The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2011
Dipen N. Sinha, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Curtis F. Osterhoudt, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Cristian Pantea, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Dipen N. Sinha, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Curtis F. Osterhoudt, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Cristian Pantea, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Triad National Security, LLC, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for real-time visualization of particulate matter suspended in a static or flowing fluid and fluid flow patterns in a pipe, tube, conduit, or other container, are described. Ultrasonic scanning and detection of scattered sound from the particles in the fluid create a real-time image of the particles, or of flow patterns in the liquid. A mechanical wobbler directs a piezoelectric transducer over a chosen angle in an oscillatory manner. The transducer is operated in a pulse-echo mode wherein the same transducer detects the return signal from the target region through which particles are passing and/or a flow is present. The pulse-echo measurements are made rapidly and continuously during a single sweep of the transducer over the chosen angle. Received signals are processed in the ultrasound scanner electronics module and displayed as an image in real-time.