Patent ID: 6089085
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: G01B,G01M

Abstract:
A method for determining the depth of a separation in the material of a test deformable structure, comprising the steps of:reducing the pressure in the vicinity of the separation in the test deformable structure and thereby forming a bulge in a surface of the test deformable structure due to the separation in the material of the test deformable structure, until the bulge crosses a predetermined plane;determining the size of the separation in the test deformable structure;providing a reference deformable structure having at least one reference separation in the material of the reference deformable structure at a predetermined depth;reducing the pressure in the vicinity of the reference separation in the reference deformable structure and thereby forming a reference bulge in a surface of the reference deformable structure, until the bulge crosses a predetermined plane;comparing the pressure at which the bulge formed in the surface of the test deformable structure crossed the predetermined plane with the pressure at which the reference bulge formed in the surface of the reference deformable structure crossed the predetermined plane; anddetermining the depth of the separation in the test deformable structure.