Broadband optical ultrasound sensor with a unique open-cavity structure

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-Perot 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-Perot 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. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3528014]