Abstract: An ultrasound beam charcterization device is provided which may be employed during manufacture of diagnostic ultrasound equipment or during use thereof in the field in order to determine the beam profile of the ultrasonic transducer. The device includes a substantially air tight enclosure or box, having therein a thin element characterized by the properties of substantially uniform acoustic scattering and a different back scatter coefficient than the surrounding filler medium. The element is preferably oriented along or parallel to the axis of radiation of the transducer, and is advantageously in the form of a synthetic resin cellular foam material having a relatively high scattering level, which may be embedded in a different foam of lower scattering level. A reticulated cellular foam and salt solution fill the remaining volume of the preferred device, thereby permitting the imaging of transducer beam profiles in a tissue equivalent material.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for measuring an attenuation characteristic in a region of interest using ultrasound wherein two statistically independent set of values are accumulated as a difference between logarithms of pairs of each signal set, and the attenuation characteristic calculated as a central tendency parameter of each set of values.

Abstract: An ultrasound phantom is provided which has ultrasound wave velocities, attenuation coefficients and scattering coefficients which closely mimic those of human tissue and which permits diagnostic ultrasound equipment to be accurately tested and calibrated on a continuing day-to-day basis. The phantom preferably includes a substantially air-tight enclosure or box, having therein a quantity of reticulated synthetic resin foam material and a salt water solution. The ultrasonic characteristics of the phantom are completely uniform, stable and reproduceable, can be varied at will by using different foam materials and/or liquids, and the phantom can be stored and used at room temperature without degradation thereof. Localized zones having different ultrasonic qualities for mimicking various normal and pathological tissues can also be provided by hollowed, cut-out regions within the foam material, with different inserts located within certain of the hollowed regions.