Ultrasonic tester

Claim 2

In combination: first means for transmitting ultrasonic energy into a workpiece, and for receiving echoes of said energy reflected from within the workpiece; second means responsive to said first means for producing an electrical signal the amplitude of which changes through a threshold level each time an echo is received; a cathode-ray oscilloscope means including an electron beam and means for scanning the electron beam across the face of said cathode-ray oscilloscope means each time a pulse of energy is transmitted; signal-processing means coupled to said second means and responsive to the amplitude of the electrical signal thereof, said signal-processing means having two separate states and being effective to change from one state to the other state when the electrical signal of said first means changes through the threshold level; and said signal-processing means including gating means for gating the electron beam of said cathode-ray oscilloscope means between a first level when said signal-processing means is in one of said states and a second level when said signalprocessing means is in the other of said states.

Claim 3

An ultrasonic tester as defined in claim 1 wherein said signal-processing means includes monostable means having a first state and a second state, said monostable means being coupled to said second means and effective to change from the firsT state to the second state for a predetermined interval of time when the electrical signal passes through the threshold level, said monostable means being coupled to the cathode-ray oscilloscope means to gate the electron beam between a first level when in one state and a second level when in the other state.

Claim 4

An ultrasonic tester as defined in claim 1 and further including coupling means coupling the signal-processing means to the cathode-ray tube to modulate the intensity of said electron beam in response to the state thereof and to brighten the electron beam as a function of the state of said signal-processing means.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein said coupling means includes means effective to position the electron beam adjacent one side of the face of the oscilloscope means for a short interval during each scan, and to modulate the intensity of the electron beam during this interval.

Claim 6

An ultrasonic tester for inspecting a workpiece including the combination of ultrasonic means adapted to be acoustically coupled to the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece, said means being effective to receive echoes returned from the workpiece and to produce a first electrical signal corresponding to a characteristic of said workpiece, means adapted to be coupled to said workpiece for producing a second electrical signal corresponding to another characteristic of the workpiece, for use as a reference with respect to the received echoes returned to the ultrasonic means, display means having a display area, said display means being coupled to the ultrasonic means and to the second signal-producing means for displaying the first and second electrical signals in the display areas, first scan means coupled to said display means for scanning said display area in a first direction at a fast rate to provide a display line, means coupled to the ultrasonic means, signal means and to the display means for intermittently modulating the intensity of the display line in response to the first and second electrical signals, and second scan means coupled to said display means for scanning said display area in a second direction at a slow rate.

Claim 7

An ultrasonic tester for inspecting a workpiece including the combination of ultrasonic means adapted to be acoustically coupled to the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece, said means being effective to receive echoes returned from the workpiece and to produce a first electrical signal corresponding to a characteristic of said workpiece, means adapted to be coupled to said workpiece for producing a second electrical signal corresponding to another characteristic of the workpiece, for use as a reference with respect to the received echoes returned to the ultrasonic means, display means having a display area, said display means being coupled to the ultrasonic means and to the second signal-producing means for displaying the first and second electrical signals in the display areas, first scan means coupled to said display means for scanning said display area in a first direction at a fast rate to provide a display line, means coupled to the ultrasonic means, signal means and to the display means for intermittently modulating the intensity of the display line in response to the first and second electrical signals, and second scan means coupled to said display means for scanning said display area in a second direction at a slow rate.

Claim 8

An ultrasonic tester for inspecting a workpiece including the combination of ultrasonic means adapted to be acoustically coupled to the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece, said means being effective to receive echoes reflected from the workpiece and produce a first electrical signal having pulses time modulated to correspond to a dimension of the workpiece, reference means adapted to be coupled to said workpiece to produce a reference signal corresponding to other characteristics of the workpiece, a cathode-ray oscilloscope means having an electron beam and first and second deflection means for deflecting said beam in first and second directions, means coupled to the ultrasonic means, reference means and first deflection means to modulate said electron beams in response to the time-modulated pulse and in response to the reference electrical signal after the time-modulated pulse occurs, first scan means coupled to the first deflection means for scanning said electron beam in a first direction at a fast rate while said electron beam is amplitude-modulated by the time-modulated pulses in the first electrical signal and by the reference electrical signal, and second scan means coupled to the second detection means for scanning said electron beam in a second direction at a slow rate to form a raster display on said cathode-ray oscilloscope tube having a first portion corresponding to the time-modulated pulses and a second portion corresponding to the reference signals.

Claim 9

An ultrasonic tester for inspecting a workpiece including the combination of ultrasonic means adapted to be acoustically coupled to the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the workpiece, said means being effective to receive echoes reflected from the workpiece and produce a first electrical signal having pulses time modulated to correspond to a dimension of the workpiece, reference means adapted to be coupled to said workpiece to produce a reference signal corresponding to other characteristics of the workpiece, a cathode-ray oscilloscope means having an electron beam and first and second deflection means for deflecting said beam in first and second directions, means coupled to the ultrasonic means, reference means and first deflection means to modulate said electron beams in response to the time-modulated pulse and in response to the reference electrical signal after the time-modulated pulse occurs, first scan means coupled to the first deflection means for scanning said electron beam in a first direction at a fast rate while said electron beam is amplitude-modulated by the time-modulated pulses in the first electrical signal and by the reference electrical signal, and second scan means coupled to the second detection means for scanning said electron beam in a second direction at a slow rate to form a raster display on said cathode-ray oscilloscope tube having a first portion corresponding to the time-modulated pulses and a second portion corresponding to the reference signals.

