SCOPE OF ULTRA SOUND IN ANIMAL

REPRODUCTION
 HISTORY
 1877: Lord Raleigh - "Theory of Sound"
 1880: Pierre & Jacques Curie - Piezoelectric
effect
 1914: Langevin - First Ultrasound generator
using piezoelectric effect
 1928: Solokov - Ultrasound for material testing
• 1942: Dussik - First application of Ultrasound in medical
diagnostics
• End of 1960's: Boom of Ultrasound in medical diagnostics
• Early 1970s
– Gray scale static images of internal organs
• Mid 1970s
– Real-time imaging
• Early 1980s
– Spectral Doppler
– Color Doppler
 WHAT IS ULTRASOUND
• Ultrasound is defined as any sound
frequency above the normal hearing range
of the human ear; i.e. greater than
20,000 Hz. Sound waves in ultrasound
devices are typically produced by
vibrations of specialized crystals
(piezoelectric crystals) housed in an
ultrasound transducer, with the vibrations
of the crystals themselves produced by
pulses of electric current.
• A proportion of the sound waves reflected
back to the transducer is converted to electric
current and displayed as an echo on the
ultrasound viewing screen. The transducer,
therefore, acts as both the sender and
receiver of echoes. The echoes are evident
on the viewing screen as varying shades of
gray (black to white)
Early applications of ultrasound as a diagnostic aid in medicine utilized
Amplitude or A-mode ultrasound. Early applications using A-mode ultrasound
included imaging the human abdomen to identify gallstones and foreign
material, imaging in obstetrics and in the eye .
The first use of ultrasound as a diagnostic aid in veterinary medicine was for
the detection of pregnancy in sheep .Nowadays, Brightness (B) mode and
Doppler are more commonly used than A-mode, and a variety of applications
have emerged using these techniques.
The introduction of computer systems to
ultrasound machines has enabled the storage,
processing and presenting of large amounts of data,
allowing the production of static two-dimensional
grey scale images and real-time imaging .This real-
time B-mode imaging is currently the form of
ultrasound most commonly used.
 Ultrasound images of goat embryo at day 30 (A)
and 35 (B) of gestation. The embryo (E, arrow)
observed as an area of high echogenic density.
Image B shows the umbilical cord (arrow). Scale
bars represent 10 mm
 WHY ULTRASOUND?
 Ultrasound (US) is the most widely usedimaging technology
worldwide
 Popular due to availability, speed, low cost, patient-friendliness
(no radiation)
 Applied in obstetrics, cardiology, inner medicine,
urology,...
 Ongoing research to improve image quality, speed and new
application areas such a intra- operative navigation, tumour
therapy,...
 APPLICATIONS OF ULTRASOUND IN
DOMESTIC ANIMAL REPRODUCTION

The ability of ultrasound to distinguish fluid from soft tissue and differentiate
between soft tissues based on their composition makes it better than
radiography for examining soft tissue structures .
Ultrasound therefore provides a non-invasive alternative to many radiographic
contrast procedures, though the two techniques should still be considered as
complimentary. Ultrasound may also often provide information that was
previously only available through exploratory laparotomy.
Further applications of ultrasound include identifying pregnancy and fetal
number determination .Ultrasound also permits fetal sexing .
As a pregnancy diagnosis method, trans rectal ultrasonography is accurate and
rapid, and the outcome of the test is known immediately at the time the test is
conducted. The rate of embryonic mortality and the efficacy of strategies to
rebreed cows at various stages post breeding also play a role in determining the
advantages and disadvantages of the timing of pregnancy diagnosis and
resynchronization .
 DOPPLER ULTRASOUND
• When an ultrasound beam encounters a moving object such as a red blood cell
in vascular flow, the frequency of the returning echo is altered. An increase in
frequency occurs when the object is travelling towards the transducer; this is
known as positive Doppler shift. An object travelling away results in reduced
frequency and a negative Doppler shift. The measurement of these alterations in
the returning echo allows the direction and velocity of the flow encountered to
be determined. With this, color flow Doppler is used to screen uterine and
testicular blood flow and in the diagnosis of the ovarian cysts in cattle.
 GUIDED NEEDLE PLACEMENT
All types of transducer can be used to guide needle placement . The needle can be
directed through a channel in the transducer itself, via an attachable biopsy guide or by
free hand. When passed across the beam, the shaft and tip are clearly visible allowing
the path of the needle to be determined and precise placement of the tip for the
removal of material or the introduction of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent.
Ultrasound-guided interventional techniques are used commercially in cattle to
facilitate follicular aspiration and embryo transfer .This technology has also been
applied in mares, goats and buffalo. Routinely performed diagnostic sampling
techniques, including fluid aspiration, fine needle aspirates and core biopsies are
common components of clinical diagnostic workups in many species.
 THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND
In a trial for using ultrasound for therapeutic purpose, Sasaki and his
coworkers fabricated a prototype 3.25-MHz split-focus therapeutic transducer
combined with a small 6.5-MHz imaging ultrasonic probe for trans rectal treatment of
prostate cancer, evaluating the feasibility of using split-focus high-intensity focused
ultrasound (HIFU) to ablate localized tumor tissue without injuring the surrounding
organs. They established a localized tumor model by inoculating VX2 tumor into
rabbit livers.
 The six shots of split-focus HIFU destroyed the VX2 tumors without injuring the liver
surfaces or the surrounding organs. These results suggest that split-focus HIFU
ablation could be an effective treatment of localized tumors.
