Ultra-sound diagnosis

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 26

Ultra-sound diagnosis

New developments in the use of ultra-sound in medicine would give better value for money in the diagnostic field, a British expert has said in Christchurch. Dr P. N. Wells, guest lecturer at a conference on physical sciences and engineering in medicine and biology, said that the most expensive ultra-sound diagnosis units cost only about $120,000, much less than the, X-ray units now in use. “New developments in ultra-sound which we can; expect to see in about fwoi or three years time will can-: cel out a” lot of invasive di-' agnostic techniques which often cause problems for| patients,” said Dr Wells.'

who is head of the department of medical physics at Bristol General Hospital. Most pregnant women were acquainted with the use of ultra-sound in monitoring an unborn baby, but with new developments in the field, the use of ultrasound would become more commonplace in cardiac examinations and cancer detection. “For example we should be able to determine soon the types of tissue damage using ultra-sound on the! heart in patients with co-' ronary disease; and using ultra-sound we will soon be able to measure the pattern of blood flow abnormalities. | This will mean that the present expensive cardiac!

catheterisation technique will not need to be used and patients will not even have to be admitted to hospital for examination.” Dr Wells, whose visit to New Zealand has been sponsored partly by the National Heart Foundation and the Cancer Society, said that by using ultra-sound it would soon be possible to detect more accurately the onset of breast cancers. “We know that these can-| cers require an extra blood! flow to develop, and byi using ultra-sound we will be ! able to detect this increased! flow. “One of the big advan-| tages of ultra-sound is its! better value for money spent on diagnosis,” he said.