Biomedical Acoustics Technical Committee

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The Biomedical Acoustics Technical Committee (BATC), one of fourteen Technical Committees (TCs) of the Acoustical Society of America, consists of researchers, educators, and students who study the interaction of acoustic and elastic waves with biological materials. Relevant areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Acoustic propagation and scattering in heterogeneous biological media
Biological effects of exposure to acoustic and elastic waves
Characterization and processing of biological materials
Diagnostic and therapeutic applications of acoustics in medicine
Instrumentation
Medical image and signal processing
Physiological measurements
Ultrasound contrast agents
Ultrasound field calibration, exposimetry and dosimetry

The BATC is very active in the ASA, hosting numerous special sessions at the biannial meetings, contributing to ASA programs like SURIEA, and providing opportunities for students to present their research. Interest has grown significantly over the past 25 years, and over 500 ASA members currently list the BATC among their top three TCs of interest.

See here for a short video by the ASA on biomedical ultrasound.

A little history

The history of the BATC goes back to 1984, when the Bioresponse to Vibration Technical Committee was born. Prior to then, the Physical Acoustics Technical Committee typically acted as the home for biomedical-related research at ASA meetings.

As member interest evolved, ultrasound applications became more visible within the TC and, in 1996, the name was modified to "Bioresponse to Vibration/Biomedical Ultrasound." Ultrasound then rapidly overtook bioresponse as the primary interest and in 1998, the name was changed to "Biomedical Ultrasound/Bioresponse to Vibration."

In 2010, the name of the TC was changed to its current form, "Biomedical Acoustics." The members of the TC felt this name was broad enough to encompass its diverse interests.

More details on the history of the BATC can be found in Ch. 7 of the commemorative volume ASA at 75 (R. O. Cleveland, editor). A web-based history of medical ultrasound has also been written by J. Woo, which includes a chronology of technology and scientific contributions to the area.