Method and apparatus for rapid tomographic measurements of the electrical conductivity distribution of a sample
AssigneeForschungszentrum Julich GmbH
InventorsEgon Zimmermann, Walter Glaas, Arre Verweerd, Axel Tillmann, Andreas Kemna
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the rapid tomographic measurement of conductivity distribution in a sample in which current excitations or voltage excitation is applied to the sample via electrodes or the like and potential differences or magnetic field strengths association with those excitation fields are measured and analyzed, e.g. by a Fourier analysis.
Claims32
A method for rapid tomographic measurement of conductivity distribution in a sample, comprising the steps of:
- (a) launching electrical excitation signals simultaneously into a sample from a multiplicity of locations distributed in said sample;
- (b) measuring at a multiplicity of locations in said sample at least one parameter selected from the group which consists of potential difference and magnetic field strength resulting from said electrical excitation signals;
- and
- (c) correlating the measured potential differences or magnetic field strengths with the launched excitation signals to provide conductivity distribution cross section in said sample;
- wherein the electrical excitation signals are launched as orthogonal signals into said sample;
- and
- (d) wherein the electrical excitation signals are launched as orthogonal signals into said sample.
An apparatus for the rapid tomographic measurement of a conductivity distribution in a sample, comprising:
- an electrical excitation source coupled with said sample for applying electrical excitation signals thereto;
- at least one device coupled with said sample for measuring a potential difference or magnetic field strength therein in proportion to the electrical excitation signals supplied thereto;
- and
- circuitry for correlating a measured potential difference or magnetic field strength proportionally with the supplied electrical excitation signals;
- and
- wherein said circuitry includes a control and computing unit which produces electrical orthogonal excitation signals and enabled a correlation of measured potential differences or magnetic field strengths porportionally with the electrical orthogonal excitation signals.
An apparatus for the rapid tomographic measurement of a conductivity distribution in a sample, comprising:
- an electrical excitation source coupled with said sample for applying electrical excitation signals thereto;
- at least one device coupled with said sample for measuring a potential difference or magnetic field strength therein in proportion to the electrical excitation signals supplied thereto;
- and
- circuitry for correlating a measured potential difference or magnetic field strength proportionally with the supplied electrical excitation signals, said electrodes being in the form of spikes having excitation electrode surfaces electrically decoupled from potential measuring surfaces respectively along jackets and tips of the respective electrodes, said electrodes being in the form of spikes having excitation electrode surfaces electrically decoupled from potential measuring surfaces respectively along jackets and tips of the respective electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.