Non-Gaussian statistical property of the ultrasonic Doppler signal downstream of a severe stenosis.
The Doppler signal is generally considered as a Gaussian random process. However, to date very little experimental validation of this model has been available. Recently, the K model was proposed to describe the statistical properties of ultrasonic radio frequency signals and their envelopes. The coefficient of kurtosis, which has been shown to be related to the parameters of the K model, was used in the literature as an index to assess the deviations from the Gaussian statistical property of ultrasonic signals obtained from simulations, phantoms and tissues. In the present study, an in vitro flow loop model was used to evaluate the effect of a severe stenosis on the coefficient of kurtosis. Our results showed non-Gaussian statistical properties of the Doppler signal in the jet of the stenosis.
Fontaine
I
I
Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Cloutier
G
G
Allard
L
L
D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004301:Doppler Effect; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*