title: On modeling biomedical ultrasound RF echoes using a power-law shot-noise model.
abstract: We propose a new model for the RF ultrasound echo, namely the power-law shot-noise process. Based on this model, the in-phase and quadrature components of the echo are shown to exhibit 1/f beta-type spectral behavior, in a sense that is defined in the paper. The envelope also exhibits this type of spectral behavior, but with a different exponent. This result explains the experimental observations by other researchers of the power-law trend of the RF echo spectrum. Although the shot-noise model has been used in the past for modeling the RF echo, this is the first time that a power-law impulse response filter is used and that the resulting 1/f beta-type spectral behavior of the RF echo has been investigated. The model parameters are linked to tissue characteristics, such as scatterer density and attenuation; thus, they have the potential to be used as tissue characterization features. The validity of the proposed model is tested based on a database of 100 clinical ultrasound images of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey-UEKAE, Ankara, Turkey.makutay@tubitak.gov.tr
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kutay
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Petropulu
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Piccoli
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011846:Radio Waves; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data