The impact of sound speed errors on medical ultrasound imaging

The results of a quantitative study of the impact of sound speed errors on the spatial resolution and amplitude sensitivity of a commercial medical ultrasound scanner are presented in the context of their clinical significance. The beamforming parameters of the scanner were manipulated to produce sound speed errors ranging over +/-8% while imaging a wire target and an attenuating, speckle-generating phantom. For the wire target, these errors produced increases in lateral beam width of up to 320% and reductions in peak echo amplitude of up to 10.5 dB. In the speckle-generating phantom, these errors produced increases in speckle intensity correlation cell area of up to 92% and reductions in mean speckle brightness of up to 5.6 dB. These results are applied in statistical analyses of two detection tasks of clinical relevance. The first is of low contrast lesion detectability, predicting the changes in the correct decision probability as a function of lesion size, contrast, and sound speed error. The second is of point target detectability, predicting the changes in the correct decision probability as function of point target reflectivity and sound speed error. Representative results of these analyses are presented and their implications for clinical imaging are discussed. In general, sound speed errors have a more significant impact on point target detectability over lesion detectability by these analyses, producing up to a 22% reduction in correct decisions for a typical error.     

Examination of bone-conducted transmission from sound field excitation measured by thresholds, ear-canal sound pressure, and skull vibrations

Bone conduction (BC) relative to air conduction (AC) sound field sensitivity is here defined as the perceived difference between a sound field transmitted to the ear by BC and by AC. Previous investigations of BC-AC sound field sensitivity have used different estimation methods and report estimates that vary by up to 20 dB at some frequencies. In this study, the BC-AC sound field sensitivity was investigated by hearing threshold shifts, ear canal sound pressure measurements, and skull bone vibrations measured with an accelerometer. The vibration measurement produced valid estimates at 400 Hz and below, the threshold shifts produced valid estimates at 500 Hz and above, while the ear canal sound pressure measurements were found erroneous for estimating the BC-AC sound field sensitivity. The BC-AC sound field sensitivity is proposed, by combining the present result with others, as frequency independent at 50 to 60 dB at frequencies up to 900 Hz. At higher frequencies, it is frequency dependent with minima of 40 to 50 dB at 2 and 8 kHz, and a maximum of 50 to 60 dB at 4 kHz. The BC-AC sound field sensitivity is the theoretical limit of maximum attenuation achievable with ordinary hearing protection devices.     

Theoretical calculation on distance amplitude curve of ultrasonic phased array

Ultrasonic phased array technology has been gradually applied to industrial nondestructive testing in recent years. The sound field of the focusing and steering beam radiating from the phased array is a nonuniform distribution in the spatial position so that the echo signals of same size defects will be changed according to defect positions. To analyze these defects quantitatively, a model-based method for the distance amplitude correction is proposed for the phased array system. Based on a non-paraxial multi-Gaussian beam model and flaw scattering models, an ultrasonic measurement model for the phased array system is proposed to calculate the echo signals from side-drilled holes at different positions. Furthermore, these model-based distance amplitude curves are compared with the traditional experimental results for different focusing and steering beams. The two methods have a good agreement.     

三次谐波超声脉冲回波法对厚板的无损检测

在同一厚板表面的两个不同位置处分别进行超声回波脉冲测量，一处有细微裂纹而另一处无细微裂纹。实验结果表明，即使两个位置回波的基波频谱非常接近，但相应的三次谐波回波频谱仍存在较显著的区别，这一结果可望用于厚板具有微缺陷时的超声无损检测。     

The rodent ultrasound production mechanism.

Rodents produce two types of sounds, audible and ultrasonic, that differ markedly in physical structure. Studies of sound production in light gases show that whereas the audible cries appear to be produced, as in the case of most other mammals, by vibrating structures in the larynx, the ultrasonic cries are produced by a different mechanism, probably a whistle. 'Bird-call' whistles are shown to have all the properties of rodent ultrasonic cries and to mimic them in almost every detail. Thus it is concluded that rodents have two distinct sound production mechanisms, one for audible cries and one for ultrasonic cries.     

Use of focused ultrasonic receivers for remote measurements in biological tissues

The feasibility of using a focusing ultrasonic transducer as a sound pressure receiver is discussed. It is shown theoretically that, at certain angular apertures of the receiver, its output signal is proportional to the sound pressure in the field point coincident with the receiver center of curvature. The receivers of this type have been demonstrated suitable for remote measurements of field spatial distribution of plane and focused ultrasonic radiators. Data are presented on the experimental testing of focused receivers in measuring acoustic fields in water, air, and certain samples of biological tissues. The instruments are sufficiently universal and allow the measurement not only of acoustic fields, but also of temperature increments in locally heated media, as well as permit one to follow the initiation and development of ultrasonic cavitation and study nonlinear effects. The remote sensing ability and high sensitivity of focused ultrasonic receivers allow their practical use in biomedical acoustics for noninvasive measurements.     

