Current clinical ultrasound scanners cannot be used to image the interior morphology of bones because these scanners fail to address the complicated physics involved for exact image reconstruction. Here, we show that if the physics is properly addressed, bone cortex can be imaged using a conventional transducer array and a programmable ultrasound scanner. We provide in vivo proof for this technique by scanning the radius and tibia of two healthy volunteers and comparing the thickness of the radius bone with high-resolution peripheral x-ray computed tomography. Our method assumes a medium that is composed of different homogeneous layers with unique elastic anisotropy and ultrasonic wave-speed values. The applicable values of these layers are found by optimizing image sharpness and intensity over a range of relevant values. In the algorithm of image reconstruction we take wave refraction between the layers into account using a ray-tracing technique. The estimated values of the ultrasonic wave-speed and anisotropy in cortical bone are in agreement with ex vivo studies reported in the literature. These parameters are of interest since they were proposed as biomarkers for cortical bone quality. In this paper we discuss the physics involved with ultrasound imaging of bone and provide an algorithm to successfully image the first segment of cortical bone.

Standard nonlinear ultrasonic methods such as wave frequency mixing or resonance based measurements allow one to extract average, bulk variations of modulus and attenuation versus strain level. In contrast, dynamic acousto-elasticity (DAE) provides the elastic behavior over the entire dynamic cycle including hysteresis and memory effects, detailing the full nonlinear behavior under tension and compression. In this work, we address experimental difficulties and apply new processing methods, illustrating them with a Berea sandstone sample. A projection procedure is used to analyze the complex nonlinear signatures and extract the harmonic content. Amplitude dependences of the harmonic content are compared with existing models. We show that a combination of classical and hysteretic nonlinear models capture most of the observed phenomena. Some differences between existing models and experimental data are highlighted, however. A progressive decrease of the power-law amplitude dependence is found for harmonics larger than the second and for strains larger than 10⁻⁶. This observation is related to the phenomenon of acoustic conditioning that brings the material to a metastable state for each new excitation amplitude. Analysis of the steady-state regime provides additional information regarding acoustic conditioning, i.e., a progressive decrease of the amplitude of odd harmonics during excitation time with a log(t)-dependence. This observation confirms that the harmonic content is affected by the conditioning. Experimental challenges addressed include the fact that the compressional mode used for DAE can be affected by bending/torsion modes: their influence is evaluated, and guidances are given to minimize effects.

Remote dynamic acoustoelastic testing is proposed to provide a noninvasive and regional measurement of elastic and dissipative acoustic nonlinearities in fluids and solids. The probed medium is dynamically stressed by a low-frequency sinusoidal variation in the hydrostatic pressure in the surrounding fluid. Simultaneously, ultrasound pulses propagate undergoing time of flight and energy modulations, associated with elastic and dissipative nonlinearities, respectively. Acoustic nonlinearities in tension phases can be distinguished from those measured in compression phases. Instantaneous modulations of ultrasound time of flight and energy are analyzed as functions of the instantaneous low-frequency acoustic pressure, similar to a quasistatic acoustoelastic testing.

The aim is to assess the nonclassical component of material nonlinearity in several classes of materials with weak, intermediate, and high nonlinear properties. In this contribution, an optimized nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) measuring and data processing protocol applied to small samples is described. The protocol is used to overcome the effects of environmental condition changes that take place during an experiment, and that may mask the intrinsic nonlinearity. External temperature fluctuation is identified as a primary source of measurement contamination. For instance, a variation of 0.1 °C produced a frequency variation of 0.01%, which is similar to the expected nonlinear frequency shift for weakly nonlinear materials. In order to overcome environmental effects, the reference frequency measurements are repeated before each excitation level and then used to compute nonlinear parameters. Using this approach, relative resonant frequency shifts of 10−5 can be measured, which is below the limit of 10−4 often considered as the limit of NRUS sensitivity under common experimental conditions. Due to enhanced sensitivity resulting from the correction procedure applied in this work, nonclassical nonlinearity in materials that before have been assumed to only be classically nonlinear in past work (steel, brass, and aluminum) is reported.