ESTIMATION OF ACOUSTIC LEVEL IN-SITU WITH NON-FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS

摘要

A solution for use with an ultrasound scanner is proposed. A corresponding method (A1-A15) comprises applying (A7) a measurement excitation signal, comprising ultrasound waves generated by varying a power level of the ultrasound scanner in a measurement range, with a transducer of the ultrasound scanner to a body-part of a patient comprising a contrast agent being pre-administered to the patient before performing the method, recording (A8) a measurement response comprising a level of a non-fundamental component of a measurement echo signal received in response to the measurement excitation signal, and determining (A9-A14) an estimate value according to a comparison between measurement data based on the measurement response and reference data based on a reference response; said determining an estimate value comprises: a) estimating (A11) a target power level required to apply a selected target acoustic pressure level to the body-part and/or estimating a further target acoustic pressure level applied to the body-part when a selected further target power level is set when the reference response is a calibration response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of a calibration echo signal as a function of the acoustic pressure level in an in-vitro calibration structure comprising the contrast agent, and/or b) estimating (A13) a total acoustic attenuation occurring within the patient between the transducer and the body-part when the reference response is a further calibration response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of the calibration echo signal as a function of the power level in the in-vitro calibration structure, and/or c) estimating (A14) a partial acoustic attenuation occurring within the patient between the body-part and a further body-part of the patient when the reference response is a further measurement response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of a further measurement echo signal as a function of the power level in the further body-part.

主权项

1. A method for use with an ultrasound scanner, the method comprising:
applying a measurement excitation signal, comprising ultrasound waves generated by varying a power level of the ultrasound scanner in a measurement range, with a transducer of the ultrasound scanner to a body-part of a patient comprising a contrast agent being pre-administered to the patient before performing the method, recording a measurement response comprising a level of a non-fundamental component of a measurement echo signal received in response to the measurement excitation signal, and determining an estimate value according to a comparison between measurement data based on the measurement response and reference data based on a reference response, said determining an estimate value comprising: a) estimating a target power level required to apply a selected target acoustic pressure level to the body-part and/or estimating a further target acoustic pressure level applied to the body-part when a selected further target power level is set when the reference response is a calibration response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of a calibration echo signal as a function of the acoustic pressure level in an in-vitro calibration structure comprising the contrast agent, and/or b) estimating a total acoustic attenuation occurring within the patient between the transducer and the body-part when the reference response is a further calibration response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of the calibration echo signal as a function of the power level in the in-vitro calibration structure, and/or c) estimating a partial acoustic attenuation occurring within the patient between the body-part and a further body-part of the patient when the reference response is a further measurement response expressing the level of said non-fundamental component of a further measurement echo signal as a function of the power level in the further body-part.