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PubMed1982

Acoustic cavitation: a possible consequence of biomedical uses of ultrasound.

Those concerned with acoustic cavitation often use different measures and nomenclature to those who employ ultrasound for medical purposes. After illustrating the connections between the two, acoustic cavitation phenomena are divided into two classes: (1) relatively moderate amplitude changes in the bubble size that occur during each acoustic cycle, as with rectified diffusion and resonant bubble motion, and (2) rather dramatic changes in the bubble radius that occur in one cycle. It is seen that pulse-echo diagnostic equipment can excite the dramatic changes whereas continuous wave therapeutic equipment will excite the slower, but no less important, changes. The ranges of the acoustic variables and material states for which these phenomena are possible are quantified. It is shown that whereas the concept of an ultrasonic (energy) dose may be appropriate for the effects of acoustically induced heating or resonant bubble motion. It is inappropriate when discussing the effects of the transient type of cavitation that can occur from short, high amplitude acoustic pulses.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1994

Acoustic neuroma in pregnancy.

Acoustic neuroma in the pregnant patient has been described infrequently. The symptoms of acoustic neuroma can commence or worsen during the last 3 or 4 months of pregnancy. In women, acoustic tumors have been shown generally to be larger and more vascular, and some acoustic tumors contain estrogen receptors. This is a report of our management of two patients with acoustic neuroma who presented early in pregnancy. Surgery was delayed to the second trimester in each, to avoid spontaneous abortion. Both patients underwent translabyrinthine tumor removal at 18-19 weeks gestation, and each had an uncomplicated postoperative course. Examination of the tumor for estrogen receptors was performed for the second patient and was negative. Uncomplicated acoustic neuroma surgery can be performed in pregnant patients during the second trimester.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The effect of changes in ambient temperature on the reliability of acoustic rhinometry data.

The effect of changing ambient temperature on the reliability of acoustic rhinometer data was examined. The acoustic rhinometer was set up in a climate chamber, and connected to a simple cylindrical model containing a constriction. This constriction was at 22.5 cm from the microphone. This would be the position of the tip of a 7.5-cm nose piece, relative to the microphone, when attached to the rhinometer. The ambient temperature was increased from 10 degrees C to 40 degrees C. The position of the constrictions as recorded by the acoustic rhinometer was compared in the same stable model at intervals during the temperature increase. The point of identification of the constriction varied with ambient temperature and the change almost perfectly followed the expected changes in the readings given the relationship of the speed of sound in air to ambient temperature. A shift of approximately 1 mm along the X-axis per 2.5 degrees C change in temperature is seen for this constriction. In a human subject the whole acoustic rhinometry trace would shift along the X-axis to the same degree when using a 7.5-cm nose piece. Volume estimates are calculated between two fixed points on the X-axis and may be profoundly affected by even a small shift of the acoustic reading along this axis. Acoustic rhinometry data should always be collected under the same stable environmental conditions.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1996

[Hearing preservation and tinnitus following removal of acoustic neurinomas].

