Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus, using time inversion or signals

US5431053A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
2References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 4, 1992
Grant dateJul 11, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 4, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/2693
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for internal inspection of pieces having an interface with a propagation medium, is described. The steps include: illuminating a reference piece with an ultrasound beam from a first array of transducers excited by stored excitation signals; sensing reflected echo signals received by transducers, which may be the transducers of the first array, and storing the waveforms and time distribution thereof; simultaneously sensing refracted signals, received by transducers belonging to a second array placed opposite to the the first relative to the piece and storing the waveforms and time distribution of the signals received by the transducers of the second array; replacing the reference piece with a piece to be inspected having the same shape and occupying the same location, and applying, to each of the transducers, energization signals obtained by time reversal of the stored waveforms and time distribution; and sensing the signals received by the transducers of the second network.

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