INTERACTION OF SOUND WITH
MATTER
TABLE OF CONTENT
• INTRODUCTION
• TYPES OF INTERACTION
• REFLECTION
• REFRACTION
• ABSORPTION
• CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
• Sound is a form of energy resulting from transmission of
mechanical vibration through medium
• Audible sound range is in between 20-20,000 Hz
• Ultrasound is the sound of frequencies above 20,000 Hz
• Diagnostic ultrasound frequency range between 1-20 MHz
• Sound needs medium to travel & interact with medium in
different ways depending upon nature of medium
TYPES OF INTERACTION
• Ultrasound interactions are determined mostly by the acoustic
properties of matter
• Interaction that occurs include
1. Reflection
2. Refraction
3. Absorption
•In ultrasound image is formed by
reflected portion of the beam
•Transmitted sound contribute
nothing to image formation, but
transmission must be strong
enough to produce echoes at
deeper levels
•Attenuated sound create defects
in the image
REFLECTION
•The most important single
interaction process for
generation of ultrasound image,
because image is formed from
reflected echo
•It is defined as change in the
direction of wave at a boundary
between two different medium
so that wave moved back into
medium it came from
• The percentage of the beam reflected at tissue interfaces
depends on
1. The tissue's acoustic impedance
2. The beam's angle of incidence
ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE (Z)
• Acoustic = Sound & Impedance = Opposition
• It is the property of the medium to oppose or resist the sound
wave
• Impedance of the material is the product of density and
velocity of sound in the material
• Z = ρv
• Where ρ = Density, v = velocity of sound
• The unit of acoustic impedance is ‘ Rayls ’
Approximate Acoustic Impedance of Various
Materials
• As sound waves pass from one tissue plane to another, the
amount of reflection is determined by the difference in the
impedances of the two tissues
MATERIAL ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE
AIR 0.0004
FAT 1.38
CASTOR OIL 1.4
WATER 1.5
BLOOD 1.61
BONE 7.8
TISSUE AIR INTERFACE
• A soft tissue-air interface reflects almost the entire
beam(99.9%), and a soft tissue-bone interface reflects a major
portion(90%) of it
• Therefore, transducer must be directly coupled to the patient’s
skin without an air gap
• This can be achieved by applying acoustic coupling gel
• Coupling gel is made up of mixture of epoxy resin, gelatin,
Water &
ANGLE OF INCIDENCE
• The amount of reflection is determined by the angle of
incidence between the sound beam and the reflecting
surface
• Angle is inversely proportional to amount of reflection
• The higher the angle of incidence the less the amount of
reflected sound
• At 0° entire sound is reflected as echo i.e. maximum
reflection
• In medical ultrasound same transducer transmits and receives
ultrasound, almost no reflected sound will be detected if angle
of incidence is more then 3° from perpendicular
• If the angle is 90° amount of reflection is given by:
• R = {(Z2 – Z1)2 / (Z2 + Z1)2 } 100
• Where R = Percentage of beam reflected
• Z2 – Z1 = Difference in impedance of two medium
• The greater the difference, the greater the percentage
reflected
• The sum of reflected and transmitted portion of sound beam
must be 100%
• If the incidence angle is 90, amount of transmission of sound
beam is given by:
T = 4Z1 . Z2/(Z1+Z2)2 x 100
• T = Percentage of beam transmitted
REFRACTION
• Bending of waves as they pass
from one medium to another is
called refraction
• During refraction frequency
remain constant but its
wavelength changes to
accommodate new velocity in
second medium, as they are
slowed to half of initial speed
SNELL’S LAW
• The angle of refraction is
governed by snell’s law:
• Sin Ɵi / sinƟt = V1/V2
• Ɵi = Angle of incidence
• Ɵt = Transmitted angle
• V1 = Velocity of sound in incident
medium
• V2 = Velocity of sound in
transmitted medium
• Refraction can cause artifacts
• Refraction artifacts cause spatial distortion (real structures are
imaged in the wrong location) and loss of resolution in the
image
ABSORPTION
• It is the loss of acoustic energy with distance and is
exponential in nature
• It is the result of frictional forces that oppose the motion of
particle in the medium
• The term "absorption" refers to the conversion of ultrasonic to
thermal energy, and "attenuation“ refers to total propagation
loss, including absorption, scattering, and reflection
• It vary from tissue to tissue and increase with frequency
FACTORS DETERMINE AMOUNT OF ABSORPTION
1. FREQUENCY OF SOUND
• Higher the frequency more its motion is affected by drag of
viscous material
• At low frequency molecule has sufficient time to relax
between cycles
• As frequency increases relaxation time consume greater
proportion of total cycle
• Doubling the frequency approximately doubles absorption and
approximately halves the intensity of the transmitted beam
2. VISCOSITY OF CONDUCTING MEDIUM
• By increasing viscosity internal friction increases and particle
freedom decreases
• This internal friction absorbs the beam, or decreases its
intensity, by converting sound into heat.
3. RELAXATION TIME OF MEDIUM
• The relaxation time is the time that it takes for a molecule to
return to its original position after it has been displaced
CONCLUSION
REFERENCE
• Christensen's Physics of Diagnostic Radiology
• https://www.slideshare.net/SwapnilShetty6/
interactions-of-ultrasound-with-matter
QUESTIONS
1. Relationship between angle of incidence and reflection
a. Proportional
b. Non Proportional
c. Inversly proportional
d. No relation
2. Relationship between acoustic impedance and density
a. Proportional
b. Non Proportional
c. Inversly proportional
d. No relation
3. Velocity of ultrasound in soft tissue
a. 1450 m/s
b. 1540 m/s
c. 1500 m/s
d. 1400 m/s
4. Acoustic impedance increases with increasing
a. Frequency
b. Wavelength
c. Mass
d. Density
5. Importance of acoustic coupling gel
a. Reduce angle of incidence
b. Improve frequency of ultrasound
c. Reduce tissue air interface
d. Reduce scattering
THANK YOU
