Broadband Acoustic Measurement of an Agar-Based Tissue-Mimicking-Material: A Longitudinal Study

Publication date: Available online 24 April 2017
Source:Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology
Author(s): Adela Rabell Montiel, Jacinta E. Browne, Stephen D. Pye, Tom A. Anderson, Carmel M. Moran
Commercially available ultrasound quality assurance test phantoms rely on the long-term acoustic stability of the tissue-mimicking-material (TMM). Measurement of the acoustic properties of the TMM can be technically challenging, and it is important to ensure its stability. The standard technique is to film-wrap samples of TMM and to measure the acoustic properties in a water bath. In this study, a modified technique was proposed whereby the samples of TMM are measured in a preserving fluid that is intended to maintain their characteristics. The acoustic properties were evaluated using a broadband pulse-echo substitution technique over the frequency range 4.5–50 MHz at 0, 6 and 12 months using both techniques. For both techniques, the measured mean values for the speed of sound and attenuation were very similar and within the International Electrotechnical Commission-recommended value. However, the results obtained using the proposed modified technique exhibited greater stability over the 1-y period compared with the results acquired using the standard technique.



http://ift.tt/2q1Xa2o