1797results about "Using subsonic/sonic/ultrasonic vibration means" patented technology

An integrated system is described in which digital image data of a patient, obtained from a variety of image sources, including CT scanner, X-Ray, 2D or 3D scanners and color photographs, are combined into a common coordinate system to create a virtual three-dimensional patient model. Software tools are provided for manipulating the virtual patient model to simulation changes in position or orientation of craniofacial structures (e.g., jaw or teeth) and simulate their affect on the appearance of the patient. The simulation (which may be pure simulations or may be so-called “morphing” type simulations) enables a comprehensive approach to planning treatment for the patient. In one embodiment, the treatment may encompass orthodontic treatment. Similarly, surgical treatment plans can be created. Data is extracted from the virtual patient model or simulations thereof for purposes of manufacture of customized therapeutic devices for any component of the craniofacial structures, e.g., orthodontic appliances.

An excisional biopsy device includes a tubular member having a window near a distal tip thereof; a cutting tool, a distal end of the cutting tool being attached near the distal tip of the tubular member, at least a distal portion of the cutting tool being configured to selectively bow out of the window and to retract within the window; and a tissue collection device externally attached at least to the tubular member, the tissue collection device collecting tissue excised by the cutting tool as the biopsy device is rotated and the cutting tool is bowed. An excisional biopsy method for soft tissue includes the steps of inserting a generally tubular member into the tissue, the tubular member including a cutting tool adapted to selectively bow away from the tubular member and an external tissue collection device near a distal tip of the tubular member; rotating the tubular member; selectively varying a degree of bowing of the cutting tool; collecting tissue severed by the cutting tool in the tissue collection device; and retracting the tubular member from the soft tissue. The tubular member may include an imaging transducer and the method may include the step of displaying information received from the transducer on a display device and the step of varying the degree of bowing of the cutting tool based upon the displayed information from the imaging transducer. Alternatively, the imaging transducer may be disposed within a removable transducer core adapted to fit within the tubular member.

Ultrasonic waveguides having improved velocity gain are disclosed for use in ultrasonic medical devices. Specifically, the ultrasonic waveguides comprises a first material having a higher acoustic impedance and a second material having a lower acoustic impedance.

The top-view profiles of repeating structures in a wafer are characterized and parameters to represent variations in the top-view profile of the repeating structures are selected. An optical metrology model is developed that includes the selected top-view profile parameters of the repeating structures. The optimized optical metrology model is used to generate simulated diffraction signals that are compared to measured diffraction signals.

Simultaneous 2-D room shape reconstruction and self-localization is accomplished using no pre-established infrastructure. A mobile device with co-located microphone and loudspeaker is used to collect echoes reflected by the walls. The system uniquely recovers arbitrary 2-D convex room shape as well as the position of mobile device 10 by collecting and processing distances between three consecutive measurement points as well as acoustic echoes from the device. A practical algorithm for room shape reconstruction and self-localization in the presence of noise and higher order echoes is proposed. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

A method for determining position and alignment is provided. The method includes monitoring a first and second sequence of ultrasonic signals transmitted from the first device to a second device, estimating a location of the first device from Time of Flight measurements of the ultrasonic signals at respective microphones on the second device, calculating a set of phase differences, weighting a difference of an expected location and estimated location of the first device with the set of phase differences to produce a relative displacement, and reporting a position of the first device based on the relative displacement.

An ultrasound inspection apparatus particularly adapted to examine containers (sealed or unsealed) containing a liquid or solid bulk material. The apparatus has an overall configuration of a hand held pistol with a front transducer contact surface that is positioned against a front wall of the container. An ultrasound pulse is transmitted from the apparatus to be reflected from a back wall of a container being investigated. The received echo pulse is converted to a digital waveform. The waveform is analyzed relative to temperature, travel distance of the pulse(s), and time of travel to ascertain characteristics of the liquid or other materials and to provide identification of the same.