Thirty-five cases of unilateral acoustic neurinomas were analyzed with special reference to the postoperative eighth cranial nerve function. An additional three cases of bilateral acoustic neurinomas associated with neurofibromatosis were also analyzed. Out of a total of 40 neurinomas in all, 38 cases were retrospectively reviewed. The thirty-five cases of unilateral acoustic neurinomas were summarized as follows. The patients' age ranged from 23 to 69 years old. The tumor size varied as follows; 7 cases were confined to the internal acoustic meatus, 4 cases were 20 mm or less in their maximum diameter, 13 cases were 30 mm or less, and 11 cases were more than 30 mm. The consistency of the tumor was classified as being solid in 27 cases, and being cystic in 8 cases. Hearing had been maintained in 27 cases on admission, serviceable in 17 cases, unserviceable in 10 cases and deaf in 8 cases. Operations were performed via the retromastoid suboccipital approach in all cases. The facial nerve was anatomically preserved in all cases. On the other hand, the cochlear nerve was anatomically preserved in 14 out of 35 cases (40%). The preservation ratio of the cochlear nerve showed a negative correlation to the tumor size. In 17 cases with preoperative serviceable hearing, preservation of the cochlear nerve was attempted, which resulted in a 65% anatomical preservation. However, hearing was preserved in 4 cases (36%). Serviceable hearing was preserved in only 2 cases. Tinnitus developed in 20 cases preoperatively, and then occurred postoperatively in 11 cases. Tinnitus was prominently aggravated in 2 cases in which the cochlear nerves were preserved, which resulted in unserviceable hearing. There was a statistically significant correlation between cochlear nerve preservation and the postoperative presence of tinnitus (Fisher's exact probability test: P = 0.0106 < 0.05). Tinnitus was aggravated just after the operation. However, it gradually improved and vanished as the hearing showed a recovery to a slight degree in one case. Three cases of bilateral acoustic neurinomas in neurofibromatosis were also summarized. One case received the operation only on the unilateral side. The remaining two cases were operated bilaterally. To preserve serviceable hearing on at least one side, partial removal of the tumor was performed under the monitoring of auditory brain stem response and/or cochlear microphonic potential. Serviceable hearing on at least one side was maintained in all three cases. In conclusion, hearing preservation can be expected after removal of the acoustic neurinomas under the following situations; hearing acuity of less than 50-60dB in preoperative pure tone audiogram, tumor size of less than 20 mm in maximum diameter, cases with preservation of cochlear nerve and of the internal auditory artery during the operation, and no injury to the labyrinth during the operation. In some cases, tinnitus becomes aggravated in the case with cochlear nerve preservation associated with unserviceable hearing. Furthermore, the degree of tinnitus shows a decrease as postoperative hearing improves in some cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Value of intraoperative threshold stimulus in predicting postoperative facial nerve function after acoustic tumor resection.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the predictive value of intraoperative threshold stimulus and postoperative facial nerve outcome in acoustic neuroma surgery. This is a retrospective case review of 116 consecutive procedures to remove acoustic neuromas using either a retrosigmoid or translabyrinthine approach. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTINGS: The Tertiary Referral Center at The California Ear Institute in Palo Alto, California. PATIENTS: These were consecutive presenting patients with acoustic neuroma in the senior author's practice. Patients were not categorized into age, sex, race, or other demographic features. INTERVENTION: All patients had acoustic neuromas detected via magnetic resonance imaging, and they underwent surgery at the hands of the same neurootologic team, Drs. Nissen and Welsh. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The electrophysiological monitoring reports of 81 cases of acoustic tumors. Measures in which intraoperative facial nerve monitoring was performed provided the data for this article. RESULTS: The patients were categorized by postoperative facial nerve function evaluated a minimum of 6 months after surgical removal. Group I was composed of those patients with facial nerve grades of I or II. The median threshold stimulus voltage required to produce measurable facial nerve activity at the root entry zone (REZ) immediately after tumor removal in this group was 0.100 V. Patients in group II had postoperative facial nerve grades of III to VI. Median threshold stimulus in this group was 0.7250 V. The difference in median threshold stimulus voltage at the REZ after tumor removal between these two groups was found to be statistically significant in using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study strongly support the continued use of intraoperative facial monitoring as a predictor of postoperative facial nerve outcome after acoustic tumor surgery.

Electromyography↗
PubMed1993

Contralateral auditory stimulation alters acoustic distortion products in humans.

