A validation is a test to confirm calibration and accuracy of a measurement, usually by comparing to a known standard such as timed collection.

See also Image Quality.

The perfect image quality is dependent on some assumptions of the propagation of ultrasound waves in tissues after generating in an imaging system. These assumptions are important for the developing of optimal ultrasound imaging systems.
A lot of steps can be taken to prevent artifacts and to improve image quality, for example beamforming is used to focus the ultrasound beam, and contrast agents decrease the reflectivity of the undesired interfaces or increase the backscattered echoes from the desired regions.

See also Coded Excitation, Validation and Refraction Artifact, Q-Value, Ultrasound Phantom, Dead Zone, Narrow Bandwidth.

The dimension of the ultrasound beam and the transducer array are the origin of the slice thickness artifact. This artifact is also called partial volume artifact or volume averaging artifact.

See also Validation.