Compressible Foam Delay Line for Ultrasound Air Purging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air entrapment between ultrasound probe assemblies and structures being inspected leads to image artifacts and reduced image quality, hindering accurate analysis, especially in composite materials used in aerospace industries.

Innovation Solution

A soft, flexible delay line that changes shape from an uncompressed to a compressed state, purging air from the interface with the structure and potentially reshaping the ultrasound beam, coupled with a retainer to maintain the delay line within an imaging envelope, and a control unit to adjust signal pulses based on density changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hard, rigid delay line is used to reduce the effects of the ultrasonic near field, then the delay line effectively couples the transducer to the structure, but air pockets become entrapped between the delay line and the structure, causing image artifacts and reducing image quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoupling effectivenessVSAvoidair entrapment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of the delay line from rigid to compressible by using a foam material. This parameter change allows the delay line to conform to the structure surface while maintaining coupling effectiveness, and the compressibility enables air pockets to be purged during compression without compromising the hard plastic delay line's traditional coupling function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a foam delay line material that combines the benefits of both hard and soft materials. The foam structure provides both the rigidity needed for effective ultrasonic coupling and the compressibility needed to purge air pockets, creating a composite material solution that resolves the contradiction between coupling effectiveness and air entrapment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If a flat delay line is used with a flat transducer surface, then the manufacturing is simple, but the delay line cannot adapt to curved surfaces of composite structures, resulting in poor contact and air entrapment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelay line fabricationVSAvoidsurface conformability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the delay line by providing it with a curved outer surface that matches the curvature of the transducer's signal-emitting surface. This parameter change enables the delay line to conform to curved structure surfaces while maintaining ease of manufacture through molding processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the delay line dynamically adaptable by using compressible foam material that can change its shape when compressed against the structure. This dynamic property allows the delay line to adapt to various surface curvatures while maintaining simple manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the delay line is compressed into the structure to purge air, then air entrapment is reduced, but the delay line shape changes which may affect beam focusing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair bubble eliminationVSAvoiddelay line geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent accepts and utilizes the shape change parameter change that occurs during compression. By using foam material with specific acoustic properties, the patent ensures that the shape change during compression purges air effectively while the material's acoustic characteristics maintain beam focusing capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful shape change during compression into a beneficial effect. The compression-induced shape change, which could disrupt beam focusing, is instead used to purge air pockets from the interface, and the foam material's acoustic properties ensure the net effect improves image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively reduces air entrapment, enhances image quality, and allows for beam shaping beyond single-element transducer capabilities, improving the accuracy of ultrasound scans in various structural assessments.

Implementation Method 1

Compression of the delay line between the uncompressed and compressed states purges air from a space between the delay line and the structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

a transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals in relation to a structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasound: Ultrasound

Data Source

PatentUS9671374B2Ultrasound probe assembly, system, and method that reduce air entrapment

Publication Date: 2017.06.06 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

An ultrasound probe assembly includes a transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals in relation to a structure, and a delay line coupled to the transducer. The delay line is configured to change shapes between an uncompressed state and a compressed state. In at least one embodiment, the changing shape of the delay line changes a shape of the ultrasound signals.