In this paper a novel technique for flow measurement which is based on the photoacoustic (PA) Doppler effect is described. A significant feature of the proposed approach is that it can be implemented using tone burst optical excitation thus enabling simultaneous measurement of both velocity and position. The technique, which is based on external modulation and heterodyne detection, was experimentally demonstrated by measurement of the flow of a suspension of carbon particles in a silicon tube and successfully determined the particles mean velocity up to values of 130 mm/sec, which is about 10 times higher than previously reported PA Doppler setups. In the theoretical part a rigorous derivation of the PA response of a flowing medium is described and some important simplifying approximations are highlighted.

© 2010 OSA

1. L. V. Wang, Photoacoustic imaging and spectroscopy (CRC Press, 2009).
2. M. Xu and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoutsic imaging in biomedicine,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77(4), 041101 (2006). [CrossRef]
3. H. Fang, K. Maslov, and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoustic Doppler effect from flowing small light-absorbing particles,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(18), 184501 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. H. Fang, K. Maslov, and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoustic Doppler flow measurement in optically scattering media,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(26), 264103 (2007). [CrossRef]
5. H. Fang and L. V. Wang, “M-mode photoacoustic particle flow imaging,” Opt. Lett. 34(5), 671–673 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. Y. Wang, D. Xing, Y. Zeng, and Q. Chen, “Photoacoustic imaging with deconvolution algorithm,” Phys. Med. Biol. 49(14), 3117–3124 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. S. M. Blinder, “Delta functions in spherical coordinates and how to avoid losing them: fields of point charges and dipoles,” Am. J. Phys. 71(8), 816–818 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. W. R. Brody and J. D. Meindl, “Theoretical analysis of the CW doppler ultrasonic flowmeter,” IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 21(3), 183–192 (1974). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. G. Guidi, C. Licciardello, and S. Falteri, “Intrinsic spectral broadening (ISB) in ultrasound Doppler as a combination of transit time and local geometrical broadening,” Ult. Med. Biol. 26(5), 853–862 (2000). [CrossRef]
10. A. Sheinfeld, E. Bergman, S. Gilead, and A. Eyal, “The use of pulse synthesis for optimization of photoacoustic measurements,” Opt. Express 17(9), 7328–7338 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Am. J. Phys.

• S. M. Blinder, “Delta functions in spherical coordinates and how to avoid losing them: fields of point charges and dipoles,” Am. J. Phys. 71(8), 816–818 (2003). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• H. Fang, K. Maslov, and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoustic Doppler flow measurement in optically scattering media,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(26), 264103 (2007). [CrossRef]

IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.

• W. R. Brody and J. D. Meindl, “Theoretical analysis of the CW doppler ultrasonic flowmeter,” IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 21(3), 183–192 (1974). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• A. Sheinfeld, E. Bergman, S. Gilead, and A. Eyal, “The use of pulse synthesis for optimization of photoacoustic measurements,” Opt. Express 17(9), 7328–7338 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• H. Fang and L. V. Wang, “M-mode photoacoustic particle flow imaging,” Opt. Lett. 34(5), 671–673 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Med. Biol.

• Y. Wang, D. Xing, Y. Zeng, and Q. Chen, “Photoacoustic imaging with deconvolution algorithm,” Phys. Med. Biol. 49(14), 3117–3124 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• H. Fang, K. Maslov, and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoustic Doppler effect from flowing small light-absorbing particles,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(18), 184501 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

• M. Xu and L. V. Wang, “Photoacoutsic imaging in biomedicine,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77(4), 041101 (2006). [CrossRef]

Ult. Med. Biol.

• G. Guidi, C. Licciardello, and S. Falteri, “Intrinsic spectral broadening (ISB) in ultrasound Doppler as a combination of transit time and local geometrical broadening,” Ult. Med. Biol. 26(5), 853–862 (2000). [CrossRef]

Other

• L. V. Wang, Photoacoustic imaging and spectroscopy (CRC Press, 2009).

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