Ultrasound

The department has a state-of-the-art Micro ultrasound system from Articulate Instruments LTD. This is a portable unit with a micro-convex probe and stabilizing headset, which works at frequencies between 5-8MHz, records at a frame rate of up to 120Hz, and has 128 echo beams per full scan.

Ultrasound Tongue Imaging is used to track the movement and position of the tongue during speech or swallowing. It works by using an ultrasound machine to send pulses of different ultrasonic wavelengths (sound with a frequency higher than human hearing) from a probe in discrete directions. When a pulse meets a tissue boundary, only some of the wave energy is reflected. However, when a pulse meets the boundary between the tongue surface and the air above it, most of it is reflected. Using the time delay between sending and receiving these different pulses, we can calculate the distance to each tissue boundary creating an image like the one below.

Ultrasound data can produce images in either the coronal or midsaggital plane, and data can be used several different purposes, including: research, bio-feedback for clinical purposes, and teaching