 HOW SAFE IS DIAGNOSTIC
ULTRASONOGRAPHY?
As discussed above, the benefits of ultrasound as a diagnostic imaging
procedure in animal reproduction are numerous. Importantly, routine
examinations have been shown to have no harmful biological effects.
Ultrasound is considered a safe procedure for the animal, the operator and
nearby personnel, allowing it to be performed in any location without the need
for specific safety precautions. It is non-invasive and therefore well tolerated in
animals, making serial examinations, such as to monitor progression of the
condition, response to treatment or to practice scanning techniques, possible .
Compared with other diagnostic aids as X-rays, ultrasound is considered very
safe, with no harmful bio effects.
Assessment of normal ovarian structures
Follicles
The ultrasonographic anatomy of the ovaries of the cow has been
described in detail. Antral follicles of various sizes appear as non-echogenic
structures, which can be distinguished from blood vessels in cross-section
by the elongated appearance of the latter
. A linear relationship has been shown between follicle diameter measured
by in vivo ultrasonography and follicle diameter determined after slaughter
. Correlation coefficients of 0.7–0.9 for various sizes of follicular structures
have been recorded between in vivo ultrasonography and post-mortem
slicing of excised ovaries
. In goats,
have reported that transrectal ultrasonography is a reliable method for
studying follicular dynamics.
Ovulation
Determination of ovulation by ultrasound examination has been
reported.
Corpora lutea
The ultrasonic characteristics of corpora lutea (CL) have been described.
Generally, a CL is identified ultrasonically from the third day after
ovulation. A developing CL appears on the ultrasound image as a poorly
defined, irregular, greyish-black structure with echogenic spots all within
the ovary; a mid-cycle CL is a well defined granular, greyish echogenic
structure with a demarcation line visible between it
and the ovarian stroma; in a regressing CL the demarcation line is faint, owing to the
slight difference in echogenicity between the tissues .
In small ruminants such as goats, where we cannot examine ovarian structure through
palpation per rectum, ultrasound is the best method for monitoring ovarian activity as
mentioned
Pregnancy diagnosis
Early pregnancy diagnosis can improve reproductive performance by decreasing the
interval between successive artificial insemination services and coupling a non-
pregnancy diagnosis with an aggressive strategy to rapidly rebreed the animal.
Pregnancy diagnosis in cattle can be achieved by ultrasonography. In this the foetus
appears as an echogenic structure inside a non-echogenic structure . To compensate for
embryonic mortality, cows diagnosed pregnant early post breeding must undergo one
or more subsequent pregnancy examinations to identify and rebreed cows that
experience embryonic mortality. This applies to all methods for early pregnancy
diagnosis including transrectal palpation conducted before the rate of embryonic
mortality decreases. Thus, dairy managers who have implemented early pregnancy
diagnoses must consider the timing and frequency of subsequent pregnancy
examinations to maintain the reproductive performance of the herd.
Determination of foetal number and viability
The ability to identify multiple foetuses with real-time ultrasonography is
a clear advantage over other techniques.
Foetal sex determination by ultrasonography
Foetal sex determination has several implications in the animal breeding
industry. The gender of foetuses can be detected by visualisation of the
location of the genital tubercle or the scrotum and mammary glands . The
most appropriate time of ultrasonographic sex determination is 55–60
days of gestation and the technique can be accurate even under farm
conditions
. Foetuses at 48–119 days of age have been successfully sexed
.The procedure is reliable and the accuracy has ranged from 92 to 100% .
Determination of foetal age
Estimation of foetal age, monitoring of foetal growth across time and
diagnosis of pregnancy disorders can be performed by ultrasonographic
foetometry. Biparietal diameter of the skull and length of the long bones,
Interventional techniques
Ultrasound-guided transvaginal oocyte aspiration is helpful in obtaining
ova from clinically infertile but otherwise valuable cows for in vitro
fertilisation. In this way, the genetic potential of such donor cows can be
propagated.
 Guided needle placement
All types of transducer can be used to guide needle placement
. The needle can be directed through a channel in the transducer itself, via
an attachable biopsy guide or by free hand. When passed across the
beam, the shaft and tip are clearly visible allowing the path of the needle
to be determined and precise placement of the tip for the removal of
material or the introduction of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent.
Ultrasound-guided interventional techniques are used commercially in
cattle to facilitate follicular aspiration and embryo transfer . This
technology has also been applied in mares , goats and buffalo. Routinely
performed diagnostic sampling techniques, including fluid aspiration, fine
needle aspirates and core biopsies are common components of clinical
diagnostic workups in many species
 LIMITATIONS
 Quality depends on skills of operator
 Overweighed patients not clear image of target organs
 Can not be used through bone or gas.
 CONCLUSION
The impact of real-time ultrasound on the study of animal reproduction has
been dramatic, and development of portable ultrasound machines has given
clinicians an added tool for diagnostic reproductive management.
Ultrasound is commonly used to monitor uterine anatomy, involution and
pathology. In addition, it has been used to detect pregnancy, study embryonic
mortality, monitor fetal development, and determine fetal sex.
. Recent advances in ultrasound technology in both hardware and software
have resulted in the production of superior images and the widespread use of
ultrasound.
Compared with other diagnostic aids such as X-rays, ultrasound is considered
very safe and has no harmful bio effects. Another advantage of ultrasound is its
real-time nature in examination, allowing studies of moving structures.