Ultrasound backscatter characterization by using Markov random field model

This paper evaluates a K-Markov random field model for retrieving information about backscatter characteristics, especially regularity spacing scatterers in simulated ultrasound image. The model combines a statistical K-distribution that describes the envelope of backscattered echo and spatial interaction given by Markov random field (MRF). Parameters estimated by the conditional least squares (CLS) estimation method on simulated radio-frequency (RF) envelope image show that the interaction parameters measure the degree of the randomness of the scatterers.