Claim 10

An ultrasonic echocardiograph for producing a display of the movement of at least a portion of a heart, said echocardiograph including: an ultrasonic search unit adapted to transmit ultrasoNic energy into the region of the heart and to receive echoes reflected from said portion of the heart and produce electrical signals corresponding thereto; a cathode-ray tube having a face and electron means for directing electrons against said face; signal-processing means coupled to said search unit and said cathode-ray tube for modulating the intensity of the electron beam in said tube as a function of said electrical signal; and means for scanning the electron beam across the face of said cathode-ray tube in a first direction at a first scan velocity which is a function of the velocity of the ultrasonic energy and in a second direction at a second scan velocity, said second scan velocity being at a rate which is at least as long as the period of a heartbeat of the heart of the particular patient being displayed.

Claim 11

An ultrasonic echocardiograph for producing a display of the movement of at least a portion of a heart, said echocardiograph including: an ultrasonic search unit adapted to transmit ultrasoNic energy into the region of the heart and to receive echoes reflected from said portion of the heart and produce electrical signals corresponding thereto; a cathode-ray tube having a face and electron means for directing electrons against said face; signal-processing means coupled to said search unit and said cathode-ray tube for modulating the intensity of the electron beam in said tube as a function of said electrical signal; and means for scanning the electron beam across the face of said cathode-ray tube in a first direction at a first scan velocity which is a function of the velocity of the ultrasonic energy and in a second direction at a second scan velocity, said second scan velocity being at a rate which is at least as long as the period of a heartbeat of the heart of the particular patient being displayed.

Claim 12

The electrocardiograph as defined in claim 7 wherein said signal-processing means includes: a monostable multivibrator having a first state and a second state, said monostable multivibrator remaining in said second state for a predetermined time interval, means coupling the multivibrator to said search unit for changing said multivibrator from the first state to the second state in response to the echo pulses in the electrical signal, means coupling the monostable multivibrator to the cathode-ray tube to gate the electron beam ''''ON'''' in the fast direction scan when the multivibrator is in one state and ''''OFF'''' when in the other state to brighten the beam as a function of reflected echo pulses.

Claim 13

An ultrasonic cardiograph including: ultrasonic transducer for periodically transmitting pulses of ultrasonic energy into the region of a heart and receiving return echoes of said energy from the heart region and for producing an electrical signal having pulses corresponding to the returned energy; signal-processing means having two separate states and being coupled to the ultrasonic transducer for switching to one of said states during the pulses in the electrical signal; a cathode-ray oscilloscope tube having an electron beam and a display face; scan means for scanning the electron beam across the display face, and means coupling the cathode-ray tube to said signal-processing means and responsive to said signal-processing means for gating the electron beam ''''ON'''' when the signal-processing means is in one of said states and for gating the beam ''''OFF'''' when the signal-processing means is in the other of said states.

Claim 14

An ultrasonic cardiograph including: ultrasonic transducer for periodically transmitting pulses of ultrasonic energy into the region of a heart and receiving return echoes of said energy from the heart region and for producing an electrical signal having pulses corresponding to the returned energy; signal-processing means having two separate states and being coupled to the ultrasonic transducer for switching to one of said states during the pulses in the electrical signal; a cathode-ray oscilloscope tube having an electron beam and a display face; scan means for scanning the electron beam across the display face, and means coupling the cathode-ray tube to said signal-processing means and responsive to said signal-processing means for gating the electron beam ''''ON'''' when the signal-processing means is in one of said states and for gating the beam ''''OFF'''' when the signal-processing means is in the other of said states.

Claim 15

The cardiograph as defined in claim 9 including means having two separate states coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and responsive to the amplitude of the electrical signal to change from one of said states to the other of said states for a predetermined interval when the electrical signal changes through the threshold level, said means being coupled to said cathode-ray tube for controlling the electron beam therein.

Claim 16

An ultrasonic cardiograph as defined in claim 9 wherein said scan means includes a fast scan and a slow scan coupled to the cathode-ray tube for scanning said beam in two separate directions, said fast scan being coupled to the signal-processing means for scanning the beam in the first direction each time a pulse of ultrasonic energy is transmitted, said slow scan being adapted to scan the beam in the second direction at a slow rate compared to the beat of said heart to form a raster on the face of the tube.

