Inspection device, inspection method, and inspection program

Abstract

Provided is an inspection device capable of making an inspector aware that an appropriate inspection result cannot be obtained when a probe is separated from a subject in the middle of the action of moving the probe while the probe is in contact with the subject.　An inspection device 1 comprises an inspection part 20 that acquires internal information of a subject 50 at a contact point of a probe 10 by the probe 10 coming into contact with a surface of the subject 50 via another member 40, a contact state detection part 30 that detects a state of contact of the probe 10 with the other member 40, a position change detection part 30 that detects a change in the position of the probe 10 on the other member 40, a determination part 30 that determines whether or not a predetermined inspection is completed on the basis of the contact state and the position change of the probe 10, a generation part 30 that generates output image data on the basis of the internal information of the subject 50 when it is determined that the inspection is completed, and a notification part 30 that notifies that the inspection is inadequate when it is determined that the inspection is not completed.

Description

Inspection device, inspection method, and inspection program

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device, an inspection method, and an inspection program.

[0002] Ultrasonic testing is a technique for detecting internal defects and abnormalities in objects and structures without destroying them, and is essential for quality control and durability evaluation.

[0003] In this regard, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses an ultrasonic probe including a vibrator that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a test object, and an optical sensor that reads the surface pattern of the test object. With the ultrasonic probe disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an operator holds the ultrasonic probe in his / her hand and moves the ultrasonic probe over the test object while keeping it in contact with the test object, the operator can accurately grasp the position of the ultrasonic probe on the test object.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-349878

[0005] In the above-described work, the operator needs to keep the ultrasound probe in contact with the subject while moving the ultrasound probe. If the ultrasound probe is separated from the subject even temporarily during the work, data may be missing or the position information may be inaccurate, resulting in inappropriate test results. If the ultrasound probe is separated from the subject during the work, it is desirable to make the operator aware that appropriate test results will not be obtained and have them immediately redo the work.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an examination device that can notify an examiner that appropriate examination results cannot be obtained if the probe, such as an ultrasound probe, is separated from the subject during an operation in which the probe is moved while being kept in contact with the subject.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an inspection method and an inspection program that can make the examiner aware that appropriate inspection results will not be obtained if the probe becomes separated from the subject during the process of moving the probe while it is in contact with the subject.

[0008] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following means.

[0009] (1) An inspection device having an inspection unit that acquires internal information of a subject at a contact point of a probe that contacts the surface of the subject directly or via another member, a contact state detection unit that detects the contact state of the probe with the subject or the other member, a position change detection unit that detects a change in position of the probe on the subject or the other member, a judgment unit that determines whether a specified inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the position change of the probe, a generation unit that generates image data for output based on the internal information of the subject when the judgment unit determines that the inspection has been completed, and a notification unit that notifies that the inspection is inappropriate when the judgment unit determines that the inspection has not been completed.

[0010] (2) The inspection device described in (1) above, wherein the probe is an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and receives reflected waves, and the contact state detection unit detects the contact state of the probe based on the intensity of the reflected waves received by the ultrasonic probe.

[0011] (3) An inspection device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein optical sensors are provided on both ends of the probe, and the position change detection unit detects a position change of the probe based on the output of the optical sensors.

[0012] (4) The inspection device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the other member is a sheet member on which a predetermined pattern is formed.

[0013] (5) The inspection device according to (4) above, wherein the sheet member is a gel sheet.

[0014] (6) The inspection device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the notification unit includes a display unit that displays information urging the user to perform the inspection again.

[0015] (7) In the inspection device described in (1) or (2) above, if the probe separates from the specimen or the other component before the movement distance of the probe determined by the position change of the probe reaches the target distance, or before the inspection area determined by the position change of the probe reaches the target area, the judgment unit judges that the inspection is not completed.

[0016] (8) In the inspection device described in (7) above, when the movement distance reaches the target distance without the probe separating from the subject or the other component, or when the inspection area reaches the target area, the judgment unit judges that the inspection is completed.

