Acoustic backscattering from ultrasonically tissuelike media

Abstract

The acoustic backscattering coefficients of a tissue-mimicking (TM) material were measured using a modified Sigelmann-Reid technique in order to assess the similarity of its acoustic properties to those of soft tissues. A simple reference scatter material was used to probe the strengths and the limitations of the measurement technique. Backscatter coefficients measured from the TM material exhibit a frequency dependence of the form fm in the range 1.0-8.0 MHz where 3.5 .ltoreq. m .ltoreq. 3.8. The backscatter coefficient is also found to be approximately proportional to the particle concentration in the TM material up to concentrations that yield an attenuation coefficient of 0.9 db(decibel)/cm per MHz. Comparisons of backscatter coefficients measured from the TM material are made with published values for liver, myocardium and blood.