[Models for describing ultrasound scattering in blood]

The acoustic scattering properties of blood, which are of fundamental importance for the diagnostic utilization of ultrasonic signals backscattered by blood in Doppler-based procedures, have now been investigated using three different scattering models: the particle model, the continuum model and the hybrid model. The analysis shows the limitations of the approaches so far described in the literature, and also permits a modification of the hybrid model to produce an appreciably more accurate description of the true scattering properties of the blood. This is verified by a comparison of theoretical and experimental results obtained for a large range of haematocrits.