[0017] (9) The inspection device according to (1) or (2), wherein, when the determination unit determines that the inspection is completed, the notification unit notifies that the inspection is completed.

[0018] (10) The inspection device described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the generation unit generates three-dimensional image data that associates the internal information of the subject with positional information of the probe at the time the internal information is acquired.

[0019] (11) An inspection method comprising the steps of: (a) acquiring internal information of a subject at a contact point of the probe by using a probe that contacts the surface of the subject directly or via another member; (b) detecting a contact state of the probe with respect to the subject or the other member; (c) detecting a positional change of the probe on the subject or the other member; (d) determining whether a predetermined inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the positional change of the probe; (e) generating image data for output based on the internal information of the subject if it is determined in step (d) that the inspection has been completed; and (f) notifying that the inspection is inappropriate if it is determined in step (d) that the inspection has not been completed.

[0020] (12) An inspection program executed by an inspection device having an inspection unit that acquires internal information of an object at a contact point of a probe that contacts the surface of the object directly or via another member, the inspection program causing the inspection device to execute the following steps: (a) detecting the contact state of the probe with the object or the other member; (b) detecting a positional change of the probe on the object or the other member; (c) determining whether a specified inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the positional change of the probe; (d) generating image data for output based on the internal information of the object if it is determined in (c) that the inspection has been completed; and (e) notifying that the inspection is inappropriate if it is determined in (c) that the inspection has not been completed.

[0021] According to the present invention, if the probe separates from the subject during the process of moving the probe while keeping it in contact with the subject, the examiner can be made aware that appropriate test results will not be obtained.

[0022] Advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to define the limits of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inspection device. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gel sheet. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing unit. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the contents stored in a storage unit. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an inspection process. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a three-dimensional image of an inspection area. Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a process for detecting the contact state of an ultrasonic probe. Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining a process for detecting the contact state of an ultrasonic probe.

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0024] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inspection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, an example in which the inspection device according to the present invention is applied to ultrasonic inspection will be described.

[0025] 1, the inspection device 1 has an ultrasonic probe 10, an ultrasonic inspection unit 20, and an information processing unit 30. The ultrasonic probe 10, the ultrasonic inspection unit 20, and the information processing unit 30 are electrically connected. The ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the surface of a test object 50 via a gel sheet 40. The gel sheet 40 is a flexible transparent sheet, and the test object 50 is, for example, a carbon fiber composite material (CFRP).

[0026] <Ultrasound probe 10> The ultrasound probe 10 is a hand-scanning type probe that can be held in the examiner's hand and moved freely. The ultrasound probe 10 has a probe body 11 and an optical sensor 12. The optical sensor 12 is provided on both ends of the probe body 11.

[0027] The probe main body 11 transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject 50 and receives reflected waves from the subject 50. The received reflected waves are input as an output signal to the ultrasound inspection unit 20. The probe main body 11 is an array probe having a plurality of ultrasonic elements and has a strip-shaped contact area. The strip-shaped contact area is a unit area for acquiring ultrasonic data, and has a rectangular shape of, for example, 40 mm x 0.1 mm.

[0028] The optical sensor 12 is used to acquire position information of the ultrasound probe 10. The optical sensor 12 is composed of a light source, an image sensor, etc. (not shown), and reads the surface pattern of the gel sheet 40 to detect the amount and direction of movement of the ultrasound probe 10. The output signal of the optical sensor 12 is input to the information processing unit 30.

[0029] <Ultrasonic Inspection Unit 20> The ultrasonic inspection unit 20 is an ultrasonic flaw detector that drives the ultrasonic probe 10. The ultrasonic inspection unit 20 generates ultrasonic data of the subject 50 from an output signal of the probe main body 11 of the ultrasonic probe 10. The ultrasonic data is internal information of the subject 50 in the contact area of ​​the probe main body 11. Note that the technology for generating ultrasonic data from an output signal of an ultrasonic probe is a known technology, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] <Information Processing Unit 30> The information processing unit 30 is a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer). The information processing unit 30 calculates position information of the ultrasound probe 10 from the output signal of the optical sensor 12 of the ultrasound probe 10. The information processing unit 30 also acquires ultrasound data from the ultrasound inspection unit 20 and stores the ultrasound data and position information in association with each other. Details of the information processing unit 30 will be described later.

