Mechanically scanned B-scan system for acoustic microscopy of solids

We propose a novel mechanically scanned B-scan system for imaging the interior of solids with diffraction-limited resolution. By utilizing an additional spherical surface in conjunction with a conventional acoustic lens, it is possible to reduce spherical aberration, (which would otherwise seriously degrade the imaging performance), to a negligible value. In typical situations, it is possible to scan the focus through a depth of several hundred wavelengths.