Improved scatterer property estimates from ultrasound backscatter for small gate lengths using a gate-edge correction factor

Backscattered rf signals used to construct conventional ultrasound B-mode images contain frequency-dependent information that can be examined through the backscattered power spectrum. The backscattered power spectrum is found by taking the magnitude squared of the Fourier transform of a gated time segment corresponding to a region in the scattering volume. When a time segment is gated, the edges of the gated regions change the frequency content of the backscattered power spectrum due to truncating of the waveform. Tapered windows, like the Hanning window, and longer gate lengths reduce the relative contribution of the gate-edge effects. A new gate-edge correction factor was developed that partially accounted for the edge effects. The gate-edge correction factor gave more accurate estimates of scatterer properties at small gate lengths compared to conventional windowing functions. The gate-edge correction factor gave estimates of scatterer properties within 5% of actual values at very small gate lengths (less than 5 spatial pulse lengths) in both simulations and from measurements on glass-bead phantoms. While the gate-edge correction factor gave higher accuracy of estimates at smaller gate lengths, the precision of estimates was not improved at small gate lengths over conventional windowing functions.     

Experimental estimation of the viscous component of ultrasound attenuation in suspensions of bovine skeletal muscle myofibrils

It has been suggested that viscous losses, caused by the motion of myofibrils relative to their environmental fluid, could be the major cause of ultrasound attenuation in muscle. This Paper presents theoretical and experimental estimates of the viscous component of attenuation in suspensions of myofibrils. Experimental estimates were made by monitoring the effects of varying the viscosity and density of the suspending fluid and ranged from 0.55 to 0.72 cm2 g-1 protein at 7 MHz, when expressed as mass attenuation coefficients. This represented 16-22% of the total attenuation measured in suspensions. Corresponding theoretical calculations were lower: 0.44 and 0.21 cm2 g-1 protein, respectively, for suspensions with the myofibrils aligned along and across the direction of sound propagation. It was concluded that most of the attenuation was caused by other absorption processes.     

Ultrasonic attenuation in red blood cell suspensions

A theoretical analysis of ultrasonic attenuation in aqueous suspensions of red blood cells was carried out. This verified the relative importance of several mechanisms: absorption accounts for 60% of the attenuation, viscous relative motion loss accounts for less than 30%, and the sound scattering contribution is negligible.     

Critical ultrasound attenuation in isotropic systems

Starting with a complete set of coupled Langevin equations for the hydrodynamic variables including the order parameter and the acoustic phonons, the critical sound dispersion relation is derived for models C and F. The final expression for the sound dispersion relation contains a quantity which can be interpreted as a frequency-dependent specific heat depending only on the critical degrees of freedom. The elimination of the phonons from the self-energy is justified in detail. Our microscopic result agrees with the phenomenological formula of Ferrell and Bhattarcharjee only in limiting cases. In general, as for instance for model F, it is more complicated than one could have anticipated on a phenomenological basis. For model C, the scaling function of the critical sound attenuation coefficient is calculated to two-loop order. Finally, it is shown that for model C with more than one order parameter component and model F the sound dispersion relation obtained at the critical point is also valid in the crossover region between the critical point and the coexistence region which is in a critical state due to the Goldstone modes.     

Broadband time-domain reflectometry measurement of attenuation and phase velocity in highly attenuating suspensions with application to the ultrasound contrast medium Albunex

We describe a technique for broadband measurements of the attenuation coefficient and phase velocity of highly attenuating liquid suspensions. To validate the technique we apply it to the ultrasound contrast agent Albunex at concentrations ranging from 0.69 x 10(6) particles/mL to 364 x 10(6) particles/mL. These longitudinal wave measurements were performed on Albunex suspensions maintained at 37 degrees C in a special time-domain reflectometer designed and constructed in our laboratory. The frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients and phase velocities obtained in the reflectometer are compared to broadband through-transmission measurements of these same quantities, which were also performed in our laboratory. Although comparison data between the two techniques are only available at lower concentrations, the agreement is quite good and serves to validate the methods described in this paper.     

A theoretical comparison of attenuation measurement techniques from backscattered ultrasound echoes

Accurate characterization of tissue pathologies using ultrasonic attenuation is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the algorithm that is used to obtain the attenuation coefficient estimates. In this paper, computer simulations were used to compare the accuracy and the precision of the three methods that are commonly used to estimate the local ultrasonic attenuation within a region of interest (ROI) in tissue; namely, the spectral log difference method, the spectral difference method, and the hybrid method. The effects of the inhomgeneities within the ROI on the accuracy of the three algorithms were studied, and the optimal ROI size (the number of independent echoes laterally and the number of pulse lengths axially) was quantified for each method. The three algorithms were tested for when the ROI was homogeneous, the ROI had variations in scatterer number density, and the ROI had variations in effective scatterer size. The results showed that when the ROI was homogeneous, the spectral difference method had the highest accuracy and precision followed by the spectral log difference method and the hybrid method, respectively. Also, when the scatterer number density varied, the spectral difference method completely failed, while the log difference method and hybrid method still gave good results. Lastly, when the scatterer size varied, all of the methods failed.     

