Patent · US Expired

Optical hydrophone for a shock-wave field with long service life

US7281429B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
14References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 7, 2003
Grant dateOct 16, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 22, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B17/22
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical hydrophone for measurement of the acoustic pressure distribution in a fluid medium has a light source that illuminates an area of a boundary region between an optically transparent body and the fluid medium. A light receiver measures the intensity of the light reflected from the illuminated area as a measurement of acoustic pressure, due to changes in the index of refraction of the fluid medium that are caused by the acoustic pressure. The illuminated area is smaller than the boundary surface formed between the optically transparent body and the fluid medium, thereby giving the hydrophone a longer service light and a high spatial resolution capacity.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.