Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus

• US 20070266791A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/627
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52025 for pulse systems G01S7/52034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52077 with means for elimination of unwanted signals, e.g. noise or interference

Abstract

A technology for providing a small and inexpensive ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which does not need a high resolution A/D converter, and has high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range is disclosed. According to the technology, an ultrasonic transducer unit 1 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave is driven by a drive circuit 2 for generating a pulse signal. An echo signal received by the ultrasonic transducer unit is inputted to an analog low frequency band attenuator 3 which attenuates a low frequency band component. An output signal of the analog low frequency band attenuator is inputted to an A/D converter 4 which converts the signal to a digital signal. The converted and outputted digital signal is inputted to a digital correction filter 5 which intensifies the low frequency band component attenuated by the analog low frequency band attenuator and outputs a digital signal having a frequency distribution almost equal to that of the echo signal received by the ultrasonic transducer unit.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer unit for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave;

a drive circuit for generating a pulse signal to drive the ultrasonic transducer unit;

an analog low frequency band attenuator for attenuating a low frequency band component of an echo signal received by the ultrasonic transducer unit, and outputting a resultant signal;

an A/D converter for A/D converting the output signal of the analog low frequency band attenuator, and outputting a resultant signal; and

a digital correction filter for intensifying the low frequency band component attenuated by the analog low frequency band attenuator of the digital signal which is converted by the A/D converter and outputted therefrom, and outputting a digital signal having a frequency distribution almost equal to that of the echo signal.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analog low frequency band attenuator comprises:

a preamplifier for amplifying the echo signal received by the ultrasonic transducer unit;

a low frequency band attenuating filter for inputting the echo signal amplified by the preamplifier, attenuating the low frequency band component, and outputting a resultant signal; and

a variable gain amplifier for inputting the echo signal outputted from the low frequency band attenuating filter, correcting an attenuated portion of the echo signal according to transmission time, and outputting a resultant signal.