Courseware for ultrasonic medical diagnostics curriculum: system for on-site and remote laboratory experiments

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the implementation approach of on-site and remote experimenting laboratory for ultrasound medical diagnostics curriculum. We demonstrate the implementation of such laboratory using virtual instrument that is built by using a standard computer, a ultrasonic transducer with a tissue like phantom, digitizer, function generator and the software package LabView. By controlling the virtual instrument it is possible to excite and receive ultrasound waves in the pulse echo mode, then process the received echographic signal and get the characteristics of the tissue like phantom. The tissue like phantom is characterized with thickness and density also with the speed of wave’s propagation and attenuation coefficient. The students are motivated by the assignment of the precise task - to identify the material from which the phantom is made. The implemented on-site experiments system is based on a virtual instrument, the remote experiments system and is tested using the LabView remote panel technology as well. This technology allows accessing the experiment system remotely using an internet browser. We expect the students will improve their knowledge of ultrasound medical diagnostics using our hands-on lab experiment system.