Doppler ultrasound is a type of ultrasound technology used to identify and assess blood flow. It relies on the Doppler effect, which is the change in wave frequency caused by the motion of a reflector, like a red blood cell. There are various types of Doppler ultrasound:1. **Color Doppler**: This technique uses color coding to estimate the average speed of blood flow within a vessel. Blood flowing towards the ultrasound probe is typically shown in red, while blood moving away is shown in blue.2. **Pulsed Doppler**: This method involves placing a sampling volume or "gate" within a vessel seen on a gray-scale image. It then creates a graph that displays the range of blood velocities over time. The strength of the signal correlates to the number of red blood cells and is shown in shades of gray rather than color.3. **Power Doppler**: This approach focuses on the strength, or power, of the Doppler signals instead of the frequency shift. It can detect a wider range of Doppler shifts and offers better visualization of small vessels, though it sacrifices information about direction and speed.The Color Doppler technique is useful for surveying blood flow in a region and helps in accurately positioning the pulsed Doppler gate for a more detailed examination at a specific location. Doppler ultrasound has numerous uses, such as identifying and evaluating reduced or blocked blood flow in the legs. Initially, color Doppler ultrasound is used to quickly assess vessels for irregularities and guide the placement of the pulsed Doppler to collect detailed velocity data.This technology is named after Christian Johann Doppler (1803-1853), the Austrian physicist who discovered the effect that bears his name.
