We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Dolphin Echolocation Could Advance Medical Ultrasound

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 11 Jun 2018
Print article
Increasing our understanding of the dolphin echolocation and communication signals could pave the way for sharper image quality on ultrasound technology.

Researchers at the Lund University (Sweden) department of biomedical engineering built a measuring instrument composed of 47 hydrophones capable of capturing a complete cross-section of dolphin sonar beams transmitted over many different frequencies. Dolphin sounds were then recorded in Kolmården Wildlife Park (Sweden) and in other wildlife parks located in the Bahamas, Honduras, and California (USA). The recordings revealed that dolphins actually emit two intertwined ultrasound beam components at different frequencies, and with slightly different timing.

Calculations revealed that the sound frequency is higher further up in the beam, producing a lighter echo within that area. According to the researchers, the slightly time separated signal components may enable the dolphin to quickly gauge the speed of approaching or fleeing prey, as variations in frequency provide more precise information on the position of an object. Working with researchers at the Lund Centre for Mathematical Sciences, they then developed a mathematical algorithm to disentangle and read the overlapping signals.

The algorithm effectively identified closely located Gaussian shaped transient pulses, even in heavy disruptive noise, automatically detecting and counting the number of transients, and giving the center times and center frequencies of all components. The researchers claim that the algorithm can increase understanding of dolphin communication, drive improvement is sonar devices and echosounders, and could also potentially be used to measure the thickness of organ membranes deep inside the human body. The study was published on May 22, 2018, in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

“High and low frequencies are useful for different things. Sounds with low frequencies spread further under water, whereas sounds with high frequencies can provide more detailed information on the shape of the object,” said senior author Josefin Starkhammar, PhD. “It works almost like a magic formula! Suddenly we can see things that remained hidden with traditional methods. We could copy the principle of using sound beams whose frequency content changes over the cross-section.”

Echolocation is a biological ability to locate objects through sound waves. As Dolphins lack vocal cords, they produce sounds from the nasal air sacs, the blowhole, the larynx, the lungs, and the melon, an organ located in the upper inner area of the head filled with low-density lipids. For echolocation, dolphins emit ultrasounds called “clicks” in the nasal passages. The melon then groups the sounds into beams and amplifies the resonance. Sound waves bounce back from objects in the water to the lower jaw, with the teeth of dolphins work like antennas to receive the signals. The intensity, pitch, and time that it takes the echo to return to the dolphin provide information about the target.

Related Links:
Lund University

New
Gold Member
X-Ray QA Meter
T3 AD Pro
Mobile Digital C-arm X-Ray System
HHMC-200D
New
Portable X-ray Unit
AJEX130HN
Full Field Digital Mammography Phantom
Mammo FFDM Phantom

Print article
Radcal

Channels

MRI

view channel
Image: MRI-linac allows clinicians to see what’s going on in the brain for the first time (Photo courtesy of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center)

MRI Provides Early Warning System for Glioblastoma Growth

A new study has demonstrated the potential of combining imaging with radiation to shape glioblastoma treatment in real time. The research is the first to quantify tumor changes in glioblastoma patients... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: A new biomarker makes it easier to distinguish between Alzheimer’s and primary tauopathy (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Diagnostic Algorithm Distinguishes Between Alzheimer’s and Primary Tauopathy Using PET Scans

Patients often present at university hospitals with diseases so rare and specific that they are scarcely recognized by physicians in private practice. Primary 4-repeat tauopathies are a notable example.... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: Focused ultrasound therapy is poised to become an essential tool in every hospital, cancer care center and physician office (Photo courtesy of Arrayus)

Bracco Collaborates with Arrayus on Microbubble-Assisted Focused Ultrasound Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat due to its dense tissue structure, which limits the effectiveness of traditional drug therapies. Bracco Imaging S.A. (Milan, Italy)... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.