# QUANTITATIVE ULTRASONIC DIFFERENTIATION OF LIVER DISEASE

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 1987 · $128,328

## Abstract

The determination of the nature of diffuse liver diseases is important in
determining patient management.  At present, only invasive and limited
noninvasive methods are available for reliable diagnosis.  The purpose of
this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of identification and
differentiation of normal and diffusely diseased livers in vivo using
noninvasive ultrasonic pulse echo methods.  Specifically, this is achieved
by measuring the nonlinear frequency dependent attenuation parameters of
these tissues.  Our preliminary studies show that it is possible to
differentiate between normal and certain diffuse liver conditions based on
the nonlinear attenuation parameters, which we have shown to be related to
the basic absorption and scatterning properties of these tissues.  The
measurements will first be performed on a large number of in vitro liver
samples.  A reference archive of liver attenuation parameters and their
respective pathologies will be collected.  Thereafter, these tissue
parameters will be measured in vivo using a computer based system.  This
instrument will be tested using tissue mimicking phantoms whose nonlinear
attenuation parameters can be varied in a controlled way.  This is
necessary in order to experimentally determine the smallest measurable
changes in these parameters.  The in vivo attenuation values of the livers
will be compared to the previously archived values obtained from the in
vitro studies.  A tentative identification of the disease will then be
made.  The nature of the disease will be independently verified.  Thus,
quantitative ultrasonic techniques developed here would be clinically
useful for improved diagnosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3176579
- **Project number:** 5R01CA038515-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** ZUFBNVZ587D4
- **Principal Investigator:** JONATHAN OPHIR
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $128,328
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-08-01 → 1989-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3176579

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3176579, QUANTITATIVE ULTRASONIC DIFFERENTIATION OF LIVER DISEASE (5R01CA038515-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3176579. Licensed CC0.

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