Patent ID: 8166823

Claim:
An ultrasonic testing apparatus for detecting flaws in a tubular, comprising: a handheld scanner with a single ultrasonic probe mounted therein comprising a probe housing having a cavity adapted to contain a liquid acoustic couplant medium having an acoustic impedance, and a phased array probe mounted in a back wall of the cavity in the probe housing; a flexible and conformable acoustic coupler membrane mounted to the probe housing and adapted to contact the tubular and having an acoustic impedance substantially similar to the liquid acoustic impedance of the liquid acoustic couplant medium, the acoustic coupler membrane sealing the liquid acoustic couplant medium within the cavity to allow an ultrasonic coupling between the ultrasonic probe and a surface of the tubular, wherein the membrane protrudes from the probe housing to acoustically couple with the tubular and transmit ultrasound between the phased array probe and the tubular; a fluid regulating device installed to the probe housing allowing the liquid acoustic couplant medium to be injected into and released from the cavity of the probe housing to control the fluid pressure in the cavity; and a beam angle position block conforming to the surface of the tubular, and orienting the phased array probe with the tubular.