Lesson 1Sound wave basics: frequency, wavelength, travel, acoustic resistanceIntroduces key sound wave properties important for ultrasound imaging, including frequency, wavelength, travel speed, and acoustic resistance, and explains how these affect reflection, bending, and passing through at tissue boundaries.
Frequency, cycle, and clinical rangesWavelength and detail resolution connectionsTravel speed in various tissuesAcoustic resistance and reflectionBending and passing at edgesStrength, power, and beam shapesLesson 2Basic problem-solving: noise, probe touch issues, and cable/equipment checksOffers a step-by-step way to fix poor images, including spotting noise, checking probe touch and gel, looking at cables and connections, and knowing when to call for equipment repair.
Spotting electronic and speckle noiseBetter probe touch and gel applicationChecking cables, connections, and portsConfirming presets and default settingsSimple quick function testsWhen to call technical supportLesson 3Doppler basics (overview): colour vs spectral Doppler principles and limits for bedside useIntroduces Doppler physics for bedside scanning, comparing colour and spectral Doppler, issues like aliasing and angle effects, and practical limits in emergency and intensive care where quick, targeted checks are needed.
Principles of Doppler frequency changeColour Doppler flow mapping and settingsSpectral Doppler waveforms and measuresAngle effects and aliasing limitsPractical bedside Doppler usesCommon Doppler errors and artefactsLesson 4Transducer types and beam creation: linear, curved, phased-array featuresDescribes linear, curved, and phased-array transducers, how beam creation varies among them, and how size, frequency, and view area guide choosing probes for blood vessel, belly, heart, and lung imaging.
Linear probes for high-detail imagingCurved probes for belly viewsPhased-array probes for heart windowsBeam directing, focusing, and smoothingProbe frequency ranges and usesChoosing probes for point-of-care checksLesson 5Weakening and depth: effects of frequency choice on depth and image qualityLooks at how ultrasound energy weakens with depth, how frequency choice changes depth reach and detail, and how to balance image brightness, noise, and diagnostic info when scanning shallow versus deep body parts.
Ways weakening happens in soft tissueFrequency versus depth reach trade-offsFrequency effects on length and side resolutionBest settings for shallow targetsBest settings for deep structuresSpotting weakening-related artefactsLesson 6Focusing, focus areas, and near/far field improvementCovers how focusing and focus areas narrow the beam, boost side resolution, and differ in near and far fields. Stresses choosing and placing focus areas to best show target structures at different depths.
Near field, focus area, and far field basicsElectronic versus fixed focusing waysEffect of focus on side resolutionChoosing number and depth of focus areasImproving focus for shallow targetsImproving focus for deep structuresLesson 7Common artefacts: echoing, shadowing, brightening, mirror image, tail, A/B-lines, ring-downReviews main ultrasound artefacts, why they happen, and how to spot and use or avoid them. Focuses on echoing, shadowing, brightening, mirror image, tail, A- and B-lines, and ring-down in point-of-care checks.
Echoing and multiple reflection patternsSound shadowing and clear versus dirty shadowsBack brightening mechanismsMirror image and copy artefactsTail, ring-down, and short-path artefactsA-lines, B-lines, and lung artefact patternsLesson 8Resolution and depth reach: length, side, and height resolution trade-offsDetails length, side, and height resolution, how each relies on pulse length and beam width, and how probe choice, depth, and focusing affect the balance between fine detail and enough depth in clinical imaging.
Length resolution and space pulse lengthSide resolution and beam widthHeight resolution and slice thicknessDepth, focusing, and resolution changesProbe choice for best resolutionBalancing resolution against depth reachLesson 9Time-gain adjustment, total gain, and range: purpose and practical changesExplains how time-gain adjustment, total gain, and range shape image brightness and contrast. Focuses on practical controls to fix depth-related weakening and avoid too much or too little gain on structures.
Total gain and overall brightness controlTime-gain adjustment curve shapingRange and image contrast controlSpotting overgain and undergain patternsDepth-specific changes during scanningPreset use and manual fine-tuningLesson 10Safety and body effects: heat and mechanical measures, ALARA rule, safe scan timesOutlines ultrasound safety rules, including heat and mechanical measures, ALARA, and safe exposure times. Stresses practical ways to lower risk while keeping diagnostic image quality in at-risk patients.
Heat measure meaning and limitsMechanical measure and bubble riskALARA rule in daily workSafe scan times by patient groupHigh-risk situations and fixesRules and labels