It is now generally accepted that otoacoustic emissions (OAE) represent the only objective and non-intrusive means of functional exploration of the active micromechanical characteristics of the outer hair cells of the organ of Corti. Previous studies showed a decrease of the transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in humans, during acoustic stimulation of the contralateral ear, and attributed this effect to the medial efferent system. Such an effect has been shown on acoustic distortion product otoacoustic distortion emissions (DPOAE) in guinea pigs, but has not been investigated for DPOAEs recorded in humans, although DPOAEs represent the easiest means of exploring active micromechanical cochlear properties both in humans and in laboratory animals. The present study sought to investigate the existence and characteristics of a contralateral auditory stimulation effect on DPOAEs recorded in humans. This study shows that contralateral broad-band noise (BBN) has a suppressive effect on DPOAEs recorded from 0.5 kHz to 5 kHz. This effect is not due to air conduction, as no change in the noise floor occurred under increasing contralateral stimulation, and as no reduction in DPOAE amplitude was obtained in subjects whose contralateral ear was sealed with a plastic ear plug. Moreover, cross-over attenuation by bone transmission has been ruled out, as no change in DPOAE amplitude was recorded in the healthy ear of total unilaterally deaf patients during acoustic stimulation of the deaf ear. The effect seen was not entirely due to the acoustic reflex, as it was found and could indeed be even greater in subjects with no acoustic reflex. Results presented here show that the contralateral BBN effect is greater at low levels of ipsilateral stimulation, which leads us to discuss the involvement of both passive and active mechanisms in DPOAE generation at high stimulation levels. The contralateral BBN effect seems to be greater in mid frequency cochlear regions. There is strong evidence that the medial efferent system is involved and that afferent and efferent inputs are, at least partly, integrated at a brainstem level in order to ensure cochlear interaction. DPOAEs provide an interesting model for functional exploration of the efferent system, since they seem to be the only type of otoacoustic emission that can be recorded in both humans and in the majority of animals, and since results are obtained in the same way from both animals and humans, which allows experimental animal models very close to the human model.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed2001

Estimating the acoustic reflex threshold from wideband measures of reflectance, admittance, and power.

OBJECTIVE: A method was developed to estimate the contralateral acoustic reflex threshold using shifts in wideband energy reflectance, admittance magnitude and power. DESIGN: In the first experiment contralateral reflex thresholds for a noise activator were estimated on three adult participants using reflectance, admittance and power measurements at frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz. The reflex threshold was defined using a magnitude and a correlation technique, both having the property of examining the pattern of the reflex-induced shift across a fairly broad frequency range (250 to 2000 Hz). In the second experiment, the magnitude method was modified to include an F test for the comparison of the magnitude of reflex-induced shifts in reflectance, admittance and power relative to response differences in a no-activator baseline condition. Data from four additional participants then were analyzed across a broader frequency range using a method that combined magnitude and correlation methods of estimating reflex thresholds. RESULTS: Acoustic reflex thresholds were obtained using reflectance, admittance and power-level measures in all subjects in both experiments. Individual reflex threshold estimates were as much as 24 dB lower than with the clinical system, with an average of approximately 14 dB lower for the three participants in the first experiment, and approximately 18 dB lower for the four participants in the second experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Wideband measures of reflectance, admittance and power were successfully used to estimate acoustic reflex thresholds in seven participants. A reflex threshold test was devised based on the magnitude of the response shift in the presence of a contralateral activator, and the similarity of the response shift spectra across frequency between successive activator levels. Across all participants in the study, the new test yielded a more sensitive measure of the acoustic reflex threshold than the clinical method. This finding has both clinical and theoretical implications for the study of the acoustic reflex.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1993

Acoustic middle ear muscle reflex protection against magnetic coil impulse noise.

Electromagnetic stimulation (EMS) of the brain and the intracranial portion of the facial nerve has become a widely used clinical technique. The high intensity impulse noise acoustic artifact generated by some magnetic coils used in EMS has been shown to cause severe cochlear damage in experimental animals. This damage results in permanent threshold shifts throughout the auditory spectrum of the rabbit. As with other impulse and impact noise signals, the duration of the coil impulse noise is too short to be influenced by the normally protective acoustic middle ear muscle reflex. Artificially activating the acoustic reflex with a contralateral broad band noise during exposure to the intense coil artifact reduced the compound threshold shift (CTS) significantly, and the permanent threshold shifts (PTS) to near zero at each tone frequency and noise band tested. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of a suprathreshold sound in activating the acoustic middle ear muscle reflex and protecting against impulse noise-induced hearing loss caused by high frequency magnetic coil acoustic impulses.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1983

The acoustic and lateral line nuclei are distinct in the premetamorphic frog, Rana catesbeiana.

