Patent ID: 8234924

Claim:
A method for nondestructive testing of structures comprising: causing an ultrasonic wave to traverse a portion of a structure being tested for presence of defects, to cause surface displacements in the structure; providing one or more optical waveguides attached to a flexible structure, each optical waveguide comprising one or more spaced apart transducers adapted to respond to the surface displacements; locating the one or more transducers in mechanical contact with the surface of the structure under test for a transducer response corresponding to the surface displacements of the structure at respective locations of the transducers caused by the ultrasonic wave; obtaining modulation of the one or more transducers in response to the surface displacements of the structure; based on the response of the one or more transducers, reconstructing distribution characteristics of the ultrasonic waves across the structure; and based on the reconstructed distribution characteristics, determining likely locations of features in the structure.