Method and system for 3-D acoustic microscopy using short pulse excitation and 3-D acoustic microscope for use therein
US5615675A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 1, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/0421
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and system are provided for 3-D acoustic microscopy using short pulse laser excitation. A 3-D acoustic microscope for use in such a system is also provided. In a first embodiment, wherein optical detection is utilized, a focused excitation beam is scanned by a first acoustooptic scanning device across an absorbing layer of an opto-acoustic transducer (if needed) coupled to an object under investigation to create spherical ultrasonic waves within the object which may be living tissue. The reflected spherical ultrasonic waves are detected through the use of an unfocused probe beam and an optical detector array or a focused probe beam and a single photodetector which receive the probe beam from a reflecting surface of the opto-acoustic transducer. A second acoustooptic scanning device scans the probe beam at a plurality of positions on the reflecting surface of the opto-acoustic transducer. In another embodiment, an ultrasound transducer is utilized to acoustically detect the reflected spherical ultrasonic waves. Signals from the optical detector array, the photodetector, or the ultrasound transducer are subsequently digitized and reconstructed via 3-D synthetic aperture beam…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.