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Ultrasonics in ophthalmology
Book reviews Ultrasonics
in ophthalmology.
A. Oksala and H. Gernet (Eds), S. Karger (1967) 24Opp, 25.19s (DM 65, US $15.60) ‘Ultrasonics in ophthalmology’ is the proceedings volume of the 20th International Congress of Ophthalmology, Munich 1966, edited by A. Oksala and H. Gernet. There is no pretence of a textbook; it is a collation of dispersed literature and recent findings in ultrasonography in relation to the eye. For the researcher this volume is undoubtedly a significant contribution: this review, however, is intended for the clinical ophthalmologist. Ultrasonography presents two main problems: 1
The method of application of the probe
2
The interpretation of the results.
The proceedings volume hinges on the techniques by which the contributors, and others, have attempted to circumvent these problems. They that are clinically orientated will find no absolute directive in methodology: it is a question of choice. Interpretation of the echograms is covered and also the type of trace to be obtained from normal and abnormal tissues. In the physical papers by Gerstner, Gernet, Oksala and others an attempt is made to account for some of the phenomena of ultrasonics. Both sections here infer that accuracy cannot be obtained from the face value acceptance of the readings. The novice cannot hope to read into the text an ‘Ultrasonographic trace atlas’ for guidance in diagnosis. Biometrics has also been included in the proceedings: some five papers discuss the assessment of the optical components by ultrasonography. Nakajima does well to point out the deficiencies in data output ,with this method. The formulae presented are optical expedients and not applicable to the derivation of the principal points and lens surface powers obtained by phakometric methods. They could prove misleading if accepted without knowledge of the problems surrounding the derivation of optical equations in the presence of ultrasonography. For the clinical ophthalmologist the proceedings volume will prove a good insight into the position of ultrasonography at the present time. The contributors have spent a number of years investigating and improving the techniques for ultrasonic diagnosis and biometrics. They present in their articles a diversity of problems still to be overcome. Whether or not to accept ultrasonography into the clinic as a routine procedure will not be answered directly in the text. It is up to the clinical ophthalmologist to decide whether the investigators have provided a sufficient yardstick for him to follow. G. A. Leary
Sources of high-intensity ultrasound Edited by L. D. Rosenberg, Izdatelstvo Nauka, Moscow (1967) 379pp. In Russian High-intensity ultrasound has been the main subject of several recent books on industrial ultrasonic applications. As a matter of fact these books also describe to some extent the various types of high-intensity ultrasonic generators while indicating how to choose the particular type most appropriate to a given industrial process. However, books presenting a detailed analysis of all important systems of generating and radiating high-intensity ultrasound in limited or large volumes were lacking hitherto. The present book fills the gap in a reasonable though somewhat incoherent fashion leaving openings for future authors to cover the different systems in a more balanced way. Six well-known Russian specialists including the editor contribute seven chapters of varying importance and thoroughness. Each chapter represents an independent well-illustrated monograph with an adequate and reasonably up-to-date bibliography covering publications in Eastern Europe and 58
ULTRASONICS January 1968
elsewhere in an appropriate way with one exception: Teymin’s chapters 4 and 5 mainly form a survey of his own work with a meagre bibliography restricted to Russian literature, so that for instance the important work of Mason, Eisner, Kleesattel and others in the USA on tapered solid velocity transformers is not discussed. The book contains the following contributions: Hartmanntype gas jet sound radiators (Yu. Ya. Borisov, 104pp), Magnetostrictive ferrite radiators (I. P. Golyamina, 38pp), Focussing ultrasound radiators (L. D, Rozenberg, 58pp), Introduction to ultrasonic vibrations in tapered transmission media (I. I. Teymin, 38pp), Ultrasonic excitation of flexure vibrations (I. I. Teymin, 42pp), Torsionally vibrating systems (A.M. Mitskevich, 4Opp), and Ultrasound receivers and intensity measuring methods (E. V. Romanenko, 52~~). The last chapter, though not dealing with a particular highintensity ultrasound system, constitutes an important supplement, since reliable methods for measuring and directly reading high ultrasound intensities are of ever growing importance and are not usually covered in great detail in existing books. It is remarkable enough, that piezoelectric ceramic intensity meters quite rightly receive a detailed survey (in the last chapter), whereas