2026 Workshop Handout Bundle-W130J - Knobology in US

W130J - Knobology in US - Chen

Pdf Summary

Dr. Li-Fen Chen’s workshop on ultrasound “knobology” reviews common controls and probe types.

Frequently used controls include gain and brightness, power on/off, depth, and freeze. Depth should be adjusted to make the structure of interest as large as possible. M-mode and color Doppler are used occasionally; the BART convention indicates blue flow moving away from the probe and red flow moving toward it. Time-gain compensation brightens deeper structures to offset signal attenuation, helping maintain consistent brightness across the image. Focus is adjusted to improve detail.

Less frequently used controls include patient information, on-screen pictograms and text, and image storage.

The workshop also describes ultrasound probes:
- <strong>Linear:</strong> High frequency, rectangular field of view, and excellent resolution for superficial structures.
- <strong>Curvilinear (convex):</strong> Wide, fan-shaped field of view for deeper imaging, including abdominal, pelvic, and obstetric scans.
- <strong>Phased array:</strong> Uses electronically steered and focused beams for precise imaging without moving the probe.
- <strong>Hockey stick:</strong> A high-frequency linear probe with a small footprint for superficial small-part, musculoskeletal, and vascular imaging.

Keywords

ultrasound knobology

gain

depth adjustment

freeze

color Doppler

time-gain compensation

linear probe

curvilinear probe

phased array probe

hockey stick probe