Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic holography imaging method and apparatus

US5329817A · kind A · utility

50Cited by
4References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1991
Grant dateJul 19, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03H3/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 showing an offset and tilted object transducer 50 being rotated about a system axis 51 to sequentially insonify the object from various acute incident angles .theta. to the system axis to provide images of the out-of-focus structures at spaced locations at the hologram detection surface 18 at different spaced times. If the pulse rate of the object transducer is greater than the fusion of the eye, the eye is able to average two or more images into a single perceived image. Likewise, video equipment that receives images at a rate greater than 30 Hertz will average two or more images and display the image at a rate of approximately 30 Hertz. Additionally, external video processing may be utilized to electronically average two or more images electronically to obtain an averaged image at any time constant desired by the operator. Such a system effectively neutralizes or blends the out-of-focus structure of an object spaced from a selected focus plane 27 while maintaining the structure within the plane in sharp consistent contrast to provide consistent, quality images of the internal structure of an object 12.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.