Elevation resolution is primarily influenced by which transducer dimension?

• A. Transducer frequency
• B. Element height
• C. Number of active channels
• D. Steering method

Answer: (B)

Elevation resolution is how well we can separate structures that lie above and below the imaging plane. That resolution is governed by how thin the ultrasound beam is in the elevational direction, which is set mainly by the transducer’s height (the dimension of the element perpendicular to the imaging plane). A taller element creates a narrower elevational beam, sharpening the slice thickness and improving elevation resolution. Frequency, steering, and the number of active channels influence other aspects of beam formation—like axial resolution or lateral/steering performance—but they don’t primarily set the elevational beamwidth.