Biomedical Applications

Abstract

This chapter discusses the acoustical properties of tissues and the impact of nonlinear propagation effects in medical ultrasound. Aspects of this discussion include characteristics of medical equipment as measured in water, the relationship of measurements in water to the levels in tissues, and the implications of these fields for biological effects. Expressions are provided for estimating the shock formation distance in sound beams, and the effective absorption coefficient for ultrasound containing shocks. Also discussed are heating associated with the formation of shocks, biomedical implications of radiation pressure and acoustic streaming, and disintegration of kidney stones with shock-wave lithotripsy.