Attenuation and velocity imaging of bone tissue

Ultrasound images were produced showing the average ultrasonic attenuation coefficient and velocity of the bone of the appendicular skeleton in vivo. A pair of transducers was used to acquire attenuation and time-of-flight projections and pulse-echo images of both sides of the appendage. An expert system was developed to detect boundaries from the pulse-echo scans. Images were constructed considering the distance of soft tissue and bone found along each line. For an image of a test-object the measured dimensions, attenuation coefficient, and acoustic velocity had an accuracy of ±2.6 mm, 12%, and 2%, respectively. Images of a human wrist showed regions of high attenuation and velocity due to the bone