Hierarchical Switching in Ultra-High Density Ultrasound Array

• US 20070167781A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Original Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Inventors: Vortman, Kobi, Medan, Yoav, Ezion, Avner
• Granted Patent: US 8,608,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• 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 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52019 Details of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A focused ultrasound system comprises a transducer having a multiplicity of transducer elements, drive circuitry that generates and outputs a plurality of drive signals, each offset by a respective phase difference, and a controller for selectively coupling the drive signals to respective transducer elements, the controller including a plurality of first tier switching modules and second tier switching modules. Each first tier module receives as an input the plurality of drive signals and outputs one of the drive signals in response to a drive signal selection signal. Each second tier module is coupled to a respective grouping of transducer elements and selectively couples a respective selected drive signal output from a first tier switching module to one or more of the transducer elements in response to a transducer element selection signal.

Claims

1. A focused ultrasound system, comprising:

a transducer having a multiplicity of transducer elements;

a drive signal generator that generates and outputs a plurality of drive signals offset in phase relative to one another;

a controller;

a plurality of first tier switching modules, each first tier module receiving as inputs the plurality drive signals, and configured to selectively output one of the drive signals based on a respective drive signal selection signal received from the controller, and

a plurality of second tier switching modules, each second tier module receiving as an input a selected drive signal output from a respective first tier module, and configured to selectively couple the drive signal to one or more transducer elements of a respective grouping of transducer elements based on a respective transducer element selection signal received from the controller.

2. The focused ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the respective grouping of transducer elements are fixedly connected to the respective second tier switching module.

3. The focused ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein each of the multiplicity of transducer elements is part of a respective one of a plurality of groupings of transducer element, and wherein the transducer elements of each grouping are fixedly connected to a respective one of the second tier switching modules.

4. The focused ultrasound system of claim 3, wherein the multiplicity of transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate.

5. The focused ultrasound system of claim 4, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on a single one of the arrays.

6. The focused ultrasound system of claim 4, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on different arrays.

7. The focused ultrasound system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of switching elements, each switching element comprising a respective first tier module and a respective second tier module, wherein the second tier module receives as an input the selected drive signal output from the first tier module of the same switching element.

8. The focused ultrasound system of claim 1, further comprising a first tier switching fabric and a second tier switching fabric, the first tier fabric comprising the plurality of first tier modules and the second tier fabric comprising the plurality of second tier modules.

9. The focused ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to supply the respective drive signal and transducer element selection signals to the first and second tier switching modules in order to activate a selected subset of the transducer elements to thereby transmit a targeted acoustic energy burst.

10. The focused ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein each of the multiplicity of transducer elements is part of a respective one of a plurality of groupings of transducer element, the transducer elements of each grouping being fixedly connected to a respective one of the second tier switching modules, and wherein the subset of transducer elements comprises less than all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping.

11. The focused ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the multiplicity of transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate, and wherein the subset of transducer elements comprises less than all of the transducer elements of at least one array.

12. A method of delivering target acoustic energy to body tissue using a transducer having a multiplicity of transducer elements, the method comprising:

identifying one or more of the transducer elements to be activated in order to transmit a targeted acoustic energy burst from the transducer;

providing as inputs to each of a plurality of first tier switching modules a plurality of drive signals having phase differences;

selectively outputting a respective one of the drive signals from each of the plurality of first tier switching modules,

providing as inputs to each of a plurality of second tier switching modules a respective one of the drive signals output from the first tier modules;

for each of the plurality of second tier switching modules, selectively coupling the respective input drive signal to one or more transducer elements of a respective grouping of transducer elements connected to the respective second tier switching module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on a single one of the arrays.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on different arrays.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a drive signal selection signal to each of the first tier modules, and wherein the respective drive signals are selectively output from the first tier modules based the received drive signal selection signal.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the multiplicity of transducer elements is part of a respective one of a plurality of groupings of transducer element, the transducer elements of each grouping being fixedly connected to a respective one of the second tier switching modules, and wherein the subset of transducer elements comprises less than all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein at least some of the drive signals are supplied to first tier switching modules using respective summing networks.

19. A system for delivery targeted acoustic energy to tissue, comprising:

a transducer having a multiplicity of transducer elements;

a controller;

a plurality of first tier switching modules, each first tier module receiving as inputs a plurality drive signals having respective phase differences; and

configured to selectively output one of the drive signals based on a respective drive signal selection signal received from the controller, and

a plurality of second tier switching modules, each second tier module receiving as an input a selected drive signal output from a respective first tier module, and configured to selectively couple the drive signal to one or more transducer elements of a respective grouping of transducer elements connected to the respective second tier switching module based on a respective transducer element selection signal received form the controller.

wherein the controller is configured to supply the respective drive signal and transducer element selection signals to the first and second tier switching modules in order to activate a selected subset of the transducer elements to thereby transmit a targeted acoustic energy burst.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the multiplicity of transducer elements is part of a respective one of a plurality of groupings of transducer element, and wherein the transducer elements of each grouping are fixedly connected to a respective one of the second tier switching modules.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the multiplicity of transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on a single one of the arrays.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping are located on different arrays.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of switching elements, each switching element comprising a respective first tier module and a respective second tier module, wherein the second tier module receives as an input the selected drive signal output from the first tier module of the same switching element.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising a first tier switching fabric and a second tier switching fabric, the first tier fabric comprising the plurality of first tier modules and the second tier fabric comprising the plurality of second tier modules.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the multiplicity of transducer elements is part of a respective one of a plurality of groupings of transducer element, the transducer elements of each grouping being fixedly connected to a respective one of the second tier switching modules, and wherein the subset of transducer elements comprises less than all of the transducer elements of at least one grouping.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein at least some of the drive signals are supplied to first tier switching modules using respective summing networks.