Method for ultrasonic imaging and device for performing the method

• US 5,691,476 A
• Filed: 01/12/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Madaras, Eric I.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/585,087
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 73/644, 73/632, 73/633, 73/625, 73/609, 73/617, 73/629, 73/626, 333/140, 333/141
• US Class Current: 73/644
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2462 Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators

Abstract

A method for ultrasonic imaging of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen with a smooth or irregular contact surfaces, in which an ultrasonic transducer is coupled acoustically to the contact surface via a plurality of ultrasonic wave guides with equal delay times. The wave guides are thin and bendable, so they adapt to variations in the distance between the transducer and different parts of the contact surface by bending more or less. All parts of the irregular contact surface accordingly receive sound waves that are in phase, even when the contact surface is irregular, so a coherent sound wave is infused in the test specimen. The wave guides can be arranged in the form of an ultrasonic brush, with a flat head for coupling to a flat transducer, and free bristles that can be pressed against the test specimen. By bevelling the bristle ends at a suitable angle, shear mode waves can be infused into the test specimen from a longitudinal mode transducer.

Claims

1. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an ultrasonic transducer with a smooth surface;

(b) providing a plurality of flexible ultrasonic wave guides having equal delay times;

(c) arranging said wave guides in parallel between said ultrasonic transducer and a surface of the test specimen;

(d) coupling one end of each of said wave guides ultrasonically to said ultrasonic transducer; and

(e) coupling the other end of each of said wave guides ultrasonically to said surface of the test specimen, the end coupled to said surface of the test specimen being free to engage said surface of the test specimen regardless of test specimen geometry.

2. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen according to claim 1, wherein said wave guides are made of thin and bendable wires.

3. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen according to claim 2, wherein said wave guides have a diameter smaller than the shortest wavelength of a chosen range of frequencies of ultrasound in a material from which the wave guides are made, and wherein each of said wave guides has a coating for improving the sound confinement in said wave guides.

4. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

(f) arranging said wave guides in a bundle;

(g) providing a header at one end of said bundle for assembling said wave guides in parallel, wherein said wave guides form bristles of an ultrasonic brush, each of said bristles having a header end and a bristle end;

(h) arranging said header end of each of said bristles to form a substantially smooth surface conforming to said transducer; and

(i) pressing said bristle end of each of said bristles against said surface of the test specimen, wherein each of said bristles bends to automatically conform to said surface of said test specimen.

5. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

(j) cutting the bristle end of said wave guides at an angle less than 90°

.

6. A method for non-destructive evaluation of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen according to claim 4, wherein said header has a larger area than said ultrasonic transducer, wherein said ultrasonic transducer can be moved along said header for rapid scanning of said test specimen.

7. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer having a predetermined coupling area to a test specimen, comprising:

(a) a plurality of flexible wave guides having equal delay times for ultrasonic pulses transmitted therethrough;

(b) means for arranging said wave guides in parallel between said transducer and said test specimen;

(c) means for coupling a first end of each of said wave guides acoustically to said transducer; and

(d) means for coupling a second end of each of said wave guides acoustically to said test specimen wherein said second end is free to engage said test specimen regardless of test specimen geometry.

8. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer to a test specimen according to claim 7, wherein said wave guides are thin and bendable wires.

9. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer having a predetermined coupling area to a test specimen according to claim 8, wherein said wave guides have a diameter smaller than the shortest wavelength of a chosen range of frequencies of ultrasound in a material from which the wave guides are made, and wherein each of said wave guides has a coating for improving the sound confinement in said wave guides.

10. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer to a test specimen according to claim 9 wherein said wave guides form a brush-like arrangement and wherein said means for coupling a first end comprises a brush head and each of said second end of said wave guides forms a bristle.

11. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer to a test specimen according to claim 10, wherein said brush head has an area larger than the coupling area of said transducer.

12. A device for coupling an ultrasonic transducer to a test specimen according to claim 7, wherein each said second end said wave guides is cut at an angle less than 90°

.