Final answer:
Increasing the frequency on a MHz transducer will improve the axial resolution in both the near and far fields, due to the production of shorter wavelengths that allow for finer detail detection.
Step-by-step explanation:
Increasing the frequency on a MHz transducer will:
- Improve the axial resolution in the near and far field
This is because higher frequencies produce shorter wavelengths, which result in a finer resolution and the ability to distinguish between objects that are close together along the axis of the sound wave. The spatial pulse length is inversely related to frequency, so as frequency increases, the spatial pulse length decreases, which correlates to improved axial resolution. However, higher frequency ultrasound does not penetrate as deeply into tissue, which is a limitation for imaging deeper structures. On the other hand, lateral resolution depends on the width of the ultrasound beam and is primarily influenced by the transducer's focusing and aperture, not directly by frequency.