Non-Gaussian versus non-Rayleigh statistical properties of ultrasound echo signals

Parameters expressing the non-Gaussian and the non-Rayleigh properties of ultrasound echo signals are derived for the case of a pulsed transducer insonifying a medium containing randomly distributed scatterers. Both parameters depend on the measurement system, including the transducer field and pulse frequency content, as well as on the medium´s properties. The latter is expressed in terms of the number of scatterers per unit volume and the second and fourth moments of the medium´s scattering functions. A simple relationship between the parameters describing the non-Gaussian and non-Rayleigh properties is derived and verified experimentally.<>