Lesson 1Sound wave basics: frequency, wavelength, travel, acoustic resistanceIntroduces main sound wave features important for ultrasound imaging, including frequency, wavelength, speed of travel, and acoustic resistance, and explains how these affect reflection, bending, and passing through at tissue boundaries.
Frequency, cycle time, and clinical rangesWavelength and detail resolution connectionsTravel speed in various body tissuesAcoustic resistance and reflectionBending and passing at edgesStrength, power, and beam shapesLesson 2Basic problem-solving: noise, probe touch issues, and cable/equipment checksGives 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 standard settingsEasy quick function testsWhen to call technical supportLesson 3Doppler basics (overview): colour vs spectral Doppler ideas and limits for bedside useIntroduces Doppler science for bedside scanning, comparing colour and spectral Doppler, issues like aliasing and angle effects, and practical limits in emergency and critical care where quick, targeted checks are needed.
Ideas of Doppler frequency changeColour Doppler flow mapping and settingsSpectral Doppler waveforms and measuresAngle effects and aliasing limitsPractical bedside Doppler usesCommon Doppler errors and artefactsLesson 4Probe types and beam creation: linear, curved, phased-array featuresDescribes linear, curved, and phased-array probes, how beam creation varies between them, and how size, frequency, and view area guide probe choice for blood vessel, belly, heart, and lung imaging.
Linear probes and high-detail imagingCurved probes and belly viewsPhased-array probes and heart windowsBeam directing, focusing, and smoothingProbe frequency ranges and usesChoosing probes for bedside examsLesson 5Weakening and depth: effects of frequency choice on depth and image qualityLooks at how ultrasound energy weakens with depth, how frequency selection changes depth reach and detail, and how to balance image brightness, noise, and diagnostic info when scanning shallow versus deep body parts.
Ways of weakening in soft tissueFrequency versus depth reach trade-offsFrequency effects on length and side resolutionBest settings for shallow targetsBest settings for deep body partsSpotting weakening-related artefactsLesson 6Focusing, focus areas, and near/far area improvementCovers how focusing and focus areas narrow the beam, better side resolution, and differ in near and far areas. Stresses choosing and placing focus areas to best show target body parts at different depths.
Near area, focus area, and far area basicsElectronic versus fixed focusing waysEffect of focus on side resolutionChoosing number and depth of focus areasBest focus for shallow targetsBest focus for deep body partsLesson 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 bedside exams.
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 body parts.
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 reduce 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 typeHigh-risk situations and fixesRules and labels