Microbial content of aerosols produced from suspensions exposed to megahertz frequency ultrasound

A piezo-electric bowl transducer was used to generate aerosols by focusing ultrasound in the frequency range 1–7 MHz at a liquid/air interface. Atomization at the liquid surface and the production of a fountain contributed to aerosol formation. When the liquid consisted of suspensions of representatives from the viral, bacterial, and yeast groups of micro-organisms (covering a 0.2–11.5 μm size range) living organisms were isolated from the aerosols at all frequencies. The fountains were implicated as a major source of air-borne micro-organisms because significant numbers of isolates were obtained in the presence of fountains but in the absence of obvious atomization, and theoretical predictions make the sizes of droplets arising from atomization at the higher frequencies too small to have carried some of the larger organisms.     

超声衰减法测量悬浊液中颗粒粒度和浓度

研究了由颗粒悬浊液中3个频率下声衰减系数测量颗粒粒度分布和浓度的方法。用FFT对测得的1,2和5 MHz 3个频率的声信号进行降噪后得到声幅度和声衰减系数,再根据描述不同频率下声衰减系数与颗粒粒径及浓度关系的ECAH模型,运用Philip-Twomey-NNLS算法和改进Chahine算法求解相关的第一类Fredholm方程,反演出颗粒的尺寸分布和浓度。用该方法对两种不同尺寸体积浓度为5%的玻璃微珠-水悬浊液颗粒进行测量,结果与显微镜法结果吻合。这表明:测量3个频率下的声衰减信号,结合Philip-Twomey-NNLS或改进的Chahine算法,可在较高浓度条件下较准确地测得颗粒粒度和浓度,从而简化了现有的高频率宽频带测量方法。     

Automated measurement of ultrasound velocity and attenuation

A fully-automated system has been developed to measure changes in ultrasonic velocity and the attenuation coefficient resulting from changes in temperature and magnetic field. Accuracy and sensitivity comparable to the pulse-echo overlap technique have been achieved together with an increase in temperature resolution and sample throughput as a result of the automation. All components of the instrumentation are commercially available.     

Theoretical analysis of sound attenuation mechanisms in blood and in erythrocyte suspensions.

A theoretical analysis of the effect of the elasticity of cell membranes on sound attenuation in blood and erythrocyte suspensions was carried out. It is shown that the shell model of a cell adequately describes the attenuation in red blood cell suspensions. The contribution of viscous drag losses to the sound attenuation decreases with frequency, and at a frequency of 1 MHz it can be as high as 44% in water suspensions of erythrocytes and 24% in blood.     

Material property estimation for tubes and arteries using ultrasound radiation force and analysis of propagating modes

Arterial elasticity has been proposed as an independent predictor of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Identification of the different propagating modes in thin shells can be used to characterize the elastic properties. Ultrasound radiation force was used to generate local mechanical waves in the wall of a urethane tube or an excised pig carotid artery. The waves were tracked using pulse-echo ultrasound. A modal analysis using two-dimensional discrete fast Fourier transform was performed on the time-space signal. This allowed the visualization of different modes of propagation and characterization of dispersion curves for both structures. The urethane tube/artery was mounted in a metallic frame, embedded in tissue-mimicking gelatin, cannulated, and pressurized over a range of 10-100 mmHg. The k-space and the dispersion curves of the urethane tube showed one mode of propagation, with no effect of transmural pressure. Fitting of a Lamb wave model estimated Young's modulus in the urethane tube around 560 kPa. Young's modulus of the artery ranged from 72 to 134 kPa at 10 and 100 mmHg, respectively. The changes observed in the artery dispersion curves suggest that this methodology of exciting mechanical waves and characterizing the modes of propagation has potential for studying arterial elasticity.     

