Estimation of acoustic attenuation in liver using one megabyte of data and the zero-crossings technique

Statistical fluctuations due to scatter-induced frequency variations in reflected acoustic pulses are a major problem when estimating acoustic attenuation. Disagreement exists in the ultrasound community as to how much data is sufficient to overcome these statistical fluctuations. The range of attenuation values for normal livers and a tissue equivalent phantom, using 1 megabyte of data per liver and the zero-crossings technique, was investigated. The significance of statistical fluctuations and their effects on attenuation are discussed.