Final answer:
Harmonic imaging in ultrasound improves lateral resolution, reduces side lobe and reverberation artifacts, leading to clearer and more accurate diagnostic images. Therefore, the benefits of harmonics in ultrasound imaging encompass all of the mentioned options.
Step-by-step explanation:
Benefits of Harmonics in Ultrasound Imaging
The use of harmonic imaging in ultrasound has several benefits. When using harmonic frequencies generated by the patient's tissues, we obtain images with increased lateral resolution. This improved resolution can help reduce the occurrence of side lobe artifacts, which are unwanted reflections that can distort the image. Furthermore, harmonic imaging aids in the reduction of reverberation artifacts caused by tissues that are close to the transducer. Reverberation artifacts occur when the ultrasound beam bounces repeatedly between two strong reflectors, causing misleading reflections that can obscure the real anatomy. All of these benefits contribute to creating a clearer and more accurate diagnostic image.
Thus, the benefits of harmonics in ultrasound imaging include all of the above: 1) Increased lateral resolution 2) Reduction of side lobe artifacts 3) Reduction of reverberation artifacts caused by tissues close to the transducer.