The Myocardial Signature: Absolute Backscatter, Cyclical Variation, Frequency Variation, and Statistics

Abstract

This paper studies the absolute myocardial backscatter as a function of the frequency and phase of the cardiac cycle. This was achieved by calibration of the ultrasonic instrumentation and the random diffraction process. We have discovered a first-order model in which the scattering from the myocardium is Rayleigh scattering with a cardiac cycle variation in the scattering cross section. Furthermore, the statistics are approximately those of a radio frequency waveform with two independent Gaussian components (Rayleigh envelope). Deviations from the first-order model suggest measurable fine structure related to myocardial ultrastructure. This model has profound effects on the choice of optimal radiation patterns and signal processing schemes for preparing diagnostic parameters (e.g., integrated backscatter).