Influence of attenuation on measurements of ultrasonic myocardial integrated backscatter during cardiac cycle (an in vitro study).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dependence of ultrasonic integrated backscatter (IB) and attenuation in myocardium on wall thickness in a state of acute ischemia. Therefore, an in vitro experiment was set up in which attenuation, IB and wall thickness of a piece of freshly excised myocardium could be measured almost simultaneously. The myocardium was taken from 11 Yorkshire pigs (25–30 kg) that were killed less than 45 min before the experiment. The myocardium was placed in the far field of an ultrasound transducer (3.2–7.2 MHz) and then compressed by a stainless steel sphere. Data were processed off-line. Backscatter and attenuation were also measured as a function of frequency at 100% and 75% wall thickness, respectively. Both attenuation and IB varied during compression. Attenuation had an initial value of 2.19 ± 0.76 dB/cm and a slope of 0.015 ± 0.017 dB/cm% wall thickness. IB had an initial value of −76.9 ± 2.7 dB and a slope of −0.12 +- 0.07 dB/% wall thickness. After subtracting the influence of the attenuation from the IB the initial value of IB was −74.0 ± 2.7 dB and the slope −0.08 ± 0.07 dB/% wall thickness. Attenuation appeared to have a linear dependency on frequency. Backscatter appeared not to increase with increasing frequency without correction of the spectrum for the frequency dependent insonified volume.     

Experimental Measurements of Ultrasound Attenuation in Human Chest Wall and Assessment of the Mechanical Index for Lung Ultrasound

Knowledge of the acoustic attenuation characteristics of the chest wall is necessary to estimate the acoustic exposure at the pleural surface during lung ultrasound and is useful in the prediction of bio-effects (e.g., pulmonary capillary hemorrhage) and the development of safe, effective lung imaging. Currently, this property is not well characterized in humans. The aim of this work was to characterize ultrasonic attenuation in human chest wall such that the ultrasound exposures of the lung can be estimated for clinically relevant conditions. In this study, we experimentally measured ultrasound transmitted through the intercostal tissue of 15 human cadaver chest wall samples relative to ultrasound transmitted through saline to determine attenuation coefficients for each sample. A GE Vivid 7 diagnostic ultrasound machine (GE Vingmed, Horten, Norway) and 3 S and 5 S phased array probes were used at center frequencies from 1.6 to 5 MHz. The chest wall samples varied in thickness from 2.3–5.5 cm with a median thickness of 3.8 cm. The frequency-normalized attenuation coefficient was approximately 1.44 dB/cm/MHz based on a linear best fit through all attenuation measurements. Attenuation characteristics varied appreciably between samples, and the sample-averaged linear attenuation coefficient was 1.43 ± 0.32 (mean ± standard deviation) dB/cm/MHz. This attenuation is higher than that previously measured in mammalian chest wall samples (1.1–1.3 dB/cm/MHz for mice and rats) and is much greater than that used by the mechanical index (0.3 dB/cm/MHz). Mechanical index values calculated using saline values de-rated by 0.3 dB/cm/MHz were up to 1.2 MPa/MHz^1/2 greater than those calculated using the measured through-tissue ultrasound waves. We conclude that the mechanical index overestimates exposures for lung ultrasound and thus may not be an appropriate dosimetry metric for pulmonary ultrasound.     

Temperature elevations computed for three-layer and four-layer obstetrical tissue models in nonlinear and linear ultrasonic propagation cases.

