Optoacoustic systems for subsurface materials characterization

Conference item

Optoacoustic imaging is a promising technique for the detection of subsurface optical inhomogeneities in optically turbid media. A pulsed laser is used to irradiate a sample volume where it is absorbed and causes rapid heating. Ultrasonic waves are launched through the thermoelastic effect and are detected at the sample surface. The detected ultrasonic transients are related to the position dependent absorption coefficient allowing for imaging of the absorbed electromagnetic energy distribution. In this work, the use of optical interferometry for the detection of optoacoustic signals is explored using three detection schemes: a photorefractive crystal based interferometer, a Fabry‐Perot sensor head which is coupled directly to the specimen and a Michelson interferometer. Experimental results are presented demonstrating optical detection of optoacoustic transients in both homogeneous absorbing tissue phantoms and optically turbid tissue phantoms. The measured optoacoustic signal profiles are compared to theoretical predictions and the absorption (homogeneous media) coefficients of the phantoms determined.

Authors: Maguluri, GN; Sui, L; Roy, RA; Murray, TW

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: AIP Publishing
• Journal: AIP Conference Proceedings
• Volume: 700
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1406-1413
• Publication date: 2004-02-26
• Event title: Symposium on Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation 2003
• Event location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
• Event start date: 2003-07-27
• Event end date: 2003-08-01
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1711780
• EISSN: 1551-7616
• ISSN: 0094-243X
• ISBN: 073540173X
• Language: English