Broadband optical ultrasound sensor with a unique open-cavity structure

J Biomed Opt. 2011 Jan-Feb;16(1):017001. doi: 10.1117/1.3528014.

Abstract

High-resolution ultrasound imaging requires quality sensors with wide bandwidth and high sensitivity, as shown in a wide range of applications, including intravascular imaging of cardiovascular diseases. However, piezoelectric technology, the current dominant approach for hydrophone fabrication, has encountered many technical limitations in the high-frequency range. Using optical techniques for the detection of high-frequency ultrasound signals has attracted much recent attention. One of the most studied approaches is based on a Fabry-Pérot interferometer, consisting of an optical cavity sandwiched between two mirrors. This technique offers promising sensitivity and bandwidth, and a potential alternative to piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hydrophones. We propose an innovative optical ultrasound sensor using only a single mirror in a total-internal-reflection configuration. Besides retaining the advantages of Fabry-Pérot interferometer-based ultrasound sensors, this unique design provides a bandwidth of at least 160 MHz, a potential decrease in fabrication cost, and an increase in signal fidelity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Interferometry / instrumentation*
  • Lenses*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Transducers*
  • Ultrasonography / instrumentation*