Interferometric optical fiber sensor for optoacoustic endomicroscopy |
| |
Authors: | Okan Ülgen Rami Shnaiderman Christian Zakian Vasilis Ntziachristos |
| |
Institution: | 1. Chair of Biological Imaging at the 2. Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;3. Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany |
| |
Abstract: | Optical fiber sensors can offer robust and miniaturized detection of wideband ultrasound, yielding high sensitivity and immunity to electromagnetic interference. However, the lack of cost-effective manufacturing methods prevents the disseminated use of these sensors in biomedical applications. In this study, we developed and optimized a simple method to create optical cavities with high-quality mirrors for acoustic sensing based on micro-manipulation of UV-curable optical adhesives and electroless chemical silver deposition. This approach enables the manufacturing of ultrasound sensors based on Fabry-Pérot interferometers on optical fiber tips with minimal production costs. Characterization and high-resolution optoacoustic imaging experiments show that the manufacturing process yielded a fiber sensor with a small NEP () over a broad detection bandwidth (25 MHz), generally outperforming conventional piezoelectric based transducers. We discuss how the new manufacturing process leads to a high-performance acoustic detector that, due to low cost, can be used as a disposable sensor. |
| |
Keywords: | endomicroscopy Fabry-Pérot interferometer optical fiber sensor optical resonator optoacoustic imaging ultrasound transducer |
|
|