ultrasone

Ultrasound, or ultrasone in some languages, refers to sound waves with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing, commonly cited as greater than 20,000 Hz. In English, the standard term is ultrasound; ultrasone is the cognate in languages such as German. Ultrasound waves propagate through air, water, and solids and interact with matter through reflection, scattering, refraction, and absorption.

Generation and detection: Ultrasound is typically produced by transducers made from piezoelectric or electrostrictive materials. An electrical signal causes the element to vibrate and emit acoustic waves; as waves encounter interfaces, echoes are returned and converted back into electrical signals by the same or separate transducers, enabling imaging or measurement. Doppler methods detect frequency shifts caused by moving targets to measure velocity.

Applications: Medical imaging uses B-mode ultrasound to create real-time cross-sectional images for obstetrics, abdomen, and cardiac assessments. Therapeutic uses include focused ultrasound and physiotherapy. In industry, ultrasound supports nondestructive testing, materials inspection, and cleaning or sonochemistry through agitation and cavitation.

Safety and regulation: Ultrasound exposure is subject to safety guidelines intended to limit thermal and mechanical effects. Standards and regulatory bodies set exposure limits for medical devices and industrial equipment. Operators are advised to use the lowest effective dose and appropriate shielding for medical use.

Other uses: Ultrasone is also the name of a German audio equipment manufacturer known for headphones and proprietary design features.