Which parameter indicates how much of the treatment time the ultrasound is on?

Which parameter indicates how much of the treatment time the ultrasound is on?

• A. Duty cycle
• B. Continuous intensity
• C. Pulsed intensity
• D. Spatial average density

Answer: (A)

Duty cycle is the ratio of the time the ultrasound is on to the total time of one cycle. It’s usually given as a percentage and reflects how much of the treatment session energy is being delivered. For continuous ultrasound, the duty cycle is 100% because the energy is on the entire time. In pulsed ultrasound, energy is on only part of each cycle, so a lower duty cycle means less overall energy delivered and less heating, while a higher duty cycle increases energy delivery and heating potential. The other terms describe the intensity during the on phases or the energy per area, but they don’t tell you how much of the time the device is active.

Duty cycle is the ratio of the time the ultrasound is on to the total time of one cycle. It’s usually given as a percentage and reflects how much of the treatment session energy is being delivered. For continuous ultrasound, the duty cycle is 100% because the energy is on the entire time. In pulsed ultrasound, energy is on only part of each cycle, so a lower duty cycle means less overall energy delivered and less heating, while a higher duty cycle increases energy delivery and heating potential. The other terms describe the intensity during the on phases or the energy per area, but they don’t tell you how much of the time the device is active.