[Phantom substances for the simulation of tissue of the soft parts in ultrasonic diagnostics (author's transl)].

The image-transmitting methods using ultrasound are gaining ground in medicine and are being increasingly used alongside the methods of diagnosis based on x-ray film. Whereas the use of phantoms for purposes of measurement and instruction has been common for a long time, there have so far been hardly any suitable phantoms for ultrasound. One of the reasons for this state of affairs is that only very little is known about the materials which are suitable for the simulation of body tissue. Among the physical factors which are important in ultrasonic examination are; the speed of sound, sound impedance, and the sound attenuation coefficient. The article reports on methods for selecting suitable phantom materials, and on measurements at an ultrasonic frequency of 4 MHz.