This NYI award will fund research to develop noninvasive techniques to derive structural and functional information from complex biological tissues. Audible sounds and vibration will be the modes used to study biological systems including the lung, the fetus, and the cranium. Through the use of a theoretical model of the respiratory system and experimental measurements the relationship between the various anatomical structures and the frequency response will be determined. Through the use of an acoustical model of the head, a technique to measure intercranial pressure by monitoring the response to vibration will be investigated. The acoustical response of the maternal abdomen will be studied to develop acoustical techniques to monitor the fetal heart and lung and the movement of the fetus. The development of new, noninvasive medical technologies that employ audible sounds and vibrations could result from these investigations. The NYI award also will help the investigator develop new courses in Electroacoustics and Biomedical Signal Processing and create a an instructional laboratory in Biomedical Acoustics.