The authors computed temperature elevations in a three-layer and a four-layer tissue model, assuming the crucial obstetrical case when the ultrasonic pulse propagating through the abdominal wall and the fluid-filled bladder penetrates into soft fetal tissues. To consider nonlinear propagation, the authors applied a new theory of nonlinear increase of absorption recently developed by the first author. Computations were carried out for pulses with a carrier frequency of 3 MHz, duration time of 1.33 micros, and pulse repetition frequency of 3.3 kHz. Similar computations were carried out for a four-layer tissue model corresponding to the third trimester of gestation. The ceramic piezoelectric transducer 2 cm in diameter radiated the ultrasonic beam focused at a distance of 6.5 cm. The intensities at the radiating transducer (at the source) were I(SAPA) = 10 and 5 W/cm2. Temperature elevations and distributions were determined numerically for various values of low-amplitude absorption coefficients assumed to be the same as attenuation coefficients. It was shown in the three-layer tissue model that the maximum temperature elevation can be about 50% higher for nonlinear than for linear propagation.The maximum fetal temperature elevation in this case was 2.36 degrees C for nonlinear and 1.84 degrees C for linear propagation. The temperature elevation in the abdominal wall was lower than those temperatures when the attenuation of the abdominal wall was assumed to be a low value of 0.05 Np/cm.MHz (0.45 dB/cm.MHz). However, when it was increased to 0.16 Np/cm.MHz (1.4 dB/cm.MHz), the temperature elevation of the abdominal wall reached 3.2 degrees C and the maximum fetal elevation was 1.65 degrees C. In such cases, the abdominal wall became the principal source of heat production. In this case, the difference between fetal temperature elevations for nonlinear and linear propagation was only about 10%. The results obtained in the four-layer tissue model, in which the uterus tissue also was represented, show that temperature elevations in this case are about 3.6 times lower than in the three-layer tissue model, with comparable attenuation of the abdominal wall. Differences between nonlinear and linear propagation in the four-layer tissue model are negligible. The temperature elevations obtained were proportional to the pulse repetition frequency, without changing temperature distributions in the ultrasonic beam. In this manner, fetal temperature elevations can be reduced by reducing the repetition frequency.     

Ultrasonic attenuation and absorption in liver tissue

A large range of values for ultrasonic attenuation and absorption coefficients of tissues are reported in the literature. An important distinction both practically and theoretically is the magnitude of the true absorption, which characterizes the rate of conversion of ultrasonic to thermal energy, as compared with the total attenuation of the ultrasonic signal as it propagates through tissue.The magnitudes of these quantities were studied in bovine liver. Total attenuation was measured, in the range of 1–6 MHz, by both phase sensitive and phase insensitive insertion loss techniques. Ultrasonic absorption was determined by two thermal techniques. The standard “transient thermoelectric” or rate-of-heating method, and a new measurement technique based on the temperature decay following a short ultrasonic pulse were employed for the determination of the ultrasonic absorption coefficient.The results demonstrate that the ultrasonic amplitude attenuation and absorption coefficients at low megahertz frequencies are not significantly different in liver. The mean values cluster around 0.05 nepers/cm/MHz (0.4 dB/cm/MHz). The sample-to-sample variation is indicated by the standard deviation in the measurements of 0.01 nepers/cm/MHz (0.09 dB/cm/MHz) or less.The results show that in liver tissue, absorption is the dominant feature of attenuation over this frequency range.     

Cyclic Variation of Integrated Backscatter: Dependence of Time Delay on the Echocardiographic View Used and the Myocardial Segment Analyzed

To determine the influence of myocardial anisotropy in ultrasonic tissue characterization, we measured the time delay (and magnitude) of the cyclic variation of myocardial integrated backscatter from specific segments visualized in the 4 standard transthoracic echocardiographic views. The cyclic variation data in 10 myocardial regions were obtained from analyses of 2-dimensional integrated backscatter images from 23 healthy subjects. Resultant values (mean ± SD) for the time delay were as follows: parasternal long-axis view: 1.08 ± 0.17 (septum) and 1.00 ± 0.14 (posterior wall); parasternal short-axis view: 1.03 ± 0.16 (anterior septum), 1.03 ± 0.14 (posterior wall), 2.22 ± 0.71 (lateral wall), and 1.65 ± 0.66 (posterior septum); apical 4-chamber view: 1.08 ± 0.31 (septum) and 2.20 ± 0.79 (lateral wall); and apical 2-chamber view: 1.68 ± 0.62 (inferior wall) and 2.04 ± 0.72 (anterior wall). Hence, results of this study indicate that myocardial ultrasonic characterization that uses the cyclic variation is influenced by the echocardiographic view and the specific segment of the left ventricle. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2000;13:9-17.)     

