Air-coupled ultrasound stimulated optical vibrometry for resonance analysis of rubber tubes

Air-coupled ultrasound stimulated optical vibrometry is proposed to generate and detect the resonances of a rubber tube in air. Amplitude-modulated ( AM) focused ultrasound radiation force from a broadband air-coupled ultrasound transducer with center frequency of 500 kHz is used to generate a low frequency vibration in the tube. The resonances of several modes of the tube are measured with a laser vibrometer of 633 nm wavelength. A wave propagation approach is used to calculate the resonances of the tube from its known material properties. Theoretical and experimental resonance frequencies agree within 5%. This method may be useful in measuring the in vitro elastic properties of arteries from the resonance measurements in air. It may also be helpful to better understand the coupling effects of the surrounding tissue and interior blood on the vessel wall by measuring the resonance of the vessel in vitro and in vivo. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.