-Application
can	O
increase	O
the	O
effectiveness	O
of	O
cancer	O
treatments	O
such	O
as	O
chemotherapy	O
and	O
radiation	O
therapy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
using	O
the	O
converted	O
heat	O
energy	O
that	O
ultrasound	B-Application
provides	O
,	O
specific	O
diseased	O
tissues	O
can	O
be	O
heated	O
often	O
to	O
temperatures	O
around	O
41°	O
to	O
45°C	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
new	O
treatment	O
called	O
high	B-Architecture
intensity	I-Architecture
focused	I-Architecture
ultrasound	I-Architecture
(	O
HIFU	B-Architecture
)	O
takes	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
thermal	O
energy	O
characteristics	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
HIFU	B-Architecture
uses	O
an	O
ultrasound	B-Application
device	O
that	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
precisely	O
focus	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
at	O
a	O
target	O
tissue	O
or	O
specific	O
group	O
of	O
cells	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
focus	O
of	O
this	O
ultrasound	B-Algorithm
energy	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
temperature	O
can	O
reach	O
excesses	O
of	O
80°C	O
which	O
results	O
in	O
nearly	O
spontaneous	O
coagulative	O
necrosis	O
or	O
cell	O
death	O
without	O
harming	O
neighboring	O
cells	O
.	O
</s>