The transition from aquatic to terrestrial hearing in the frog occurs during metamorphosis and during the disappearance of the lateral line system. The coincidence in time of these two processes and morphological similarities between the acoustic and lateral line systems has led to the suggestion (Larsell, '34) that the lateral line nuclei are transformed into the acoustic nuclei. The relation between the acoustic and lateral line systems was investigated by studying the distribution of primary afferents, the dendritic patterns of the cells in the primary nuclei, and the development of the nuclei in the premetamorphic bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. The posterior and anterior lateral line roots distribute to a neuropil located medial to the dorsal medullary nucleus. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections into the contralateral tegmentum fill cells in the periventricular region whose dendrites ramify within the neuropil. These cells constitute the lateral line nuclei. The amphibian and basilar papillary roots of the acoustic system distribute to the more lateral nuclear region. The dendrites of these cells arborize within the nucleus and not in the lateral line neuropil. The dorsal medullary nucleus is, therefore, the acoustic nucleus (AcN). [3H]-thymidine labeling reveals that newly generated cells occupy the AcN within a few hours of their formation throughout the period when anatomical analysis shows the parallel growth and diminution of the lateral line neuropil and nuclei. This study indicates that the lateral line and acoustic systems are morphologically independent at the level of the primary afferents and primary nuclei throughout early development.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of gradient magnetic field-induced acoustic noise associated with the use of echo planar and three-dimensional, fast spin echo techniques.

The purpose of this study was to assess gradient magnetic-field-induced acoustic noise levels associated with the use of echo planar imaging (EPI) and three-dimensional fast spin echo (3D-FSE) pulse sequences. Acoustic noise measurements were obtained from two different high field-strength MR systems (1.5 T, Siemens and General Electric Co.) under ambient noise conditions and the use of EPI and 3D-FSE pulse sequences. Parameters were selected to produce "worst case" acoustic noise levels. Acoustic noise recordings were made at the entrance, the center, and at the exit of the magnet bores with a specially designed microphone that was unperturbed by electromagnetic fields. The highest ambient noise levels (A-weighted scale) were 67 dB (Siemens: the same values were recorded at the center and at the exit) and 78 dB (General Electric Co.; recorded at the exit). The highest acoustic noise levels recorded during activation of the gradient magnetic fields were 114 dB (Siemens) and 115 dB (General Electric Co.) and those occurred at the centers of the MR systems with the use of the EPI technique. Gradient magnetic fields associated with the use of EPI and 3D-FSE techniques produced acoustic noise levels that were within permissible levels recommended by federal guidelines.

Echo-Planar Imaging↗
PubMed1998

Functional referents and acoustic similarity: field playback experiments with rhesus monkeys.

Rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, on the island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico produce one or more of five acoustically distinctive calls when they find food. Three of these calls ('warbles', 'harmonic arches' and 'chirps') are produced by individuals finding high-quality, rare food items, whereas the other two calls ('coos' and 'grunts') are produced upon encountering lower-quality, common food items, and in non-food contexts as well. To determine how rhesus classify such acoustic variation, I conducted habituation experiments using a subset of the five call types. I designed experiments to reveal whether classification is based primarily on acoustic features or on the basis of a call's functional referent; caller identity was held constant within sessions. Habituation to 'warbles' transferred to 'harmonic arches', and vice versa. Thus, although these two calls are acoustically distinctive, they appeared to be perceptually clustered into one category based on referential similarities. In contrast, habituation to 'grunts' was followed by dishabituation to 'warbles' or 'harmonic arches', and habituation to 'warbles' or 'harmonic arches' was followed by dishabituation to 'grunts'. Dishabituation could be due to acoustic or referential differences. Significantly, the magnitude of the dishabituating response was asymmetric and depended upon the call type used in the habituation series. Thus, when subjects were habituated to 'grunts', they responded significantly more to tests of 'warbles' or 'harmonic arches' than when the sequence was reversed. These results suggest that for rhesus monkey food-associated calls, referential differences carry more weight during perceptual classification than do acoustical differences. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

A test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in four species of marmots.

