A model of the effects of hydrophone and amplifier frequency response on ultrasound exposure measurements

To examine how less-than-ideal hydrophones and amplifiers could affect the measurement of pulse parameters, a simulated distorted pressure pulse is analyzed before and after being filtered by hydrophone and amplifier response models. The hydrophone model used is similar to the response of piezopolymer membrane hydrophones. The amplifier model is taken from typical responses of integrated circuit operational amplifier-based designs. The pressure pulse, hydrophone, and amplifier are characterized respectively by the pulse center frequency, f/sub c/, the hydrophone resonance frequency, f/sub h/, and the amplifier low-pass corner frequency, f/sub a/.<>