强超声在空化液体中的反常衰减

采用自动控制系统,逐点测量了长方形水槽内液体中不同位置的声压。研究发现,随着驱动声压的增大,近场声压持续增大,但衰减速度也加快,而远场声压会经历一个先上升后下降的反常过程。通过对容器中不同位置声压进行频谱分析,得到声波不同频率分量随传播距离的变化规律。结合频谱的分析表明,上述反常过程的原因是高驱动声压下气泡的非线性振动将更多声能量转移至衰减较快的高次谐波,从而导致远场的声压反而低于较低驱动时对应的声压。     

Experimental study of the ultrasound attenuation in chemical reactors

Ultrasound is used in different domains, and in sonochemistry particularly, for different purposes and in various flow configurations: monophasic, two-phase and polyphasic reactors. In order to optimize and to design sonochemical reactors, it is important to describe the ultrasonic intensity space and time distribution. In addition, it is important to study the different parameters influencing the intensity profiles of the ultrasonic wave. In this work, a thermoelectric probe has been used to measure the ultrasonic intensity. This procedure has shown that the ultrasound propagation is influenced by the presence of cavitation bubbles, the flow regime and the presence of solid particles.     

Impact of local attenuation approximations when estimating correlation length from backscattered ultrasound echoes

Estimating the characteristic correlation length of tissue microstructure from the backscattered power spectrum could improve the diagnostic capability of medical ultrasound. Previously, size estimates were obtained after compensating for source focusing, the frequency-dependent attenuation along the propagation path (total attenuation), and the frequency-dependent attenuation in the scattering region (local attenuation). In this study, the impact of approximations of the local attenuation on the scatterer size estimate was determined using computer simulations and theoretical analysis. The simulations used Gaussian impedance distributions with an effective radius of 25 microm randomly positioned in a homogeneous half-space sonified by a spherically focused source (f/1 to f/4). The approximations of the local attenuation that were assessed neglected local attenuation (i.e., assume 0 dB/cm-MHz) neglected frequency dependence of the local attenuation, and assumed a finite frequency dependence (i.e., 0.5 dB/cm-MHz) independent of the true attenuation of the medium. Errors in the scatterer size estimate due to the local attenuation approximations increased with increasing window length, increasing true local attenuation and increasing f number. The most robust estimates were obtained when the local attenuation was approximated by a tissue-independent attenuation value that was greater than 70% of the largest attenuation expected in the tissue region of interest.     

Uncertainties in estimates of lesion detectability in diagnostic ultrasound.

Statistical properties of estimates of focal lesion detectability for medical ultrasonic imaging systems are investigated. Analytic forms for bias and variance of estimates of detectability of a lesion consisting of fully developed speckle embedded within a speckle background are derived. Bias and variance of estimates of detectability are investigated using a computer simulation and experiments on tissue-mimicking phantoms. This work offers a systematic methodology for interpreting measurements on phantoms in order to assess lesion detectability. In addition, it provides useful results which may be used to improve design of phantoms and experiments for imaging-system performance assessment.     

Attenuation of ultrasound in suspensions of bovine muscle myofibrils and myosin

The attenuation of 1.5-7 MHz ultrasound was measured over the pH range 3-7 in 100 mM KCl suspensions of bovine M. semitendinosus myofibrils, precipitated myosin and the residue of myofibrils after partial extraction of myosin. In all fractions attenuation showed a similar dependence on pH over the range 3-7, with a broad, substantial maximum in the region of pH 4.5-pH 5.5 and similar mass attenuation coefficients (per g protein). At pH 7 and 7 MHz these were 3.49 +/- 0.20 cm2 g-1 in the myofibrils, 3.26 +/- 0.31 cm2 g-1 in the myofibrilar residue and 2.83 +/- 0.68 cm2 g-1 in the precipitated myosin. Measurements at 5.3 MHz of precipitated myosin over a wider pH range revealed an attenuation titration curve similar to that previously observed in homogenates of muscle and muscle myofibrils, with substantial peaks at about pH 5 and 11.5, and a shoulder perhaps indicating a small underlying peak at about pH 8-9. Myosin dissolved in 800 mM KCl gave attenuation levels that were typically 50% lower than precipitated myosin e.g. at pH 7 and 7 MHz: 2.83 +/- 0.68 cm2 g-1 in the precipitated form, 1.29 +/- 0.10 cm2 g-1 in solution. These results indicated that: (a) attenuation by myosin filaments contributed substantially to the total attenuation in suspensions of myofibrils and (b) the peak in the myofibrilar attenuation is caused, or substantially contributed to, by a process taking place in the myosin component.     

高密度超细颗粒高浓度悬浊液超声衰减的数值模拟分析

以拓展耦合相ECP理论模型为基础,通过对高浓度超细二氧化钛-水悬浊液和玻璃微珠-水悬浊液中超声衰减的数值计算分析,讨论了高密度差异颗粒两相介质在高浓度情况下,超声频率、颗粒粒径大小、颗粒浓度对超声波衰减的影响,为高密度超细颗粒在高浓度悬浊液中颗粒粒度和浓度的超声波测量提供理论支持。