Fiber optic broadband ultrasonic probe for virtual biopsy: technological solutions

An ultrasonic probe was developed by using, in conjunction, opto-acoustic and acousto-optic devices based on fiber optic technology. The intrinsic high frequency and wide bandwidth associated both to the opto-acoustic source and to the acousto-optic receiving element could open a way towards a “virtual biopsy” of biological tissue. A Micro-Opto-Mechanical-System (MOMS) approach is proposed to realize the broadband ultrasonic probe on micromachined silicon frames suited to be mounted on the tip of optical fibers.