Acoustic backscattering from ultrasonically tissuelike media.

The acoustic backscattering coefficients of a tissue-mimicking (TM) material have been measured using a modified Sigelmann-Reid technique in order to assess the similarity of its acoustic properties to those of soft tissues. A simple reference scatter material was used to probe the strengths and the limitations of the measurement technique. Backscatter coefficients measured from the TM material exhibit a frequency dependence of the form fm in the range 1.0-8.0 MHz where 3.5 less than or equal to m less than or equal to 3.8. The backscatter coefficient is also found to be approximately proportional to the particle concentration in the TM material up to concentrations that yield an attenuation coefficient of 0.9 db/cm/MHz. Comparisons of backscatter coefficients measured from the TM material are made with published values for liver, myocardium, and blood.