Patent ID: 7654142

Claim:
A method for obtaining an image of a part to be inspected, said method comprising the steps of: determining, by simulation, a first simulated ultrasonic field (s 0 ) generated by propagation of an ultrasonic wave in a predetermined zone of a flawless reference part; transmitting an ultrasonic incident wave toward a predetermined zone of the said part to be inspected corresponding to the said predetermined zone of the said reference part; measuring an ultrasonic field (u m ) returned by the part to be inspected in response to said incident wave; obtaining a calculated field (u m −u 0 ) by subtracting from the ultrasonic field (u m ) returned by the part to be inspected another ultrasonic field (u 0 ) obtained from a previous corresponding measurement on the said reference part; calculating a variable related to a topological energy (E T ) in the reference part based on said first simulated ultrasonic field (s 0 ) determined by simulation and on said calculated field (u m −u 0 ); and determining the image of the predetermined zone of the part to be inspected based on values of said variable.