SPI Practice #1

D. persistence Continuing to display older frames as well as the current frame describes persistence.

A current image is overlaid on top of a number of previous images. What is this called? A. harmonic imaging B. spatial averaging C. spatial compounding D. persistence

C. Reduce the color Doppler gain. The appearance of 'confetti' color throughout the color box indicates a Doppler gain setting that is too high.

What would you do to improve this image? A. Increase the overall gain. B. Decrease the Nyquist limit. C. Reduce the color Doppler gain. D. Reduce the wall filter. E. Lower the wall filter.

A. digital to analog converter

Which of these devices changes information stored in a digital scan converter to a form suitable for recording on a conventional videocassette recorder? A. digital to analog converter B. diode C. analog to digital converter D. digital scan converter E. transducer

D. compression Compression reduces dynamic range.

Which process describes the reduction in dynamic range of the signals in an ultrasound system? A. rectification B. amplification C. TGC D. compression E. demodulation

D. dB, ratio Correct, dynamic range is the ratio of two numbers and is measure in decibels (dB).

Dynamic range is measured in units of __________ and is the ____________ between two numbers. A. percent, sum B. rayls, ratio C. percent, difference D. dB, ratio E. dB, difference

B. 8 cm The 13 microsecond rule tells us that the reflector is 4 cm deep (52/13). Since the reflector is 4 cm deep, the pulse traveled a TOTAL of 8 cm.

Sound is traveling in soft tissue. What is the total distance that the pulse traveled in the tissue if the go-return time is 52 microseconds? A. 52 cm B. 8 cm C. 3 cm D. 2 cm E. 4 cm

D. anatomic gray scale and pulsed Doppler

A particular ultrasound system is described as having duplex capabilities. Which of the following selections best describes the meaning of the term duplex? A. anatomic gray scale and color flow Doppler B. anatomic gray scale and m-mode C. color flow Doppler and steerable continuous wave Doppler D. anatomic gray scale and pulsed Doppler E. pulsed Doppler and continuous wave Doppler

A. 4 mm At a depth equal to that of the near zone length, the diameter of the sound beam is equal to half the diameter of the transducer crystal. In this example, the transducer is 8 mm. Therefore, the sound beam has a diameter of 4 mm at this depth.

A single disc-shaped transducer crystal is 8 mm in diameter. A sound beam is created. The focal depth is 3 cm. The beam is unfocused. What is the diameter of the sound beam at a depth of 3 cm? A. 4 mm B. 8 mm C. 32 mm D. 2 mm E. 16 mm

C. The Doppler scale was increased Two factors lead us to this conclusion. First, the aliasing in the upper vessel has disappeared. Next, the slow velocity flow in the lower vessel has lost it's color. Both of these changes are consistent with increased color Doppler scale.

A sonographer adjust only one setting and converts image #1 into image #2. What setting was modified and how was it modified? A. The overall gain was increased. B. The persistence was reduced. C. The Doppler scale was increased D. The packet size was increased. E. The wall filter was increased.

B. 4 milliseconds Time-of-flight is total distance traveled divided by speed. Note that the total distance traveled in this question is 24 cm, 12 cm from the probe to the reflector and an additional 12 cm from the reflector back to the probe.

A sound pulse is created by a mechanical transducer. The pulse travels in a medium (not soft tissue) with a speed of 6 centimeters per millisecond. From the transducer, the sound pulse propagates, strikes a reflector located 12 centimeters from the transducer and returns. What is the time-of-flight of the pulse? A. 8 milliseconds B. 4 milliseconds C. 2 milliseconds D. Cannot be determined by the provided information E. 6 milliseconds

A. 99% At boundary between two soft tissues, the vast majority of a sound wave is transmitted. Only a very small percentage is reflected.

A sound wave is traveling in the body and moves from one form of soft tissue to another. For example, sound is moving from muscle to blood. What percentage of the sound wave is most likely to be transmitted at the muscle-blood boundary? A. 99% B. 25% C. 5% D. 75% E. 0.5%

D. D

A transducer emits an ultrasound beam in the direction of the red arrow. All of the red blood cells are traveling at the same speed, and in the directions indicated by the arrows. Which of the blood cells will create a reflection with the greatest negative Doppler shift? A. A B. B C. C D. D E. E

D. D & E These cells are moving away from the transducer.

A transducer emits an ultrasound beam in the direction of the red arrow. All of the red blood cells are traveling at the same speed, and in the directions indicated by the arrows. Which two of the blood cells will create reflections with negative Doppler shifts? A. C & E B. B & E C. B & C D. D & E E. B & D

A. 7 MHz with a PRF of 3 kHz This is correct since the emitted (or transducer) frequency is the highest. Aliasing is more common with higher frequency sound.

