# TISSUE CHARACTERIZATION FROM ULTRASONIC SCATTERING

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 1987 · $170,383

## Abstract

The objective of this research is to characterize tissue from its intrinsic
ultrasonic scattering properties.  Measurements of ultrasonic scattering
from fresh specimens from autopsy or surgery will be made with a unique
apparatus which permits automated scanning of multiple regions.  In
addition to scattering measurements, attenuation will be measured using a
radiation force balance.  Scattering will be normalized using attenuation
and system parameters to obtain average differential scattering cross
section as a function of angle and frequency and also to yield total
scattering cross section as a function of frequency.  These two intrinsic
properties of tissue will provide important descriptions of scatterer sizes
and spacings which can be affected by disease.  The angle and frequency
dependence of average differential scattering cross section will be used to
calculate the individual contributions to scattering due to compressibility
variations, density variations, and correlation between compressibility and
density.  The calculations will be carried out over a window of lengths
determined by the range of frequencies and angles employed in the
measurements to yield intrinsic ultrasonic descriptions of tissue
composition which are not available.  Acoustic data will be linked to
structures in cross sections of corresponding volumes by using a newly
developed analysis which permits conversion of scattering from
two-dimensional regions to scattering from three-dimensional regions.
Normal and abnormal tissues from liver, spleen, breast, and pancreas will
be studied.  The ability of the various measured and calculated ultrasonic
data to characterize tissue will be evaluated using gross specimen
descriptions and histologic evaluations of sections as the standard.  The
results are expected to provide a foundation for a significant increase in
diagnostic utility of ultrasound from quantitative intrinsic acoustic
parameters of tissue that can be employed to distinguish between normal and
diseased tissue and also to determine the severity of disease in
circumstances not currently possible.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3178583
- **Project number:** 5R01CA039516-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** F27KDXZMF9Y8
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT C WAAG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $170,383
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-04-01 → 1989-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3178583

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3178583, TISSUE CHARACTERIZATION FROM ULTRASONIC SCATTERING (5R01CA039516-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3178583. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*