ESTIMATION OF THE SIZE OF STRUCTURAL FORMATIONS IN ULTRASOUND IMAGING THROUGH STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ECHO SIGNAL

Abstract

The paper considers a fundamentally new approach to solving the problem of determining the size of structural formations in ultrasonic diagnostics, based on the theoretically justified possibility of estimating the size of inhomogeneities of the studied medium by analyzing the statistical characteristics of the ultrasonic signal scattered on these inhomogeneities. This possibility is conditioned by the fact that the statistical distribution of the ultrasound image data varies from Rayleigh distribution to Reiss distribution depending on the relation between the coherence area size of the scattered signal and the beamwidth. The work aims at the development of a new method of statistical data analysis, which will effectively detect a significant coherent component in the echo signal and thereby be used as a mathematical tool to estimate the size of medium inhomogeneities in ultrasound imaging. Such approach to the analysis of ultrasound images would provide a possibility of quantitative estimation of structural formations and thereby would increase significantly the information value of ultrasound diagnostics and possibility of pathology detection at early stages of its formation that opens perspectives for treatment efficiency increase.