Aliasing is an artifact that appears while performing Doppler ultrasonography. Which of the following signals is most likely to alias? A. 7 MHz with a PRF of 3 kHz B. 9 MHz continuous wave sound C. 2 MHz sound with a PRF of 3 kHz D. 6 MHz sound wave with a PRF of 3 kHz E. 2 MHz continuous wave sound

C. improved differentiation of bi-directional flow Color angio Doppler does not provide information on direction of flow. <<I think color angio Doppler is another name for Power Doppler>>

All of the following are advantages of color angio Doppler EXCEPT A. absence of aliasing B. improved visualization of venous flow and flow in small vessels C. improved differentiation of bi-directional flow D. independence of Doppler angles E. improved sensitivity to low velocities

C. tissue equivalent phantom The tissue equivalent phantom does not measure the output power.

All of the following are devices used to quantify the output power of ultrasound transducers EXCEPT: A. calorimeter B. thermocouple C. tissue equivalent phantom D. radiation force balance E. hydrophone

E. scan converter cleaning The scan converter cannot be cleaned.

All of the following are features of a quality assurance program EXCEPT: A. preventative maintenance B. routine evaluation C. record keeping D. repairs E. scan converter cleaning

A. are significantly larger than red blood cells Contrast agents are similar in size as red blood cells.

All of the following are requirements of contrast agents EXCEPT: A. are significantly larger than red blood cells B. metabolically inert C. have a long persistence D. strong reflector of ultrasound E. have a difference 'acoustic fingerprint' than blood or biologic tissue

C. angular resolution Angular resolution is unrelated to pulse length. The remaining four choices in this question are synonyms.

All of the following describe the resolution characteristic related to a short pulse EXCEPT: A. axial resolution B. longitudinal resolution C. angular resolution D. radial resolution E. range resolution

A. decreasing the PRF Decreasing the PRF increasing the likelihood of aliasing artifact.

All of the following optimize the accuracy and reduce the likelihood of artifacts in a clinical Doppler examination EXCEPT: A. decreasing the PRF B. shallower sample volume depth C. increasing the Nyquist limit D. 0 degree angle between the sound beam and the flow direction E. lower frequency transducers

A. zero-baseline shift This is the best of these choices. Zero baseline shift does not actually eliminate aliasing, it merely changes the appearance of aliasing.

All of the following techniques will eliminate aliasing EXCEPT: A. zero-baseline shift B. shallower sample volume C. continuous wave Doppler D. using a lower frequency transducer E. performing the Doppler at an angle closer to 90 degrees

C. shear stresses This is associated with stable cavitation.

All of the following terms are associated with inertial cavitation EXCEPT: A. inertial B. normal C. shear stresses D. bubble bursting E. mechanical index

B. Loss of dignity An elderly individual in a potentially uncomfortable circumstance is at risk to loss of dignity. It is always important to make our patients feel in control and good about themselves.

An elderly patient is in your exam room. He has to go to the restroom and you provide him with a bedpan. The patient is a bit embarrassed. What risk is this patient exposed to? A. Anxiety disorder B. Loss of dignity C. Uncontrolled anger D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder E. Depression

B. solid, liquid, gas Although this is not always the case, sound generally travels slowest in gases, faster in liquids, and fastest in solids.

As a general rule, which of these lists identify media in decreasing order of propagation speed? A. solid, gas, liquid B. solid, liquid, gas C. gas, liquid, solid D. liquid, solid, gas E. gas, solid, liquid

D. a different transducer is required for changes in alterations in pulser output to be effective A new transducer is not needed for alterations in pulser output to be effective.

As related to the pulser, all of the following are true EXCEPT: A. changes in pulser output affect the brightness of the entire image B. patient exposure is altered by changes in pulser output C. pulser signals can be changed by the sonographer D. a different transducer is required for changes in alterations in pulser output to be effective E. pulser output ranges from approximately 10 - 500 volts

C. "I have completed your exam and will forward it to your physician. Following review, your physician will discuss their interpretation." This is the best answer. Sonographers should refrain from discussing or interpreting the findings of an ultrasound exam directly with the patient.

At the completion of a completely normal ultrasound exam, the patient looks at you and says "Well, what do you think?" Which of the following replies is most appropriate? A. "'There may be things here that disturb me. So, let's wait and hear from your physician." B. Since you cannot interpret the exam, you look at the patient, say nothing and leave the room. C. "I have completed your exam and will forward it to your physician. Following review, your physician will discuss their interpretation." D. "I cannot speak with you. The next patient is already in the waiting room." E. "Don't worry. Your exam appears normal."

