title: Ultrasonic characterization of porcine liver tissue at frequency between 25 to 55 MHz.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relation between acoustic parameters and histological structure of biological tissue and to provide the basis for high-resolution image of biological tissues and quantitative ultrasonic diagnosis of liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ultrasonic imaging and tissue characterization of four normal porcine liver and five cirrhotic liver tissue samples were performed using a high frequency imaging system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acoustic parameters of cirrhotic liver tissue were larger than those of normal liver tissue. The sound velocity was 1577 m/s in normal liver tissue and 1631 m/s in cirrhotic liver tissue. At 35 MHz, the attenuation coefficient was 3.0 dB/mm in normal liver tissue and 4.1 dB/mm in cirrhotic liver tissue. The backscatter coefficient was 0.00431 dB/Srmm in cirrhotic liver tissue and 0.00303 dB/Srmm in normal liver tissue. The backscatter coefficient increased with the frequency. The high frequency images coincided with their histological features.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The acoustic parameters, especially the sound backscatter coefficient, are sensitive to the changes of liver tissues and can be used to differentiate between the normal and pathological liver tissues. High frequency image system is a useful device for high-resolution image and tissue characterization.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Institute of Acoustics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, Jiangsu Province, China. xzliu@nju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Zhou
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiu-Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-Gong
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013552:Swine; D014463:Ultrasonography