G01N29/226

Apparatus for Automatic Sampling of Biological Species Employing Disk Microfluidics System

A field portable diagnostic apparatus uses a rotatable disk in which a microfluidic circuit is defined. The microfluidic circuit includes a centrifugal separation chamber receiving a sample to stratify the sample. A magnetic bead holding chamber is communicated to a mixing chamber, where mass amplifying functionalized magnetic-nanoparticles, held in a buffer solution and contained in the magnetic bead holding reservoir communicated to mixing chamber, are mixed with the separated fluid delivered to mixing chamber from the separation chamber. The functionalized magnetic nanoparticles conjugate with a target analyte in the sample. A magnet in proximity to a SAW chamber including a SAW detector draws the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles toward antibodies immobilized on the SAW sensor surface A wash reservoir is communicated to the SAW sensor chamber, and a cleanup/waste reservoir is communicated to the SAW chamber for receive fluid after it has passed through the SAW chamber.

UT Sensor Interface for Scanning Complex Environments

A UT scanner interface may include a main body that includes an inner chamber including a UT scanner facing toward an opening on a bottom side, a couplant injection port, and a fluid evacuation port. During operations, a couplant is injected into the inner chamber via the couplant injection port while couplant and any contaminants may be removed from the inner chamber via the fluid evacuation port.

DEVICE MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Systems and methods for components, e.g., liquid or gas handling, are described. A tester includes a wand that is handheld that can communicate with a handheld electronic device which in turn can communicate with a central monitor for storing and compiling readings as historical profile data. The wand includes an acoustic probe to physically contact the device to acoustically sense the performance of the device. The acoustic probe includes a probe tip and a stack of acoustic elements, an electrode, a stack mass, and a head to convert the acoustic signal into an electrical signal. The tester can include onboard force sensors associated with the probe or a temperature sensor. The tester or a handheld device includes circuitry to process the information, interact with the user, and transmit information to and from the handheld electronic device and/or the central monitor.

Tool for non-destructive inspection of a flat part
11137374 · 2021-10-05 · ·

A tool enables non-destructive inspection of a flat part by ultrasonic transmission. The tool includes a clamp with a first arm pivotally coupled to a second arm about a pivot connection. An ultrasound transmitter is coupled to a first end of the first arm by a first ball joint connection, and an ultrasound receiver coupled to a first end of the second arm by a second ball joint connection. The transmitter has an active face for transmitting a sound signal that is received by an active face of the receiver. The active faces of the transmitter and the receiver are substantially at the same distance from the pivot connection. The tool further includes an alignment device that maintains the active faces of the transmitter and the receiver oriented towards each other and substantially parallel.

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMPENSATING FOR COUPLING NONUNIFORMITIES IN ULTRASONIC TESTING
20210278375 · 2021-09-09 · ·

A method and a device for testing a component by means of ultrasound is described. It is based on using transducers (4) for sending a probe signal into the component and monitoring its propagation. The response signals (C1 . . . C7) of the individual receivers are analyzed for the strength (A) of the arriving surface wave, and this strength (A) is used for scaling the response signals (C1 . . . C7). This allows to compensate for variations in the coupling strength between the various ultrasonic transducers {4}.

MICROFABRICATED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER HAVING INDIVIDUAL CELLS WITH ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED ELECTRODE SECTIONS

An ultrasonic transducer includes a membrane, a bottom electrode, and a plurality of cavities disposed between the membrane and the bottom electrode, each of the plurality of cavities corresponding to an individual transducer cell. Portions of the bottom electrode corresponding to each individual transducer cell are electrically isolated from one another. Each portion of the bottom electrode corresponds to each individual transducer that cell further includes a first bottom electrode portion and a second bottom electrode portion, the first and second bottom electrode portions electrically isolated from one another.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for determining nonlinear properties of a material to detect early fatigue or damage

An inspection apparatus detects one or more characteristics of a material sample and includes a transmitter to transmit an initial signal to the material sample, and a receiver to receive a detected signal from the material sample associated with the initial signal. The detected signal has at least a first harmonic signal component and a second harmonic signal component. Data processing circuitry determines a resonant frequency of the first harmonic signal component and an amplitude of the first harmonic signal component at the resonant frequency, and filters the detected signal using a first filter signal having a frequency corresponding to the first harmonic signal component and a second filter signal having a frequency corresponding to the second harmonic signal component. A frequency analysis is performed in the frequency domain on the filtered first and second signals to determine corresponding first and second amplitudes. The first and second amplitudes may be compensated for nonlinearity. One or more nonlinear parameters are determined based on the first and second amplitudes. A user interface communicates one or more characteristics of the material sample based on the first and second compensated amplitudes.

LASER SYSTEM FOR BLOOD OR TISSUE ASSESSMENT

A laser system for blood assessment is provided. Another aspect of a laser system includes a container within which is blood, a laser operable to emit a laser beam at the container to vibrate the blood, a detector operable to detect a vibrational characteristic of the blood, a controller connected to the detector operable to automatically determine a characteristic of the blood based at least in part on the vibrational characteristic detected by the detector, and a display operable to indicate a determination result from the controller. Another aspect of the present blood or tissue assessment laser system includes a laser, a power supply, a detector, a controller and an electronic display, all contained within or coupled to a handheld and portable housing.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PORTABLE ULTRASONIC TESTING

The present disclosure provides a system with an ultrasonic transducer housing assembly that maintains an acoustic coupling path for spherically focused transducers while allowing the placement of the housing at angles relative to a vertical angle. This invention extends the use of spherically focused transducers into portable systems with significantly reduced system and operational costs for non-destructive testing. The transducer housing assembly features a lens housing with an opening that is sealed with a replaceable fluid-tight membrane defining an acoustic window with acoustic properties similar to those of fluid in the housing and therefore at least translucent to the transducer and causing minimal signal loss. The housing contains minimal fluid to be cleaned up in case of improper use or leakage. The transducer housing also includes an optional surface offset and an ability to adjust the focal point of the transducer relative to the component surface.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING USING PHASED ARRAYS
20210190729 · 2021-06-24 · ·

A method of non-destructive testing of an article (20) is described. The article has a first surface (21). The article (20) article (20 comprises a set of passageways (200), including a first passageway (200 A). Respective sets of flaws (2000) are associated with respective passageways of the set of passageways (200), including a first set of flaws (2000A), optionally including a first flaw (2000AA), associated with the first passageway (200 A). The method comprises phased array ultrasonic scanning of the article (20) using a phased array probe communicatively coupled thereto through the first surface (21); and detecting the first flaw (2000AA), if included in the first set of flaws (2000A) associated with the first passageway (200A).