A. 3 kHz When the transducer frequency is increased by a factor of 2, the Doppler shift will be increased by a factor of 2.

Blood is moving through the hepatic artery with a velocity of 2 m/s. A 3 MHz transducer is used to perform a Doppler interrogation and measures a Doppler shift of 1.5 kHz. If a 6 MHz transducer is used in place of the 3 MHz transducer, what Doppler frequency will be measured? A. 3 kHz B. 18 kHz C. 1.5 kHz D. 2 m/s E. 2 MHz

C. dynamic receive focusing

Certain ultrasound systems are able to focus sound beams using small time delays during reception. What is this focusing technique called? A. time delay apodization B. phase array C. dynamic receive focusing D. dynamic aperture E. annular

A. regularly Quality assurance assessments should be performed regularly.

How frequently should quality assurance assessments be performed? A. regularly B. daily C. weekly D. intermittently E. often

D. 8 Eight shades of gray are represented by 3 bits.

How many different shades of gray can be represented by 3 bits? A. 6 B. 4 C. 3 D. 8 E. 2

B. 4 4 bits are needed for 15 gray shades. Hint: Three bits are not enough, so four are needed.

In a digital scan converter, how many bits are required to represent 15 shades of gray? A. 2 B. 4 C. 10 D. 15 E. 5

B. 6 mm diameter, 6 MHz frequency This is a challenging question. You need to understand that the PZT crystal with the highest frequency and largest diameter will create a sound beam with the deepest focus. Since the focus of this beam is the deepest, this beam will undergo the greatest amount of attenuation at the focus, and the intensity will be the lowest of all of these choices.

In soft tissue, which of the following PZT crystals will produce a sound beam with the lowest SPTA intensity at the end of the near zone? A. 6 mm diameter, 4 MHz frequency B. 6 mm diameter, 6 MHz frequency C. 5 mm diameter, 3 MHz frequency D. 4 mm diameter, 5 MHz frequency E. 4 mm diameter, 6 MHz frequency

D. frequency and path length In soft tissue, attenuation is related to sound's frequency and the distance that the wave travels.

In soft tissue, which of the following are most important with regard to attenuation? A. pulse duration and pulse repetition period B. duty factor and frequency C. path length and pulse duration D. frequency and path length E. PRF and frequency

A. Amniotic fluid Of the choices, this has the slowest speed. The other four answers are all solids. As a general rule, the speed of sound in liquids is lower than the speed of sound in solids.

In which of the following is the velocity of sound the lowest? A. Amniotic fluid B. Muscle C. Tendon D. Kidney E. Bone

A. high density and high propagation speed Impedance is directly related to density and speed.

In which of the following media will impedance be the highest? A. high density and high propagation speed B. high density and low stiffness C. high density D. low density and high elasticity E. low attenuation

B. fetal soft tissue adjacent to bone Thermal bioeffects are most likely expressed in fetal soft tissues adjacent to bone.

In which tissues are thermal bioeffects most likely to be present? A. superficial adult tissues B. fetal soft tissue adjacent to bone C. superficial fetal tissues D. fetal bone E. deep fetal soft tissue

C. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior axial resolution Although penetration is reduced, high frequency sound beams create images with better axial resolution

Low-frequency sound waves are better able to create images at greater depths. Why would a sonographer select a high-frequency transducer? A. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior contrast resolution B. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior temporal resolution C. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior axial resolution D. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior lateral resolution E. Higher frequency transducers create images with superior transverse resolution

E. Z-axis On B-mode, the echo amplitude is represented by brightness. It is on the Z-axis

On B-mode, in which axis of the display will the reflection amplitude be represented? A. C-axis B. orthogonal axis C. Y-axis D. X-axis E. Z-axis

E. reflector depth

On a motion mode, or M-mode, display what characteristic is displayed on the Y-axis? A. echo strength B. time C. brightness D. attenuation E. reflector depth

E. the attenuation of sound in the tissue equivalent phantom exceeds that in the AIUM 100 mm test object Well done. Sound attenuates more in a tissue equivalent phantom than in the AIUM Phantom.

Quality assurance programs include the assessment of image accuracy by scanning a phantom. What is the major distinction between an AIUM 100 mm test object and a tissue equivalent phantom? A. color angio Doppler can be better assessed with a tissue equivalent phantom B. the speed of sound in the tissue equivalent phantom and the AIUM 100 mm test object are the same C. the speed of sound in a tissue equivalent phantom exceeds the speed of sound in an AIUM 100 mm test object D. gray scale can be better assessed with the use of an AIUM 100 mm test object E. the attenuation of sound in the tissue equivalent phantom exceeds that in the AIUM 100 mm test object

D. Gloves should be worn during all exams.

Select the best choice regarding the use of gloves while performing an ultrasound exam. A. Gloves are required during all in-patient exams. B. Gloves are required when the patient is infectious. C. Gloves should be worn during endocavitary exams. D. Gloves should be worn during all exams. E. Gloves are required during all portable exams.

