Methods and systems for non-destructive analysis of objects and production of replica objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818383-B2
Application number	US-201514811114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method including rotating a rotatable surface with an object positioned thereon to a plurality of angular positions. The method also includes capturing, via an x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of the object. The method also includes summing each tomograph of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the object. The method also includes using an additive manufacturing machine to create a three-dimensional replica of the object using the three-dimensional image of the object.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
rotating a rotatable surface with an object positioned thereon to a plurality of angular positions;
capturing, via an x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of a first portion of the object;
summing each tomograph of the first portion of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object;
rotating the rotatable surface with the object positioned thereon to the plurality of angular positions;
capturing, via the x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of a second portion of the object;
summing each tomograph of the second portion of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object, wherein there is about 10% to about 20% of overlap between the three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object and the three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object; and
aligning the three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object and the three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object, using the overlap, to create a final three-dimensional image of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of angular positions comprise a range between about 250 angular positions and about 1,000 angular positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the final three-dimensional image of the object, one or more imperfections in the object; and
removing the one or more imperfections from the final three-dimensional image of the object prior to creating a three-dimensional replica, such that the three-dimensional replica of the object does not include the one or more imperfections.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more imperfections comprise at least one of a dent, a scratch, or a crack in the object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each tomograph of the object is captured via the x-ray microtomography device at a voltage in the range of about 55 kV to about 75 kV and a power in the range of about 5 Watts to about 6 Watts.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each tomograph of the object is captured via the x-ray microtomography device at an x-ray transmission value in the range of about 40% to about 85%.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is reversibly attached to a non-metallic material, wherein the non-metallic material is fixed to the rotatable surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing an additive manufacturing machine to create a three-dimensional replica of the object using the final three-dimensional image of the object wherein the object comprises a period musical instrument.

9. A method comprising:
rotating a rotatable surface with an object positioned thereon to a plurality of angular positions;
capturing, via an x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of the object using a first voltage and a first power;
summing each tomograph of the object from the first voltage and the first power to create a first three-dimensional image of the object;
capturing, via the x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of the object using a second voltage and a second power;
summing each tomograph of the object from the second voltage and the second power to create a second three-dimensional image of the object, wherein there is about 10% to about 20% of overlap between the first three-dimensional image of the object and the second three-dimensional image of the object; and
aligning the first three-dimensional image of the object and the second three-dimensional image of the object, using the overlap between the images, to create a final three-dimensional image of the object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first voltage is different than the second voltage, and wherein the first power is different than the second power.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first voltage is in the range of about 55 kV to about 75 kV and the first power is in the range of about 5 Watts to about 6 Watts, and wherein the second voltage is in the range of about 90 to about 140 kV and the second power is in the range of about 7 Watts to about 10 Watts.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, based on the final three-dimensional image of the object, one or more imperfections in the object; and
removing the one or more imperfections from the final three-dimensional image of the object prior to creating a three-dimensional replica, such that the three-dimensional replica of the object does not include the one or more imperfections.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of angular positions comprise a range between about 250 angular positions and about 1,000 angular positions.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
causing an additive manufacturing machine to create a three-dimensional replica of the object using the final three-dimensional image of the object.

15. A system comprising:
an x-ray microtomography device;
a rotatable surface positioned adjacent to the x-ray microtomography device;
at least one processor; and
data storage including program instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
rotate the rotatable surface to a plurality of angular positions;
capture, via the x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of a first portion of an object;
sum each tomograph of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object;
rotate the rotatable surface with the object positioned thereon to the plurality of angular positions;
capture, via the x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of a second portion of the object;
sum each tomograph of the second portion of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object, wherein there is about 10% to about 20% of overlap between the three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object and the three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object; and
align the three-dimensional image of the first portion of the object and the three-dimensional image of the second portion of the object, using the overlap, to create a final three-dimensional image of the object.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
capture the tomograph of the object at an x-ray transmission value in the range of about 40% to about 85%.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
rotate the rotatable surface to between about 250 angular positions and about 1,000 angular positions.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
determine, based on the final three-dimensional image of the object, one or more imperfections in the object; and
remove the one or more imperfections from the final three-dimensional image of the object prior to creating a three-dimensional replica of the object, such that the three-dimensional replica of the object does not include the one or more imperfections.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an additive manufacturing machine, wherein the pr

Assignees

• Univ Of Connecticut Through Its Center For Science & Technology Commercialization
• Univ Connecticut

Inventors

• Shahbazmohamadi Sina
• Howe Robert S
• Bass Richard

Classifications

• G10D9/08

  Material for manufacturing wind musical instruments; Treatment of the material · CPC title

• G06T2210/41

  Medical · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G06T17/00 Primary

  Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics · CPC title

• G06T2219/2021

  Shape modification · CPC title