Measurement of the Ultrasound Attenuation and Dispersion in Whole Human Blood and its Components From 0–70 MHz

• Published in: Ultrasound in medicine & biology Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 289 - 300
• Main Authors: Treeby, Bradley E, Zhang, Edward Z, Thomas, Alison S, Cox, Ben T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Absorption mechanisms; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Chemical Analysis; Erythrocytes; Frequency dependence; Hemoglobin; Human blood; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Miscellaneous. Technology; Optical Rotatory Dispersion; Radiology; Relaxation absorption; Reviews; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Ultrasonics - methods; Ultrasound; Ultrasound attenuation; Viscous relative motion; Absorption mechanisms; Viscous relative motion; Relaxation absorption; Ultrasound attenuation; Human blood; Sonography; Human; Acoustic absorption; Whole blood; Acoustic properties; Sound scattering; Acoustical wave attenuation; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 0301-5629; 1879-291X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2010.10.020

Abstract The ultrasound attenuation coefficient and dispersion from 0–70 MHz in whole human blood and its components (red blood cells and plasma) at 37°C is reported. The measurements are made using a fixed path substitution technique that exploits optical mechanisms for the generation and detection of ultrasound. This allows the measurements to cover a broad frequency range with a single source and receiver. The measured attenuation coefficient and dispersion in solutions of red blood cells and physiological saline for total haemoglobin concentrations of 10, 15 and 20 g/dL are presented. The attenuation coefficient and dispersion in whole human blood taken from four healthy volunteers by venipuncture is also reported. The power law dependence of the attenuation coefficient is shown to vary across the measured frequency range. This is due to the varying frequency dependence of the different mechanisms responsible for the attenuation. The attenuation coefficient measured at high frequencies is found to be significantly higher than that predicted by historical power law parameters. A review of the attenuation mechanisms in blood along with previously reported experimental measurements is given. Values for the sound speed and density in the tested samples are also presented. (E-mail: btreeby@mpb.ucl.ac.uk )