×

Method and apparatus for ultrasonic examination

  • US 4,167,180 A
  • Filed: 03/23/1978
  • Issued: 09/11/1979
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1975
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of ultrasonic examination of an object which comprises directing pulses of ultrasonic energy from a plurality of transducers along a plurality of beam axes through a liquid coupling bath and into said object, each beam axis being associated with one of said plurality of transducers, and receiving echoes of said pulses reflected along said beam axes by acoustic impedance discontinuities in said object, said directing step including:

  • directing said pulses into the object from said plurality of transducers at spaced positions relative to each other and to said object;

    steering said beam axes to a plurality of angular directions in a single plane; and

    directing said pulses sequentially along each of said beam axes in each of said angular positions at a rate sufficiently fast, compared to the rate of movement of the transducer beams, that each transducer beam axis moves only a small distance between successive activations of said one of said plurality of transducers, said sequential activation along said transducer beam axes comprising sequential activation along a non-adjacent beam axis substantially simultaneously with the receipt of echoes of a previous pulse.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×