Which mechanism contributes to tissue heating during ultrasound?

Which mechanism contributes to tissue heating during ultrasound?

• A. Conversion
• B. Reflection
• C. Refraction
• D. Diffraction

Answer: (A)

Heating from ultrasound happens when tissue absorbs part of the acoustic energy and converts that energy into heat. This conversion from mechanical energy to thermal energy occurs as the sound waves interact with tissue, with more heating in tissues that have higher attenuation and when using continuous ultrasound. Reflection, refraction, and diffraction describe how the wave propagates or changes direction, but they don’t by themselves generate heat—the thermal effect comes from absorption and the resulting energy conversion.

Heating from ultrasound happens when tissue absorbs part of the acoustic energy and converts that energy into heat. This conversion from mechanical energy to thermal energy occurs as the sound waves interact with tissue, with more heating in tissues that have higher attenuation and when using continuous ultrasound. Reflection, refraction, and diffraction describe how the wave propagates or changes direction, but they don’t by themselves generate heat—the thermal effect comes from absorption and the resulting energy conversion.