Analysis of transmural trends in myocardial integrated backscatter in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

Cardiac involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) is common and has a strong negative impact on the prognosis, especially when autoantibodies are present. To determine whether ultrasonic tissue characterization can detect early ultrastructural changes in the sclerodermal myocardium, we analyzed the transmural heterogeneity in myocardial integrated backscatter (THIB). "A-THIB" was defined as the absolute difference in integrated backscatter between the left (subendocardial) and right (subepicardial) ventricular halves of the myocardium in the septum and posterior wall, and was measured in 11 patients with PSS and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy participants. A-THIB in patients with PSS was higher than that in healthy participants (1.3 +/- 1.3 vs 4.0 +/- 1.4 dB for the septum and 1.1 +/- 0.7 dB vs 2.8 +/- 0.4 dB for the posterior wall; mean +/- SD, respectively, P <.0005). Septal A-THIB was higher in patients with PSS with than without anti-Scl70 or antinucleolar antibodies (3.2 +/- 1.1 vs 5.0 +/- 1.0 dB, P =.0165). Early changes in the myocardium of patients with PSS, possibly related to increased interstitial collagen deposition, can be detected by quantitative analysis of THIB.     

Relationship between ultrasonic attenuation, size and axial strain parameters for ex vivo atherosclerotic carotid plaque

Many ultrasonic parameters, primarily related to attenuation and scatterer size, have been used to characterize the composition of atherosclerotic plaque tissue. In this study, we combine elastographic (axial strain ratio) and ultrasonic tissue characterization parameters, namely the attenuation coefficient and a scattering parameter associated with an "equivalent" scatterer size to delineate between fibrous, calcified, and lipidic plaque tissue. We present results obtained from 44 ex vivo atherosclerotic plaque specimens obtained after carotid endarterectomy on human patients. Our results in the frequency range 2.5 - 7.5 MHz indicate that softer plaques (with higher values of the strain ratio) are usually associated with larger equivalent scatterer size estimates (200 - 500 microm) and lower values of the attenuation coefficient slope (<1 dB/cm/MHz). On the other hand, stiffer plaques (with lower strain ratio values) are associated with smaller equivalent scatterer size estimates (100 - 200 microm) and higher values of the attenuation coefficient slope (1 - 3 dB/cm/MHz). These results indicate that ultrasonic tissue characterization and strain parameters have the potential to differentiate between different plaque types. These parameters can be estimated from radio-frequency data acquired under in vivo conditions and may help the clinician decide on appropriate interventional techniques.     

Measurements of ultrasonic attenuation properties of midgestational fetal pig hearts

The objectives of this study were to measure the relative attenuation properties of the left and right ventricles in fetal pig hearts and to compare the spatial variation in attenuation measurements with those observed in previously published backscatter measurements. Approximately 1.0-mm-thick, short-axis slices of excised, formalin-fixed heart were examined from 15 midgestational fetal pigs using a 50-MHz single-element transducer. Measurements of the attenuation properties demonstrate regional differences in the left and right ventricular myocardium that appear consistent with the previously reported regional differences in apparent integrated backscatter measurements of the same fetal pig hearts. For regions of perpendicular insonification relative to the myofiber orientation, the right ventricular free wall showed larger values for the slope of the attenuation coefficient from 30-60 MHz (1.48 +/- 0.22 dB/(cm x MHz) (mean +/- SD) and attenuation coefficient at 45 MHz (46.3 +/- 7.3 dB/cm [mean +/- SD]) than the left ventricular free wall (1.18 +/- 0.24 dB/(cm x MHz) and 37.0 +/- 7.9 dB/cm (mean +/- SD) for slope of attenuation coefficient and attenuation coefficient at 45 MHz, respectively). This attenuation study supports the hypothesis that intrinsic differences in the myocardium of the left and right ventricles exist in fetal pig hearts at midgestation.     

In situ exposimetry: the ovarian ultrasound examination

We have constructed a specialized in vivo exposimetry system and developed and tested customized software using specially fabricated hydrophones. We placed the hydrophones in the lateral vaginal fornix as close to the ovary as possible (usually 1-2 cm from the ovary) and determined selected first-order and second-order ultrasonic field quantities during a routine ultrasound examination of the ovary. Our sonographic measurements yielded mean ultrasound beam path distances of 7.6 cm. (n = 18) in the presence of a distended bladder and 7.0 cm. (n = 25) in the presence of an empty bladder with an average group insertion loss of 6.2 dB and 7.3 dB, respectively. Using a Fixed Attenuation Model, the tissue attenuation coefficient value was 2.98 dB/MHz; whereas for the Overlying Tissue Model the value was 0.72 dB/cm-MHz. These data are both specific and unique in that they have been systematically obtained in situ.     

