@chagrin (and every one else...)
I have worked a lot with the sensor you just linked to. Its a really nifty and versatile part. I am however specifically looking for this part:

Note the right angle & low profile. Also its not two components fused together in one IC. I suspect that it is the same component used for both the emitter and receiver.
And, well, I still don't know anything more about it since I first started searching. I'm considering ordering some of the pololu boards and simply desoldering them for testing purpose, but for my final application I will need ~ 100 pieces, so that's not an option anymore.