Method and apparatus for ultrasonic detection of inclusions in a flowing fluid

Claim 1

Apparatus for detecting inclusions in a fluid flowing within a flexible tube of substantially circular cross-section and not forming part of said apparatus, said inclusions being of different acoustic impedance from said fluid, said apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic detector head having defined therein an aperture of substantially rectangular cross-section, said aperture being dimensioned to receive said tube and to deform said tube to adopt a substantially rectangular cross-section; a pair of flexible elongate supports mounted to respective ones of a pair of opposite surfaces of said aperture, said supports being mounted parallel to and oPposite one another and each extending substantially entirely across said surface to which it is mounted, and each support being above said surface to which it is mounted, whereby, when said tube is received in and deformed by said aperture, each of said supports is urged against substantially the whole of a respective one of a pair of opposite sides of said substantially rectangular crosssection of said tube; an ultrasonic transmitter mounted to said ultrasonic detector head and operatively coupled to one of said supports to transmit an ultrasonic signal, via said one support and the wall of the tube, into and across said fluid flowing within the tube, said signal being transmitted through the flow in the form of a planar beam substantially transverse to the direction of flow and traversing substantially the whole of the crosssection of the flow; means for energizing said transmitter to cause it to continuously transmit said signal; an ultrasonic receiver mounted in said ultrasonic detector head and operatively coupled to the other of said supports to receive said signal; and means coupled to said receiver to detect a change in amplitude of the signal received by the receiver caused by an inclusion passing through said planar beam.

Claim 12

A method of detecting inclusions in a fluid flowing within a flexible tube of substantially circular cross-section, said inclusions being of different acoustic impedance from said fluid, said method comprising the steps of: deforming at least part of said tube so that it adopts a substantially rectangular cross-section; positioning a pair of flexible elongate supports so that they are parallel to and opposite one another and so that they are each urged against a respective one of a pair of opposite sides of said substantially rectangular cross-section of said tube; energizing an ultrasonic transmitter operatively coupled to one of said supports to transmit an ultrasonic signal, via said one support and the wall of the tube, into and across said fluid flowing within the tube, said signal being transmitted through the flow in the form of a planar beam substantially transverse to the direction of flow and traversing substantially the whole of the cross-section of the flow; and detecting a change of the signal received by an ultrasonic receiver operatively coupled to the other of said supports caused by an inclusion passing through said planar beam.

Claim 13

A method of detecting inclusions in a fluid flowing within a flexible tube of substantially circular cross-section, said inclusions being of different acoustic impedance from said fluid, said method comprising the steps of: deforming at least part of said tube so that it adopts a substantially rectangular cross-section; positioning a pair of flexible elongate supports so that they are parallel to and opposite one another and so that they are each urged against a respective one of a pair of opposite sides of said substantially rectangular cross-section of said tube; energizing an ultrasonic transmitter operatively coupled to one of said supports to transmit an ultrasonic signal, via said one support and the wall of the tube, into and across said fluid flowing within the tube, said signal being transmitted through the flow in the form of a planar beam substantially transverse to the direction of flow and traversing substantially the whole of the cross-section of the flow; and detecting a change of the signal received by an ultrasonic receiver operatively coupled to the other of said supports caused by an inclusion passing through said planar beam.