ULTRASONIC PROBE AND METHOD FOR THE OPTICAL DETECTION OF ULTRASONIC WAVES

摘要

The invention relates to an ultrasonic probe for the optical detection of the ultrasonic waves reflected on an object or a body. The invention also relates to a method for the optical detection of ultrasonic waves by means of an ultrasonic probe. According to said method, ultrasonic waves emitted by an ultrasonic signal transmitter are reflected on an object or a body or transmitted thereby, and the reflected or transmitted ultrasonic waves are registered by optical detection units, said reflected ultrasonic waves exciting a membrane which is integrated into the ultrasonic probe and comes into contact with the body, in such a way that the membrane oscillates, leading to a modification of the length of the optical path of a light beam oriented towards the membrane. This modification of the optical path length can then be interferometrically determined.