SILVER SPRING, MD-Imperium Inc., maker of the portable ultrasound imaging camera the Acoustocam, has announced a partnership with Boeing for remote wireless inspection capabilities. Boeing engineers will use Imperium’s Acoustocam to survey damage without having to use conventional ultrasound equipment-all from remote locations.

The Acoustocam is a handheld device that may be used as part of quick survey of suspected damage areas. The device shows subsurface defects that cannot be seen visually. The operator places a probe against the aircraft structure and with correct equipment setup, subsurface defects appear on a handheld monitor in real time. The advantage of the remote operator interface is that the operator may be remotely situated

“We believe remote expert monitoring can benefit the inspection process in countless ways for manufacturers of composite structures,” says Bob Lasser, president of Imperium. "We plan to roll out the program nationwide in 2009.”

Customers can purchase a satellite package to use the Acoustocam monitoring technology, if wireless capability is not available in their geographic location.