Transaxial compression technique for sound velocity estimation
US5143070A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1989 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/101
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An improved ultrasonic pulse-echo method and apparatus that has particular application in estimating sound velocity in organic tissue is disclosed. The method employs a standard transducer or transducer containing device which is translated transaxially, thereby compressing or displacing a proximal region of a target body in small known increments. At each increment, a pulse is emitted and an echo sequence (A-line) is acquired from regions within the target along the sonic travel path or beam of the transducer. Segments of the echo sequence corresponding to a distal region within the target are selected as a reference to estimate the incremental change in echo arrival time. A plot of these arrival time estimates versus the target compression depth is then generated and a least squares linear fit is made. The slope of the linear fit is c.sup.-1, where c is an estimate of the speed of sound in the target.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.