System and method for phased array material imaging

• US 10,641,893 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noble Sensors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Noble Sensors, LLC
• Inventors: Pandey, Gaurav, Weinberg, Martin J., Koplin, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US15/839,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20180100923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 342 90
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0654 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/262 by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays phased arrays per se G10K11/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8913 using separate transducers for transmission and reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5202 for pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A probe is described for analyzing a target using an array of transceivers formed of transmitter/receiver pairs. As opposed to the prior art, the high voltage trigger signals from used to trigger the transmitters are separated from the output signals of the receivers thereby resulting in a simpler and more efficient circuitry. Moreover, the output signals are delayed to compensate for the delays in the echo signals from the target due to the varying distance between the different transceivers and the target. The probe can be used for analyzing pathological organs, as well as many other objects such as gas pipes, airplane wings, etc.

Claims

1. A phased array probe, comprising:

a solid state array including a first transmitter, a second transmitter, a first receiver and a second receiver, each of the first transmitter, second transmitter, first receiver and second receiver being distinct and respectively coupled to distinct signal paths;

first and second amplifiers integrated with the solid state array and respectively coupled to the first and second receivers;

a transmit beam former configured to

generate control signals to respectively excite the first and second transmitters, a control signal associated with the second transmitter being delayed with respect to a control signal associated with the first transmitter, and

generate a trigger signal corresponding to the delay;

a pulser generator configured to generate excitation pulses to the transmitters in response to the control signals thereby causing a probe signal transmitted by the second transmitter to be delayed with respect to a probe signal transmitted by the first transmitter;

a receiving module configured to

receive signals from the first and second amplifiers corresponding to the probe signals, and

delay sampling of the received signal associated with the second receiver based on the trigger signal generated by the transmit beam former; and

an analyzer configured to analyze the received signals.

2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the receiving module includes at least one analog-to-digital converter that converts the received signals into digital output signals.

3. The probe of claim 2, wherein the trigger signal of the transmit beam former is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter to respectively delay sampling of the received signals.

4. The probe of claim 2, further comprising a memory configured to store digital values output by the analog-to-digital converter.

5. The probe of claim 4, wherein the receiving module is configured to perform a summation of the stored digital values.

6. The probe of claim 1, wherein the delayed received signal associated with the second receiver overlaps with the received signal associated with the first receiver.

7. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and the second transmitter are coupled to a high voltage ground.

8. The probe of claim 7, wherein the first receiver and the second receiver are coupled to a low voltage reference.

9. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter includes a transmitter element selected from the group consisting of piezoelectric, capacitive, magnetostrictive, acoustic, and electromagnetic element that converts electrical voltage pulses into acoustic, ultrasonic or electromagnetic waves.

10. The probe of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer that multiplexes a plurality of trigger signals generated by the transmit beam former, and the transmit beam former provides a multiplexed trigger signal to an analog-to-digital converter.

11. The probe of claim 1, wherein the receiving module includes a multiplexor that multiplexes the received signals and provides the multiplexed received signal to an analog-to-digital converter.

12. A method of probing a target with a probe including a solid state array including a first transmitter, a second transmitter, a first receiver and a second receiver, each of the first transmitter, second transmitter, first receiver and second receiver being distinct and respectively coupled to distinct signal paths, the method comprising:

generating, by a transmit beam former, a first transmit signal and a second transmit signal, the first transmit signal being delayed with respect to the second transmit signal, the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal being respectively provided to the first and second transmitters;

detecting a first echo signal with the first receiver and a second echo signal with the second receiver;

amplifying, respectively using first and second low noise amplifiers integrated with the solid state array, the first and second echo signals;

delaying, by a receiving module and based on a trigger signal generated by the transmit beam former, sampling the first amplified echo signal relative to the second amplified echo signal;

converting the first and second echo signals into digital signals based on the sampling; and

summing the digital signals.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending excitation signals to the transmitters by the transmit beam former to cause the generation of the transmit signals.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising multiplexing the first and second amplified echo signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sampling is performed by an analog-to-digital converter, and a trigger signal of the transmit beam former is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter to respectively delay sampling of the received signals.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first transmitter and the second transmitter are coupled to a high voltage ground.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first receiver and the second receiver are coupled to a low voltage reference.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising multiplexing a plurality of trigger signals generated by the transmit beam former, and providing, by the transmit beam former, a multiplexed trigger signal to an analog-to-digital converter.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising multiplexing, by the receiving module, the first and second amplified echo signals providing the multiplexed received signal to an analog-to-digital converter.