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US 10,871,405 B2Granted
Indicator device and method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorPaul G. Vahey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicator device including a protective layer, an optically reflective layer, a polymeric material layer disposed between and coupling the protective layer to the optically reflective layer, and a dye disposed within the polymeric material layer, the dye being sensitive to external stimuli.
Claims20
An indicator device for non-destructive evaluation of external stimuli on a part, the indicator device comprising:
- a protective layer;
- an optically reflective layer;
- a polymeric material layer disposed between and coupling the protective layer to the optically reflective layer;
- and
- a dye disposed within the polymeric material layer, the dye being sensitive to external stimuli;
- wherein the optically reflective layer is configured to optically isolate the dye and remove background noise generated by the part so as to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of the indicator device.
3 more elements
An indicator device comprising:
- an optically reflective layer;
- and
- a plurality of sensor elements disposed on the optically reflective layer, at least one of the plurality of sensor elements including
- a protective layer;
- a polymeric material layer disposed between and coupling the protective layer to the optically reflective layer;
- and
- a dye disposed within the polymeric material layer, the dye being sensitive to external stimuli;
- wherein the plurality of sensor elements are arranged on the optically reflective layer in a repeating pattern of sensor elements.
5 more elements
A method for measuring a determinable quantity, the method comprising:
- coupling an indicator device to a surface of a part, where the indicator device includes at least one sensor element having
- a protective layer,
- an optically reflective layer that removes background noise generated by the part,
- a polymeric material layer disposed between and coupling the protective layer to the optically reflective layer, and
- a dye disposed within the polymeric material layer, the dye being sensitive to external stimuli;
- and
- interrogating the indicator device in a visible spectrum with one or more of absorbance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy, transmission spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy to determine a value of the determinable quantity affecting the part.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.