[0031] The inspection device 1 may include components other than those described above, or may not include some of the components described above. For example, the inspection device 1 may not include the information processing unit 30, and the functions of the information processing unit 30 may be incorporated into the ultrasound inspection unit 20.

[0032] Next, the gel sheet 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As described above, the gel sheet 40 is a flexible, transparent sheet made of, for example, polyurethane gel. The gel sheet 40 absorbs the irregularities on the surface of the subject 50 to improve contact and prevent an air gap from forming between the ultrasound probe 10 and the subject 50.

[0033] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gel sheet 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the gel sheet 40 has an inspection area 41 in which a grid pattern 41P is formed. An identification code 42 is provided in an area of ​​the gel sheet 40 outside the inspection area 41. The size and shape of the gel sheet 40 are determined appropriately depending on the size and shape of the region to be inspected of the subject 50. The gel sheet 40 has a rectangular shape, for example, 20 cm square.

[0034] The grid pattern 41P is a reference pattern that is read by the optical sensor 12 to acquire position information of the ultrasonic probe 10. The grid pattern 41P is formed on the surface of the gel sheet 40 facing the ultrasonic probe 10 using ink or the like that does not reflect ultrasonic waves. The grid size of the grid pattern 41P is determined appropriately depending on the size of the contact area of ​​the ultrasonic probe 10, etc. The grid size of the grid pattern 41P is, for example, 5 mm square.

[0035] The identification code 42 is used to identify the gel sheet 40. The identification code 42 is a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), and stores identification information. The identification information is associated with the examination site of the subject 50 and stored in a memory unit of the information processing unit 30 or a portable terminal device (not shown). For example, after the examination is completed, if the identification code 42 is photographed with a camera of the portable terminal device, a three-dimensional image of the examination site together with information indicating the examination site is displayed on the display unit. The identification code 42 is, for example, formed on the gel sheet 40 with ink or the like, similar to the grid pattern 41P.

[0036] The gel sheet 40 does not necessarily have to be a transparent sheet, but may be an opaque sheet. The gel sheet 40 does not necessarily have to include the identification code 42. The pattern read by the optical sensor 12 is not limited to a grid pattern, but various patterns may be used. The grid pattern does not necessarily have to be formed on the surface of the gel sheet 40 facing the ultrasound probe 10, but may be formed on the surface of the gel sheet 40 facing the subject 50 as long as the gel sheet 40 is transparent. The identification code 42 does not necessarily have to be formed on the gel sheet 40 with ink, but may be an adhesive sticker-like identification code 42 attached to the gel sheet 40.

[0037] Next, the information processing unit 30 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing unit 30.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing unit 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a memory 32, a storage unit 33, a display unit 34, an input unit 35, and a communication unit 36, which are interconnected by a bus.

[0039] The CPU 31 controls the above-mentioned components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with a program. The memory 32 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing various programs and data, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing programs and data as a work area, and the like.

[0040] The storage unit 33 is configured by a hard disc drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs and various data.

[0041] The display unit 34 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The input unit 35 includes a keyboard, a numeric keypad, a mouse, etc., and is used to input various information.

[0042] The communication unit 36 ​​is an interface for communicating with the optical sensor 12 of the ultrasound probe 10 and the ultrasound inspection unit 20 .

