Evaluation of an experimental system for the in vitro assessment of ultrasonic contrast agents

The ultrasonic properties of microbubble contrast agents need to be fully u nderstood if reproducible images and quantitative results are to be produce d. Additional aspects of the physical and chemical environment into which t he contrast agents are introduced also need to be taken into account, and t heir effect-on contrast agent performance evaluated. A setup that provides an accurate and reproducible data-acquisition system is presented and evalu ated in this paper. The linear range of this system is assessed, as well as its accuracy and precision. A new approach to the investigation of contras t agents, based on normalised backscatter, is discussed. Also, a common tec hnique of degassing, widely used in other areas, is described and evaluated to determine its appropriateness to contrast agent studies. (C) 2000 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.