BS Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences/General Sonography (Ultrasound) (East Falls Campus)

Sonography (ultrasound) uses sound waves to generate an image for the assessment and diagnosis of various medical conditions. It can be used to diagnose and treat a variety of medical conditions in the body. It is often associated with imaging during pregnancy. Sonographers provide guidance during fine-needle tissue biopsy and use sophisticated diagnostic ultrasound imaging machines and transducers that use high-frequency sound waves to produce dynamic visual images of:

• Abdominal organs (including liver, gallbladder, kidney)
• Pelvis
• Obstetrics (pregnancy)
• Superficial structures (including breast, testis, thyroid)
• Abdominal blood vessels

Sonographers work directly with healthy and critically ill inpatients and outpatients of all ages, performing predominantly noninvasive procedures in small, low-lit rooms. They stand or sit beside the patient, who is on a stretcher, exam table or wheelchair. Sometimes the sonographer will transport a portable ultrasound to a patient's room, emergency department, or operating roomto perform the examination there.