[0043] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the contents stored in the memory unit 33. The memory unit 33 stores programs corresponding to the contact state detection unit 331, position change detection unit 332, determination unit 333, and generation unit 334. The contact state detection unit 331 detects the contact state (contact / non-contact) of the ultrasound probe 10 with respect to the gel sheet 40. The position change detection unit 332 detects the position change (position information) of the ultrasound probe 10 on the gel sheet 40. The determination unit 333 determines whether a predetermined examination has been completed based on the contact state and position change of the ultrasound probe 10. The generation unit 334 generates display image data based on ultrasound data of the subject 50. The functions of each of the above units are fulfilled by the CPU 31 executing the corresponding programs. The display unit 34 of the information processing unit 30 also functions as a notification unit that notifies the examiner that the predetermined examination is inappropriate if the predetermined examination has not been completed.

[0044] According to the inspection device 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, an ultrasonic inspection is performed by an inspector holding the ultrasonic probe 10 and moving it over the grid pattern 41P of the gel sheet 40. At this time, the contact state of the ultrasonic probe 10 with the gel sheet 40 is detected, and if the ultrasonic probe 10 separates from the surface of the gel sheet 40 while the ultrasonic probe 10 is moving, the inspector is notified that the inspection is inappropriate. The operation of the inspection device 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the inspection process executed by the inspection device 1. The process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is executed by the CPU 31 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 33 of the information processing unit 30. For simplicity of explanation, the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the inspector linearly moves the ultrasound probe 10 in a direction perpendicular to the line connecting the two optical sensors 12 (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 1).

[0046] (Step S101) Prior to the start of the examination, the information processing unit 30 first determines whether or not the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 determines whether or not the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40 by comparing the signal strength (echo strength) of the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe 10 with a predetermined threshold. The threshold can be set as appropriate based on experiments, etc.

[0047] If the signal strength of the reflected wave is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the information processing unit 30 determines that the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40 (step S101: YES) and proceeds to the processing of step S103. On the other hand, if the signal strength of the reflected wave is less than the predetermined threshold, the information processing unit 30 determines that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not in contact with the gel sheet 40 (step S101: NO) and proceeds to the processing of step S102.

[0048] (Step S102) When it is determined that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not in contact with the gel sheet 40 (Step S101: NO), the information processing unit 30 displays predetermined alert information on the display unit 34 and returns to the processing of Step S101. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 displays information that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not in contact with the gel sheet 40 on the display unit 34 and returns to the processing of Step S101. As a result, the processing of Steps S101 to S102 is repeated until the examiner brings the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the gel sheet 40.

[0049] (Step S103) On the other hand, when it is determined that the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40 (Step S101: YES), the information processing unit 30 determines whether the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 calculates the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 from the positional change of the ultrasonic probe 10 after the ultrasonic probe 10 has come into contact with the gel sheet 40. Then, the information processing unit 30 determines whether the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance. The target distance can be set appropriately based on, for example, the size of the inspection area 41 of the gel sheet 40. At the start of the inspection, the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 is zero.

[0050] If it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance (step S103: YES), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has not reached the target distance (step S103: NO), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S104.

[0051] (Step S104) When it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has not reached the target distance (step S103: NO), the information processing unit 30 detects the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 detects the movement distance (movement amount) of the ultrasonic probe 10 from the output signal of the optical sensor 12 of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0052] (Step S105) Next, the information processing unit 30 determines whether the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached a predetermined distance. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 determines whether the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 detected in the process of step S104 has reached a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is, for example, 0.1 mm, and can be set appropriately based on the size of the contact area of ​​the ultrasonic probe 10, etc.

[0053] If it is determined that the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has not reached the predetermined distance (step S105: NO), the information processing unit 30 returns to the process of step S103. As a result, the processes of steps S103 to S105 are repeated until the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 reaches the predetermined distance or until the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 reaches the target distance.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is determined that the movement distance of the ultrasound probe 10 has reached the predetermined distance (step S105: YES), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S106.

