| 摘要 |
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for estimating the bone mineral density using ultrasonic nonlinear parameters. The method of estimating the bone mineral density by using the ultrasonic nonlinear parameters includes the steps of: an ultrasonic wave application step of applying a pulse-type ultrasonic wave to a sponge bone; an ultrasonic wave reception step of selectively receiving only the ultrasonic wave having a frequency (f_2 frequency) twice greatert than a fundamental frequency (f_1 frequency) having the pulse-type ultrasonic wave transmitted through the sponege mineral; and a conversion step of converting the ultrasonic wave having the f_2 frequency selectively received in the ultrasonic wave reception step into an electrical signal; and a bone mineral density estimation step of anaylzing the electrical signal converted in the conversion step, measuring nonlinear parameters of the sponge bone, and estimating the bone density of the sponge bone based on the correlation between the nonlinear parameters and the bone density of the sponge bone. Accordingly, a technology of improving the precision in the measurement of the bone density of the sponge bone is provided. According to the present invention, the nonlinear parameters, which are new parameters, are provided together with the parameters used in a conventional quantative ultrasonic technology, so that the bone density can be precisely measured. [Reference numerals] (300) Pulser/receiver; (400) Signal processing unit; (500) Measuring unit; (600) Bone mineral density determining unit; (700) Output unit |
