Product Description

Knowledge Point

Convex Ultrasound probe

Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a minimally invasive diagnostic technique that allows real-time sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes and central pulmonary lesions. Its utility in diagnosing both malignant and nonmalignant diseases has led to an increased uptake and use by pulmonologists over the past decade. Because of the robust evidence supporting its safety and diagnostic yield, EBUS is now the first guideline recommended test for staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It has also a role in providing tissue for molecular analysis, thereby guiding in the selection of agents in the new era of personalized chemotherapies in the treatment of NSCLC. The following review highlights the evidence for EBUS in diagnosing mediastinal pathology and addresses technique, training, and competency and future directions for this technology.

What is an Ultrasound Probe?

An ultrasound probe, also known as a transducer, is a medical diagnostic device that emits ultrasound waves into a patient's body and transmits data to a computer to produce an internal image of the body, known as a sonogram. Ultrasound waves bounce off of tissue masses and boundaries in the body, and these echoes are recorded by the ultrasound probe and interpreted by the computer, which then creates the sonogram on a monitor. The ultrasound probe is generally placed directly on the patient's body and moved over the area to be viewed. Since water is a good conductor for sound waves, a water-based gel is usually placed on the patient's skin to help facilitate movement of the ultrasound waves, and patients undergoing obstetric ultrasound are usually asked to arrive for the test with a full bladder.

What is an ultrasound transducer and what does it do?

An ultrasound transducer, also called a probe, is a device that produces sound waves that bounce off body tissues and make echoes.

The transducer also receives the echoes and sends them to a computer that uses them to create an image called sonogram.

Moreover, the essential element of each ultrasound transducer is a piezoelectric crystal. It serves to generate as well as receive ultrasound waves.