Ultrasonic airborne insertion loss measurements at normal incidence (L)

Transmission loss and insertion loss measurements of building materials at audible frequencies are commonly made using plane wave tubes or as a panel between reverberant rooms. These measurements provide information for noise isolation control in architectural acoustics and in product development. Airborne ultrasonic sound transmission through common building materials has not been fully explored. Technologies and products that utilize ultrasonic frequencies are becoming increasingly more common, hence the need to conduct such measurements. This letter presents preliminary measurements of the ultrasonic insertion loss levels for common building materials over a frequency range of 28-90 kHz using continuous-wave excitation.     

Effects of using scalloped shape braces on the natural frequencies of a brace-soundboard system

Many prominent musical instrument makers shape their braces into a scalloped profile. Although reasons for this are not well known scientifically, many of these instrument makers attest that scalloped braces can produce superior sounding wooden musical instruments in certain situations. The aim of this paper is to determine a possible reason behind scalloped shaped braces. A simple analytical model consisting of a soundboard section and a scalloped brace is analyzed in order to see the effects that changes in the shape of the brace have on the frequency spectrum of the brace-soundboard system. The results are used to verify the feasibility of adjusting the brace thickness in order to compensate for soundboards having different stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the wood grain. It is shown that scalloping the brace allows an instrument maker to independently control the value of two natural frequencies of a combined brace-soundboard system. This is done by adjusting the brace’s base thickness in order to modify the 1st natural frequency and by adjusting the scalloped peak heights to modify the 3rd natural frequency, both of which are considered along the length of the brace. By scalloping their braces, and thus controlling the value of certain natural frequencies, musical instrument makers can improve the acoustic consistency of their instruments.     

Vibrational frequencies and tuning of the African mbira

The acoustic spectrum of the mbira, a musical instrument from Africa that produces sound by the vibration of cantilevered metal rods, has been measured. It is found that the most prominent overtones present in the spectrum have frequencies that are approximately 5 and 14 times the lowest frequency. A finite-element model of the vibration of the key that takes into account the acoustic radiation efficiency of the various normal modes reveals that the far-field power spectrum is dominated by modes involving predominately transverse motion of the key. Modes involving longitudinal motion do not radiate efficiently, and therefore contribute little to the sound produced. The high frequencies of the dominant overtones relative to the fundamental make it unlikely that the tunings of the mbira that are used by expert musicians are determined by matching the fundamental frequencies of the upper keys with the overtones of the lower keys.     

Flaw characterization based on diffraction of ultrasonic waves

A method of flaw characterization based on time domain analysis of the diffracted sound field from a flaw when irradiated by short ultrasonic pulses is described. The echo formation mechanism developed by Freedman has been utilized to predict the return pulse pattern. Experimental results that are in good agreement with theoretical predictions are presented. Using a microcomputer-based scanning and testing system the feasibility of reproducing planar, straight-edged flaw shapes has been successfully demonstrated.     

Wide-band dereverberation method based on multichannel linear prediction using prewhitening filter

Several dereverberation algorithms have been studied. The sampling frequencies used in conventional studies are typically 8–16 kHz because their main purpose is preprocessing for improving the intelligibility of speech communication and articulation for automatic speech recognition. However, in next-generation communication systems, techniques to analyze and reproduce not only semantic information of sound but also more high-definition components such as spatial information and directivity will be increasingly necessary. To decompose these sound field characteristics with high definition, a dereverberation algorithm that is useful at high sampling frequencies is an important technique to process sound that includes high-frequency spectra such as musical sounds. The LInear-predictive Multichannel Equalization (LIME) algorithm is a promising dereverberation method. Using the LIME algorithm, however, a dereverberation signal cannot be solved at high sampling frequencies when the source signal is colored, such as in the case of speech and sound of musical signals. Because the rank of the correlation matrix calculated from such a colored signal is not full, the characteristic polynomial cannot be calculated precisely. To alleviate this problem, we propose preprocessing of all input signals with filters to whiten their spectra so that this algorithm can function for colored signals at high sampling frequencies.     

Ultrasonic transducers working in the air with the continuous wave within the 50-500 kHz frequency range

Transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in the air requires high standards of both the transmitters and the receivers of these waves. The paper presents the results of measurements of ultrasonic signals generated by ultrasonic transducers of mean power working with the continuous wave, designed for operating in the air at the frequencies between 50 and 500 kHz. The characteristic feature of these transducers is their high effectiveness and sensitivity, which are necessary for working in the transmission system. Directional characteristics' measurements and the measurements of the acoustic field in the air enabling its visualization on different planes were done on specially built research setups. The results of the measurements of these transducers' admittance were also presented. Because of the forecast applications of these transducers for examining ultrasonic signals transmitted in the air by materials with different degrees of porosity, obtaining the high energy of the generated ultrasonic wave is necessary. This was possible thanks to applying layers of acoustic impedance Z approximately (0.2/1.0)x10(6) kg/(m2 s) matching the high impedance of ceramics with the low impedance of air. The designed and produced transducers had the normalized diameter of D=38 mm and worked at frequencies within the ranges of f=50, 200, 350 and 500 kHz.     

