Patent ID: 8577629
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: G01N,G01S

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting faults in at least one transducer element of a phased array probe of an ultrasonic phased array instrument, the probe having a plurality of transducer elements, the method comprising: applying ultrasonic pulses to and obtaining respective response signals from the transducer elements of the phased array probe as part of a normal operation of the phased array instruments; calculating an average energy level E(i) at an element i for all the transducer elements individually according to an accumulated response signal reading obtained from the transducer elements individually during a predetermined time period; noting a dropped energy level in one or more transducer elements owing to an element fault by identifying a large difference between the energy E(i) and an expected energy E identifying any of the elements as a faulty element based on the energy level thereof.