Practical Applications for 4D Scanning
About 4D Scanning
The birth of 3D ultrasound scanning occurred in 1987 and was initially developed by Olaf von Ramm and Stephen Smith at Duke University in Durham, United States. This type of scanning generally uses the emission of sound waves to build 2D and 3D images. Contrary to 2D scanning, 3D scanning sends sound waves at the target at multiple angles to build and produce a three-dimensional image that is then relayed back to a computer screen. This works by sending sound waves that travel through objects and reflect back at the emitter, at different times, to produce a black and white image of an object that otherwise cannot be seen. Different to 3D scanning, four-dimensional scanning provides an extra dimension to the conventional method by relaying images back to a computer screen at a faster rate, rather than producing still images. This gives the effect of viewing the object in real-time rather than having to build images together manually, which is the case with 3D scanning. Though this is the case, the speed of sound is noticeably slower than many other waves, which means that the images produced will have a slight lag and will not technically be ‘real time’. For more information on how exactly ultrasound scanning works, visit http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~jharlow/teaching/phy138_0708/lec04/ultrasoundx.htm.
Risks Associated with 4D Scanning on Humans
Ultrasound scanning of this kind is extremely practical in medicine at the moment because there is currently no evidence to suggest that it can be harmful to humans or the developing foetus. The technology simply uses sound waves that travel through and bounce off objects without causing any damage to tissue. Though this is the current understanding of the process, there is still significant controversy surrounding the issue by those who feel that ultrasound scanning should only be used in medical situations with the understanding that there may be some risk involved. For those who would like to learn more regarding the risks involved with ultrasound scanning of this type, the following article by Dr. Ben Kim is very interesting, http://drbenkim.com/articles-ultrasound-pregnancy.html. According to Dr. Ben Kim, there is evidence to suggest that ultrasound scanning can often do more harm than good.
Clinical Applications of 4D Scanning
In a clinical sense, scanning of this type is often used to detect foetal anomalies, although it proves popular in helping to build foetal-maternal bonding. This is because 4D imaging allows the mother, or anyone else, to determine the sex of their baby, distinguish features, see the baby close up and see it moving in real time. The invention of 4D scanning gives the viewer a unique opportunity to see something that perhaps shouldn’t be possible at all. However, as aforementioned, many scientists argue that ultrasound scanning can cause more harm than good. For instance it is often argued that ultrasound scanning to detect serious problems before the birth of the child does not actually better the situation because it cannot change anything. In fact, it can have quite the opposite effect by damaging the healthy foetal-maternal relationship.
Other Applications for 4D Scanning
Ultrasound scans, especially 4D scans, also have many uses in Urology. For instance, they can be used to determine; the rate of blood flow through the kidneys, whether the patient has kidney stones and can also often detect whether the patient has prostate cancer. Additionally, there is an increasing use for ultrasound scanning in emergency rooms as a rapid imaging tool in order to give a quick diagnosis and even save lives. To find out more about this subject, visit http://www.howstuffworks.com/ultrasound4.htm.