Ultraäänitehosta

Ultraäänitehosta, which translates to "ultrasound power" in English, refers to the intensity or energy transmitted by an ultrasound beam. It is a crucial parameter in various applications of ultrasound, including medical imaging, therapy, and industrial uses. The power of an ultrasound wave determines its ability to penetrate tissues, cause heating effects, or induce cavitation, a phenomenon where microscopic bubbles form and collapse.

In medical diagnostic ultrasound, power levels are carefully controlled to ensure safety while providing sufficient signal for image formation. Higher power can lead to better image quality by increasing the strength of reflected signals, but it also increases the risk of thermal damage to tissues. Therefore, regulatory bodies set limits on ultrasound power for medical devices.

Therapeutic ultrasound, used for pain relief and tissue healing, deliberately employs higher power levels than diagnostic ultrasound. This increased power is designed to generate therapeutic effects such as increased blood flow, reduced inflammation, and promotion of tissue regeneration. Different therapeutic modalities, like continuous wave and pulsed wave ultrasound, utilize varying power levels and duty cycles to achieve specific clinical outcomes.

In industrial applications, such as ultrasonic cleaning or welding, high-intensity ultrasound is used to generate mechanical forces. For cleaning, the cavitation induced by powerful ultrasound waves effectively dislodges contaminants from surfaces. In welding, the vibrational energy is used to melt and fuse materials. The effectiveness of these processes is directly dependent on the applied ultrasound power. Measuring and controlling ultrasound power is therefore essential for ensuring the efficacy and safety of all ultrasound-based technologies.