This format combines the simple electronics of a linear scan and the large image width in the far field of the sector scan with a big probe. Only a part of the probe is used for each beam, and the active part moves for each beam. This type of probe is used especially with 3.5 and 5 MHz in abdominal and fetal imaging, see figure 16. The probe is characterized by its convex radius, and 4 - 60 mm is normal. It can also be used in probes inserted into the body (transvaginal and transrectal probes) as they are small with have convex radii in the area of 10 - 20 mm.


Figure 16: Curvilinear scan. Left side shows the scanning situation where a convex probe is held over a fetus in the uterus, and the right side shows the resulting ultrasound image.