METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRASONIC TESTING

• US 20130081468A1
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Roman Koch, Stephan Falter
• Inventors: KOCH, Roman, FALTER, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 8,770,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/614
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0645 Display representation or displayed parameters, e.g. A-, B- or C-Scan
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/262 by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays phased arrays per se G10K11/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/38 by time filtering, e.g. using time gates

Abstract

A method for ultrasonic testing of an object, the method comprising ultrasonic scanning of a plurality of scan regions of the object; converting ultrasonic echoes of the ultrasonic scanning into a plurality of electrical signals; gating the electrical signals to provide gated signals; and wherein different gating times are used for the electrical signals.

Claims

1. A method for ultrasonic testing of an object, the method comprising:

a) ultrasonic scanning of a plurality of scan regions of the object, thereby generating ultrasonic echoes;

b) converting ultrasonic echoes of the ultrasonic scanning into a plurality of electrical signals; and

,

c) gating the electrical signals to provide gated signals;

wherein different gating times are used for the electrical signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical signals are processed to obtain an ultrasonic B-mode image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gating times depend on the respective scan region.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

a) receiving an input from a user;

b) adjusting the gating times depending on the input; and

,

c) displaying the adjusted gating times with the B-mode image on a display.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein receiving the input from the user comprises detecting at least one courser position of a courser on the display.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising calculating the curve depending on the input from the user and drawing the curve on the display.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the different gating times are calculated based on coordinates of the curve.

8. The method according to claim 4, comprising calculating a free form surface depending on the input from the user and drawing the free form surface on the display.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gating time is calculated based on coordinates of the free form surface.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the gating comprises employing a gating threshold, the gating threshold being calculated based on coordinates of the free form surface.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein a graphic user interface is used for receiving the input from the user.

12. Ultrasonic testing device for testing an object, comprising:

a) an ultrasonic transducer for scanning a plurality of scan regions of the object and for converting ultrasonic echoes into electrical signals; and

,

b) a gating unit configured for gating the electrical signals with a gating time to provide gated signals, wherein the gating time depends on the respective scan region.

13. Ultrasonic testing device according to claim 12, comprising

a) a signal processor configured to generate a B-mode image;

and,

b) a display configured to display the B-mode image and the gating time as a curve.

14. Ultrasonic testing device according to claim 13, comprising an input unit for receiving an input from a user, the input unit being configured for enabling the user to move a courser on the display and for detecting the position of the courser on the display as the input.

15. Ultrasonic testing device according to claim 14, the gating unit being configured for adjusting the gating time depending on the input.

16. Ultrasonic testing device according to claim 14, the display and the input unit being configured with a graphic user interface.

17. Ultrasonic testing device according to claim 12, the ultrasonic transducer comprising a phased array probe.

18. A method for testing an object with an ultrasonic testing device comprising a display, the method comprising:

a) scanning a plurality of scan regions of the object to obtain a plurality of electrical signals;

b) processing the electrical signals to obtain a B-mode image;

c) receiving an input from a user to set a boundary in the B-mode image; and

,

d) processing of the electrical signals, wherein the processing comprises a gating of the electrical signals depending on the coordinates of the boundary in the B-mode image.

19. The method according to claim 18, comprising receiving the input from the user by a graphic user interface.

20. The method according to claim 18, comprising calculating gate times for the gating of the electrical signals depending on the coordinates of the boundary.