Abstract
Optical hydrophones are optimized pressure-pulse-sensors used for high-power shockwave sources, such as lithotripters. Recent investigation of Smith et al. ["A Comparison of light spot hydrophone and fiber optic probe hydrophone for lithotripter field characterization," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 014301 (2012)] show discrepancies in the negative pressure peak and tensile pulse duration regarding measurements carried out with two optical hydrophones: the Light Spot Hydrophone (LSHD) and the fiber optic hydro-phone. It was assumed that the differences arise from cavitation effects at the end-face of the LSHD glass-block and filter characteristics of the trans-impedance amplifier of the LSHD. The present study investigates the transfer-function of the LSHD. It is shown that the filter characteristics of the amplifier cause discrepancies in the rarefaction pressure pulse fraction (depending on the energy settings of the source 15 ± 2%).
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