A. 120 dB 100 dB + 20 dB

The dynamic range of a compressed signal is 100 dB. The signal was compressed by 20 dB. What is the dynamic range of the original signal? A. 120 dB B. 20 dB C. 80 dB D. 40 dB E. 5 dB

E. decrease the scale With a lower scale, colors will be assigned to slower velocities. In this image, flow in vessel #2 is slow. By lowering the scale, a blue color should return to the lumen.

The two circles in the image below are a normal artery and a vein. What adjustment on the system would you make to fill the lumen of vessel #2 with color? A. increase the color gain B. increase harmonics C. increase the scale D. increase the overall gain E. decrease the scale

D. the red color in the smaller vessel will disappear

The two circles in the image below are a normal artery and a vein. What change would you see in the color Doppler If the wall filter setting is increased? A. blue will appear in the larger vessel AND the smaller vessel will become uniformly red B. the smaller vessel will become uniformly red C. the lumen of the larger vessel will become blue and color will disappear from the smaller vessel D. the red color in the smaller vessel will disappear E. blue will appear in the larger vessel

B. increase the scale The higher velocities in the upper vessel are aliasing. If the color scale was increased, the aliasing would disappear and the vessel would be a uniform color.

This is a color Doppler of a normal artery and vein. What would a sonographer adjust in order to change the appearance of the upper vessel to a single uniform color? A. decrease the wall filter B. increase the scale C. use harmonics D. increase the overall gain E. increase the wall filter

B. The impedance of medium A is twice that of Medium B. Impedance equals density multiplied by speed.

Two media have the same densities. Sound travels twice as fast in Medium A when compared to Medium B. Which of the following statements is true? A. The resistive index of medium A is twice that of Medium B. B. The impedance of medium A is twice that of Medium B. C. The impedance of medium A is 4 times more than that of Medium B. D. The Reynold's number of medium A is twice that of Medium B. E. The impedance of medium A is half that of Medium B.

A. red

Using the image below, which color represents flow away from the transducer in the velocity mode map? A. red B. yellow C. blue D. green

C. blue

Using the image below, which color represents flow towards the transducer in the velocity mode map? A. yellow B. red C. blue D. green

E. the wall filter was turned off The primary differences between the images is the appearance of a blue color in the lumen of the upper vessel, and ghosting artifact beneath the red vessel. Using a wall filter eliminates these features. Turning the wall filter on makes these characteristics vanish.

What adjustment was made in order to change the image on the left to the image on the right? A. coded excitation was turned on B. overall gain was increased C. color Doppler gain was increased D. harmonics were turned on E. the wall filter was turned off

C. Increase the color Doppler scale This vessel displays aliasing. Increasing the velocity scale will eliminate the aliasing. The image below was created by increasing the scale.

What can the sonographer do to create a uniform red color within the lumen of this vessel? A. Increase the wall filter. B. Increase the Doppler gain. C. Increase the color Doppler scale D. Turn on harmonics E. Decrease the wall filter.

A. vessel #2 would lose its color Wall filters remove the color from low-velocity flow. Blood in vessel #2 is moving slowly. Therefore, the blue color will disappear from vessel #2.

What change in this image would result from the sonographer increasing the wall filter? A. vessel #2 would lose its color B. vessel #2 will become red C. nothing should happen D. vessel #1 will become entirely red

D. Blue because the Doppler shift will be negative. When the color box is steered to the left, the orientation between the sound beam and flow direction is changed. This will result in a vessel with a blue lumen.

What color will appear in the vessel if the Doppler box is steered to the left? A. Red, because the doctor likes is that way. B. Blue, because the artery is a vein. C. Red, because the vessel is an artery. D. Blue because the Doppler shift will be negative. E. Blue, because the vessel is a vein.

B. Red because a positive Doppler shift is created. When the color box is steered to the right, the orientation between the sound beam and flow direction is changed. This will result in a vessel with a red lumen.

What color will appear in the vessel if the Doppler box is steered to the right? A. Red, because the vessel is an artery. B. Red because a positive Doppler shift is created. C. Blue, because the vessel is a vein. D. Blue, because the vein is a artery. E. Red, because the doctor likes is that way.

A. From the right of the screen to the left of the screen. It is important to know that aliasing appears in this vessel.

What is direction of flow of blood in the vessel appearing below? A. From the right of the screen to the left of the screen. B. Away from the transducer C. From the left of the screen to the right of the screen. D. Toward the transducer.