the even more important piezoelectric ceramic radiators are not discussed in any detail in this book, although the editor in his own contribution briefly displays concave piezoelectric structures (single-piece and mosaic) for use as focussing ultrasound radiators. Apparently the editor has not managed to find a specialist able and minded to write a monograph on electrostrictive (piezoelectric) ceramic materials, which nowadays are increasingly used with or without pre-stressing as high-intensity ultrasound sources and therefore deserve a special chapter, just like the magnetostrictive ceramic materials (covered adequately in the present book) and the magnetostrictive metallic materials (unfortunately not discussed). Apart from the above complaints the reviewer rates the book an extremely useful survey of the various specialized topics usually covered by ultrasonics engineers. The book certainly deserves an early English translation, but in the reviewer’s opinion the insertion of an author index and a subject index would be imperative. C. M. van der Burgt
The properties of liquid and solid helium J. Wilks, Clarendon Press, Oxford (1967) 703pp E 7.10.0 This hefty volume is not an introduction to the topic; it is much more a specialised volume for the research worker, who will have cause to thank Dr Wilks for his extensive coverage both of the theoretical and of the experimental aspects of an interesting and fruitful field. After a short introductory chapter, 13 chapters (424~~) are devoted to liquid helium 4. This, with its superfluid phase and h-transition, is entirely deserving of the greater part of the author’s attention. Quantum theory is necessary for explanations and the author’s teaching instincts lead him to introduce some basic quantum mechanics, a step not essential to this book but nevertheless welcome, I feel, to many readers. Ultrasonics enters quite widely into this topic, for many experiments have been carried out both with normal (or first) sound waves and with the temperature waves of the type usually called second sound. Chapter 8 is devoted entirely to sound propagation, but it is not by any means the only place where this is discussed; second sound, for example, is also to be found in sections 3.4, 6.11 and 9.8 (and elsewhere; incidentally, the implication on page 51 that it is unique to liquid Helium II is contradicted on page 148), and third and fourth sound occur in section 14.7. This fragmentation is consistent with the development of theory, and the reader interested in the complex topic of sound absorp-
in ophthalmology.
A. Oksala and H. Gernet (Eds), S. Karger (1967) 24Opp, 25.19s (DM 65, US $15.60) ‘Ultrasonics in ophthalmology’ is the proceedings volume of the 20th International Congress of Ophthalmology, Munich 1966, edited by A. Oksala and H. Gernet. There is no pretence of a textbook; it is a collation of dispersed literature and recent findings in ultrasonography in relation to the eye. For the researcher this volume is undoubtedly a significant contribution: this review, however, is intended for the clinical ophthalmologist. Ultrasonography presents two main problems: 1
The method of application of the probe
2
The interpretation of the results.
The proceedings volume hinges on the techniques by which the contributors, and others, have attempted to circumvent these problems. They that are clinically orientated will find no absolute directive in methodology: it is a question of choice. Interpretation of the echograms is covered and also the type of trace to be obtained from normal and abnormal tissues. In the physical papers by Gerstner, Gernet, Oksala and others an attempt is made to account for some of the phenomena of ultrasonics. Both sections here infer that accuracy cannot be obtained from the face value acceptance of the readings. The novice cannot hope to read into the text an ‘Ultrasonographic trace atlas’ for guidance in diagnosis. Biometrics has also been included in the proceedings: some five papers discuss the assessment of the optical components by ultrasonography. Nakajima does well to point out the deficiencies in data output ,with this method. The formulae presented are optical expedients and not applicable to the derivation of the principal points and lens surface powers obtained by phakometric methods. They could prove misleading if accepted without knowledge of the problems surrounding the derivation of optical equations in the presence of ultrasonography. For the clinical ophthalmologist the proceedings volume will prove a good insight into the position of ultrasonography at the present time. The contributors have spent a number of years investigating and improving the techniques for ultrasonic diagnosis and biometrics. They present in their articles a diversity of problems still to be overcome. Whether or not to accept ultrasonography into the clinic as a routine procedure will not be answered directly in the text. It is up to the clinical ophthalmologist to decide whether the investigators have provided a sufficient yardstick for him to follow. G. A. Leary
