Harmonic imaging
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Goel A, Tao W, Lye G, et al. Harmonic imaging. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-25238
rID:
25238
Article created:
14 Oct 2013,
Ayush Goel
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Ayush Goel had no recorded disclosures.
View Ayush Goel's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Wilson Tao had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Wilson Tao's current disclosures
Revisions:
15 times, by
12 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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Tags:
Synonyms:
- Tissue harmonic imaging
- Harmonics
- THI
Harmonic imaging is a technique in ultrasonography that provides images of better quality as compared with conventional ultrasound technique.
Physics
Harmonic imaging exploits non-linear propagation of ultrasound through the body tissues. The high pressure portion of the wave travels faster than the low pressure portion resulting in distortion of the shape of the wave. This change in waveform leads to the generation of harmonics (multiples of the fundamental or transmitted frequency) from a tissue. At present, the second harmonic, (which is twice the fundamental frequency or first harmonic) is being used to produce the image because the subsequent harmonics are of decreasing amplitude and insufficient to generate a proper image.
These harmonic waves that are generated within the tissue, increase with depth to a point of maximum intensity and then decrease with further depth due to attenuation. Hence there is an optimum depth below the surface at which maximum intensity is achieved.
Advantages over conventional ultrasound
decreased reverberation and side lobe artifacts
increased lateral resolution (but decreased axial resolution) 2,3
cyst clearing 3
increased signal to noise ratio
improved resolution in patients with large body habitus
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Choudhry S, Gorman B, Charboneau JW et-al. Comparison of tissue harmonic imaging with conventional US in abdominal disease. Radiographics. 2000;20 (4): 1127-35. Radiographics (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 2. Mesurolle B, Helou T, El-Khoury M, Edwardes M, Sutton E, Kao E. Tissue Harmonic Imaging, Frequency Compound Imaging, and Conventional Imaging. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 2007;26(8):1041-51. doi:10.7863/jum.2007.26.8.1041 - Pubmed
- 3. Hedrick W & Metzger L. Tissue Harmonic Imaging. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. 2005;21(3):183-9. doi:10.1177/8756479305276477
- 4. Desser T & Jeffrey R. Tissue Harmonic Imaging Techniques: Physical Principles and Clinical Applications. Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI. 2001;22(1):1-10. doi:10.1016/s0887-2171(01)90014-9
- 5. Rosen E & Soo M. Tissue Harmonic Imaging Sonography of Breast Lesions. Clinical Imaging. 2001;25(6):379-84. doi:10.1016/s0899-7071(01)00335-7
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