Critical angle (ultrasound)

Changed by Henry Knipe, 3 Jun 2024
Disclosures - updated 16 Jan 2024:
  • Integral Diagnostics, Shareholder (ongoing)
  • Micro-X Ltd, Shareholder (ongoing)

Updates to Article Attributes

Body was changed:

The critical anglec) describes a refractive phenomenon in ultrasonography, whereby a specific incident angle of the sound beam will result in 'total reflection' 1. In this situation, the transmitted sound beam, will run parallel to the boundary of the second tissue without penetrating it 1. This phenomenon will only occur when the sound beam is travelling from a material with low propagation speed to a material with higher propagation speed (i.e. c2 > c1) 1.

The critical angle may be calculated by substituting the transmitted angle for 90 degrees in Snell's Lawlaw, thereby simplifying the equation to sin θc = c1/c2 1.

  • -<p>The <strong>critical angle</strong> (θ<sub>c</sub>) describes a <a href="/articles/refraction" title="Refraction">refractive</a> phenomenon in ultrasonography, whereby a specific incident angle of the sound beam will result in 'total reflection' <sup>1</sup>. In this situation, the transmitted sound beam, will run parallel to the boundary of the second tissue without penetrating it <sup>1</sup>. This phenomenon will only occur when the sound beam is travelling from a material with low propagation speed to a material with higher propagation speed (i.e. c<sub>2</sub> &gt; c<sub>1</sub>) <sup>1</sup>.</p><p>The critical angle may be calculated by substituting the transmitted angle for 90 degrees in <a href="/articles/refraction" title="Refraction">Snell's Law</a>, thereby simplifying the equation to sin θ<sub>c </sub>= c<sub>1</sub>/c<sub>2 </sub><sup>1</sup>.</p>
  • +<p>The <strong>critical angle</strong> (θ<sub>c</sub>) describes a <a href="/articles/refraction" title="Refraction">refractive</a> phenomenon in <a href="/articles/ultrasound-introduction" title="Ultrasonography">ultrasonography</a>, whereby a specific incident angle of the sound beam will result in 'total reflection' <sup>1</sup>. In this situation, the transmitted sound beam, will run parallel to the boundary of the second tissue without penetrating it <sup>1</sup>. This phenomenon will only occur when the sound beam is travelling from a material with low <a href="/articles/propagation-speed" title="Propagation speed">propagation speed</a> to a material with higher propagation speed (i.e. c<sub>2</sub> &gt; c<sub>1</sub>) <sup>1</sup>.</p><p>The critical angle may be calculated by substituting the transmitted angle for 90 degrees in <a href="/articles/refraction" title="Refraction">Snell's law</a>, thereby simplifying the equation to sin θ<sub>c </sub>= c<sub>1</sub>/c<sub>2 </sub><sup>1</sup>.</p>

Tags changed:

  • refs
  • cases
  • case3
  • snippet
  • physics
  • ultrasound

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