Deep convolutional neural networks for estimating porous material parameters with ultrasound tomography

The feasibility of data based machine learning applied to ultrasound tomography is studied to estimate water-saturated porous material parameters. In this work, the data to train the neural networks is simulated by solving wave propagation in coupled poroviscoelastic-viscoelastic-acoustic media. As the forward model, a high-order discontinuous Galerkin method is considered, while deep convolutional neural networks are used to solve the parameter estimation problem. In the numerical experiment, the material porosity and tortuosity is estimated, while the remaining parameters which are of less interest are successfully marginalized in the neural networks-based inversion. Computational examples confirm the feasibility and accuracy of this approach. (C) 2018 Acoustical Society of America.