Pulse centroid echo method and apparatus for enhanced sound velocity estimation in vivo

摘要

A method and apparatus of enhancing the accuracy of in vivo sound velocity estimation by identifying segments of different sound velocity along a tracked ultrasound beam. The effects of refraction on the tracked beam at the interface between tissue regions are estimated. Also disclosed is a technique for estimating the refractive effects of naturally occurring and artificially introduced acoustical contrast fluids. The accuracy of the sound velocity measurements is increased by utilizing the centroid-to-centroid distance between the pulses produced by ultrasound sending and receiving transducers in calculating the ultrasound beam velocity.