Detecting cervical microstructure via ultrasound and optical microscopy

A novel method for characterizing the microstructural integrity of the human cervix is under development. The cervix is composed of mostly aligned collagen and variations in acoustic backscattered power as a function of beam steering is an indicator of anisotropic scatterers. Results of experiments with phantoms and hysterectomy specimens suggest that this approach is a sensitive tool for describing the microstructure.