Real Time Ultrasound Camera for Industrial Applications

1. Real Time Ultrasound Camera for Industrial Applications Bob Lasser Imperium, Inc. Beltsville, MD

2. Imperium • Formed in 1996 • Focused solely on ultrasound camera technology • In development for 10 years, now selling commercially • Implement for different embodiments of ultrasound camera

3. Sampling of Customers

4. Industry Needs for New NDT Device • Lack of trained NDT personnel • Prevalence towards portable devices • Strong interest in imaging • Time and cost pressures

5. A-scan, B-scan, C-scan

6. A-scan to B-scan Defect

7. B-scan versus C-scan Defect Defect

8. Ultrasound Camera • Developed to make ultrasonic testing simple • High resolution • Real time C-scan • Large areas can be covered quickly • Video presentation • Free of artifacts, distortion • Most imaging between 500 KHz and 10 MHz • Same applications as conventional UT, only higher resolution

9. Applies optical imaging techniques to ultrasound Imperium’s Patented Architecture Optical Architecture: Optical Sensor (CCD) Flash Lens Ultrasonic Architecture: Acoustic Flashlight (2) F1 Acoustic Lens Ultrasonic Sensor Note: CCD means Charged Coupled Device

10. C-scan: Pitch Catch Array Lens set Source Target

11. Pulse Echo – 50/50 Beamsplitter Sound Transmitter Pulse echo image of quarter Array Subsurface fault Video Water Lens Acoustic beamsplitter Target

12. Ultrasound ( piezoelectric) Read out material integrated circuit (ROIC) Pin Grid Array Package Wire bonds Imaging Array Multiplexing Piezoelectric Layer Signal Conditioning Pre-amp/ detection 14,400 pixels

13. Handheld C-scan Camera

14. Graphical User Interface

15. Acoustocam i600 Camera • Introduced in 2010 • 1.5 lbs. versus 4 lbs. (i500) • 80% less parts • Robust design • LCD removed • Easily changed transducers

16. Internal Inserts – 5 MHz One inch

17. C-scan Imagery: Front of Quarter • Single camera with array: 120 x 120 • Distance to target: 4” • Field of view: 1” • Frequency: 7 MHz • Wavelength: 0.20 mm • Resolution: 1”/120 pixels = 0.008” or 0.21 mm

18. Grid Lines/Sizing

19. Time Corrected Gain TCG off TCG on Threshold Crossed

20. Range Gating for Depth: Pick the C-scan plane of interest

21. Petrochemical Implementation

22. Petrochemical Applications • Corrosion mapping • Pipes, storage tanks • Crack detection • Need simple, inexpensive easy to use device • Minimal training • Portable • Wireless monitoring

23. Scanning & Stitching • Make large mosaic images from smaller ones • Capture both C-scan and thickness • Uses encoder attached to side of camera

24. Stitching Algorithm 1 Individual Images 2 2 1 Stitched Image Variable Weighting In Overlapped Area

25. Stitching Algorithm 70% Image 1 30% Image 2 70% Image 2 30% Image 1 1 2 50% Image 2 50% Image 1

26. Steel Imaging Optical image Ultrasound video: 3.5 MHz, 1” field of view

27. Mosaic Imaging : Creating Large Images From Smaller Ones

28. Corrosion Mapping C-scan Optical

29. Boeing Remote NDI Program • Lack of trained NDI personnel • Better quality control of NDI activities • Use by non-certified personnel • SIMPLE, SIMPLE, SIMPLE • Remotely monitored in real time • Wireless • Boeing approval spring 2011

30. Remote Wireless NDI Program C-scan, A-scan, Audio, Video of inspection Audio, Control of camera

31. Remote NDI Demonstration

32. Global Inspection Product Development Award