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:
Aug. 22, 1989
Filed:
May. 16, 1988
Steve Mersch, Germantown, OH (US);
Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method to determine with a high degree of precision the position of the inside wall of a translucent or transparent tube comprises a laser beam at a wavelength for which the material being measured is transparent or translucent and a directing means for aiming the laser beam toward the tube and normal to the axis of the tube while moving the aimed beam to traversely scan the tube. A light detection means, positioned to receive light polarized normal to the axis of the tube which light, having been reflected by the inside wall and refracted by the tube, causes the detection means to generate signals. The signals are processed to analyze when the light beam is reflected by and when the light is refracted at the inside wall of the tube. The apparatus is also useful in connection with finding the position of the inside wall of curved material of generally uniform thickness. The method includes the steps of aiming a beam of laser light polarized normal to the axis of the tube and intercepting the outside wall of the tube at a height substantially equal to the inside wall and normal to the axis of the tube so that the laser light reflected by or refracted through the inside wall can be detected and related to the transition point between reflection and refraction as a measure of the radius of curvature of the inside wall.