A method for multidimensional, tomographic material and/or condition testing on a test specimen is invented, wherein a sensor with electronics for sending, recording and processing measurement data is arranged in each case on the test specimen or in a region of the test specimen at a plurality of predeterminable positions, wherein at least one sensor or the electronics of at least one sensor is used for carrying out a plurality of different physical measurement methods on the test specimen and for generating, triggering and/or transmitting pulses and/or signals required for carrying out at least one of the measurement methods. Furthermore, a device for multidimensional, tomographic material and/or condition testing on a specimen to assess, in particular for carrying out the above method, is invented, wherein the device comprises a plurality of sensors each having electronics, wherein a sensor with electronics for recording and processing measurement data can be arranged on the test specimen or in a region of the test specimen at a plurality of predeterminable positions in each case, at least one sensor or the electronics of at least one sensor being designed for carrying out a plurality of different physical measurement methods on the test specimen and for generating, triggering and/or emitting pulses and/or signals required for carrying out at least one of the measurement methods. Finally, a corresponding sensor for one such device is disclosed.

The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging method for imaging a part (1), characterized by the implementation of the following steps: selecting a first sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}) of the part from a first image (I.sup.A(Z)) of a region (Z) of the part (1), determining, for each point of the first selected sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}), the times of flight (T.sub.ij.sup.A({tilde over (Z)})) corresponding to the paths according to a first reconstruction mode (A) going through the point from a transmitter i to a receiver j for a set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples of an ultrasound signal; determining a second sub-region of the part, a point (P) of the region belonging to the second sub-region when a time of flight (T.sub.ij.sup.B(P)) of the path according to a second reconstruction mode (B) going through the point (P) from a transmitter i to a receiver j of said set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples coincides with a time of flight (T.sup.A({tilde over (Z)})) of a path according to the first reconstruction mode from a transmitter to a receiver from the transmitter i to the receiver j going through one of the points of the first selected sub-region.

The present invention relates to a portable probe for photoacoustic tomography, capable of performing line-by-line scanning or area-by-area scanning by using a small number of light inputs; and a real-time photoacoustic tomography device. The probe for photoacoustic tomography includes: a lens receiving light inputs from an optical fiber so as to make the same proceed as small diameter parallel light; a Powell lens receiving the small diameter parallel light and generating a line beam of a predetermined thickness, and allowing energy dispersed on a line to be uniform on the entire line; a lens making the line beam pass therethrough such that the line beam has a predetermined width and a reduced thickness so as to be line-focused at a target area; an acoustic reflection glass for separating, from a light path, an acoustic wave outputted from the target area; and an acoustic measurement unit for measuring acoustic strength.

A method for the non-destructive testing of the volume of a test object, during the course of which a volume raw image of the test object is recorded by a suitable non-destructive imaging testing method. Then, those regions of the volume raw image are identified that are not to be attributed to the test object material. It is checked whether an identified region is completely embedded in regions that are to be associated with the test object material. If necessary, such a region is assimilated to those regions that are to be associated with the test object material, forming a filled volume raw image. Finally, a difference is generated between the volume raw image and the filled volume raw image, forming a first flaw image.

Photothermal imaging systems and methods are disclosed that employ truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography (TC-PCT). According to the example methods disclosed herein, photothermal radiation is detected with an infrared camera while exciting a sample with the chirped delivery of incident laser pulses (where the pulses have a fixed width), and time-dependent photothermal signal data is obtained from the infrared camera and processed using a time-evolving filtering method employing cross-correlation truncation. The cross-correlation truncation method results in pulse-compression-linewidth-limited depth-resolved images with axial and lateral resolution well beyond the well-known thermal-diffusion-length-limited, depth-integrated nature of conventional thermographic and thermophotonic modalities. As a consequence, an axially resolved layer-by-layer photothermal image sequence can be obtained, capable of reconstructing three-dimensional visualizations (tomograms) of photothermal features in wide classes of materials. Additional embodiments are disclosed in which the aforementioned systems and methods are adapted to photo-acoustic and acousto-thermal imaging.

Methods and devices are disclosed for the imaging of a biological sample from all rotational perspectives in three-dimensional space and with multiple imaging modalities. A biological sample is positioned on an imaging stage that is capable of full 360-degree rotation in at least one of two orthogonal axes. Positioned about the stage are imaging modules enabling the recording of a series of images in multiple modalities, including reflected visible light, fluorescence, X-ray, ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography. A computer can use the images to construct three-dimensional models of the sample and to render images of the sample conveying information from one or more imaging channels. The rendered images can be displayed for an operator who can manipulate the images to present additional information or viewing angles of the sample. The image manipulation can be with touch gestures entered using a sterilizable or disposable touch pen.

A photoacoustic microscope objective lens unit includes: an objective lens which irradiates a sample with excitation light L; a photoacoustic wave detection unit which detects a photoacoustic wave U generated from the sample; and a photoacoustic wave guide system. The photoacoustic wave guide system includes: a photoacoustic wave separation member; and an acoustic lens that is disposed between the photoacoustic wave separation member and the sample and has a focus position that substantially matches with a focus position of the objective lens. The acoustic lens is obtained by cementing a main acoustic lens and a correction acoustic lens to each other. The main acoustic lens and the correction acoustic lens satisfy predetermined Conditional Expressions.

A photoacoustic measurement probe and a probe unit capable of preventing generation of artifacts in a photoacoustic measurement apparatus are obtained. In a photoacoustic measurement probe having a light emitting unit that emits measurement light toward a subject, an acoustic wave detection element that detects an acoustic wave emitted from a portion of the subject that has received the measurement light, and a housing which has a surface facing the subject at the time of use and in which the light emitting unit and the acoustic wave detection element are housed, at least one slit that is opened to the housing surface and that extends from the housing surface toward the inside of the housing is provided between the light emitting unit and the acoustic wave detection element.

A system and method directed to displaying images and presenting the data from the phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) inspection of a plurality of welded joints within a welded object. The system includes an engine comprising memory, a graphical user interface (GUI), an export module, a transformation module, and a merger module each operably coupled to one another. The export module is used to extract images and data from the PAUT inspection of the welded joints. The exported information is used by the transformation module to create a multi-dimensional representation of the PAUT inspected welded joint for each joint. The merger module combines the information from the export module and the transformation module into an evaluation report for each PAUT inspected welded joint and assembles the evaluation report into a master report for analysis. The system may be communicatively coupled over a network using a network interface.

The invention relates to non-destructive imaging of the internal structure for safe and intuitive operator work. In the context of the invented method, electronic scanning first creates a virtual image of the surface of the object (5) whose internal structure is the subject of research. Part of the surface of the object (5) and the angle of scanning are set by voice or by movement of the operator's body (9). The virtual image of the surface of the object (5) is subsequently projected in the stereoscopic glasses (7), followed by creation of the virtual image of the internal structure of the object (5) for the same angle of scanning. The virtual image of the internal structure is projected in the virtual image of the surface of the object (5), or replaces the virtual image of the object (5).