Patent ID: 6860140

Claim:
An apparatus for sequentially testing multiple instances of a part under test, for each instance of the part under test detecting the presence of at least one leak in a first region of the instance part under test, wherein a first side of the first region of the instance of the part under test contains a tracer gas and is at a higher pressure than a second side of the first region of the instance of the part under test such that the tracer gas will emanate through the at least one leak from the first side to the second side, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensors, each sensor being configured to detect the presence of a tracer gas emanating from a leak and being configured to provide a sensing signal; a controller operably coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to provide a leak detection signal in response to at least a first sensor of the plurality of sensors detecting the presence of the tracer gas, the leak detection signal including leak detection information representative of the location of the leak in the first region, the leak detection information being based in part on a comparison of at least a first sensing signal of a first sensor of the plurality of sensors and a second sensing signal of a second sensor of the plurality of sensors; and a fixture configured to support the plurality of sensors, the fixture being moveable between a first position wherein at least a portion of the plurality of sensors are spaced apart from the first region and a second position wherein the portion of the plurality of sensors are positioned proximate to the first region, the controller being configured to move the fixture from the first position to the second position.