Stress-induced changes in subendocardial tissue texture in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: an echocardiographic videodensitometric study

Background: Myocardial ischemia changes myocardial acoustic properties, inducing increase of integrated backscatter and blunting of cyclic variation of backscatter. Stress-induced subendocardial underperfusion has been demonstrated in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Aim: To evaluate the potential of a videodensitometric approach in assessing transmural ultrasonic tissue changes in HCM during dipyridamole infusion. Methods: Twenty-two patients (13 males, 50 ± 12 years) with HCM underwent dipyridamole echo testing (DET). Myocardial gray levels amplitude was calculated off-line on digitized images in the left subendocardial (LV-endo), right subendocardial (RV-endo) region of the interventricular septum and posterior wall (long axis parasternal view). Results: The thickness of the interventricular septum and posterior wall was 1.9 ± 0.3 and 1.17 ± 2.1 cm, respectively. In the LV-endo layer, the cyclic variation was blunted during DET (rest = 37 ± 14 vs. DET 27 ± 20%, p < 0.02). In the RV-endo layer and posterior wall, no changes occurred. In the LV-endo layer of the septum, blunting of cyclic variation was more pronounced in the 10 patients with than in the 12 without ST-segment depression during DET (21.2 ± 14.7% vs. 43.8 ± 15.8, p < 0.01). Conclusions: In HCM patients, DET induced blunting of cyclic variation without the evidence of wall motion abnormalities. This reduction was more pronounced when electrocardiographic signs of ischemia were simultaneously elicited by DET.     

Ultrasound attenuation measurements of the liver in vivo using a commercial sector scanner

Attenuation measurements of various tissue mimicking phantoms and three different groups of patients were obtained using a modified commercial sector scanner. Estimates of attenuation were made using the spectral shift method with mean frequencies at different depths of a region of interest being obtained by both zero crossing and fast Fourier transform techniques. The accuracy and precision of both techniques was compared in phantoms and it was found that the FFT technique yielded less day-to-day variation (SD=3 percent) than the zero crossing technique (5 percent). For larger regions of interest, the range of variation in both techniques was more similar. Day-to-day variation in livers of normal patients was much larger than that seen in phantoms (10 to 15 percent) suggesting that in vivo measurements may be less precise due to actual daily changes in patients' livers. Attenuation estimates of phantoms were high by approximately 0.16 dB/MHz/cm compared to values obtained by transmission techniques. The attenuation values of livers in a group of 31 normal patients ranged from 0.214 dB/cm/MHz to 0.849 dB/cm/MHz with a mean of 0.627 +/- 0.126 dB/cm/MHz for the zero crossing technique while the mean value using the FFT technique was 0.86 +/- 0.168 dB/cm/MHz. A group of 26 Gauchers disease patients also showed wide variation with a mean attenuation value of 0.768 +/- 0.21 dB/cm/MHz using the FFT technique. This was significantly different than that of the normal group (p less than .05). Also, a group of 22 chronic B hepatitis patients was examined, having a mean attenuation value of 0.823 +/- 0.21 dB/cm/MHz, not significantly different from those of normal patients. Highly significant differences were found between the three groups when the power spectrum bandwidths of signals received were compared. These differences may be due to differences in the dependence of attenuation as a function of frequency between the groups and may represent a useful tissue characterization parameter.     

