Patent ID: 7684047
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: G01B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A laser ultrasonic inspection system operable to detect ultrasonic displacements at a remote target, comprising: a generation laser source operable to generate a generation laser beam, wherein the generation laser beam is directed onto the remote target to produce ultrasonic displacements at the remote target; a detection laser source operable to generate a detection laser beam; a beam splitter for splitting the detection laser beam into a probe laser beam and a reference laser beam; a first amplifier to amplify the reference laser beam; a second amplifier to amplify the probe laser beam; an optical assembly that receives and directs the amplified probe laser beam to the remote target where the ultrasonic displacements at the remote target scatter the amplified probe laser beam to produce phase-modulated light; collection optics to collect the phase modulated light; an interferometer to receive the amplified reference laser beam and the phase-modulated light and to generate at least one output signal based on the phase-modulated light and the amplified reference laser beam; and a processor operable to process the at least one output signal to obtain data representative of the ultrasonic displacements at the remote target.