Computer basiertes Lernprogramm über die physikalisch-technischen Grundlagen der Sonografie beim Kleintier Tierärztliche Fakultät - Digitale Hochschulschriften der LMU - Teil 01/07

The computer based training „SonoBasics – physical technical basics of ultrasound in small animals“ is based on a concept not realised so far.
Many veterinarians lack the knowledge of physical and technical basics of ultrasound and furthermore the colleagues avoid to work up the supposedly boring topic in technical literature. Yet the knowledge of these basics enables the user to achieve good and significant ultrasound pictures and their correct interpretation. Therefore, the program on hand is designed to prepare the material in a didactically meaningful and ergonomically appalling manner at the same time. Its aim is to present the technical basics in a playful way to motivate the user and keep the interest in this topic alive.
For the realisation of the idea there were high-end ultrasound machines available to generate high-quality picture material. Together with the technical means (software and hardware) present at the Institut für Tieranatomie (I), the material was generated and the program designed.
First priority was laid on a vivid explanation of theoretical conditions of sound wave physics by the use of images in moving form. For that reason the physical principles are shown in colourful animated graphs. The real conditions are demonstrated by different original ultrasound sequences. The layout and the design of the pushbuttons for navigation and orientation as well as the choice of colours and print are mainly basing on individual ideas and intuition but turned out to show great congruence with the requirements found in present literature.
Second priority is the achievement of a didactic surplus by the design of the program. Crucial for that matter is the choice of the presenting medium for each lesson as well as the way the content is set up.
The first chapter “Darstellung“ deals with the existing methods of ultrasound and compares them with each other. The chapter “Schallkopftypen“ explains the different types of probes. The following two chapters each separately explain the principle of B-mode ultrasound (“B-Modus“) and Doppler mode (“Doppler“), their content basing one on the other in succession.
The first three chapters (“Darstellung”, “Schallkopftypen”, “B-Modus”) are meant to meet the needs of ultrasound beginners wanting to become familiar with the elementary basics whereas the chapter about Doppler mode addresses veterinarians and advanced students of veterinary medicine who want to broaden their knowledge in this field.
The last chapter ”Wissenwertes” deals with basics to be taken into account when ultrasound pictures are made in everyday usage.
The individual passages can be browsed in an optimal linear way, page by page (as recommended for beginners). On the other hand, the user can choose the topics of his interest individually by interactively jumping from page to page via several navigation possibilities (menu, viewer, hyperlinks within the text, index).

An educational CD has been created that explains the physical and technical basics of ultrasound including Doppler mode in small animals in an appalling manner with numerous animated graphs as well as accurately labelled ultrasound pictures and clips.