Abstract
Sound (or acoustics) plays two important roles in our study of physics in medicine and biology. First, animals hear sound and thereby sense what is happening in their environment. Second, physicians use high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to image structures inside the body. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the physics of sound and the medical uses of ultrasonic imaging. A classic textbook by Morse and Ingard (1968) provides a more thorough coverage of theoretical acoustics, and books such as Hendee and Ritenour (2002) describe the medical uses of ultrasound in more detail.
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References
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Hendee, W. R. and E. R. Ritenour. (1992) Medical Imaging Physics, 3rd Ed., St. Louis, Mosby Year Book.
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Newman E. B. (1957). Speech and Hearing. in D. E. Gray, coordinating editor, American Institute of Physics Handbook. New York, McGraw-Hill. p. 3–123.
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Hobbie, R.K., Roth, B.J. (2007). Sound and Ultrasound. In: Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49885-0_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49885-0_13
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-30942-2
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-49885-0
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