Claims
- 1. A transducer cell array for use in materials testing, comprising:a capillary array having a number of capillary elements open at each end, such that each capillary element has an open top end and an open bottom end; an electrically conductive reference electrode layer at the upper surface of said capillary array, said reference electrode layer extending down into a least a portion of each said capillary element thereby forming a reference electrode for each capillary element; a contact point array above the reference electrode layer, having a number of electrically conductive contact points, each of said contact points forming a counter electrode for a corresponding capillary element; and a contact grid having a number of electrical leads, one lead corresponding to each counter electrode such that each counter electrode is individually addressable.
- 2. The array of claim 1, wherein said contact point array has an insulating layer separating each said contact point from its corresponding reference electrode.
- 3. The array of claim 1, wherein said capillary array is made from a flexible material.
- 4. The array of claim 1, wherein said reference layer forms a ring at the upper portion of said top open end of each said capillary element.
- 5. The array of claim 1, further comprising means for connecting said reference layer to a common electrical potential.
- 6. The array of claim 1, wherein the capillary elements are made from a non-conductive material such that each reference electrode is electrically isolated from the surface of the material.
- 7. The array of claim 1, wherein the capillary elements are at least partially spaced from each other and wherein the reference electrode layer covers the spaces between the capillary elements and has a number of apertures, each of the apertures corresponding to a top open end of each capillary element.
- 8. The array of claim 1, wherein each capillary element is round.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/115,114, filed Jul. 14, 1998, by Michael A. Miller and Stephan J. Hudak, and entitled ELECTROMECHANICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY FOR MEASURING AND IMAGING FATIGUE DAMAGE.
GOVERNMENTAL RIGHTS
The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of U.S. Government Contract No. F41608-96-D-0108-010 awarded by the United States Air Force.
US Referenced Citations (9)