E. laminar Laminar flow, sometimes known as streamline flow, occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between the layers.

What is flow that is layered and in the same direction called? A. phasic B. pulsatile C. turbulent D. smooth E. laminar

A. This is an image created with power mode Doppler. This image is an example of power mode Doppler (also known as energy mode or angio mode).

What is going on with this Doppler image? A. This is an image created with power mode Doppler. B. This is an image created with a combination of CT and ultrasound. C. Unidirectional color Doppler created this image. D. Who knows what is going on? E. This image results from all the flow moving away from the transducer.

A. absence of damping material increases the sensitivity Continuous wave transducers have a higher sensitivity when compared to pulsed wave transducers.

What is the advantage of the transducer used for continuous wave Doppler? A. absence of damping material increases the sensitivity B. the range ambiguity artifact is eliminated C. the narrow bandwidth improves axial resolution D. the wide bandwidth makes it easy to identify a broad range of Doppler frequencies

A. Piezoelectric effect

What is the conversion of electrical energy into acoustic energy called A. Piezoelectric effect B. acousto-electric coupling C. transduction D. Bernoulli effect E. transmission

A. dynamic frequency tuning

What is the creation of images using lower frequency sound as reflections arise from deeper structures called? A. dynamic frequency tuning B. phased array C. harmonic imaging D. high dynamic range E. narrow bandwidth imaging

B. Cannot be determined. Without color in the vessel, flow direction cannot be determined.

What is the direction of flow in this vessel? A. From the heart of the patient to the head. B. Cannot be determined. C. From the right of the patient to the left. D. In relation to the screen, from left to right. E. In relation to the screen, from right to left.

A. In relation to the screen, from right to left.

What is the direction of flow in this vessel? A. In relation to the screen, from right to left. B. From the heart of the patient to the head C. In relation to the screen, from left to right. D. From the right of the patient to the left

E. increase the amplification

What is the first adjustment that a sonographer should attempt in order to fix the problem with this image? A. increase the preamplification B. adjust the TGC C. increase the output power D. adjust the threshold E. increase the amplification

C. 100 Hz Frame rate and Tf are reciprocals. If the Tf is one-hundredth of a second, then the frame rate is 100 per second. Another way to say 100 per second is 100 Hz.

What is the frame rate if the time to make a frame (Tf) is 0.01 seconds? A. 1000 Hz B. 100 seconds C. 100 Hz D. 10 Hz E. 0.01 Hz

E. 50 hz frame rate and Tf are reciprocals. If the Tf is one-fiftieth of a second, then the frame rate is 50 per second. In other words 0.02 x 50

What is the frame rate if the time to make a frame (Tf) is 0.02 seconds? A. 10 Hz B. 500 Hz C. 0.02 Hz D. 1 (another way to say 50 per second is 50 Hz) E. 50 hz F. 100 seconds

D. The wall filter is too high. The color Doppler image is that of an artery and a vein. Venous flow is slower than arterial flow. Thus, it is possible that the wall filter is set too high.

What is the most likely reason for the lack of color in the lower vessel of this color Doppler image? A. Persistence is too low. B. The wall filter is too low. C. The vessel is occluded. D. The wall filter is too high. E. The sound beam and the flow are at right angles to each other.

C. The scale is set too high. This is the best answer. The color Doppler image is that of an artery and a vein. Venous flow is slower than arterial flow. Thus, it is possible that the scale is set too high.

What is the most likely reason for the lack of color in the lower vessel of this color Doppler image? A. The vessel is occluded. B. The wall filter is too low. C. The scale is set too high. D. The sound beam and the flow are at right angles to each other. E. Persistence is too low.

B. eliminate low velocities Wall filters are effective in eliminating low velocities.

What is the purpose of a wall filter? A. increase the sensitivity of color Doppler B. eliminate low velocities C. amplify high velocity flow signals D. eliminate ring down artifact E. reduce the Nyquist limit

D. The size of the reflector is smaller than the dimension of the beam. Slice thickness artifact occurs when the dimension of the anatomic reflector is smaller than the dimension of the sound beam.

What is the reason that slice thickness artifact makes an image of poor quality? A. The amplitude of the reflection is inconsistent with the scattering strength of the anatomic reflector. B. The length of the reflector is smaller than the length of the pulse. C. The width of the reflector is greater than the width of the beam. D. The size of the reflector is smaller than the dimension of the beam.

