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Estimates of ultrasonic attenuation (the loss of energy as an ultrasonic wave propagates through tissue) have been used to evaluate the structure and function of tissues in health and disease. The purpose of this research was to develop a method to estimate ultrasonic cervical attenuation during human pregnancy using a clinical ultrasound system.

Forty women underwent a cervical scan once during pregnancy with the Zonare® z.one clinical ultrasound system using a 4–9‐MHz endovaginal transducer. This ultrasound system provides access to radiofrequency (RF) image data for processing and analysis. In addition, a scan of a tissue‐mimicking phantom with a known attenuation coefficient was acquired and used as a reference. The same settings and transducer used in the clinical scan were used in the reference scan. Digital data of the beam‐formed image were saved in Digital Imaging …