A system for inspecting railroad ties in a railroad track includes a light generator, an optical receiver and a processor. The light generator is oriented to project a beam of light across the railroad track while moving along the railroad track in a travel direction. The optical receiver is oriented to receive at least a portion of the beam of light reflected from the railroad track and configured to generate image data representative of a profile of at least a portion of the railroad track. The processor is configured to analyze the image data by applying one or more algorithms configured to find boundaries of a railroad tie and determine one or more condition metrics associated with the railroad tie.

A method is provided for assembling a measurement device for use in measuring a machine component. The method includes providing a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The method also includes combining ultrasonic inspection (UT) capabilities and CMM capabilities to form an inspection probe. The inspection probe is installed on the CMM so that the inspection probe measures external boundaries of the machine component with the CMM capabilities and substantially simultaneously measures internal boundaries of the machine component with the UT capabilities.

The present invention relates to an improved method for the simultaneous calibration and qualification of a non-contact probe on a localizer using a single artifact, in which non-contact probe readings and localizer readings are synchronised using parameters determined simultaneously with calibration and qualification. The invention also relates to a non-contact probe and other devices, and a computer program for performing the invention.

A device and method for performing ultrasound scanning of a substantially cylindrical object, the device comprising a cuff adapted to fit around a circumference of the object, a carrier mounted slidably on the cuff and adapted to traverse the circumference of the object, an ultrasound probe mounted on the carrier and positioned to scan the circumference of the object as the carrier traverses the circumference of the object, a carrier motor mounted on the cuff or the carrier and used to drive the movement of the carrier about the circumference of the object, and one or more data connections providing control information for the carrier motor and the ultrasound probe and receiving scanning data from the ultrasound probe.

An internal inspection unit for pipe has ultrasonic transducers that inspect weld volume, weld root, and wall thickness. The ultrasonic transducers are mounted to a portion of the inspection unit that is rotatable, but no more than one full revolution. One of the units has independently movable shoes for each separate transducer. The shoes are moved between retracted and extended positions by pneumatic cylinders. The other unit has shoes that support more than one transducer, the shoes being biased outwardly by springs.

A coordinate input device of touch-type capable of giving an electric signal to a transducer, even if said transducer is disposed on a back surface of a substrate. The device contains acoustic wave transducers (piezoelectric vibrators), each functioning for oscillating a bulk wave (a first wave) toward a top surface of a substrate; a planar wiring formed on a back surface of the substrate by, e.g., transfer printing with conductive paste, for supplying the piezoelectric vibrator with electric power; diffractive acoustic wave mode couplers, each functioning for converting said bulk wave into a surface acoustic wave (a second wave) and vice versa; and a detector to detect scatter in the surface acoustic wave on the top surface of the substrate. Employing the planar wiring allows the wiring to be disposed even on the back surface of the substrate and also it may resolve the problem of fragility associated with a cable wiring.

A laser maintenance apparatus is provided with a laser system including a laser light source and an optical system and emitting a laser light, a light transmitting device for generating the laser light emitted from the laser system, and a laser irradiation device for irradiating the laser light generated by the light transmitting device to an object portion. The laser system includes an element for changing an irradiation condition of the laser light.

The disclosed detector comprises: a driver, a magnetic-leakage probe, a magnetic-leakage signal process device with a rotary coder, a power, an ultrasonic probe, and a ultrasonic signal processor with a roller carried a milometer all connected by gimbals in turn. This invention integrates both magnetic-leakage and ultrasound, realizes precise positioning to defect in pipeline, and can detect the defect and hidden danger all round.

A 3D shape measurement apparatus for measuring a 3D shape of an object existing on a measurement area, comprising, a pattern projection unit for projecting a pattern having a periodicity onto the measurement area, and a capturing unit for capturing an image of the area where the pattern is projected, wherein the measurement area is specified by a reference plane, a projection area of the pattern projection unit, and a capturing area of the capturing unit, and the pattern projection unit projects the pattern to be focused on the reference plane. The apparatus further comprises a first calculation unit for calculating phase information of a pattern of the captured image, a second calculation unit for calculating defocus amounts of the pattern in the captured image, and a third calculation unit for calculating a 3D shape of the object based on the phase information and the defocus amounts.