Sources of high-intensity ultrasound Edited by L. D. Rosenberg, Izdatelstvo Nauka, Moscow (1967) 379pp. In Russian High-intensity ultrasound has been the main subject of several recent books on industrial ultrasonic applications. As a matter of fact these books also describe to some extent the various types of high-intensity ultrasonic generators while indicating how to choose the particular type most appropriate to a given industrial process. However, books presenting a detailed analysis of all important systems of generating and radiating high-intensity ultrasound in limited or large volumes were lacking hitherto. The present book fills the gap in a reasonable though somewhat incoherent fashion leaving openings for future authors to cover the different systems in a more balanced way. Six well-known Russian specialists including the editor contribute seven chapters of varying importance and thoroughness. Each chapter represents an independent well-illustrated monograph with an adequate and reasonably up-to-date bibliography covering publications in Eastern Europe and 58
ULTRASONICS January 1968
elsewhere in an appropriate way with one exception: Teymin’s chapters 4 and 5 mainly form a survey of his own work with a meagre bibliography restricted to Russian literature, so that for instance the important work of Mason, Eisner, Kleesattel and others in the USA on tapered solid velocity transformers is not discussed. The book contains the following contributions: Hartmanntype gas jet sound radiators (Yu. Ya. Borisov, 104pp), Magnetostrictive ferrite radiators (I. P. Golyamina, 38pp), Focussing ultrasound radiators (L. D, Rozenberg, 58pp), Introduction to ultrasonic vibrations in tapered transmission media (I. I. Teymin, 38pp), Ultrasonic excitation of flexure vibrations (I. I. Teymin, 42pp), Torsionally vibrating systems (A.M. Mitskevich, 4Opp), and Ultrasound receivers and intensity measuring methods (E. V. Romanenko, 52~~). The last chapter, though not dealing with a particular highintensity ultrasound system, constitutes an important supplement, since reliable methods for measuring and directly reading high ultrasound intensities are of ever growing importance and are not usually covered in great detail in existing books. It is remarkable enough, that piezoelectric ceramic intensity meters quite rightly receive a detailed survey (in the last chapter), whereas the even more important piezoelectric ceramic radiators are not discussed in any detail in this book, although the editor in his own contribution briefly displays concave piezoelectric structures (single-piece and mosaic) for use as focussing ultrasound radiators. Apparently the editor has not managed to find a specialist able and minded to write a monograph on electrostrictive (piezoelectric) ceramic materials, which nowadays are increasingly used with or without pre-stressing as high-intensity ultrasound sources and therefore deserve a special chapter, just like the magnetostrictive ceramic materials (covered adequately in the present book) and the magnetostrictive metallic materials (unfortunately not discussed). Apart from the above complaints the reviewer rates the book an extremely useful survey of the various specialized topics usually covered by ultrasonics engineers. The book certainly deserves an early English translation, but in the reviewer’s opinion the insertion of an author index and a subject index would be imperative. C. M. van der Burgt
The properties of liquid and solid helium J. Wilks, Clarendon Press, Oxford (1967) 703pp E 7.10.0 This hefty volume is not an introduction to the topic; it is much more a specialised volume for the research worker, who will have cause to thank Dr Wilks for his extensive coverage both of the theoretical and of the experimental aspects of an interesting and fruitful field. After a short introductory chapter, 13 chapters (424~~) are devoted to liquid helium 4. This, with its superfluid phase and h-transition, is entirely deserving of the greater part of the author’s attention. Quantum theory is necessary for explanations and the author’s teaching instincts lead him to introduce some basic quantum mechanics, a step not essential to this book but nevertheless welcome, I feel, to many readers. Ultrasonics enters quite widely into this topic, for many experiments have been carried out both with normal (or first) sound waves and with the temperature waves of the type usually called second sound. Chapter 8 is devoted entirely to sound propagation, but it is not by any means the only place where this is discussed; second sound, for example, is also to be found in sections 3.4, 6.11 and 9.8 (and elsewhere; incidentally, the implication on page 51 that it is unique to liquid Helium II is contradicted on page 148), and third and fourth sound occur in section 14.7. This fragmentation is consistent with the development of theory, and the reader interested in the complex topic of sound absorp-