Systems and methods are provided for ultrasonic image generation. One embodiment is a method that includes capturing a first ultrasound image that represents a first volume within a part, and capturing a second ultrasound image that represents a second volume that partially overlaps the first volume. The method also includes identifying a first constellation comprising at least three inconsistencies in the part that are depicted in the first ultrasound image, identifying a second constellation, comprising a reoriented version of the first constellation, in the second ultrasound image, and generating an that combines the first ultrasound image with the second ultrasound image.

Processing electronics provide flow data acquisition and telemetry for multiphase flow tomographic ultrasonic transceiver arrays. The processing electronics forms pulse drive signals to cause a tomographic pulse sequence to be emitted. Selected ones of an array of the ultrasonic transceivers emit ultrasonic energy in the tomographic pulse sequence for travel through the multiphase flow. The selected transmitting transceiver is isolated while transmitting it, and the remaining the transceivers are enabled to receive measures of the emitted pulse is after travel through the multiphase flow.

A part (120) may be subjected to both a resonance inspection and a surface vibration inspection. Various protocols (230; 240; 250; 280; 260) are disclosed as to how the results of one or more of these inspections may be used to evaluate the part (120).

Processing electronics provide flow data acquisition and telemetry for multiphase flow tomographic ultrasonic transceiver arrays. The processing electronics forms pulse drive signals to cause a tomographic pulse sequence to be emitted. Selected ones of an array of the ultrasonic transceivers emit ultrasonic energy in the tomographic pulse sequence for travel through the multiphase flow. The selected transmitting transceiver is isolated while transmitting it, and the remaining the transceivers are enabled to receive measures of the emitted pulse is after travel through the multiphase flow.

Gas flow metering apparatus for obtaining flow measurements in respect of gas in a conduit is provided. The apparatus includes an ultrasonic mass flow meter including a first, upstream ultrasonic transducer, a second, downstream transducer, and a first calculation module for receiving data representative of an ultrasonic transit time between said transducers and calculating, using said data, a first flow velocity of said gas. The apparatus including at least one measurement device for measuring a flow parameter of said flow of gas through said conduit, a second calculation module for calculating, using said flow parameter, a second flow velocity of said gas, a verification module configured to select a preferred flow velocity from said first and second calculated flow velocities dependent upon expected accuracy in current gas flow conditions, and an output module for calculating, using said selected preferred flow velocity, a volumetric flow in respect of said gas flow.

Processing electronics provide flow data acquisition and telemetry for multiphase flow tomographic arrays. The processing electronics convert sensed flow condition data obtained by ultrasonic transceiver tomography arrays into a serial digital data to minimize both the number of external feedthroughs and also the bandwidth required for transmission. The processing electronics also sends the full measured waveforms from each of the transceivers in the tomographic arrays.

A vibration measuring apparatus comprises a wave transmission section configured to vibrate a measurement object with sound wave output from a parametric speaker towards the measurement object and an optical measurement section configured to emit laser light towards the measurement object, receive the laser light reflected from the measurement object and measure vibration of the assumed object (measurement object) according to the received laser light. The wave transmission section and the optical measurement section are mounted integrally, and the optical measurement section makes an optical axis of laser light emitted to/received from the measurement object coincident with a central axis of the sound wave output from the parametric speaker.

The present invention proposes an ultrasound system and method of identifying a vessel of a subject. The ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound probe configured to simultaneously acquire a sequence of ultrasound blood flow data frames (such as a sequence of ultrasound Doppler data frames) and a sequence of ultrasound B-mode data frames of a region of interest including the vessel over a predetermined time period; a blood flow region selecting unit configured to select a blood flow region in the sequence of blood flow data frames; and a vessel segmenting unit configured to segment the vessel in at least one frame of the sequence of ultrasound B-mode data frames based on the selected blood flow region. Since there is no need to manually place any seed point for vessel segmentation any more, the user dependency is reduced and a fast measurement is made possible. Furthermore, since the segmentation of the vessel in a B-mode data frame makes use of information from multiple blood flow data frames, more robust, reliable segmentation can be achieved.

An imaging device can include a transducer that includes an array of piezoelectric elements formed on a substrate. Each piezoelectric element can include at least one membrane suspended from the substrate, at least one bottom electrode disposed on the membrane, at least one piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, and at least one top electrode disposed on the at least one piezoelectric layer. Adjacent piezoelectric elements can be configured to be isolated acoustically from each other. The device is utilized to measure flow or flow along with imaging anatomy.

Ultrasound tomography arrays and vortex shedding devices are provided which measure average flow velocity through Doppler shift of the fluid as well as cross sectional multiphase fluid composition in pipe or tubing conduits. Multiple tomographic arrays in conjunction with correlation of sensed flow patterns in time provided determination of flow velocity as well as cross sectional multiphase fluid composition. The tomographic arrays may be arranged in a skewed or slanted plane to measure velocity fluctuations downstream of a vortex shedding device where the period and amplitude of the fluctuations is correlated with the mass flow of the fluid. Additionally, the tomographic arrays provide the relative composition of the multiphase fluid. The multiple arrays together with correlation to determine velocity fluctuations downstream of a vortex shedding device where the period and amplitude of the fluctuations is correlated with the mass flow of the fluid. Additionally the tomographic arrays output the relative composition of the multiphase fluid.