A capacitive ultrasonic device is capable of detecting an object and providing information regarding an orientation of the object. The capacitive ultrasonic device includes a power source configured to generate a voltage signal, an array of sensor elements, each of the sensor elements being configured to generate an ultrasonic wave during a first period of the voltage signal and detect whether a wave is reflected from the object during a second period of the voltage signal when the voltage signal is applied thereto, and a control unit configured to activate a first portion of the array of sensor elements through the power source, and activate a second portion of the array of sensor elements when at least one of the first portion of the sensor elements detects a wave reflected from the object.

The invention belongs to petroleum geophysical prospecting, and relates to a method for defining effective thickness of a target reservoir bed under complex geological conditions, by which the reservoir thickness is confirmed by using seismic wave information (namely, characteristic points and amplitude information). The method comprises the following steps: selecting comprehensive seism and logging information of a target layer section in a studied work area; obtaining a stack profile section after conducting Hi-definition and high resolution process on seism data; then meticulously explaining the position of the layer; and finally performing thickness prediction on the target reservoir bed. By the adoption of the invention, the effective thickness of the target reservoir bed under complex geological conditions can be estimated; and the method is not only suitable for conditions of each thin layer, and but also suitable for conditions that thickness, net sand ratio, thickness of various single layers and distribution manner of an actual thin alternating layer are all intensely changed, is not limited by tuning thickness of the thin layer, and has stronger adaptability.

The present invention is directed to a method for custom fitting an article to a human being having the steps of defining a first set of human body dimensions to be reported by the human being, defining a second set of human body dimensions to be inferred from said first set of human body dimensions, providing a first mathematical model relating said second set of human body dimensions to said first set of human body dimensions, wherein said mathematical model has been generated by statistical analysis of a human anthropometric database, obtaining a first set of values of said first set of body dimensions by report of the human being, computing a second set of values of said second set of human body dimensions from said first set of values of said first set of human body dimensions by using said first mathematical model, defining a set of article dimensions, providing a second mathematical model relating said article dimensions to said first set of human body dimensions and said second set of human body dimensions, computing a third set of values of said set of article dimensions from said first set of values of said first set of human body dimensions and said second set of values of said second set of human body dimensions by using said second mathematical model.

Sonic excitation is used to locate, without contact, an object or defect beneath a surface. Defects may include, for example, damage and flaws in load bearing concrete structures wrapped in plastic, fiberglass or composite sheathing, while buried objects amenable to detection include landmines or above-ground mines.

Disclosed is a method for determining the sound velocity (Cb) in a basic material, in which an ultrasonic probe having a transmitting probe, a receiver transducer, and a forward member is used. The forward member is provided with a coupling surface that couples the probe to the basic material, and has a sound velocity (Cv). The transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are aligned in an oblique manner from each other and from the coupling surface such that a main transmission direction of the transmitting probe and a main receiving direction of the receiver transducer intersect below the coupling surface. The centers of the transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are located at a distance K from each other and are located at a distance Dv from the coupling surface. According to the inventive method, the transmitting probe generates an ultrasonic pulse which runs through the forward member into the basic material, where the ultrasonic pulse creates a creeping wave, a portion of which arrives at the receiver transducer. The shortest sound traveling time (Ttot) is measured and the sound velocity (Cb) within the basic material is determined via the path between the transmitting probe and the receiver transducer, which supplies the shortest total traveling time (Ttot).

A method for inspecting a honeycomb fired body includes transporting the honeycomb fired body along a transportation line, and inspecting the honeycomb fired body for a crack during the transporting step.

Methods and apparatus for ultrasonically scanning cylinders are provided. The methods and apparatus employ as few as one ultrasonic sensor for full immersion scanning and defect detection. Self-centering fixturing spins the cylinder, reducing vibration, allowing for fast ultrasonic scans. To create the 45 degree angle beam shear waves for the circumferential scans, the ultrasonic sensor is offset from the centerline of the cylinder, creating the correct angle for excitation of the shear wave.