Acoustic signals must be transmitted from a signaller to a receiver during which time they become modified. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis suggests that selection should shape the structure of long-distance signals to maximize transmission through different habitats. A specific prediction of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis is that long-distance signals of animals in their native habitat are expected to change less during transmission than non-native signals within that habitat. This prediction was tested using the alarm calls of four species of marmots that live in acoustically different habitats and produce species-specific, long-distance alarm vocalizations: yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris; Olympic marmot, M. olympus; hoary marmot, M. caligata; and woodchuck, M. monax. By doing so, we evaluated the relative importance the acoustic environment plays on selecting for divergent marmot alarm calls. Representative alarm calls of the four species were broadcast and rerecorded in each species' habitat at four distances from a source. Rerecorded, and therefore degraded alarm calls, were compared to undegraded calls using spectrogram correlation. If each species' alarm call was transmitted with less overall degradation in its own environment, a significant interaction between species' habitat and species' call type would be expected. Transmission fidelity at each of four distances was treated as a multivariate response and differences among habitat and call type were tested in a two-way MANOVA. Although significant overall differences in the transmission properties of the habitats were found, and significant overall differences in the transmission properties of the call types were found, there was no significant interaction between habitat and call type. Thus, the evidence did not support the acoustic adaptation hypothesis for these marmot species. Factors other than maximizing long-distance transmission through the environment may be important in the evolution of species-specific marmot alarm calls. (c) 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Acoustic mirror effect increases prey detection distance in trawling bats.

Many different and phylogenetically distant species of bats forage for insects above water bodies and take insects from and close to the surface; the so-called 'trawling behaviour'. Detection of surface-based prey by echolocation is facilitated by acoustically smooth backgrounds such as water surfaces that reflect sound impinging at an acute angle away from the bat and thereby render a prey object acoustically conspicuous. Previous measurements had shown that the echo amplitude of a target on a smooth surface is higher than that of the same target in mid-air, due to an acoustic mirror effect. In behavioural experiments with three pond bats (Myotis dasycneme), we tested the hypothesis that the maximum distances at which bats can detect prey are larger for prey on smooth surfaces than for the same prey in an airborne situation. We determined the moment of prey detection from a change in echolocation behaviour and measured the detection distance in 3D space from IR-video recordings using stereo-photogrammetry. The bats showed the predicted increase in detection distance for prey on smooth surfaces. The acoustic mirror effect therefore increases search efficiency and contributes to the acoustic advantages encountered by echolocating bats when foraging at low heights above smooth water surfaces. These acoustic advantages may have favoured the repeated evolution of trawling behaviour.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Startle-inducing acoustic stimuli evoke ultrasonic vocalization in the rat.

The present study demonstrates that acoustic stimuli which induce a startle response (ASR) also evoke ultrasonic vocalization in the rat. Sound recordings were done on three consecutive days of testing during sessions of 20 acoustic stimuli each and on the following day for three minutes following 5 acoustic stimuli (nonstimulus condition). Startle-inducing stimuli evoked continuous ultrasonic calling which was maintained throughout testing. Immediately following each acoustic stimulus, however, vocalization was interrupted by a period of silence (gap). The mean duration of sounds was reduced and the interpulse interval tended to increase during acoustic stimulation as compared to the nonstimulus condition. It is concluded that startle-eliciting stimuli induce a state of fear in the rat and that the acoustic-startle-elicited ultrasonic vocalization may provide a novel model in the study of anxiety.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Acoustically active liposomes for drug encapsulation and ultrasound-triggered release.

Acoustically active liposomes (AAL), previously developed as ultrasound contrast agents, contain small amounts of air. These AAL have potential to carry pharmaceutics and their acoustic activity could enable them to respond to ultrasound stimulation by releasing their contents. Since liposomes can entrap many kinds of drugs, if such entrapment did not affect their echogenicity, then the release of contents could potentially be controlled by ultrasound stimulation. The aim of this research was to investigate the capacity of acoustically active liposomes for hydrophilic molecule encapsulation and to determine their sensitivity to ultrasound-triggered release. Liposomes, composed of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cholesterol, were made acoustically active by hydrating a lipid film, sonication, freezing in the presence of mannitol, lyophilization, and rehydration. As a test molecule, calcein was added in the hydration step. The procedure for generating acoustically active liposomes was compatible with an encapsulation efficiency of 15% or more. The presence of mannitol during freeze-drying was essential not only for generation of acoustic activity but also for efficient encapsulation. Ultrasound-triggered release was achieved by applying 1 MHz ultrasound at 2 W/cm2 for 10 s. The inclusion of 4% diheptanolyphosphatidylcholine (DHPC) increased the sensitivity of liposomes to ultrasound stimulation and resulted in very efficient stimulated release of contents (1/3 released in 10 s, 2/3 released in six such applications). Release of contents was highly correlated with the loss of air induced either by ultrasound or rapid pressure reduction. These encapsulation and triggered release techniques are highly efficient, and hence may be applicable to drug delivery.

