Hand-held inspection tool and method

A hand-held inspection tool, the tool comprising:

• a tool body,
• a sensing head connected to the tool body, the sensing head comprising:
• (a) a video camera disposed in the sensing head, the video camera recording detected video images;
• (b) a video camera lens fitted on the video camera and disposed on a face of the sensing head;
• (c) a spectral band pass video camera filter matrix comprising at least two video camera filters, the video camera filter matrix being configured so that each of the at least two video camera filters can selectively be positioned to cover the video camera lens, each of the video camera filters being structured to allow only a selected wave band of light to pass through the video camera filter to the video camera lens;
• (d) at least one excitation light disposed on the face of the sensing head, and
• (e) at least two light filters, at least one of the at least two light filters covering the at least one light, each of the at least two light filters being structured to induce target contamination to emit fluorescence corresponding with the wave band of light that passes through the video camera filter selectively positioned over the video camera lens;
• a video processor receiving and transmitting the video images from the video camera;
• a visual display receiving and displaying the images from the video processor;
• and,
• a hand grip for supporting the tool body and the sensing head;
• wherein an operator moves the inspection tool via the hand grip to the target contamination and directs the at least one light so that the fluorescence emitted by the target contamination is recorded by the video camera and shown on the visual display.

A method of conducting an inspection comprising the steps of:

• providing a hand-held inspection tool body;
• attaching a sensing head to the tool body;
• installing a video camera into the sensing head so that the lens of the video camera is exposed on a face of the sensing head;
• covering the lens of the video camera with a spectral band-pass video camera filter so that only a selected wave band of light passes through the video camera filter to the video camera lens;
• positioning at least one excitation light on the face of the sensing head so that the at least one light induces target contamination to emit fluorescence corresponding with the selected wave band of light that passes through the video camera filter to the video camera lens;
• providing a processor in the tool to receive and transmit video images from the video camera;
• attaching a display to the tool to view the video images transmitted from the processor;
• supporting the tool body and sensing head with a hand grip attached to the tool body;
• activating the at least one light and directing the sensing head toward an area of interest so that any of the target contamination in the area of interest emits fluorescence, the fluorescence being detected by the video camera and being displayed on the display to alert a tool operator to a presence of the target contamination.