METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ESTIMATING AND CHARACTERISING BONE PROPERTIES

摘要

Method for in vivo estimation and characterisation of mechanical and structural bone properties, by propagating an ultrasonic wave through the bone and analysing the interaction between said wave and the bone, wherein the bone is scanned with an ultrasonic beam from focused transducers, signals transmitted through the bone and/or reflected by the bone surfaces and/or scattered by internal bone structures are collected, stored, and processed, to provide measurements for the propagation rate of the ultrasonic wave in the bone, bone thickness, the transmission attenuation coefficient of the ultrasonic beam, and the reflection parameters for the estimation of attenuation and backscatter coefficients.