Abstract: Disclosed are non-imaging low frequency ultrasound apparatus and methods that extend the range of ultrasonic applications to medical testing and diagnostics. More particularly, apparatus and methods for generating, transmitting and receiving low frequency ultrasound through a test body can be used to generate non-imaging medical mapping of ultrasound signals and medical diagnostics. Typically frequencies below 1 MHz are generated by a low frequency non-imaging wide aperture transmitting transducer and received by multiple low frequency small aperture receiving transducers and processed via improved signal processing to evaluate and map the ultrasound interactions for detecting and characterizing clinical conditions in test objects.

Abstract: Disclosed are non-imaging low frequency ultrasound apparatus and methods that extend the range of ultrasonic applications to medical testing and diagnostics. More particularly, apparatus and methods for generating, transmitting and receiving low frequency ultrasound through a test body can be used to generate non-imaging medical mapping of ultrasound signals and medical diagnostics. Typically frequencies below 1 MHz are generated by a low frequency non-imaging wide aperture transmitting transducer and received by multiple low frequency small aperture receiving transducers and processed via improved signal processing to evaluate and map the ultrasound interactions for detecting and characterizing clinical conditions in test objects.

Abstract: Disclosed are non-imaging low frequency ultrasound apparatus and methods that extend the range of ultrasonic applications to medical testing and diagnostics. More particularly, apparatus and methods for generating, transmitting and receiving low frequency ultrasound through a test body can be used to generate non-imaging medical mapping of ultrasound signals and medical diagnostics. Typically frequencies below 1 MHz are generated by a low frequency non-imaging wide aperture transmitting transducer and received by multiple low frequency small aperture receiving transducers and processed via improved signal processing to evaluate and map the ultrasound interactions for detecting and characterizing clinical conditions in test objects.

Abstract: A device for removing mineral deposits from the electrode of a pool chlorinator cell, which has a housing with liquid inlet and outlet ports and in which the electrode is submerged, has: (a) a container having an opening, with this opening being affixed proximate an aperture that is placed in the housing, (b) an ultrasonic membrane which covers the aperture, (c) an ultrasonic transducer mounted in the container and coupled to the membrane in such a manner so as to cause specified, ultrasonic vibrations in the membrane and throughout the liquid contained in the housing, and (d) a frequency modulated power source that drives the transducer. In a preferred embodiment, this device is powered such that the energy projected to the electrodes is in range of 100 to 200 watts and the flux of energy supplied to the membrane is in the range of 4 to 25 watts per square inch of membrane surface area.

Abstract: Formed Laser Sources (FLS) using pulsed laser light for generation of ultrasonic stress waves are combined with air-coupled detection of ultrasound to provide for the hybrid non-contact, dynamic and remote ultrasonic testing of structural materials, especially railroad tracks. Using this hybrid technique, multimode and controlled frequency and wavefront surface acoustic waves, plate waves, guided waves, and bulk waves are generated to propagate on and within the rail tracks. The non-contact, remote nature of this methodology enables high-speed, fill access inspections of rail tracks. The flexibility and remote nature of this methodology makes possible the detection of critical cracks that are not easy, or impossible to detect, with current inspection techniques available to the railroad industry.

Abstract: A remote, non-contact system for detecting a defect in a railroad wheel as the wheel is stationary or moving along a railroad track includes; (1) a pulsed, laser light source for generating an ultrasonic wave in the wheel, the ultrasonic wave having a direct portion and reflected and transmitted portions if the direct portion encounters a defect in the wheel, (2) an optical component in the path of the light from the light source for forming the light into a specified illumination pattern so that the generated ultrasonic wave has a specified wavefront, (3) an air-coupled transducer or a group of transducers for sensing the acoustic signal emanating from the wheel that results from the ultrasonic wave traveling through the wheel, and (4) a signal processor, responsive to the sensed acoustic signal, capable of distinguishing whether the sensed signal has a component that indicates the existence of a reflected portion in the ultrasonic wave, wherein the presence of such a component in the acoustic signal indicat

Abstract: A remote, non-contact system for detecting a defect in a railroad wheel as the wheel is stationary or moving along a railroad track includes; (1) a pulsed, laser light source for generating an ultrasonic wave in the wheel, the ultrasonic wave having a direct portion and reflected and transmitted portions if the direct portion encounters a defect in the wheel, (2) an optical component in the path of the light from the light source for forming the light into a specified illumination pattern so that the generated ultrasonic wave has a specified wavefront, (3) an air-coupled transducer or a group of transducers for sensing the acoustic signal emanating from the wheel that results from the ultrasonic wave traveling through the wheel, and (4) a signal processor, responsive to the sensed acoustic signal, capable of distinguishing whether the sensed signal has a component that indicates the existence of a reflected portion in the ultrasonic wave, wherein the presence of such a component in the acoustic signal indicat

Abstract: Formed Laser Sources (FLS) using pulsed laser light for generation of ultrasonic stress waves are combined with air-coupled detection of ultrasound to provide for the hybrid non-contact, dynamic and remote ultrasonic testing of structural materials, especially railroad tracks. Using this hybrid technique, multimode and controlled frequency and wavefront surface acoustic waves, plate waves, guided waves, and bulk waves are generated to propagate on and within the rail tracks. The non-contact, remote nature of this methodology enables high-speed, full access inspections of rail tracks. The flexibility and remote nature of this methodology makes possible the detection of critical cracks that are not easy, or impossible to detect, with current inspection techniques available to the railroad industry. For purpose of field testing, the equipment of the present invention can be located above the top surface of the rail.