C. pixel A pixel is the smallest element of a digital image.

What is the smallest constituent of a digital image? A. focus B. byte C. pixel D. focal zone E. portal

A. transducer

Which component of an ultrasound system exposes the patient to the greatest risk? A. transducer B. electricity C. monitor D. gel E. backing material

C. 4 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness, 2 MHz frequency The PZT crystal with the lowest frequency and smallest diameter will create a sound beam with the maximum amount of divergence in the far field

Which of the following PZT crystals will produce a sound beam that diverges the most in the far field? A. 5 mm diameter, 5 mm thickness, 6 MHz frequency B. 6 mm diameter, 4 mm thickness, 4 MHz frequency C. 4 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness, 2 MHz frequency D. 4 mm diameter, 1 mm thickness, 5 MHz frequency E. 6 mm diameter, 3 mm thickness, 5 MHz frequency

D. Steer the Doppler box to the left or to the right. The sound beam is perpendicular to the direction of flow. Steering the color box is likely to place color within the vessel. An illustration of this appears below.

Which of the following actions can the sonographer perform to create color within the vessel in this image? A. Steer the Doppler box to the left. B. Use a lower frequency transducer. C. Steer the Doppler box to the right. D. Steer the Doppler box to the left or to the right. E. Image shallower.

C. low temporal resolution and flash artifact

Which of the following are limitations of color power Doppler? A. high Doppler sensitivity and low temporal resolution B. high temporal resolution and low Doppler sensitivity C. low temporal resolution and flash artifact D. high Doppler sensitivity and flash artifact E. low Doppler sensitivity and flash artifact

A. audible and much less than the frequency of the emitted sound beam

Which of the following best describes the Doppler frequencies obtained in a clinical assessment of blood velocities in the common femoral artery? A. audible and much less than the frequency of the emitted sound beam B. ultrasonic and similar to the frequency of the emitted sound beam C. infrasonic D. ultrasonic but much less than the frequency of the emitted sound beam E. audible and similar to the frequency of the emitted sound beam

D. 525 horizontal lines The image on a CRT is comprised of 525 horizontal lines.

Which of the following best describes the characteristics of an image on a monitor? A. 400 horizontal lines B. 120 lines arranged in the shape of a sector C. 400 vertical lines D. 525 horizontal lines E. 525 vertical lines

B. variance mode Variance mode maps are used to distinguish turbulent flow from laminar flow.

Which of the following color flow maps was developed to display turbulence? A. bruit/murmur mode B. variance mode C. velocity mode D. Bernoulli mode E. turbulence mode

B. active element

Which of the following components of a basic ultrasound transducer is identified by the letter "A"? A. backing material B. active element C. matching layer D. demodulator E. damping element

D. line density

Which of the following factors is related to temporal resolution? A. wavelength B. frequency C. period D. line density E. power

A. frequency

Which of the following factors is unrelated to temporal resolution? A. frequency B. pulse repetition frequency C. imaging depth D. number of foci E. pulse repetition period

D. imaging depth

Which of the following has the greatest effect upon temporal resolution? A. focal depth B. frequency of sound C. pulse duration D. imaging depth E. transducer damping

D. write magnification Write magnification is a form of preprocessing.

Which of the following image manipulations is NOT considered postprocessing? A. freeze frame B. white/black invert C. zoom D. write magnification E. black/white invert

B. B A sector shaped image is created

Which of the following image shapes will be created by an annular phased array transducer? A. A B. B C. C D. D

C. air-liver Air-soft tissue boundaries create almost total reflection.

Which of the following interfaces will produce the greatest reflection? A. bone-tendon B. blood-muscle C. air-liver D. calcium-blood E. fat-liver

C. Attenuation in blood is similar to that of soft tissue

Which of the following is most correct regarding the attenuation of sound in blood? A. Attenuation in blood is higher than that in soft tissue. B. Attenuation in blood is similar to that in air C. Attenuation in blood is similar to that of soft tissue D. Attenuation in blood is similar to that of water

D. transmission

Which of the following is not a mechanism related to attenuation? A. absorption B. reflection C. tissue heating D. transmission

A. NAS network attached storage is most commonly used to archive data on a PACS.

Which of the following is the most common form of data storage in a PACS system? A. NAS B. RAM C. they are more expensive than CD and DVD discs D. ROM E. magneto-optical

A. an acoustic standoff This can remediate the dead zone problem.

Which of the following is used to resolve a problem with the dead zone? A. an acoustic standoff B. dead-zone multiplexer C. backing material D. ultrasound gel E. coded excitation

E. hyperechoic, homogeneous, heterogeneous, hypoechoic, anechoic Note: the terms homogeneous and heterogeneous are meant to confuse. The only meaningful terms are in this question are anechoic, hypoechoic and hyperechoic.

