Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Jun;6(1):E14-E24.
doi: 10.1055/a-1223-1134. Epub 2020 Aug 31.

Ultrasound Image Optimization ("Knobology"): B-Mode

David Zander  1 , Sebastian Hüske  1 , Beatrice Hoffmann  2 , Xin-Wu Cui  3 , Yi Dong  4 , Adrian Lim  5 , Christian Jenssen  6 , Axel Löwe  7 , Jonas B H Koch  7 , Christoph F Dietrich  7
Affiliations
Review

Ultrasound Image Optimization ("Knobology"): B-Mode

David Zander et al. Ultrasound Int Open. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Ultrasound is a ubiquitous and indispensable diagnostic and therapeutic tool in medicine. Due to modern equipment and automatic image optimization, the introduction of ultrasound imaging currently requires only little technical and physical knowledge. However, in-depth knowledge of the device functions and underlying mechanisms is essential for optimal image adjustment and documentation. From a medical as well as an aesthetic point of view, the goal should always be to achieve the best possible image quality. The first part of this article provides an overview of the handling of ultrasound systems, fundamental adjustments, and their optimization in B-mode ultrasound.

Keywords: B-mode; Methods & techniques; image optimization; image quality; resolution; ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
US examination of the pancreas with inadequate a and adequate b selection of depth penetration. The field of interest (pancreas) is in the middle to the lower third of the adequate image b) but in the upper third of the inadequate image example a .
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Overview of ultrasonic axes a and examples for varying line density. Examination of the right liver lobe with line density at 1/8 b , 4/8 c and 8/8 d .
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Examination of the gallbladder and hepatic hilum using a linear transducer in a slim person: High spatial resolution and adequate depth penetration at lowest possible frequency a and loss of depth penetration using a (too) high frequency b .
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
THI improves the contrast ratio through increased lateral resolution and reduced background noise by promoting the reduction of side lobe artifacts. The spleen is shown with a and without THI b .
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Classically, US devices offer one focal plane a, b . Newer machines allow two or more focal planes or even a continuous focus (sometimes called eFocus) c . Examination of the pancreas using a near focus zone a , a far focus zone b , and eFocus c .
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
US examination of the liver with wide a and narrow b sectoral width.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Echocardiography using low persistence a and high persistence b .
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Imaging of the right liver lobe and right kidney using a low dynamic range with high contrast and coarse echo pattern a and high dynamic range with adequate representation of the whole range of parenchymal echos of both parenchymal organs b .
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Imaging of right liver lobe and contracted gallbladder using a linear correlated gray map a and an S-shape gray map b .
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Different gradations (polychromatic, monochromatic) are shown in grayscales a and in different colors b and c .
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Examination of the right liver lobe using different settings for transmission power: Energy at 100% ( 10a ) and at 10% ( 10b ). Note the reduction of brightness and loss of detail.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Inadvertent effects of automatic image optimization: Manually adjusted image of the filled urinary bladder before a and after b automatic image optimization.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
The normal appendix depicted using panoramic imaging.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Atkinson NS S, Bryant R V, Dong Y, Maaser C, Kucharzik T, Maconi G et al.How to perform gastrointestinal ultrasound: Anatomy and normal findings. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2017;23:6931–6941. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lamb T D, Pugh E N. Phototransduction, Dark Adaptation, and Rhodopsin Regeneration The Proctor Lecture. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2006;47:5138–5152. - PubMed
    1. Lamb T D, Pugh E N. Dark adaptation and the retinoid cycle of vision. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2004;23:307–380. - PubMed
    1. Roehrig H, Fan J, Chawla A, Gandhi K. The liquid crystal display (LCD) for medical imaging in comparison with the cathode ray tube display (CRT) SPIE Proc. 2002;4786:114–131.
    1. Hoffman D M, Johnson P V, Kim J S, Vargas A D, Banks M S. 240 Hz OLED technology properties that can enable improved image quality. Journal of the Society for Information Display. 2014;22:346–356.