The invention provides an integrated Phased Array (PhA) structural radar transducer, permanently bonded to a structure, that can provide reliable electromechanical connection with corresponding miniaturized electronic SHM device installed above it. The integrated PhA transducer consists of a set of aligned piezo-electric discs with wrap around electrodes for transceiving of elastic ultrasonic waves, plurality of electrical traces and contact pads, several layers of a flexible printed circuit board, electromagnetic shielding between channels and overall, one electromechanical multi-pinned connector and all that integrated into one small unit easy for surface installation by bonding and final application on real structures. The integrated PhA transducer, as a key component of SHM (Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment) system, has two principal tasks to reliably transceive elastic waves and serve as a reliable sole carrier or support for associated sophisticated SHM electronic device attached above.

The invention relates to a method for measuring thicknesses of materials of multilayered structure. This method includes transmitting one or more ultrasound signals including different frequencies into a multilayered structure consisting of two or more materials with one or more ultrasound transducers, measuring materials, acoustic properties for which are different at the frequencies in use, measuring ultrasound signals reflected from the front surface and back surface of the multilayered structure with one or more ultrasound transducer and determining thicknesses of the materials within multilayered structure from the reflected ultrasound signals.

In accordance with one embodiment, the present technique provides a testing apparatus for testing material integrity of an object. The exemplary testing apparatus includes a phased array transducer, which is disposed external to the object. The phased array transducer is configured to transmit a first set of ultrasonic signals and to receive a second set of ultrasonic signals. The testing apparatus further includes logic circuitry coupled to the phased array transducer. The logic circuitry is configured to dynamically control apertures for transmitting the first set of ultrasonic signals and receiving the second set of ultrasonic signals based on a region of interest and a testing speed.

An apparatus for measuring wall thicknesses of objects, comprises: a coordinate measuring machine comprising a probe holder and an object support, the coordinate measuring machine being configured to provide relative movement between the probe holder and the object support in three dimensions; and an ultrasonic test probe which is held by the probe holder. The coordinate measuring machine brings the transducer of the ultrasonic test probe into contact with a position on a surface of an object at the object support so that the probe can measure an object wall thickness at the probe contact position.

A laser ultrasonic inspection apparatus and method which enables remote sensing of thickness, hardness, temperature and/or internal defect detection is disclosed. A laser generator impinges a workpiece with light for generating a thermo-elastic acoustic reaction in a workpiece. A probe laser impinges the workpiece with an annularly-shaped probe light for interaction with the acoustic signal in the workpiece resulting in a modulated return beam. A photodetector having a sensitive region for detecting an annularly-shaped fringe pattern generated by an interaction of a reference signal and with the modulated return beam at said sensitive region.

A method, in at least certain aspects, for ultrasonically inspecting a tubular member, the tubular member having an inner surface, an outer surface, and two spaced-apart ends including a first end of the tubular member, the method including transmitting sonic beams to the tubular member with transducers such that sonic beams are reflected from the inner surface of the tubular member, the outer surface of the tubular member, and from the first end of the tubular member, sensing the first end of the tubular member, completing inspection of all or of substantially all of the outer surface of the tubular member for outer surface defects while continuing to inspect the inner surface of the tubular member for inner surface defects, continuing to inspect the inner surface of the tubular member for inner surface defects, the transducers continuing to transmit sonic beams for the inspection of the inner surface of the tubular member until the transducers are near the first end of the tubular member; and apparatus for such methods.

An ultrasound image processing system, having an ultrasound image capture device such as a B-mode ultrasound probe capable of making 2D scans over a predetermined range, and a drive for moving an ultrasound transducer in a direction different from the direction of 2D scans by the transducer to capture 2D ultrasound images sequentially in a predetermined pitch in the direction of movement of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound image processing system is provided with a marker for inserting a marker sign on field images selected from a large number of 2D ultrasound images sequentially captured by the image capture device, for use in three-dimensional image processing in a subsequent stage.