As vascular surgeons, we all use various pieces of equipment and technology in our day jobs. Everything from the hand-held Doppler to complex ultrasound machines, CT and MRI scanners. Every time we treat vascular disease we use some form of technology, be it an angioplasty balloon, stent or a vascular graft. We are surrounded by technology and use it all the time, but how many of us actually have any clue as to how it works? In this series of podcasts, we will take a slightly light-hearted look at the biomedical engineering involved in some of the pieces of kit that most of us take for granted. Nothing too overwhelming, but enough to explain the science behind the machine.

In the first episode, we will take a look at the humble hand-held Doppler machine and explain how this frequently used machine does what it does. We will explain how the Doppler and piezoelectric effects combine to make an essential tool for clinicians and allied healthcare professionals in the field of vascular surgery.

Presented by Justin Woolgar.