Patent ID: 7307729
Filing Date: 2007-12-11
Classification: A24C,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for electro-optically inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a longitudinally moving rod of material, comprising the steps of: (a) guiding the longitudinally moving rod of material along its longitudinal axis by a rod guiding unit, along an optical path within a transparent passageway, said optical path and said transparent passageway coaxially extend along said longitudinal axis of the moving rod of material and pass through an electro-optical transmission module; (b) generating a focused beam of electromagnetic radiation by an illumination unit of said electro-optical transmission module, such that said focused beam is transmitted through a first side of said transparent passageway and incident upon the rod of material longitudinally moving within said transparent passageway; (c) illuminating a volumetric segment of the longitudinally moving rod of material by said incident focused beam, such that at least part of said incident focused beam is affected by and transmitted through said volumetric segment and then transmitted through a second side of said transparent passageway, for forming a rod material volumetric segment transmitted beam; and (d) detecting said rod material volumetric segment transmitted beam by a detection unit of said electro-optical transmission module, for forming a detected rod material volumetric segment transmitted beam; and (e) processing and analyzing said focused beam of step (b), said incident focused beam of step (c), and said rod material detected volumetric segment transmitted beam of step (d), by a process control and data analysis unit, for determining the internal properties and characteristics of the longitudinally moving rod of material.