Feasibility using a compact fiber optic Sagnac interferometer for non-contact soft tissue surface mechanical wave...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Acoustics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Sagnac interferometers are advantageous for vibrational wave detection.
• Non-contact elasticity characterization of biological tissues is challenging due to limited light collection.
• Developing robust methods for measuring mechanical properties in soft tissues is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of a compact fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer for measuring vibrational waves in biological tissues.
• To develop and characterize an integrated system using an air-coupled transducer and Sagnac interferometer.
• To assess the accuracy of cross-correlation algorithms for wave tracking in tissue phantoms.

Main Methods:

• An air-coupled transducer generated vibrational surface waves.
• A compact fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer measured wave propagation.
• Tissue-mimicking phantoms were used for system calibration and testing.
• Cross-correlation analysis was employed for wave speed measurement and error analysis.

Main Results:

• The integrated system successfully measured vibrational surface wave speeds in tissue phantoms.
• The cross-correlation algorithm proved effective in tracking wave propagation.
• System performance and measurement errors were systematically characterized.
• The developed system demonstrated high potential for elasticity measurements.

Conclusions:

• The compact Sagnac interferometer system is effective for non-contact vibrational wave measurement.
• The system enables accurate, non-invasive characterization of mechanical properties in soft biological tissues.
• This technology holds promise for future biomedical applications in tissue diagnostics.