Physical Basis of Quantitative Ultrasound Biomarkers

This presentation will describe the physical principles behind recently introduced quantitative ultrasound (QUS) biomarkers used in the assessment of hepatic steatosis, including attenuation, backscatter, speed of sound, and speckle statistics. After this presentation, attendees will be able to (1) define the concept of QUS and distinguish it from other quantitative methods in diagnostic ultrasound, (2) explain the basic physical principles behind QUS methods, (2) list the reasons for using QUS features as biomarkers for hepatic steatosis, and (3) list outstanding challenges for the clinical translation of QUS into other applications.