An automatic ultrasonic spherical section scanner.

Abstract From a theoretical point of view it would seem advantageous with an ultrasonic scanner which from a selected site on the body surface could produce scanning pictures corresponding to spherical sections at varying depths and “parallel” to the surface. In the first place this applies to cases where it is desirable that all echoes recorded on the oscilloscope represent the same depth and thus the same attenuation—e.g. in searching for liver metastases. In the second place in cases where anatomical conditions restrict the possibilities of conventional ultrasonic scanning—e.g. in scanning of the liver and of the heart. A new ultrasonic scanner is described, allowing the scanning to be carried out according to the above mentioned principle. The scanning is performed automatically in a spiral motion. The thickness of the sections and their distance from the transducer can be chosen by means of a time gate.