Who is SAGE-US anyway?

SAGE-US is pronounced SAY-jus.

SAGE-US started as a COVID-19 lockdown project with the intent of answering the question, 'Is there a better way to teach ultrasound?' That question turned into a fascination.

I'm a Cardiovascular Surgery Physician Assistant of over 28 years experience. I graduated with an Associates Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (1994), and hold credentials as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS 2008), and as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS 2020). I have a Certificate of Completion in Critical Care Ultrasound from the American College of Chest Physicians (2018). I have extensive experience in teaching Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and have particular interests in cardiopulmonary ultrasound and in understanding the physics behind ultrasound artifacts.

Who are you to write a course on US physics?

When I told colleagues that I was putting together a course on ultrasound physics, I was routinely asked one of two questions: What’s wrong with you? and Why would you want to write a course on ultrasound physics?

Let’s face it, ultrasound physics is just not as sexy as learning about ultrasound of the heart or lungs and can seem almost impossible to comprehend. Leave it to me to give a go at teaching the most unsexy topic on Point-of-Care ultrasound.

I guess I’ve been fascinated by most everything ultrasound for some time. How does something vibrate only 3 or 4 times, at the incomprehensible rate of 5,000,000 times per second for a duration of only about 100 µs. How does that vibration causes the movement of energy, whatever that means, at about 3,445 miles per hour. How the heck do you get a picture out of that?! And most importantly, how can you effectively and efficiently teach that?

My having the ability to really understand how ultrasound works has been really important to me. When I started with POCUS, I wanted to assure everyone that I knew what I was doing in an attempt to avoid any second guessing regarding my knowledge on the subject. That included my knowledge of US physics.

My goal in writing this iBook is to provide a comprehensive, yet approachable resource for my ultrasound colleagues in their quest to understanding US physics. I tried to take a more practical, step-by-step approach: plug in a theoretical ultrasound machine, trace the path of electricity, and break down how that renders a line of ultrasound, and then the ultrasound image, in a clear, linear fashion.

And as far as what’s wrong with me, none of us have enough time for that. I hope you enjoy what I’ve tried to accomplish and hope it helps you on your journey to understanding ultrasound physics.