# ACCURATE IN VIVO ULTRASONIC SCATTERING ASSESSMENTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 1990 · $106,877

## Abstract

Our objectives are to determine the intrinsic ultrasonic scattering
properties of human soft tissues and to produce phantoms which have
scattering identical to organs imaged with diagnostic ultrasound.  Since
phantom materials already exist which have speeds of sound, density and
ultrasonic attenuation matched to soft tissue parenchyma, the matching
scatter will result in tissue equivalent phantoms.  These would be extremely
useful for performance evaluation of clinical instruments, for developing
ultrasonic tissue characterization techniques and for studying mechanisms
underlying the generation of scattered echo signals and production of image
details on clinical scans.  Backscatter from large volume samples will be
studied, analogous to similar work carried out by other investigators.  In
addition, apparatus has been developed for measuring the differential
scattering cross section per unit volume.  The latter technique allows the
scatter as a function of angle to be quantitatively determined for
frequencies throughout the diagnostic range.  Measurements from volumetric
scattering standards will be used to verify that the measurement process
provides instrument independent (intrinsic) scatter values.  The
differential scatter cross section will be measured for normal human liver,
fat, muscle and brain tissue.  Comparisons will be made between in vivo
measurements and in vitro measurements of ultrasonic backscattering for
organs in large laboratory animals.  Tissue equivalent phantoms will be
developed using newly developed materials, combining mixtures of small
particle and intermediate size scatterers.  Water based gels used in this
project will allow an iterative approach to the problem of matching
scatter.  The role of scatter on clinical ultrasound images will be
investigated by studying the generation of echo signals and gray scale
texture in phantoms.  Texture analysis studies will account for the
intrinsic scatter properties of the phantom as well as the temporal and
spatial transducer characteristics and other components of the imaging
chain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3177995
- **Project number:** 5R01CA039224-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** LCLSJAGTNZQ7
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES A. ZAGZEBSKI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $106,877
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-09-01 → 1993-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3177995

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3177995, ACCURATE IN VIVO ULTRASONIC SCATTERING ASSESSMENTS (5R01CA039224-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3177995. Licensed CC0.

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