Scanning Acoustical Microscopy

Extract

Scanning acoustical microscopy has found a very comfortable niche in the area of non-destructive evaluation, testing and imaging. But the field need not be limited by such a narrow applications area.

In this article, a general review of current and possible applications will be conducted including archaeological conservation and evaluation. Part III of this series will deal exclusively with biomedical applications.

Since acoustical waves can penetrate a specimen, optically opaque materials can be visualized and more fully examined. Depending on the resolution required, a compromise needs to be achieved before a specimen can be imaged. Recall from Part I of this series, the higher the frequency, the better the resolution, but the depth of penetration is less. In many applications, it is not always necessary to achieve a high degree of resolution, it is more interesting to locate and identify internal structures. Acoustical microscopy is meant to be a complementary form of observation not necessarily a standalone modality.