Which of the following lists best describes echogenicity from highest to lowest? A. anechoic, homogeneous, hypoechoic, heterogeneous, hyperechoic B. hyperechoic, homogeneous, anechoic, heterogeneous, hypoechoic C. hypoechoic, anechoic, heterogeneous, homogeneous, hyperechoic D. anechoic, hyperechoic, hypoechoic, homogeneous, heterogeneous E. hyperechoic, homogeneous, heterogeneous, hypoechoic, anechoic

A. Mega, Kilo, Deca, Milli, Nano

Which of the following lists is in decreasing order? A. Mega, Kilo, Deca, Milli, Nano B. Centi, Milli, Kilo, Mega, Nano C. Micro, Milli, Deci, Kilo, Mega D. Mega, Micro, Deci, Milli, Hecto E. Micro, Kilo, Milli, Deci, Mega

D. FDA The FDA is a governmental organization that regulates ultrasound systems.

Which of the following organizations regulates the output of ultrasound systems? A. ARDMS B. AIUM C. PETA D. FDA E. ACR

A. wavelength Wavelength is determined by both the system and the tissue.

Which of the following parameters is determined by both the ultrasound system as well as the tissues through which the sound wave travels? A. wavelength B. period C. temperature D. frequency E. velocity of the sound

A. short pulse duration Pulse duration determines longitudinal resolution, with shorter pulses having better resolution.

Which of the following pulse characteristics is most closely associated with exceptional axial resolution? A. short pulse duration B. low frequency C. low amplitude D. long pulse length E. high frequency

D. 993 x 750 analog The scan converter with the highest number of picture elements provides the best spatial resolution.

Which of the following scan converters will produce an image with the highest level of spatial resolution? A. 500 x 1000 digital B. 500 x 1000 analog C. 500 x 500 digital D. 993 x 750 analog E. 500 x 500 analog

A. 500 x 500 analog The scan converter with the smallest number of picture elements provides the poorest spatial resolution.

Which of the following scan converters will produce an image with the lowest level of spatial resolution? A. 500 x 500 analog B. 500 x 1000 digital C. 993 x 750 analog D. 1000 x 500 digital E. 500 x 1000 analog

B. low frequency and small diameter active element Both low frequency and small diameter PZT crystals contribute to a highly divergent beam in the far field

Which of the following scenarios will produce a sound beam that diverges to the greatest extent in the far field? A. high frequency B. low frequency and small diameter active element C. high frequency and thin active element D. high frequency and small diameter active element E. low frequency

D. fast Fourier transform

Which of the following spectral analysis techniques is the most accurate? A. zero crossing detection B. autocorrelation C. time-interval histograms D. fast Fourier transform

E. Steer the Doppler box straight down. In the image above, the sound beam is perpendicular to the direction of flow. Steering the color box downward creates an angle other than ninety degrees. This is likely to place color within the vessel.

Which of the following steps can the sonographer perform to create color within the vessel in this image? A. Increase the color Doppler gain. B. Use angle correction. C. Use a lower frequency transducer. D. Use a wall filter. E. Steer the Doppler box straight down.

B. Increase the color Doppler gain. In the image above, the absence of color is a result of improperly low Doppler gain settings.

Which of the following steps can the sonographer perform to create color within the vessel in this image? A. Use angle correction. B. Increase the color Doppler gain. C. Increase the overall gain. D. Use a wall filter. E. Steer the Doppler box straight down.

B. shadowing due to refraction

Which of the following terms best describes an artifactual hypoechoic region extending downward from the edge of a circular or curved reflector? A. shadowing by attenuation B. shadowing due to refraction C. enhancement D. refraction artifact E. shadowing by diffraction

C. bistable

Which of the following terms best describes the image below? A. echoic B. High dynamic range C. bistable D. Low contrast E. phased array

B. constructive

Which of the following terms best describes the interference of a pair of waves that are in-phase? A. Huygens B. constructive C. monotonic D. inverted E. intermittent

E. destructive

Which of the following terms best describes the interference of a pair of waves that are out-of-phase? A. Huygens B. intermittent C. asynchronous D. phasic E. destructive

E. Reynold's number The Reynolds number is used to characterize different flow patterns, such as laminar or turbulent flow:

Which of the following terms is a predictor of whether flow is laminar or turbulent? A. Bernoulli's coefficient B. Venturi stagnation pressure C. Impedance D. acoustic impedance E. Reynold's number

B. convex phased

Which of the following transducers creates a sector-shaped image that is blunted on top? A. linear phased B. convex phased C. mechanical D. annular E. linear sequential

C. linear sequential

Which of the following transducers is best described as creating a rectangular-shaped image with the use of multiple PZT crystals? A. mechanical B. annular phased C. linear sequential D. annular E. linear phased

B. Vector array, 3 MHz This is the best answer since the frequency of the sound wave is lowest. Transducer type (annular, convex, etc.) is meaningless. The only important information in these answers is the frequency of sound.

