An ultra high speed microcomputer-based system for tissue differentiation

The design and construction of a 50-MHz microcomputer-based data acquisition and analysis system is discussed. The primary application of this system is to measure the power spectrum of the backscattered ultrasound signal from soft tissues. This measurement is used to differentiate between normal and abnormal soft tissue. The system will be coupled to an ultrasound sector scanner and it is expected to give the physician an effective tool for diagnosis of soft tissue abnormalities without the need for a biopsy examination. The system is described, and some results from a bench test are reported.<>