Effects of ultrasound on the catalytic activity of matrix-bound glucoamylase

The effect of ultrasonic waves on the activity of glucoamylase bound to a porous polystyrene matrix is investigated in this Paper. The immobilized enzyme was sonated in a flow cuvette at frequencies between 1 and 11 MHz and sound intensities up to 5 kW m-2. The effect was measured as a function of the type and concentration of the substrate, carrier particle size, flow rate of the substrate solution and ultrasonic frequency. The activity increase is discussed in terms of a possible ultrasonic mechanism.     

Low frequency narrow-band calls in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): signal properties, function, and conservation implications

Dolphins routinely use sound for social purposes, foraging and navigating. These sounds are most commonly classified as whistles (tonal, frequency modulated, typical frequencies 5-10 kHz) or clicks (impulsed and mostly ultrasonic). However, some low frequency sounds have been documented in several species of dolphins. Low frequency sounds produced by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were recorded in three locations along the Gulf of Mexico. Sounds were characterized as being tonal with low peak frequencies (mean?=?990 Hz), short duration (mean?=?0.069 s), highly harmonic, and being produced in trains. Sound duration, peak frequency and number of sounds in trains were not significantly different between Mississippi and the two West Florida sites, however, the time interval between sounds within trains in West Florida was significantly shorter than in Mississippi (t?=?-3.001, p?=?0.011). The sounds were significantly correlated with groups engaging in social activity (F=8.323, p=0.005). The peak frequencies of these sounds were below what is normally thought of as the range of good hearing in bottlenose dolphins, and are likely subject to masking by boat noise.     

Indirect measurement of acoustic power into a small room at low frequencies

An essential step towards improving sound insulation is a reliable means of quantifying the performance. However, for various reasons sound insulation measurements at low frequencies are associated with relatively high uncertainty and wide variance values. The objective of this research is to develop a method of sound insulation measurement which complements the standard ISO 140 measurement methods by providing improved accuracy at low frequencies. In this paper part of the problem is considered, namely the measurement of power radiated into the receiver room. The ‘peak envelope method’ is based on mode theory and the measurement employs a pair of microphones in the receiver room and a calibrated volume velocity source. No reverberation time measurements are required. The theory is outlined and computer simulations and trial measurements are carried out in order to validate the theory. Good agreement in numerical and experimental validation is demonstrated. We conclude that the peak envelope method is suitable for the measurement of radiated sound power at modal frequencies where ISO 140 methods are poorly adapted. In order to obtain transmission loss, a measure of incident power in the source room will also be required, which will be the subject of future works.     

Investigation of noninertial cavitation produced by an ultrasonic horn

This paper reports on noninertial cavitation that occurs beyond the zone close to the horn tip to which the inertial cavitation is confined. The noninertial cavitation is characterized by collating the data from a range of measurements of bubbles trapped on a solid surface in this noninertial zone. Specifically, the electrochemical measurement of mass transfer to an electrode is compared with high-speed video of the bubble oscillation. This gas bubble is shown to be a "noninertial" event by electrochemical surface erosion measurements and "ring-down" experiments showing the activity and motion of the bubble as the sound excitation was terminated. These measurements enable characterization of the complex environment produced below an operating ultrasonic horn outside of the region where inertial collapse can be detected. The extent to which solid boundaries in the liquid cause the frequencies and shapes of oscillatory modes on the bubble wall to differ from their free field values is discussed.     

Evaluation of efficiently computed exact vibration characteristics of space platforms assembled from stayed columns

The exact stiffness matrix method computer program BUNVIS finds the natural frequencies and modes of vibration of rigidly jointed three dimensional frames which contain stayed columns very efficiently, by using substructuring and simple substitute columns to compute the stayed column stiffness. BUNVIS is described and applied to a tetrahedral truss which was designed for use in space and which has stayed columns as its members and 21 966 degrees of freedom at its nodes. Locating the first 4978 natural frequencies needed 2 h of VAX-11/780 CPU time and 5860 array locations. These natural frequencies appeared in groups for which the associated modes are discussed.     

Liquid-surface relief: Its transient behaviour for pulse-excited transducers

The investigation of ultrasonically produced liquid-surface relief by means of double-exposure holography to determine the sound intensity has been extended to pulsed ultrasonic waves and the transient behaviour of the surface relief. The rise time and height of the surface elevation varies considerably with pulse duration, sound field structure, and sound pressure amplitude. For pulse repetition frequencies higher than 200 Hz a steady-state condition is achieved.     

Experimental investigation on finite-amplitude standingwaves:Ⅰ. The properties of second harmonic

I.IntroductionInrecentyears,theresearchworkonnonlinearacousticshasbeendcvelopedrapid1ybe-causethehigh-intensitysoundismoreandmoreimportantincontcmporarytechnology.Aerodynamicnoiseemittedbyrockctorjetengines,noisetestofairframcs,u1trasonicpro-cessing,andothcrs,a1linvo1vefinitc-amplitudesoundwavesand,mostlystandingwaves.Athcoryofonc-dimensiona1finitc-amp1itudestandingwavesinlosslessmediahasbeenproposedbyMAAonthebasisofthcfundamenta1principlesofhydrodynamics['l,inwhichformulasofstcadywavcformsa…