[0055] (Step S106) When it is determined that the movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the predetermined distance (step S105: YES), the information processing unit 30 acquires ultrasonic data of the contact point of the ultrasonic probe 10. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 acquires ultrasonic data generated by the ultrasonic inspection unit 20 based on the output signal of the probe body 11 of the ultrasonic probe 10. The information processing unit 30 stores the position information of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the ultrasonic data in the memory 32 or the storage unit 33 in association with each other.

[0056] (Step S107) Next, the information processing unit 30 determines whether or not the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40. More specifically, similar to the processing of step S101, the information processing unit 30 determines whether or not the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40 by comparing the signal strength of the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe 10 with a predetermined threshold value.

[0057] If it is determined that the ultrasonic probe 10 is in contact with the gel sheet 40 (step S107: YES), the information processing unit 30 returns to the process of step S103. As a result, the processes of steps S103 to S107 are repeated until the ultrasonic probe 10 is separated from the gel sheet 40 or until the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 reaches the target distance. In other words, the examiner continues the hand scanning operation of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not in contact with the gel sheet 40 (step S107: NO), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S108.

[0059] (Step S108) When it is determined that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not in contact with the gel sheet 40 (step S107: NO), the information processing unit 30 determines whether the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance. More specifically, similar to the processing of step S103, the information processing unit 30 first calculates the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 from the positional change of the ultrasonic probe 10 from when the ultrasonic probe 10 comes into contact with the gel sheet 40 until it is released. Then, the information processing unit 30 determines whether the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance.

[0060] If it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has reached the target distance (step S108: YES), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 has not reached the target distance (step S108: NO), the information processing unit 30 proceeds to the process of step S109.

[0061] (Step S109) When it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasound probe 10 has not reached the target distance (step S108: NO), the information processing unit 30 displays predetermined alert information on the display unit 34 and returns to the processing of step S101. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 displays information on the display unit 34 urging the examiner to start the examination again, and returns to the processing of step S101. As a result, the processing of steps S101 to S102 is repeated until the examiner brings the ultrasound probe 10 into contact with the gel sheet 40 and starts the examination again.

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined that the total movement distance of the ultrasound probe 10 has reached the target distance (step S108: YES), the information processing unit 30 issues a data acquisition completion notification. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 displays information that the examination has been completed on the display unit 34.

[0063] (Step S111) Subsequently, the information processing unit 30 generates display image data. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 generates three-dimensional image data of the examination area based on the position information of the ultrasound probe 10 and the ultrasound data stored in the memory 32 or the storage unit 33 in association with each other in the process of step S106.

[0064] (Step S112) Then, the information processing unit 30 displays the result and ends the process. More specifically, the information processing unit 30 displays a three-dimensional image based on the three-dimensional image data on the display unit 34 and ends the process.

[0065] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional image of an examination region. Three-dimensional image data 60, which is the basis of a three-dimensional image 70, is composed of multiple two-dimensional image data 60D. The two-dimensional image data 60D is ultrasound data in the depth direction of the band-shaped contact region of the ultrasound probe 10. The three-dimensional image 70 based on the three-dimensional image data 60 is, for example, a stereoscopic image that represents the signal intensity of reflected waves by changing colors.

[0066] 5, ultrasound data of the examination area is acquired by the examiner holding the ultrasound probe 10 in his / her hand and moving the ultrasound probe 10 over the examination area while keeping it in contact with the gel sheet 40. At this time, if the ultrasound probe 10 separates from the gel sheet 40 before the total movement distance of the ultrasound probe 10 reaches the target distance, the examiner is prompted to repeat the examination.

[0067] With this configuration, if the ultrasonic probe 10 becomes separated from the gel sheet 40 during an examination, the examiner can immediately notice this and quickly start the examination again. This allows for efficient ultrasonic examination. Furthermore, the examiner can reliably obtain appropriate examination results without missing data or positional information discrepancies.

