A general statistical model for ultrasonic backscattering from tissues

The backscattered ultrasonic Echo from tissue can be described in terms of Rayleigh distribution or K distribution. Even though both generalized K dis tribution and homodyned It distribution can account for some of the scatter ing conditions that exist in tissues, the analytical complexity involved wi th these distributions is significant. A much simpler generalized model bas ed on the Nakagami distribution is proposed here. This model can describe t he statistics of the envelope of the backscattered echo from an ensemble of scatterers with varying number densities, varying cross sections, and the presence or absence of regularly spaced scatterers. Computer simulations an d experiments on tissue-mimicking phantoms have been undertaken to test the validity of the model. Results clearly show the versatility of the Nakagam i distribution and its parameter to model the backscattered envelope from t issues. It is suggested that Nakagami distribution may be a good model for use in tissue characterization because of its simple analytical nature and ability to encompass different scattering conditions.