Ultrasound probe transceiver circuitry

• US 20050113698A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kristoffersen, Kjell, Linnerud, Per Arne, Haugen, Geir Ultveit
• Application Number:
  US10/719,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20050113698A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• 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: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44

Abstract

Transceiver circuitry for ultrasound transducer elements includes a transmit section and a receive section. The transmit section includes a transmit section input, a transmit section output, and receive signal blocking circuitry connected between the transmit section input and the transmit section output. The receive section includes a receive section input, a receive section output, and transmit signal blocking circuitry connected between the receive section input and the receive section output.

Claims

1. Transceiver circuitry for ultrasound transducer elements, the transceiver circuitry comprising:

a transmit section comprising;

a transmit section input;

a transmit section output; and

receive signal blocking circuitry coupled between the transmit section input and the transmit section output; and

a receive section comprising;

a receive section input;

a receive section output and

transmit signal blocking circuitry coupled between the receive section input and the receive section output.

2. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, where the transmit section output is coupled to the receive section input.

3. The transceiver circuit of claim 1, where the transmit section input is coupled to the receive section output.

4. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, where at least one of the transmit and receive signal blocking circuitry comprises clamping diodes.

5. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, where the receive signal blocking circuitry comprises clamping diodes coupled to the transmit section output and back-to-back diodes coupled to the transmit section input.

6. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, further comprising back-to back diodes coupled between multiple transducer elements, said back-to-back diodes forming a short circuit between said multiple transducer elements during transmit.

7. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, further comprising back-to-back diodes coupled between multiple transducer elements, said back-to-back diodes forming an open circuit between said multiple transducer elements during reception.

8. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, where the transmit signal blocking circuitry comprises clamping diodes coupled to the receive section input and clamping diodes coupled to the receive section output.

9. The transceiver circuitry of claim 1, further comprising a voltage step up circuit coupled between the transmit section input and the transmit section output.

10. An ultrasound probe comprising:

a transducer array comprising array transducer elements; and

transceiver circuitry comprising;

a transmit section output coupled through receive signal blocking circuitry to transmit transducer elements comprising a transmit aperture;

a receive section input coupled to a multiplexed transducer element selected from the transmit transducer elements,

wherein the transmit section output drives the multiplexed transducer element during ultrasound beam transmission and where the receive section input receives a reception signal from the multiplexed transducer element during ultrasound beam reception.

11. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the transceiver circuitry further comprises a transmit section input coupled to a receive section output.

12. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the receive signal blocking circuitry comprises low level signal blocking circuitry.

13. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where at least one of the transmit and receive signal blocking circuitry comprises clamping diodes.

14. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, further comprising transmit signal blocking circuitry coupled to the receive section output.

15. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, further comprising back-to-back diodes coupled between multiple transducer elements, said back-to-back diodes forming a short circuit between said multiple transducer elements during transmit.

16. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, further comprising back-to-back diodes coupled between multiple transducer elements, said back-to-back diodes forming an open circuit between said multiple transducer elements during reception.

17. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the transmit aperture comprises a rectangular patch of transmit transducer elements.

18. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the rectangular patch is a 2×

2 patch.

19. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the multiplexed transducer element is included in a triangular receive aperture comprised of selected array transducer elements.

20. The ultrasound probe of claim 10, where the receive aperture comprises a first section of five transducer elements, a second section of four transducer elements, a third section of three transducer elements, a fourth section of two transducer elements, and a fifth section of one transducer element.

21. A method for transmitting and receiving signals through ultrasound transducer elements, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling a transmit pulse through a transmit section input, a transmit section output, and receive signal blocking circuitry coupled between the transmit section input and the transmit section output; and

coupling a receive signal through a receive section input, a receive section output, and transmit signal blocking circuitry coupled between the receive section input and the receive section output.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmit section input is coupled to the receive section output.

23. The method of claim 21, where the transmit section output is coupled to the receive section input.

24. The method of claim 21, where the receive signal blocking circuitry comprises low level signal blocking circuitry.

25. The method of claim 21, where at least one of the transmit and receive signal blocking circuitry comprises a clamping diode and an impedence element.

26. The method of claim 21, where the receive signal blocking circuitry comprises back-to-back diodes coupled to the transmit section output and clamping diodes coupled to the transmit section input.

27. The method of claim 21, where the transmit signal blocking circuitry comprises clamping diodes and a capacitor coupled to the receive section output and back-to-back diodes coupled to the receive section input.