I recently had a diagnostic ultrasound, and while I was laying there on the table looking at the fuzzy, grainy image, something occurred to me. And that something was that the image quality doesn’t seem to have improved all that much over the last 26 years. I can pinpoint that “26 year” thing because the first ultrasound image I ever looked at was that of my oldest child.
Back then, we could easily overlook a lot of fuzziness, graininess, and black and white images. All we were interested in was looking at our baby. But it is a bit surprising that, with all the new medical technology out there, run of the mill ultrasounds are still being done the same way they were way back then.
Or is it just me? I guess it could be that the imaging has improved, but my eyesight isn’t quite as sharp as it was when I first saw my son. Or is this really the case that the technology hasn’t budged, even though sensors have sure gotten a lot more powerful over the past few decades?
Maybe it’s a case – which (I guess) we’d all like to see more of – of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ If ultrasound imaging is cost-effective and low risk, why use more expensive (and potentially hazardous) technologies like MRI and CT scans.
Meanwhile, we will be having a doctor in the family – our second ultrasound child is on her way to becoming a veterinarian – so I think I’ll check in with her to see what the thinking is on whether ultrasound imaging has changed all that much. It may just be that it really doesn’t need to. Or it could be that it’s just me that couldn’t resist doing a critique of the diagnostic technology being used on me!