APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC TESTING
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic testing apparatus for testing the inside of an object under test by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the object under test and receiving reflected waves (echoes) from the surface or inside thereof by using an ultrasonic array transducer composed of a plurality of one- or two-dimensionally arranged piezoelectric elements, the ultrasonic testing apparatus comprising:
- sensor information setting means configured to set a plurality of element groups (element clusters) to be used for transmission and reception out of the plurality of piezoelectric elements composing the ultrasonic array transducer;
transmission selection means configured to select an element cluster used for transmission out of the set plurality of element clusters;
reception selection means configured to select an element cluster used for reception out of the set plurality of element clusters;
delay time control means configured to give a delay time to each of the piezoelectric elements used for transmission and piezoelectric elements used for reception with reference to a sensor center position serving as a reference for the delay time;
a computer configured to obtain a second receive signal by performing the steps of;
transmitting an ultrasonic wave from the element cluster set for transmission, and storing an ultrasonic wave received by the element cluster set for reception as a first receive signal;
repeating a procedure for changing the element cluster set for transmission and the element cluster set for reception and storing another first receive signal; and
summing up the plurality of first receive signals obtained by repeating the same procedure; and
display means configured to display the second receive signal with reference to the sensor center position.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for ultrasonic testing obtains high-resolution and high-S/N ratio testing results by driving a number of piezoelectric elements using fewer pulsers and receivers in comparison with the number of elements composing an array transducer. A sensor information setter sets a plurality of piezoelectric element groups used for transmission and a plurality of piezoelectric element groups used for reception among the plurality of piezoelectric elements composing an ultrasonic array transducer. A computer transmits an ultrasonic wave from the element cluster set for transmission, and stores an ultrasonic wave received by the element cluster set for reception. The procedure is repeated including different element cluster sets for transmission and reception to obtain first receive signals. The first receive signals are summed to obtain a second receive signal; and the second receive signal is displayed with reference to the sensor center position on a display unit.
67 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic testing apparatus for testing the inside of an object under test by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the object under test and receiving reflected waves (echoes) from the surface or inside thereof by using an ultrasonic array transducer composed of a plurality of one- or two-dimensionally arranged piezoelectric elements, the ultrasonic testing apparatus comprising:
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sensor information setting means configured to set a plurality of element groups (element clusters) to be used for transmission and reception out of the plurality of piezoelectric elements composing the ultrasonic array transducer; transmission selection means configured to select an element cluster used for transmission out of the set plurality of element clusters; reception selection means configured to select an element cluster used for reception out of the set plurality of element clusters; delay time control means configured to give a delay time to each of the piezoelectric elements used for transmission and piezoelectric elements used for reception with reference to a sensor center position serving as a reference for the delay time; a computer configured to obtain a second receive signal by performing the steps of; transmitting an ultrasonic wave from the element cluster set for transmission, and storing an ultrasonic wave received by the element cluster set for reception as a first receive signal; repeating a procedure for changing the element cluster set for transmission and the element cluster set for reception and storing another first receive signal; and summing up the plurality of first receive signals obtained by repeating the same procedure; and display means configured to display the second receive signal with reference to the sensor center position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An ultrasonic testing method for testing the inside of an object under test by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the object under test and receiving reflected waves (echoes) from the surface or inside thereof by using an ultrasonic array transducer composed of a plurality of one- or two-dimensionally arranged piezoelectric elements, the ultrasonic testing method comprising the steps of:
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setting a plurality of element groups (element clusters) for transmission and reception out of a plurality of piezoelectric elements composing the ultrasonic array transducer; selecting an element cluster used for transmission out of the set plurality of element clusters, and selecting an element cluster used for reception out of the set plurality of element clusters; giving a delay time to each of the piezoelectric elements used for transmission and/or the piezoelectric elements used for reception with reference to a sensor center position serving as a reference for the delay time; transmitting an ultrasonic wave from the element cluster set for transmission, and storing an ultrasonic wave received by the element cluster set for reception as a first receive signal; repeating a procedure for changing the element cluster set for transmission and the element cluster set for reception and storing another first receive signal; summing up the plurality of first receive signals obtained by repeating the same procedure to obtain a second receive signal; and displaying the second receive signal with reference to the sensor center position. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method for three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging comprising the steps of:
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transmitting an ultrasonic wave from a two-dimensional array ultrasonic sensor to focus at a desired depth; three-dimensionally scanning the inside of an object under test while varying the ultrasonic beam angle, and storing waveform data; converting the obtained waveform data to three-dimensional testing data; storing the three-dimensional testing data by sequentially changing the set position of the array ultrasonic sensor; and combining the three-dimensional testing data obtained at each testing position while making a shift by the displacement of the array ultrasonic sensor to attain three-dimensional imaging. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising:
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a two-dimensional array ultrasonic sensor composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements; pulsers configured to transmit a transmit signal to each piezoelectric element of the array ultrasonic sensor; receivers configured to receive a receive signal; delay control means configured to perform time control for the transmit and receive signals by varying a delay time for each piezoelectric element; data storage means configured to store ultrasonic waveforms transmitted and received by the array ultrasonic sensor; sensor moving means configured to feed the array ultrasonic sensor, and scanning control means configured to control the sensor moving means; displacement detection means configured to measure the displacement of the array ultrasonic sensor; a computer configured to convert the stored waveform data to three-dimensional testing data, and combine the plurality of pieces of three-dimensional testing data while making a shift by the displacement of the array ultrasonic sensor measured by the displacement detection means; and display means configured to display the combined testing data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A three-dimensional ultrasonic testing apparatus comprising:
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an ultrasonic sensor composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements; pulsers configured to supply a transmit signal to each piezoelectric element of the ultrasonic sensor; receivers configured to input a receive signal from each piezoelectric element of the ultrasonic sensor; data storage means configured to store ultrasonic waveforms received by the ultrasonic sensor; a computer for image processing configured to generate three-dimensional testing data from the waveforms stored in the data storage means; and three-dimensional display means configured to display the three-dimensional testing data generated by the computer, wherein the computer outputs the distance between the two points specified on the three-dimensional display means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A three-dimensional ultrasonic testing method for testing the inside of an object under test by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the object under test and receiving reflected waves therefrom by using an ultrasonic sensor composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements,
wherein the method measures a distance between two echoes caused by a reflected ultrasonic wave signal based on a distance between the two points specified on the three-dimensional display means.
Specification