Surface wave measurements using a single continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer: Application to elastography

Abstract

A continuous scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (CSLDV) obtained sweeping a single laser beam along a periodic scan pattern allows measuring surface vibrations at many points simultaneously by demultiplexing the CSLDV signal. This known method fundamentally differs from conventional scanning laser vibrometry techniques in which the laser beam is kept at a fixed point during each measurement and then moved to a new position prior to the next measurement. This article demonstrates the use of a CSLDV for measuring in a non-contact fashion the velocity of low-frequency surface waves (f < 100 Hz) propagating over soft materials, namely here gel surfaces—mimicking human body soft tissues—and skeletal muscles, to develop an affordable and noninvasive elastography modality. The CSLDV vibration measurements obtained with a single laser beam, linearly scanned over the test surface at 200 Hz over lengths up to 6 cm, were validated using an array of three fixed laser Doppler vibrometers distributed along the same scan line. Furthermore, this CSLDV setup was used to measure the increase in surface wave velocity over the biceps brachii muscle which was directly correlated to the actual stiffening of the biceps occurring while a subject was performing voluntary contractions at an increasing level.