二维应变率成像技术评价健康人及冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者左心室局部长轴收缩功能

目的应用二维应变率成像技术检测健康人及冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者左心室局部长轴收缩功能变化。方法选取2011年10月至2012年8月在青岛大学医学院附属医院心内科住院治疗的冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者53例,其中前壁供血受损的左前降支病变患者29例（简称LCA组）、下壁供血受损的右冠状动脉病变患者24例（简称RCA组）,同时选取健康志愿者30名（健康对照组）。超声心动图采集心尖四腔心、心尖两腔心切面二维动态灰阶图像,测量左心室前壁、侧壁、下壁及室间隔平均纵向收缩期峰值应变率（PSRs）。3组受检者上述资料的比较采用单因素方差分析,组间两两比较采用LSD．q检验。结果健康对照组受检者室间隔与前壁、侧壁、下壁PSRs分别为（4．614±0．60）s^-1、（5．18±0．87）s^-1、（5．60±0．70）s^-1、（6．05±0．74）s^-1,差异有统计学意义（F=20．95,P=0．00）,且呈现室间隔一前壁一侧壁一下壁逐渐增大的变化规律：LCA组患者室间隔与前壁、侧壁、下壁PSRs分别为（4．31±0．85）s^-1、（1．96±0．93）S、（5．54±0．83）s^-1、（5．93±0．80）s^-1,差异有统计学意义（F=127．25,P=0．00）,缺血的前壁PSRs明显低于室间隔、侧壁、下壁,且前壁与侧壁、下壁比较,差异均有统计学意义（q=22．62、25．04,P均〈0．01）;RCA组患者室间隔与前壁、侧壁、下壁PSRs分别为（4．51±0．62）s^-1、（4．99±1．13）s-。、（5‘31±O．81）s^-1、（2．84±0．85）s^-1,差异有统计学意义（F=38．12,P=0．00）,缺血的下壁PSRs明显低于前壁、侧壁和室间隔,且前壁与下壁比较,差异有统计学意义（q=12．08,P〈O．01）,侧壁与下壁比较,差异有统计学意义（q=13．88,P〈0．01）。同部位各组间比较发现,LCA组前壁PSRs与健康对照组比较,差异有统计学意义（q=20．17,P〈0．01）;RCA组下壁PSRs与健康对照组比较,差异有统计学意义（q=19．98,P〈O．01）。结论二维应变率成像技术能准确评价左心室局部长轴收缩功能的变化,且在健康人中存在一定的变化规律,据此可快速早期检测冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病局部心肌缺血。     

二维应变超声心动图评价移植心脏左心室收缩功能

目的应用二维应变超声心动图检测移植心脏左室壁峰值收缩应变,探讨二维应变超声心动图评价移植心脏左室收缩功能的价值。方法9例心脏移植受者共进行41次超声检查;23例正常人作为对照。记录心尖长轴观、心尖两腔观及心尖四腔观的高帧频二维图像,应用二维应变分析软件测量左室壁各节段的峰值收缩应变及心尖各切面观心肌总的峰值收缩应变、左室整体平均峰值收缩应变。结果无排异反应的心脏移植受者与正常人相比,除了4个心尖节段（后壁心尖段、前间隔心尖段、侧壁心尖段、前壁心尖段）外,左室壁各节段峰值收缩应变均显著降低（P〈0.05）;心尖各切面观心肌总的峰值收缩应变及左室整体平均峰值收缩应变均较正常显著降低（P〈0.05）。急性排异反应与无排异反应的心脏移植受者后室间隔及侧壁各节段相比,峰值收缩应变均有下降趋势,但仅后室间隔心尖段峰值收缩应变降低具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。急性排异反应的心脏移植受者心尖四腔观心肌总的峰值收缩应变较无排异反应的心脏移植受者则显著降低（P〈0.05）。结论二维应变超声心动图可用于快速准确评价移植心脏左室收缩功能,在排异反应诊断方面具有潜在价值。     