Drug Carriers↗
PubMed2006

Mapping age-related elasticity changes in porcine lenses using bubble-based acoustic radiation force.

Bubble-based acoustic radiation force aims to measure highly localized tissue viscoelastic properties. In the current investigation, acoustic radiation force was applied to laser-induced bubbles to measure age-related changes in the spatial distribution of elastic properties within in vitro porcine lenses. A potential in vivo technique to map lens elasticity is crucial to understanding the onset of presbyopia and develop new treatment options. Bubble-based acoustic radiation force was investigated as a technique to measure the spatial elasticity distribution of the lens in its natural state without disrupting the lens capsule. Laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) generated microbubbles in a straight line across the equatorial plane of explanted porcine lenses with 1mm lateral spacing. Optical breakdown occurs when sufficiently high threshold fluence is attained at the focus of femtosecond pulsed lasers, inducing plasma formation and bubble generation. A two-element confocal ultrasonic transducer applied 6.5 ms acoustic radiation force-chirp bursts with the 1.5 MHz outer element while monitoring bubble position within the lens using pulse-echoes with the 7.44 MHz inner element. A cross-correlation method was used to measure bubble displacements and determine exponential time constants of the temporal responses. Maximum bubble displacements are inversely proportional to the local Young's modulus, while time constants are indicative of viscoelastic properties. The apparent spatial elasticity distributions in 41 porcine lenses, ranging from 4 months to 5 years in age, were measured using bubble-based acoustic radiation force. Bubble displacements decrease closer to the porcine lens center, suggesting that the nucleus is stiffer than the cortex. Bubble displacements decrease with increasing lens age, suggesting that porcine lenses become stiffer with age. Bubble-based acoustic radiation force may be well-suited as a potential in vivo technique to spatially map elastic properties of the lens and guide therapeutic procedures aimed at restoring accommodation.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

Transient unidirectional acoustic streaming in annular resonators.

Theoretical description of the transient process of the acoustic streaming excitation in a toroidal waveguide with driven walls is developed. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the closed-loop (unidirectional) streaming excitation by purely propagating acoustic mode. This mode might be excited by proper phasing of the two localized acoustic sources. It is demonstrated that the evolution of the local streaming velocity can be non-monotonous in some points of the resonator cross-section. A numerical evaluation of the analytical solutions highlights the influence of the ratio of the acoustic boundary layer thickness to the waveguide width on the acoustic-streaming stabilization time. The results obtained for the acoustic streaming in the annular resonator can be useful for the analysis of the annular thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators. They might be also applied in microfluidics where there is a growing interest to different possible physical mechanisms of fluid pumping in microscale channels.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Surface acoustic wavefront sensor using custom optics.

We have designed and had manufactured a custom surface acoustic wavefront sensor, using a standard CMOS process. Ultrasound propagating along the surface of an object perturbs the reflection of incident laser light, which has been focused onto the object using a cylindrical lens. These high-frequency angular perturbations of reflected light relate to the amplitude and phase of the ultrasound along a line on the surface of the object, and thus correspond to the acoustic wavefront. The reflected light is imaged onto a custom linear array of split photodiodes; these simultaneously detect the high-frequency perturbations at several discrete points along the line, forming an acoustic wavefront sensor. As well as a description of the device, its role within an adaptive optical scanning acoustic microscope is discussed. The sensor detects the distortions to the acoustic wavefront after it has propagated through an aberrating medium, such as a metal containing grains of random orientation. The information attained may then be used to alter the generation profile of the optical generation source of the acoustic waves, thus reducing the distortion caused by the aberration and increasing the resolution and accuracy of the system as a whole.

Journal Article↗