A method of facilitating ultrasonic analysis of a subject is provided. The method involves producing signals for causing a set of outgoing ultrasonic signals to be transmitted to the subject, wherein the set of outgoing ultrasonic signals is defined at least in part by a variable imaging parameter that varies over time in accordance with a variable imaging parameter function, the variable imaging parameter function represented or representable at least in part by a function characteristic, receiving signals representing a time dependent representation of the subject generated from a set of received ultrasonic signals scattered by the subject, determining at least one property representation of the subject based on the function characteristic and the time dependent representation of the subject, and producing signals representing the at least one property representation of the subject to facilitate analysis of the subject. Systems, non-transitory computer readable media, and other methods are also provided.

Methods and systems for measuring one or more properties of a soft material employ air transmitted ultrasound that is reflected from the soft material to generate a mechanical wave in the soft material. A method of measuring one or more properties of a soft material includes transmitting ultrasound through air to an interface boundary between the soft material and air. Force is applied to the soft material by reflecting the ultrasound from the soft material. A mechanical wave is generated in the soft material as a result of the force applied to the soft material. Propagation of the mechanical wave in the soft material is measured with an imaging system. One or more properties of the soft material is determined based on the measured propagation of the mechanical wave in the soft material.

Methods, systems, devices, and products for ultrasonic borehole logging using an ultrasonic borehole imaging tool in a borehole intersecting the earth formation. Methods may include adjusting a focus for an ultrasonic beam generated from a single-transducer ultrasonic assembly of the ultrasonic imaging tool; using a receiver to generate measurement information responsive to an ultrasonic signal caused by the ultrasonic beam; and estimating a parameter of interest from the measurement information. Methods may include adjusting the focus in dependence upon environmental conditions, the environmental conditions comprising at least one of: i) standoff between the ultrasonic imaging tool and a wall of the borehole; and ii) borehole annulus conditions. Methods may include adjusting the focus in substantially real-time. The ultrasonic beam may be focused with a focal zone at the borehole wall configured to produce a beam spot size of a selected diameter.

A spherical body inspection apparatus including a support arrangement realized to support a spherical body during an inspection procedure; a probe arrangement comprising a plurality of ultrasonic testing probes arranged about the spherical body such that the ultrasonic testing probes target a common test point at the surface of the spherical body; and a displacer for effecting at least one relative rotational displacement between the spherical body and the probe arrangement. Also described is a method of inspecting a spherical body.

A sensor device includes: a probe body having a first end and a second end, the probe body defining a probe cavity within the probe body; a sensor located at the first end of the probe body, the sensor having a sensor surface in sensory communication with the probe cavity defined within the probe body; a permanent magnet located adjacent the second end of the probe body and at least partially circumscribing the probe cavity defined within the probe body; an isolating boundary portion located between the permanent magnet and a surface of the object of interest and having a passage formed therethrough, the passage in communication with the probe cavity defined within the probe body.

An ultrasonic flaw detecting apparatus comprises an array prove, an element-group defining circuit, a calculator, a signal receiver and a generator. The array probe comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements, each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements being configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from an inspection object. The element-group defining circuit is configured to select, as an element group, plural consecutive piezoelectric elements from the plurality of piezoelectric elements, set a reference position of the element group based on array arrangement information of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in the element group and based on a weighting value of each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in the element group, and calculate a propagation path of an ultrasonic beam from the element group based on the reference position and a predetermined refraction angle. The calculator is configured to calculate a delay time of each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in the element group in such a manner that the ultrasonic beam is configured to propagate along the propagation path. The signal receiver is configured to receive respective ultrasonic waves received with the plurality of piezoelectric elements as detection signals. The generator is configured to generate at least one composite signal for the ultrasonic beam having the propagation path based on the detection signal and the delay time.

A system and method for measuring one or more viscoelastic properties of a material under measurement is disclosed. The system includes an emitter-observer transducer pair separated by the material. A signal processing assembly is operable to (i) apply a plurality of excitation signals to the emitter transducer, wherein each of the excitation signals comprises a continuous-wave sinusoidal waveform, (ii) record a plurality of output signals at the observer transducer, wherein each of the output signals corresponds to one of the excitation signals, (iii) analyze the output signals to measure the sound speed of the material, and (iv) determine the viscoelastic properties of the material under measurement by optimizing the parameters of an infinite echo model. The system provides a non-destructive approach for in-situ measurement of viscoelastic material properties.

Methods, systems, devices, and products for ultrasonic borehole logging using an ultrasonic borehole imaging tool in a borehole intersecting the earth formation. Methods may include adjusting a focus for an ultrasonic beam generated from a single-transducer ultrasonic assembly of the ultrasonic imaging tool; using a receiver to generate measurement information responsive to an ultrasonic signal caused by the ultrasonic beam; and estimating a parameter of interest from the measurement information. Methods may include adjusting the focus in dependence upon environmental conditions, the environmental conditions comprising at least one of: i) standoff between the ultrasonic imaging tool and a wall of the borehole; and ii) borehole annulus conditions. Methods may include adjusting the focus in substantially real-time. The ultrasonic beam may be focused with a focal zone at the borehole wall configured to produce a beam spot size of a selected diameter.

Various embodiments include a method for ultrasonic testing of an object comprising: radiating ultrasound with an emitting unit of an emitter-receiver ultrasonic test head onto the object from a plurality of spatial positions of the emitter-receiver ultrasonic test head; acquiring a reflected time-dependent ultrasonic amplitude signal for each spatial position of the emitter-receiver ultrasonic test head with a receiving unit of the emitter-receiver ultrasonic test head, wherein the acquired ultrasonic amplitude signals form a test data set; and determining a SAFT amplitude for the volume element with a summation of the ultrasonic amplitude signals at the points in time which correspond to the runtimes of the ultrasound associated with the respective ultrasonic amplitude from the emitting unit to the volume element back to a receiving unit of the emitter-receiver ultrasonic test head.

A method of determining a status of ultrasound coupling medium for performing an ultrasound scan for providing an ultrasound image including plural scanlines (N.sub.l) is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes operating an ultrasound device to capture an image frame including plural scanlines (N.sub.l), each scanline having an associated sample set (s) of intensity values; processing a subset of the associated sample set (s) of values for each scanline to determine a first summation for each scanline; processing plural sets of corresponding intensity values from each of plural scanlines located within a range of a respective scanline to determine a set of difference values for each respective scanline; processing each set of difference values to determine a second summation for each scanline; and generating a status for the ultrasound coupling medium according to a relationship between each of the first summations and each of the associated second summations.