Estimating myocardial attenuation from M-mode ultrasonic backscatter

The objective of this investigation was to determine whether measurements of myocardial attenuation can be obtained from analyses of M-mode images. We exploited the inherent anisotropy of myocardial properties as a means of systematically varying the attenuation to evaluate this M-mode image-based method for myocardial tissue characterization. A commercially available ultrasonic imaging system was used to acquire M-mode images of 24 excised cylindrical specimens from six formalin-fixed sheep hearts that were analyzed using video signal analysis. Data were compensated for the presence of bright intramural myocardial echoes, a potentially significant contributor to uncertainty in measurements of attenuation from backscattered ultrasound. The estimated attenuation coefficient in dB/cm at an effective center frequency of 2.75 MHz as a function of angle of insonification for measurements obtained from analyses of M-mode images is presented. Given a linear frequency-dependence of attenuation in myocardial tissue over frequencies ranging from 1.5 MHz to 8 MHz, as has been previously reported, M-mode image-based analyses were used to estimate the slope of attenuation. Results showed slopes of attenuation (over a -10 dB transmit bandwidth of 1.875 MHz to 3.75 MHz) ranging from 1.00 +/- 0.07 to 1.81 +/- 0.08 dB/(cm.MHz) for perpendicular and parallel insonification, respectively. These values were in good agreement with contemporaneously measured values (0.99 +/- 0.02 to 1.77 +/- 0.04 dB/(cm.MHz)) obtained over a frequency bandwidth of 4 MHz to 7 MHz using a through-transmission radio-frequency-based approach. These data suggest that robust measurements of myocardial attenuation can be obtained from analyses of M-mode images and that this method may be diagnostically feasible in the clinical setting.     

咪达普利对家兔陈旧性心梗跨室壁动作电位不均一性的影响

目的 研究咪达普利对陈旧性心肌梗死家兔非心梗区心室肌复极离散度的影响。方法 取家兔结扎左心室冠状动脉前降支8周后，记录其单相动作电位；采用二步消化法分离左心室游离壁3层心肌细胞。用膜片钳全细胞模式记录单细胞动作电位。结果 陈旧性心肌梗死家兔非心梗区心室肌中层的动作电位时程（MAPD90）明显延长，而内膜下和外膜下心肌细胞动作电位时程延长不明显，3层心肌的跨室壁复极不均一性增加。在体单相动作电位的离散度较单细胞动作电位要小。应用眯达普利后，其复极不均一性得到改善，室颤阈值上升。结论 咪达普利可降低家兔非心梗区心室肌复极离散度，这可能是其减少陈旧性心肌梗死恶性心律失常发生的机制之一。     

Transmural variation of myocardial attenuation and its potential effect on contrast-mediated estimates of regional myocardial perfusion.

Promising technical developments suggest that it may be feasible to use contrast echocardiography to estimate regional myocardial perfusion. Although the optimal approach has not yet been determined, the use of a nonlinear (harmonic) response of the contrast agent is common to several recent advances. The purpose of this article is to delineate the relation between the anisotropic (angle-dependent) ultrasonic attenuation of the myocardium through which the sound wave has propagated and the regional, nonlinear response of the contrast agent. Apparent perfusion will be modulated by this regionally varying, path-dependent attenuation, which is determined by the local angle between the propagating sound wave and the myofiber orientation. We illustrate the potential magnitude of the effect of myocardial anisotropy for the apical 4-chamber view by examining propagation along the septum and the lateral wall. We present experimentally measured values of the attenuation of excised sheep myocardium, showing statistically significant differences in the attenuation in the mid wall compared with that in symmetrical zones to the left and right of the mid wall, reflecting the well-known myofiber orientations in these 3 regions. The nonlinear (harmonic) response of a contrast agent depends on the local pressure amplitude, which for a given mechanical index is determined by the attenuation accumulated along the path to the point where the regional perfusion is estimated.     

Studies on frequency-dependent attenuation in the normal liver and spleen and in liver diseases, using the spectral-shift zero-crossing method

This report presents results of studies using the spectral-shift zero-crossing method to measure frequency-dependent attenuation (FDA) in normal liver and spleen and in diseased liver. We developed a new system for attenuation analysis that calculated FDA in dB/cm/MHz according to the following equation: (formula: see text). Data are collected from the region of interest on the scan image. Graphite-gel phantoms of known attenuation value are used to create a high degree of accuracy in this new system. Mean attenuation of normal livers was 0.55 +/- 0.05 dB/cm/MHz, while that of normal spleen was 0.37 +/- 0.06 dB/cm/MHz. No correlation between FDA and age could be seen. FDA was 0.81 +/- 0.17 dB/cm/MHz in fatty liver, 0.63 +/- 0.13 dB/cm/MHz in liver cirrhosis, and 0.64 +/- 0.12 dB/cm/MHz in chronic hepatitis. These values are higher than those obtained from normal liver, while tumor masses in the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, hemangioma) and diffuse infiltration by malignant lymphoma produced lower than normal values, averaging 0.38 +/- 0.08 dB/cm/MHz.     