Claim 17

In combination: an ultrasonic probe including an input/output circuit; a pulser/receiver including an input/output being coupled to the input/output circuit of said probe, an input circuit and an output circuit; a clock having an output coupled to the input of said pulser; a video-processing circuit including an input coupled to the output of said pulser/receiver, said video-processing including a plurality of outputs, said video-processing system including means for providing a signal on Each output of different character indicative of signal on the input signal thereof; a cathode-ray tube having a control grid electrode vertical deflection electrodes and horizontal deflection electrodes; switching means coupled between the control grid of said cathode-ray tube and said video-processing system for selectively coupling said grid to one of the outputs of said video-processing circuit; a horizontal sweep generator having an input coupled to the output of said clock and an output coupled to the horizontal deflection electrodes of said cathode ray tube; and a vertical scan generator having a repetitious rate relatively slower than said horizontal sweep generator, said vertical scan generator having an output coupled to the vertical deflection electrodes of said cathode-ray tube.

Claim 18

In combination: an ultrasonic probe including an input/output circuit; a pulser/receiver including an input/output being coupled to the input/output circuit of said probe, an input circuit and an output circuit; a clock having an output coupled to the input of said pulser; a video-processing circuit including an input coupled to the output of said pulser/receiver, said video-processing including a plurality of outputs, said video-processing system including means for providing a signal on Each output of different character indicative of signal on the input signal thereof; a cathode-ray tube having a control grid electrode vertical deflection electrodes and horizontal deflection electrodes; switching means coupled between the control grid of said cathode-ray tube and said video-processing system for selectively coupling said grid to one of the outputs of said video-processing circuit; a horizontal sweep generator having an input coupled to the output of said clock and an output coupled to the horizontal deflection electrodes of said cathode ray tube; and a vertical scan generator having a repetitious rate relatively slower than said horizontal sweep generator, said vertical scan generator having an output coupled to the vertical deflection electrodes of said cathode-ray tube.

Claim 19

The combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said means included in said video-processing circuit including a video amplifier/inverter having an input coupled to the output of said pulser/receiver, and having at least one output which is included in the plurality of outputs of said video processing circuit.

Claim 20

The combination as defined in claim 13 wherein said means included in said video-processing circuit further including a Schmitt trigger having an input coupled to one of the outputs of said video amplifier/inverter and having at least one output which is included in the plurality of outputs of said video-processing circuit.

Claim 21

The combination as defined in claim 14 wherein said means included in said video-processing circuit further including a monostable multivibrator having an input coupled to one of the outputs as said Schmitt trigger and having at least one output which is included in the plurality of outputs of said video-processing circuit.

Claim 22

In combination: an ultrasonic probe including a transducer being adapted to emit ultrasonic energy in response to an electrical signal and generate an electrical signal in response to an ultrasonic signal; a pulser/receiver coupled to said search unit and being adapted to supply a pulse of electrical signal to the transducer of said probe, said pulser/receiver being further adapted to receive electrical signals from the transducer in said probe generated in response to the ultrasonic energy; a clock being coupled to said pulser/receiver and being adapted to provide a series of clock pulses to said pulser/receiver; a video-processing circuit being coupled to receive signals from said pulser/receiver generated in said probe, said video-processing circuit including means responsive to the received signal, for producing a plurality of outputs indicative of the received signals each having a difference characteristic; a cathode-ray tube including a control grid, a horizontal deflection means and a vertical deflection means; switching means coupled between the control grid of said cathode-ray tube and a selected one of the plurality of outputs of said video-processing circuit; a horizontal sweep generator having an input circuit being coupled to said clock and an output circuit being coupled to the horizontal deflection means of said cathode-ray tube, said horizontal sweep generator being responsive to signals from said clock to provide horizontal sweeps on said cathode ray tube; and a vertical scan generator having a repetitious rate relatively slower than said horizontal sweep generator, said vertical scan generator having an output circuit being coupled to the vertical deflection means of said cathode ray tube.

Claim 23

In combination: an ultrasonic probe including a transducer being adapted to emit ultrasonic energy in response to an electrical signal and generate an electrical signal in response to an ultrasonic signal; a pulser/receiver coupled to said search unit and being adapted to supply a pulse of electrical signal to the transducer of said probe, said pulser/receiver being further adapted to receive electrical signals from the transducer in said probe generated in response to the ultrasonic energy; a clock being coupled to said pulser/receiver and being adapted to provide a series of clock pulses to said pulser/receiver; a video-processing circuit being coupled to receive signals from said pulser/receiver generated in said probe, said video-processing circuit including means responsive to the received signal, for producing a plurality of outputs indicative of the received signals each having a difference characteristic; a cathode-ray tube including a control grid, a horizontal deflection means and a vertical deflection means; switching means coupled between the control grid of said cathode-ray tube and a selected one of the plurality of outputs of said video-processing circuit; a horizontal sweep generator having an input circuit being coupled to said clock and an output circuit being coupled to the horizontal deflection means of said cathode-ray tube, said horizontal sweep generator being responsive to signals from said clock to provide horizontal sweeps on said cathode ray tube; and a vertical scan generator having a repetitious rate relatively slower than said horizontal sweep generator, said vertical scan generator having an output circuit being coupled to the vertical deflection means of said cathode ray tube.