Linear-scan ultrasonic inspection apparatus and linear-scan ultrasonic inspection method

A linear-scan ultrasonic inspection apparatus comprising:

• an ultrasonic array probe having a plurality of ultrasonic elements aligned in a first direction, each of the ultrasonic elements being configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic wave in a test object;
• an input to receive both of locating-position information data and shape information data from outside, and to receive data including physical property data and acoustic characteristic data for calculation from outside;
• a surface-shape calculator, implemented by circuitry, configured to receive the locating-position information data and the shape information data received by the input, and to calculate an acquired shape as a shape of a surface of the test object;
• a delay-time calculator, implemented by the circuitry, configured to receive the shape information data of the test object, the physical property data, the acoustic characteristic data received by the input, and the acquired shape calculated by the surface-shape calculator, to calculate a value of delay time for transmitting to a focus point and receiving the ultrasonic wave, and to output the delay time;
• a synthesizing-calculator, implemented by the circuitry, configured to receive the delay time from the delay-time calculator and digital ultrasonic waveform data, and to generate a synthesized signal using the delay time;
• an overlapping-region adjustor, implemented by the circuitry, configured to receive a first acquired shape at a first-probe locating position and a second acquired shape at a second-probe locating position calculated by the surface-shape calculator, to set a surface shape of an overlapping region of a first-probe locating position and a second-probe locating position for the synthesizing-calculator, and to output the surface shape as an adjusted shape to the synthesizing-calculator;
• and
• an integrated-image generator, implemented by the circuitry, configured to receive the synthesized signal generated by the synthesizing-calculator, the adjusted shape output by the overlapping-region adjustor, the locating-position information data and the shape information data of the test object, to decide an ultrasonic-beam path along the first direction based on the locating-position information data and the shape information data, to generate and output a first image data of a region including the overlapping region, the first image data expanding in the first direction and the depth direction of the test object,
• wherein the overlapping-region adjustor is configured to set conditions of the surface shape to be referred to the delay-time calculator in calculating the values of the delay time at either the first-probe locating position or the second-probe locating position as both of a first acquired shape obtained at the first-probe locating position and a second acquired shape obtained at the second-probe locating position.