Attenuation coefficient and sound speed in human myometrium and uterine fibroid tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a noninvasive method for treatment of uterine fibroid tumors using high-intensity focused ultrasound. Optimal high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment would be dependent on quantitative information about ultrasonic tissue characteristics. METHODS: Ultrasonic attenuation and the sound speed of fresh human fibroid tumors and myometrium were measured as a function of frequency (1-3 MHz) by using a pulse transmission technique before and after in vitro high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment (3.5 MHz at an intensity of 2,000 W/cm2). RESULTS: The ranges of the attenuation coefficients, before and after high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment, were 0.9 to 2.2 and 1.8 to 3.9 dB/cm2, respectively, for fibroid tumors and 0.5 to 1.6 and 1.7 to 3.3 dB/cm2, respectively, for myometrium. Although the sound speed appeared to be independent of frequency (1,611 to 1,616 m/s at 1 to 3 MHz) in both types of tissues, a slight increase of approximately 4 to 14 m/s was observed after high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study represent our first reported values of the attenuation coefficient and sound speed in fibroid tumors and myometrium before and after high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment.     

Determining the acoustic properties of the lens using a high-frequency ultrasonic needle transducer

Ultrasonic parameters including sound velocity and attenuation coefficient have recently been found to be useful in characterizing the cataract lens noninvasively. However, the regional changes of these acoustic parameters in the lens cannot be detected directly by those ultrasonic measurements. This prompted us to fabricate a 46-MHz needle transducer (lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate [PMN-PT] single crystal) with an aperture size of 0.4 mm and a diameter of 0.9 mm for directly measuring the sound velocity and frequency-dependent attenuation coefficient in lenses. These parameters have been shown to be related to the hardness of a cataract, and hence this technique may allow surgeons to detect the acoustic properties of the cataract via a small incision on the cornea before/during phacoemulsification surgery. To verify the performance of the needle transducer, experiments were performed on porcine lenses in which two types of cataracts (nucleus and cortical) were induced artificially. The needle transducer was mounted on a positioning system and its tip was inserted into the lens, allowing the anterior-to-posterior profiles of acoustic parameters along the lens axis to be obtained immediately. The experimental results show that the acoustic parameters are not constant within a single normal lens. The sound velocity and ultrasound attenuation coefficient (at 46 MHz) were 1701.2 ± 8.4 m/s (mean ± SD) and 9.42 ± 0.57 dB/mm, respectively, at the nucleus, and 1597.2 ± 9.6, 1589.3 ± 6.1 m/s and 0.42 ± 0.26 and 0.40 ± 0.33 dB/mm close to the anterior and posterior capsules, respectively. Finally, the data obtained demonstrate that regional variations in the acoustic properties of lenses corresponding to the hardness of different types of cataract can be detected sensitively by a needle transducer. (E-mail: j648816n@ms23.hinet.net)     

In vivo measurements of frequency-dependent attenuation in tumors of the liver

Ultrasonic frequency-dependent attenuation (FDA) coefficients of the liver obtained from selected regions of interest within the liver were determined in 106 individuals, 40 cases presumed normal based on medical histories and 66 with malignant tumors (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] or metastatic liver tumor) or benign tumors (hepatic hemangioma, hepatic adenoma, or focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver). All liver tumors were confirmed histopathologically by ultrasonically guided fine-needle biopsy and/or operation. Mean attenuation of normal liver was 0.53 ± 0.03 dB/cm/MHz, 0.29 ± 0.05 dB/cm/MHz in hepatic hemangioma, 0.43 ± 0.05 dB/cm/MHz in HCC, and 0.41 ± 0.12 dB/cm/MHz in metastatic liver tumor. Hepatic adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver produced higher values, averaging 0.66 ± 0.09 dB/cm/MHz. This difference between malignant and benign tumors was statistically significant. There was some correlation between the FDA for the hepatic tumor and the histopathology that merits further investigation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.