Which of the following transducers will have the worst axial resolution? A. Linear sequential array, 6 MHz B. Vector array, 3 MHz C. Linear phased array, 7.5 MHz D. Annular array, 6 MHz E. Convex array, 4 MHz

B. analog to digital converter

Which of these devices changes electrical waveforms to a form suitable for storage in a digital scan converter? A. diode B. analog to digital converter C. D-to-A converter D. U-to-M converter E. transducer

D. linear sequential When an active element breaks, a linear sequential array transducer creates and image with a band of dropout from the top to the bottom of the image

Which transducer type creates an image with a band of dropout from the top of the image to the bottom of the image when one of the active elements is damaged? A. mechanical B. annular C. linear phased D. linear sequential E. annular phased

C. 8,500 Hz The Doppler shift is 8,500 Hz. The Doppler shift is the difference between the reflected and transmitted frequencies.

While performing a Doppler examination with a 3,000,000 Hz transducer, the reflected wave has a frequency of 3,008,500 Hz. Which of the following best describes the Doppler frequency? A. 3,000,000 Hz B. 3 MHz C. 8,500 Hz D. 3,008,500 Hz E. -8,500 Hz

A. call a service engineer Correct, the most likely remedy is to contact a service person.

While performing a diagnostic study, a horizontal, anechoic band appears. The band is located at a depth of 5 to 6 cm. Structures are well visualized both above and below this band. The band appears at the same depth in multiple views. Which of the following will best remedy this artifact? A. call a service engineer B. adjust the suppression C. clean the scan converter D. adjust the output power E. increase the receiver gain

B. an energy gradient exists Blood moves from one location to another because an energy gradient exists.

Why does blood move from one location to another? A. a stenosis exists B. an energy gradient exists C. gravity D. resistance is high E. a pressure gradient exists

E. The directions of flow and sound beam are at right angles to each other. The sound beam is perpendicular to the direction of flow and the cosine of 90 degrees is zero.

Why is there no color within the color Doppler box on this image? A. The color Doppler gain is too low. B. The directions of flow and sound beam are parallel. C. The sine of 90 degrees is zero. D. The vessel is occluded. E. The directions of flow and sound beam are at right angles to each other.

B. fundamental frequency If a transducer creates sound at a frequency of 2 MHz, then this is called the fundamental frequency.

With harmonic imaging, what term has the same meaning as transducer frequency? A. optimal frequency B. fundamental frequency C. harmonic frequency D. pulsed inversion E. imaging frequency

D. amplitude is difference between the maximum and the minimum values of an acoustic variable This is the definition of the peak-to-peak amplitude, not the amplitude

With regard to amplitude, all of the following are true EXCEPT: A. amplitude is related to intensity B. amplitude is related to power C. amplitude is initially determined by the ultrasound system D. amplitude is difference between the maximum and the minimum values of an acoustic variable E. amplitude may have units of decibels

D. caused by too little attenuation in surrounding tissues Good choice, comet tail is not a result of inappropriate attenuation.

With regard to comet tail artifact, all of the following are true EXCEPT: A. parallel to the sound beam B. can be produced by same general mechanism as reverberation artifact C. hyperechoic line D. caused by too little attenuation in surrounding tissues E. also called ring down

B. performing an ultrasound exam in a sterile manner This is the best answer. It is not necessary to perform an ultrasound scan with sterile technique.

With regard to patient safety, which of the following is least important? A. wearing gloves B. performing an ultrasound exam in a sterile manner C. wearing eye protection D. washing hands both before and after the exam

E. deeper imaging Deeper image is the only term that relates to decreased temporal resolution. The others are related to increased temporal resolution

With regard to temporal resolution, which of the following terms does not fit with the others? A. improved temporal resolution B. higher frame rate C. fewer pulses per image D. lower line density E. deeper imaging

B. mirror image Mirror image artifact places the artifact (a second copy) deeper than the true structure.

With regard to true reflectors in the body, all of the following artifacts are similar in appearance EXCEPT: A. refraction B. mirror image C. grating lobes D. side lobes

D. mirror image Mirror image artifact places the artifact (a second copy) deeper than the true structure.

With regard to true reflectors in the body, all of the following artifacts are similar in appearance EXCEPT: A. side lobes B. refraction C. grating lobes D. mirror image

C. frequency

You should be familiar with the equation L=C/F. What does the "F" stand for in this equation? A. compliance B. fatness C. frequency D. propagation speed E. pulse repetition frequency