Title: Reflective echo tomographic imaging using acoustic beams

Abstract

An inspection system includes a plurality of acoustic beamformers, where each of the plurality of acoustic beamformers including a plurality of acoustic transmitter elements. The system also includes at least one controller configured for causing each of the plurality of acoustic beamformers to generate an acoustic beam directed to a point in a volume of interest during a first time. Based on a reflected wave intensity detected at a plurality of acoustic receiver elements, an image of the volume of interest can be generated.

Inventors:

Kisner, Roger; Santos-Villalobos, Hector J

Issue Date:

2014-11-25

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1164354

Patent Number(s):

8894580

Application Number:

13/870,604

Assignee:

UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01S - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING

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G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

G01N2291/106 - one or more transducer arrays
G01N29/00 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
G01N29/069 - {Defect imaging, localisation and sizing using, e.g. time of flight diffraction [TOFD], synthetic aperture focusing technique [SAFT], Amplituden-Laufzeit-Ortskurven [ALOK] technique}
G01N29/262 - {by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01S - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING

G01S15/89 - for mapping or imaging
G01S15/8913 - {using separate transducers for transmission and reception}
G01S15/8915 - {using a transducer array}
G01S15/8927 - {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures}
G01S15/8977 - {using special techniques for image reconstruction, e.g. FFT, geometrical transformations, spatial deconvolution, time deconvolution

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01V - GEOPHYSICS

G01V1/46 - Data acquisition

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2013 Apr 25

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 58 GEOSCIENCES