[0068] Finally, the process of detecting the contact state of the ultrasonic probe will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0069] 7A is a diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for conducting an experiment to detect the contact state of an ultrasonic probe. As shown in FIG. 7A, in this experiment, a gel sheet (gel pad) 45 was placed on an aluminum plate (aluminum plate) 55, which was the test subject. The ultrasonic probe 15 was set so that half of its contact area was in contact with the gel pad 45 and the other half was not in contact with the gel pad 45, as shown in an area 80 surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 7A. In this state, ultrasonic waves were transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 15 to the aluminum plate 55, and reflected waves were received.

[0070] 7B is a diagram showing the signal intensity of the reflected wave in the region 80 surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 7A. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the region where the ultrasonic probe 15 is in contact with the gel pad 45, a significant signal is detected at a depth corresponding to the aluminum plate 55. On the other hand, in the region where the ultrasonic probe 15 is not in contact with the gel pad 45, no significant signal is detected at a depth corresponding to the aluminum plate 55. Therefore, by detecting the signal intensity of the reflected wave at a depth corresponding to the aluminum plate (subject), the contact state (contact / non-contact) of the ultrasonic probe with the subject or gel sheet can be detected. Alternatively, the contact state of the ultrasonic probe can also be detected from differences in waveforms in regions shallower than the aluminum plate 55.

[0071] As described above, the inspection device, inspection method, and inspection program of the present invention have been described in the above-mentioned embodiments. However, it goes without saying that those skilled in the art can appropriately add, modify, and omit the present invention within the scope of the technical concept thereof.

[0072] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the ultrasonic probe 10 contacts the surface of the subject 50 via the gel sheet 40. However, it is not necessary to place the gel sheet 40 between the ultrasonic probe 10 and the subject 50, and the ultrasonic probe 10 may directly contact the surface of the subject 50. In this case, the optical sensor 12 of the ultrasonic probe 10 reads the surface pattern of the subject 50 and detects the amount and direction of movement of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the amount and direction of movement of the ultrasonic probe 10 are detected by the optical sensors 12 provided on both ends of the probe body 11. However, the sensor used to detect the amount and direction of movement of the ultrasonic probe 10 is not limited to an optical sensor, and may be a ball-type sensor that detects the amount and direction of movement based on the amount and direction of rotation of a ball.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, if the ultrasound probe 10 is separated from the gel sheet 40 before the completion of a predetermined test, information urging the examiner to repeat the test is displayed on the display unit 34. However, the information for notifying the examiner that the test is inappropriate is not limited to information urging the examiner to repeat the test, and the display unit 34 may display information that the ultrasound probe 10 has separated from the gel sheet 40, information that data acquisition has not been completed, or information that simply indicates that the test is inappropriate. Furthermore, the notification unit for notifying the examiner that the test is inappropriate is not limited to a display unit, but may be a light-emitting element that notifies the examiner by flashing a light or a speaker that notifies the examiner by sounding an alarm. Audio information urging the examiner to repeat the test may also be output from the speaker.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the completion of a predetermined examination is determined by comparing the total movement distance of the ultrasonic probe 10 with a target distance. However, the completion of a predetermined examination may also be determined by, for example, calculating an examination area, which is the area of ​​the region from which the ultrasonic probe 10 acquired ultrasound data, from the change in position of the ultrasonic probe 10 and comparing the examination area with a target area. In this case, the target area may be appropriately set based on, for example, the area of ​​the examination region 41 of the gel sheet 40. Note that when an examiner performs an examination by raster scanning or randomly moving the ultrasonic probe 10 while keeping the ultrasonic probe 10 in contact with the gel sheet 40, ultrasonic data is appropriately acquired based on the amount and direction of movement of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when it is determined that the predetermined inspection has been completed, three-dimensional image data 60 of the inspection area is generated, and a three-dimensional image 70 based on the three-dimensional image data 60 is displayed on the display unit 34. However, the image data is not limited to three-dimensional image data and may be two-dimensional image data. Furthermore, the image based on the image data may be printed out on paper rather than being displayed on the display unit.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the contact state of the ultrasonic probe 10 is detected based on the intensity of the reflected wave. However, the means for detecting the contact state of the ultrasonic probe 10 is not limited to the intensity of the reflected wave, and the contact state may be determined using other sensors such as a distance sensor. Alternatively, the contact state may be determined using the output signal of the optical sensor 12.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the inspection device 1 of the present invention is applied to ultrasonic inspection. However, the inspection device of the present invention can be applied to various non-destructive inspections such as X-ray inspection, in addition to ultrasonic inspection.

