Process and apparatus for monitoring surface laser cleaning
AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorJagjit Sidhu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and apparatus for monitoring the cleaning of a surface (1) by laser irradiation includes illuminating the surface (1) to be cleaned, being cleaned or having been cleaned by ultra-violet irradiation provided either by the cleaning laser or by a further source (5) sufficient to excite into fluorescence contaminants (10, 11) on the surface (1) which fluoresce under ultra-violet irradiation.
Claims24
A method of monitoring the cleaning of contaminats that fluoresce from a surface of a man made component by irradiation from a cleaning laser, said method comprising the steps of:
- illuminating said surface with radiation causing said contamination to fluoresce;
- measuring a characteristic of said fluorescence;
- and
- adjusting said cleaning laser, responsive to said measuring step, to remove said contamination.
An apparatus for monitoring the cleaning of contamination that fluoresces from a surface of a man made component by irradiation from a cleaning laser, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of radiation for illuminating said surface and causing said contamination to fluoresce;
- a sensor for measuring a characteristic of said fluorescence;
- and
- means for adjusting said cleaning laser, responsive to said sensor, to remove said contamination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.