DAVIES SPI COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT COMPLETE QUESTIONS VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
Question:
During production of a sonogram you image blood, bile, soft tissue, calcification and muscle. Which
is the MOST attenuating?
Answer:
Calcification
Question:
Axial resolution is determined chiefly by?
Answer:
Pulse duration The shorter the pulse duration, the better the axial resolution
Question:
The transfer of acoustic energy into heat is termed?
Answer:
Absorption
Question:
With A-mode, the strength of the echo signal is represented by:
Answer:
The height of the spike
Question:
,What is the main advantage of using an intracavitary probe compared to a standard transducer?
Answer:
Since the intracavitary probe is closer to the AOI, a higher frequency transducer can be used,
resulting in superior spatial resolution.
Question:
Absorption, scattering and attenuation all increases as ___________increases?
Answer:
Frequency
Question:
You notice that the image in the far field is less bright compared to the near field. This is due to:
Answer:
Sound attenuation
Question:
The dark area (shadowing) underneath gallstones is primarily due to:
Answer:
Increased attenuation
Question:
You are performing a sonographic exam with a wide-bandwidth transducer. The advantage you
obtain with this transducer compared to a narrow-band transducer is:
Answer:
Improved axial resolution
Question:
,Other names for axial resolution:
Answer:
LARRD: longitudinal, axial, range, radial, and depth
Question:
Dynamic receive focusing uses:
Answer:
Time delays before echo signals from array elements are combined With dynamic receive focusing,
the echoes that are received first are held in delay circuitry until all of the echoes from the same
depth have been received. This results in constructive interference of the waves and produces a
higher amplitude and more focused signal.
Question:
What describes the f-number?
Answer:
Focal length divided by the aperture The f-number is the ratio of the focal length to the size of the
aperture.
Question:
For a non-focused transducer, the region between the transducer element and the point at which the
sound beam is narrowest is called the:
Answer:
Near zone length or fresnal zone
Question:
The interpreting physician has asked you to use a standoff pad to evaluate a superficial mass. What
is the main advantage the standoff pad provides to improve the image?
Answer:
, The standoff pad increases the distance between the transducer and the mass, making it more likely
that the mass will be located close to the elevational focus of the sound beam
Question:
What is a side lobe?
Answer:
Sound beam that is emitted from the transducer that travels in a different direction from the main
beam
Question:
What best describes the difference between the ultrasound frequencies used for doppler and for
B-mode imaging with a given transducer?
Answer:
The frequency for doppler is usually lower than the frequency used for imaging
Question:
The ability to differentiate two regions at different depths, having similar echogenicity, is termed:
Answer:
Contrast resolution
Question:
To generate a sonographic image, what is the ordering in which the system components are
activated?
Answer:
Pulser, beam former, receiver, memory, display
Question:
The term signal-to-noise ratio denotes:
Question:
During production of a sonogram you image blood, bile, soft tissue, calcification and muscle. Which
is the MOST attenuating?
Answer:
Calcification
Question:
Axial resolution is determined chiefly by?
Answer:
Pulse duration The shorter the pulse duration, the better the axial resolution
Question:
The transfer of acoustic energy into heat is termed?
Answer:
Absorption
Question:
With A-mode, the strength of the echo signal is represented by:
Answer:
The height of the spike
Question:
,What is the main advantage of using an intracavitary probe compared to a standard transducer?
Answer:
Since the intracavitary probe is closer to the AOI, a higher frequency transducer can be used,
resulting in superior spatial resolution.
Question:
Absorption, scattering and attenuation all increases as ___________increases?
Answer:
Frequency
Question:
You notice that the image in the far field is less bright compared to the near field. This is due to:
Answer:
Sound attenuation
Question:
The dark area (shadowing) underneath gallstones is primarily due to:
Answer:
Increased attenuation
Question:
You are performing a sonographic exam with a wide-bandwidth transducer. The advantage you
obtain with this transducer compared to a narrow-band transducer is:
Answer:
Improved axial resolution
Question:
,Other names for axial resolution:
Answer:
LARRD: longitudinal, axial, range, radial, and depth
Question:
Dynamic receive focusing uses:
Answer:
Time delays before echo signals from array elements are combined With dynamic receive focusing,
the echoes that are received first are held in delay circuitry until all of the echoes from the same
depth have been received. This results in constructive interference of the waves and produces a
higher amplitude and more focused signal.
Question:
What describes the f-number?
Answer:
Focal length divided by the aperture The f-number is the ratio of the focal length to the size of the
aperture.
Question:
For a non-focused transducer, the region between the transducer element and the point at which the
sound beam is narrowest is called the:
Answer:
Near zone length or fresnal zone
Question:
The interpreting physician has asked you to use a standoff pad to evaluate a superficial mass. What
is the main advantage the standoff pad provides to improve the image?
Answer:
, The standoff pad increases the distance between the transducer and the mass, making it more likely
that the mass will be located close to the elevational focus of the sound beam
Question:
What is a side lobe?
Answer:
Sound beam that is emitted from the transducer that travels in a different direction from the main
beam
Question:
What best describes the difference between the ultrasound frequencies used for doppler and for
B-mode imaging with a given transducer?
Answer:
The frequency for doppler is usually lower than the frequency used for imaging
Question:
The ability to differentiate two regions at different depths, having similar echogenicity, is termed:
Answer:
Contrast resolution
Question:
To generate a sonographic image, what is the ordering in which the system components are
activated?
Answer:
Pulser, beam former, receiver, memory, display
Question:
The term signal-to-noise ratio denotes:
