Patent ID: 7716987
Filing Date: 2010-05-18
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of directly measuring a thermo-elastic property of a material at a first location comprising: providing a sound source having an ultrasonic horn having a tip positioned so that said tip does not contact the material; exciting said ultrasonic horn; emitting a series of sound signals at a single fixed frequency from said tip toward the first location of the material for a predetermined period of time, said series of sound signals having increasing energy levels, said series of sound signals separated by a predetermined time period; generating a sequence of thermal images of the first location before, during, and after the emission of the sound signals; determining the efficiency of a material to convert acoustic energy into heat from the sequence of thermal images at the first location; and determining a change in the efficiency of the material to convert acoustic energy into heat from the sequence of thermal images at the first location.