Characterizing Abnormal Human Liver by Its In-Vivo Acoustic Properties

The goal of this study is to investigate the possibility of implementing digital signal analysis technique to differentiate between normal and abnormal soft tissue in in-vivo environment. In this study, we focus on human liver. Tissue differentiation means the ability to differentiate between normal and abnormal tissues. To achieve the goal of this study, we have developed a model describing the average ultrasound backscattered energy from normal livers. To examine any human liver, we record the backscattered energy from that liver and, by comparing the model of this backscattered energy with the model of normal liver tissue, we can tell whether this liver is normal or abnormal. This comparison is based on the frequency dependency of the acoustic attenuation and backscattering coefficients, these two acoustic coefficients are the main parameters that control the shape of the backscattered energy.