Can ultrasound locate foreign bodies under the skin? [abstract]

Abstract

Ultrasound has many uses in the field of diagnostic medical imaging. A practical, yet not widely utilized, application of ultrasound is locating foreign bodies in the skin. We conducted an experiment to determine the answer to the question, can ultrasound locate foreign bodies under the skin? In the experiment, we used varying sizes of foreign materials that are commonly lodged under the skin. These included wood, plastic, metal and glass. Using pigs' feet because of the similarities to human skin, we placed these foreign objects under the skin and scanned with ultrasound to see if they could be detected. Our results demonstrated that ultrasound can in fact be utilized for localization of foreign bodies under the skin.