Abstract:
A medical imager, primarily for use in oral and dental applications. The imager has a source for providing a plurality of collimated beams of non-ionizing radiation, in particular near-infrared light, and a plurality of correlated detectors. Each detector is arranged to receive unscattered light from one or part of one of said collimated beams and scattered light from one or more other beams. The imager further comprises means for using both the unscattered and scattered light to form an image.
Abstract:
A flaw detection system that can detect not only bubbles, stones and knots but also flaws, such as cords and reams, that are subject to less optical changes in transmitted light is provided. A glass plate travelling in a manufacturing line is scanned with a beam spot in the direction orthogonally intersecting the manufacturing line. The light transmitted through the glass plate is received by an optical-fiber array arranged in a direction orthogonally intersecting the line. Optical fibers in the optical-fiber array are connected cyclically to a plurality of photomultipliers, which convert the light received by the optical fibers into electrical signals. Flaw signals are produced by extracting flaw information signals from these electrical signals in an analog processing section, and masking them in a masking section. Positional information indicating flaw patterns and positions is produced from these flaw signals.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for detection of an imperfect seal between a plurality of plastic sheets. A transparent heated seal bar is tightly applied against the plurality of plastic sheets with the heat producing a welding between the sheets. A light source is projected into the seal bar with reflection occurring back through the seal bar from the seal area producing an image. This image is then picked up by a camera and transmitted to a visual analyzing computer which compares the produced seal to an image of a perfect seal and if significant differences are noted the computer causes activation of an annunciator to make known the creation of the imperfect seal.
Abstract:
A system for detecting optically-sensitive properties of sheet materials during manufacture includes a first group of bundles of optical fibers that convey light to selected transmitting locations adjacent one face of the sheet material. The system further includes a second group of bundles of optical fibers that collect and convey light transmitted through the sheet material to a light detector. The light detector measures the intensity of light received from each of the bundles of the second group to provide measurements of optically-sensitive properties of the sheet material at selected cross-directional locations.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a plywood surface defect detecting head. It comprises a shielding plate slidingly contacted at its front end with one surface of the plywood, a light source provided at one side of the shielding plate, and an optical fiber provided at the other side of the shielding plate, the optical fiber being disposed such that one end thereof slidingly contacts the plywood surface together with the shielding plate and the other end thereof faces toward a light detector.
Abstract:
A system for generating a substantially-continuous stream of binary signals representative of the presence of copper on the surface of a fluorescent substrate of a board. A beam is swept by mirror facets of a rotating mirror drum along a path on the board. When the beam strikes copper it is merely relected. When the beam strikes the substrate, a fluorescence is produced. The resultant light is gathered by cylindrical lenses and fiber optic bundles. The color of the light is blocked by filters and the fluorescence color energizes photomultiplier tubes. A threshold setting and sensing circuit senses the output of the photomultiplier tubes and controls their bias voltage to produce a constant level of output from fluorescence and then produces a stream of binary signals that are representative of the presence/absence of copper on the surface of the board. The swept beam is split to send a portion of its energy through an optical grating. The intermittent light passing through the optical grating is gathered by a fiber optic bundle and is sensed by a photomultiplier tube. The output of the photomultiplier tube is doubled in frequency and used to sample and store the binary signals in the memory of a scanning converter. The binary signals arrive in short bursts of higher-frequency signals separated by periods of absence of binary data. The binary signals stored in the scanning converter are then read out substantially continously for subsequent processing at a lower frequency.
Abstract:
A medical imager, primarily for use in oral and dental applications. The imager has a source for providing a plurality of collimated beams of non-ionising radiation, in particular near-infrared light, and a plurality of correlated detectors. Each detector is arranged to receive unscattered light from one or part of one of said collimated beams and scattered light from one or more other beams. The imager further comprises means for using both the unscattered and scattered light to form an image.
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) for inspecting the surface of an object S moving in the direction of travel (23) relative to the apparatus comprises a modular sensing head assembly (11) including a plurality of sensing head modules (12, 13), each of which includes a number of sensing stations (16 - 21). Each sensing station includes a light source (77, 81, 84) for generating a line of light extending across substantially the width of the surface of the object and a plurality of optical detector means for detecting light scattered from the line of light by the surface of the object. The optical detectors are positioned and oriented to receive scattered light scattered along paths lying in detection planes which are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the surface of the object. Signal processing electronics are provided to convert the light received by the detectors into analog signals which are multiplexed, converted to digital signals, filtered and then compared to preselected thresholds to determine the existence of any defects in the surface.
Abstract:
An apparatus images a surface. An imager stage (20) linearly translates the surface in a first direction. A light path has a first end defining an input aperture (48) perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the surface, and a second end defining an output aperture (52). A plurality of radiation beams (62) linearly scan and interact in time-multiplexed alternating turns with the surface below the input aperture to produce a time-multiplexed light signal that is collected by the input aperture and transmitted by the light path to the output aperture. A photodetector (98) arrangement detects the light signal at the output aperture. A processor processes the detected time-multiplexed light.