Rajagopal Srinath, Sadhoo Neelaksh, Zeqiri Bajram
Acoustics and Ionising Radiation Division, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom.
Acoustics and Ionising Radiation Division, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom.
Ultrasound Med Biol. 2015 Jan;41(1):317-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.04.018. Epub 2014 Sep 12.
To support the development of clinical applications of high-frequency ultrasound, appropriate tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) are required whose acoustic properties have been measured using validated techniques. This paper describes the characterisation of the sound speed (phase velocity) and attenuation coefficient of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) agar-based TMM over the frequency range 1 to 60 MHz. Measurements implemented a broadband through-transmission substitution immersion technique over two overlapping frequency ranges, with co-axially aligned 50 MHz centre-frequency transducers employed for characterisation above 15 MHz. In keeping with usual practice employed within the technical literature, thin acoustic windows (membranes) made of 12-μm-thick Mylar protected the TMM from water damage. Various important sources of uncertainty that could compromise measurement accuracy have been identified and evaluated through a combination of experimental studies and modelling. These include TMM sample thickness, measured both manually and acoustically, and the influence of interfacial losses that, even for thin protective membranes, are significant at the frequencies of interest. In agreement with previous reports, the attenuation coefficient of the IEC TMM exhibited non-linear frequency dependence, particularly above 20 MHz, yielding a value of 0.93 ± 0.04 dB cm(-1) MHz(-1) at 60 MHz, derived at 21 ± 0.5°C. For the first time, phase velocity, measured with an estimated uncertainty of ±3.1 m s(-1), has been found to be dispersive over this extended frequency range, increasing from 1541 m s(-1) at 1 MHz to 1547 m s(-1) at 60 MHz. This work will help standardise acoustic property measurements, and establishes a reference measurement capability for TMMs underpinning clinical applications at elevated frequencies.
为支持高频超声临床应用的发展,需要使用经过验证的技术测量其声学特性的合适组织模拟材料(TMM)。本文描述了国际电工委员会(IEC)琼脂基TMM在1至60 MHz频率范围内的声速(相速度)和衰减系数的表征。测量在两个重叠的频率范围内采用宽带透射替代浸入技术,对于15 MHz以上的表征,使用同轴对准的50 MHz中心频率换能器。按照技术文献中的惯例,由12μm厚的聚酯薄膜制成的薄声学窗口(膜)可保护TMM免受水的损害。通过实验研究和建模相结合,已识别并评估了可能影响测量准确性的各种重要不确定来源。这些包括通过手动和声学测量的TMM样品厚度,以及即使对于薄保护膜在感兴趣频率下也很显著的界面损耗的影响。与先前的报告一致,IEC TMM的衰减系数表现出非线性频率依赖性,特别是在20 MHz以上,在21±0.5°C下,60 MHz时的值为0.93±0.04 dB cm(-1) MHz(-1)。首次发现,在这个扩展频率范围内相速度是色散的,估计不确定度为±3.1 m s(-1),从1 MHz时的1541 m s(-1)增加到60 MHz时的1547 m s(-1)。这项工作将有助于使声学特性测量标准化,并建立一个支撑高频临床应用的TMM参考测量能力。