US 11,940,420 B2
Acoustic signal material identification with nanotube couplant
Lazar Bivolarsky, Cupertino, CA (US); Joel D. Burcham, Huntsville, AL (US); William Coleman, Tucson, AZ (US); and James M. Heim, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to PERCEPTIVE SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Tucson, AZ (US)
Filed by PERCEPTIVE SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Tucson, AZ (US)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/223,987.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/368,856, filed on Jul. 19, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0027405 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 29/28 (2006.01); G01N 29/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/28 (2013.01) [G01N 29/02 (2013.01); G01N 2291/022 (2013.01); G01N 2291/106 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for improved, non-intrusive material identification, the system comprising:
a vessel holding or transporting at least one quantity of a fluid;
at least one acoustic transducer positioned on an exterior surface of a sidewall of the vessel;
at least one coupling layer positioned between the at least one acoustic transducer and the exterior surface of the sidewall of the vessel, wherein the at least one coupling layer is formed, at least in part, from nanotubes, wherein the nanotubes improve a reflection of an acoustic signal emitted from the at least one acoustic transducer; and
a computerized device in communication with the at least one acoustic signal, the computerized device having a processor and a memory, wherein the computerized device determines a material identification of the quantity of fluid based on, at least in part, the reflection of the ultrasonic signal.