The History of a Fetal Doppler
Fetal doppler (also called ultrasound) uses repeated high-frequency sound to capture images of a baby in utero (before it is born). The technology is based on the same sonar applications used by submarines and naval vessels.
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Sonar and Ultrasound
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During and just after World War I, sonar devices were invented (separately by Robert Boyle and Paul Langevin) and used extensively in World War II naval warfare, especially by submarines. After the war ended, scientists who had developed sonar technology started applying the same ultrasound concepts to diagnostic medicine.
Early Fetal Doppler
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Dr. Edward H. Hon, an obstetrician, used existing sonar technology to invent the first hand-held fetal doppler device in 1960 as a method for monitoring fetal heartbeat. Today's fetal ultrasound devices work basically the same way.
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Fetal Doppler in Diagnosing
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Doctors using fetal doppler to check heartbeat noticed they were also seeing fetal development, malformation and even gender. A growing body of medical literature led to the widespread use of fetal doppler for many diagnosing applications by 1980.
3-D Ultrasound
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In the early 1980s, multiplanar scanning led to the invention of 3-D ultrasound, enabling doctors to scan fetuses almost as if they had the baby in front of them.
4-D Ultrasound
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In the late 1990s/early 2000s, 3-D ultrasound images were put together to create in-utero videos: 4-D ultrasound. This technology is proving to be very valuable, as it shows details such as blood flow, heartbeats, and fetal movement in real time. 5-D ultrasound is still being developed, and will provide even more detail on a tissue level.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Hamed Saber
