Patent ID: 7263888

Claim:
A method for performing an ultrasonic volumetric inspection of a backscattering material, comprising the steps of: providing a two-dimensional ultrasonic phased array, the phased array includes a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged in a two-dimensional rectilinear grid pattern extending in azimuthal and elevational directions, each ultrasonic element has an overall elevational dimension that is greater than its overall azimuthal dimension, the two-dimensional ultrasonic phased array configured with no more than one focusing lens wherein said focusing lens is curved soley in the elevational direction to direct said each ultrasonic element in each respective column to a desired elevational location; applying modulation to said each ultrasonic elements in both the azimuthal and elevational directions to form an ultrasonic scanning beam configured to produce focal zones in an azimuth-depth plane and an elevational-depth plane; and interrogating at least a portion of the backscattering material.