Ultrasound
Introduction
This page links to all ultrasound movies of live normal human embryos. Ultrasound imaging began in the 1950's but it was only with the application of computer analysis beginning in the 1980's that more detailed images could be generated.
Parents now commonly see ultrasound movies or images in the first trimester and clinically this is a non-invasive prenatal diagnostic tool for detection of abnormalities as well as a method of staging (ageing) and checking growth. Ultrasound can also be used in combination with other techniques to locate both embryo and placenta for other prenatal tests (More? prenatal diagnosis).
The ultrasound technique can be used at any stage during pregnancy for embryo and placenta monitoring (More? about ultrasound). The ultrasound movies can be viewed in two ways. Firstly, click the image or text link opens a new page with both the movie and a more detailed text description of features. Secondly, clicking on the quicktime link will open the movie alone on a new page. At the bottom of this current page is further ultrasound information and links to internet ultrasound sites.
Abnormal developmental ultrasound and features are listed on a separate page (More? abnormal ultrasound) all content is for educational use only.
Special thanks to Dr Andrew McLennan, Foetal Medicine Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital for the original video materials.
Some Recent Findings
Picone O, Simon I, Benachi A, Brunelle F, Sonigo P. Comparison between ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of fetal cytomegalovirus infection. Prenat Diagn. 2008 Jun 13. PMID: 18551722
- "MRI can provide important additional information with regard to abnormal gyration, cerebellar hypoplasia, or abnormal signal in white matter. It is certainly useful in the assessment of fetuses with extracerebral features without brain abnormalities detected with ultrasounds. If the fetal ultrasound is strictly normal in an infected fetus, MRI may not detect brain anomalies; however, it seems difficult to not perform this noninvasive procedure."
Ultrasound Research
Ultrasound imaging began in the 1950's but it was only with the application of computer analysis beginning in the 1980's that more detailed images could be generated. The increasing quality of ultrasonic equipment and computing allows today realtime 3D scans and calculations of fetal measurements as well as doppler measurement of heart rates.
In medical research there have been recent developments that allow spatial high resolution down to 30 microns in real-time. (More? commercial site Visualsonics | Dev Biology scans)
Other Imaging Techniques
There are a range of other imaging techniques to study development and used in developmental research.
Other developmental research imaging techniques include:
- magnetic resonance imaging
- computed tomography
- high frequency ultrasound or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
- positron emission tomography (PET)
- single photon emission computed tomography
- optical bioluminescence
- fluorescence
Glossary Links
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- Dr Mark Hill 2009, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G
