We describe a new method for the estimation of the speed of sound in soft tissues in the pulse-echo mode. A transducer imparts an accurate transaxial compression to the tissue, and the corresponding change in the arrival time of an echo feature is measured. The ratio between the compressed depth and the difference in arrival time is taken as the estimate of the speed of sound. A second, noncompressing transducer is used to correct for distal tissue movement. We show theoretically and experimentally that accurate speed of sound estimations can be made in overlying and underlying tissue mimicking layers.
RobinsonD. E.ChenF.WilsonL. S., Measurement of velocity of propagation from ultrasonic pulse echo data, Ultrasound Med. and Biol.8, 413–420 (1982).
2.
BamberJ.C.AbbottC., The Feasibility of Measuring Average Speed of Sound in Tissues using a Real—time Scanner, in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W.DaddM. J., eds. p. 517, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
3.
HayashiN.TamakiN.YamamotoK.SendaM.YonekuraY.TorizukaK.OgawaT.KatakuraK.UmemuraS., In vivo Measurement of Sound Speed in Normal and Abnormal Livers using a High Resolution Ultrasonic Scanner, in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W., DaddM. J., eds. p. 520, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
4.
HayashiN.TamakiN.SendaM.YamamotoK.YonekuraY.TorizukaN.OgawaT.KatakuraK.UmemuraS.KodamaM., A new method of measuring in vivo sound speed in the reflection mode, Journal Clinical Ultrasound, 16, 87–93, (1988).
5.
KatakuraK.OgawaT.UmemuraS.KodamaM.HayashiN.TamakiN.NakajimaK.YamamotoK.TorizukaK., In vivo Sound Speed Measurement in the Reflection Mode. in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W.DaddM. J., eds. p. 516, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
6.
OhtsukiS.SoetantoK.OkujimaM., A Technique with Reference Points Image for in vivo Measurement of Sound Velocity, in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W.DaddM. J., eds. p. 521, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
7.
IinumaK.SuminoY.HiramaM.OkazakiK.SatoT.SasakiH., A. Proposal of Crossed Beam Method Using a Linear Array Probe for In Vivo Measurement of Sound Velocity in Tissue, in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W.DaddM. J., eds. p. 515, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
8.
AkamatsuK.MizauchiA.NishimuraN.OhkuboH.OhtaY., A Simple New Method for In Vivo Measurement of Sound Velocity in Liver and its Clinical Usefulness, in Proc. Fourth World Fed. Ultrasound Med. Biol., GillR. W.DaddM. J., eds. p. 522, (Pergamon, New York, 1985) (abstract).
9.
OphirJ., Estimation of the speed of ultrasound propagation in Biological Tissues: A Beam-Tracking Method, IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelec. Freq. Cont. UFFC33, 359–367, (1986).
10.
OphirJ.JohnsonW.YazdiY.ShattuckD.MehtaD., Correlation artifacts in speed of sound estimation in scattering media, Ultrasound Med. Biol.15341–353 (1989).
11.
KontonassiosT.OphirJ., Variance reduction of speed of sound in tissues using the beam tracking method, IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelect. Freq. Cont. UFFC34, 524–530 (1978).
12.
ShattuckD. P.OphirJ.JohnsonG. W.YazdiY.MehtaD., Correction of refraction and other angle errors in beam tracking speed of sound estimation using multiple tracking transducers. Ultrasound Med. and Biol., (in press).
13.
OphirJ.LinT. S., A calibration free method for measurement of sound speed in biological tissue samples. IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelec. and Freq. Cont.35573–577 (1988).
14.
OphirJ.JaegerP., Spectral shifts of ultrasonic propagation through media with nonlinear dispersive attenuation. Ultrasonic Imaging4, 282–289 (1982).
15.
OphirJ.YazdiY.LinT. S.ShattuckD. P., Optimization of speed-of-sound estimation from noisy ultrasonic signals, IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Feroelec. Freq. Cont. UFFC36, 16–24 (1989).
