Spatial variation of ultrasonic attenuation coefficient in freshly excised human calvarium

Abstract

The propagation of ultrasound through human calvarium poses a great challenge for transcranial diagnosis and treatment of several medical conditions. Moreover, better understanding of how sound waves are attenuated in the human calvarium is gaining relevance with the recent awareness of the problem of blast wave induced traumatic brain injury. In the present study, the spatial variability of ultrasonic properties was evaluated for relevant frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2.25 MHz. A total of eighteen specimens from four donors were tested using a through‐transmission configuration. With the aid of a two interface model, the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient was determined from the total energy loss at various locations on the specimens. Mean volumetric densities at various locations on the samples were determined from computed tomography images. The results show good correlation between attenuation and volumetric density, particularly for the higher frequencies. In addition, the spatial variability of the att...