[0079] Furthermore, the means and methods for performing various processes in the inspection device 1 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The program may be provided, for example, by a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is typically transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a HDD. The program may also be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of the inspection device 1 as a function of the device.

[0080] While embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and are not intended to be limiting, and the scope of the present invention should be construed by the language of the appended claims.

[0081] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-061902) filed on April 8, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0082] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Inspection device, 10 Ultrasonic probe, 11 Probe body, 12 Optical sensor, 20 Ultrasonic inspection unit, 30 Information processing unit, 31 CPU, 32 Memory, 33 Storage unit, 34 Display unit, 35 Input unit, 36 Communication unit, 40 Gel sheet, 41 Inspection area, 41P Grid pattern, 42 Identification mark, 50 Subject.

Claims

1. An inspection device having: an inspection unit that acquires internal information of a test subject at a contact point of a probe that contacts the surface of the test subject directly or via another member; a contact state detection unit that detects the contact state of the probe with the test subject or the other member; a position change detection unit that detects a change in the position of the probe on the test subject or the other member; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the position change of the probe; a generation unit that generates image data for output based on the internal information of the test subject when the determination unit determines that the inspection has been completed; and a notification unit that notifies that the inspection is inappropriate when the determination unit determines that the inspection has not been completed.

2. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the probe is an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives reflected waves, and the contact state detection unit detects the contact state of the probe based on the intensity of the reflected waves received by the ultrasonic probe.

3. An inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein optical sensors are provided on both ends of the probe, and the position change detection unit detects a change in the position of the probe based on the output of the optical sensors.

4. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the other member is a sheet member on which a predetermined pattern is formed.

5. The inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the sheet member is a gel sheet.

6. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification unit includes a display unit that displays information urging the user to repeat the inspection.

7. An inspection device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein if the probe separates from the specimen or the other component before the movement distance of the probe determined by the position change of the probe reaches the target distance, or before the inspection area determined by the position change of the probe reaches the target area, the judgment unit judges that the inspection is not completed.

8. The inspection device according to claim 7, wherein the determination unit determines that the inspection is complete when the movement distance reaches a target distance or when the inspection area reaches a target area without the probe separating from the subject or the other component.

9. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the determination unit determines that the inspection is complete, the notification unit notifies that the inspection is complete.

10. An inspection device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the generation unit generates three-dimensional image data that associates the internal information of the subject with position information of the probe at the time the internal information is acquired.

11. An inspection method comprising the steps of: (a) acquiring internal information of a subject at a contact point of the probe by using a probe that contacts the surface of the subject directly or via another member; (b) detecting the contact state of the probe with respect to the subject or the other member; (c) detecting a change in the position of the probe on the subject or the other member; (d) determining whether a predetermined inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the change in position of the probe; (e) generating image data for output based on the internal information of the subject if it is determined in step (d) that the inspection has been completed; and (f) notifying that the inspection is inappropriate if it is determined in step (d) that the inspection has not been completed.

12. An inspection program executed by an inspection device having an inspection unit that acquires internal information of an object at a contact point of a probe that contacts the surface of the object directly or via another member, the inspection program causing the inspection device to execute the following steps: (a) detecting the contact state of the probe with the object or the other member; (b) detecting a change in the position of the probe on the object or the other member; (c) determining whether a predetermined inspection has been completed based on the contact state and the change in position of the probe; (d) generating image data for output based on the internal information of the object if it is determined in (c) that the inspection has been completed; and (e) notifying that the inspection is inappropriate if it is determined in (c) that the inspection has not been completed.

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