Method and apparatus for measuring ultrasonic attenuation characteristics.

摘要

Method and apparatus for measuring an attenuation characteristic in a region of interest using ultra-sound. The method comprises:
introducing pulses of ultrasound energy into the region;detecting narrow-band signals which represent the amplitude of echoes of said pulses which are reflected from different depths along a plurality of propagation paths within said region;accumulating a first statistically independent set of said signals which represent echoes from a first surface (DT,) in said region;accumulating a second statistically independent set of said signals which represent echoes from a second surface (DT2) in said region which is spaced at a determined distance (d), along said paths, from said first surface; andcalculating an attenuation characteristic in said region as the difference between (1) a central tendency parameter, preferably the statistical mean, of the logarithms of the signals in said first set and (2) the same central tendency parameter of the logarithms at the signals in the second set.