ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER DRIVING CIRCUIT AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

• US 20080071171A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amemiya, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8909 using a static transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/04206 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6874 in a symmetrical configuration

Abstract

With the aim of quickly returning the voltage of an output line to an ultrasonic transducer from a positive voltage or a negative voltage to the ground voltage and reducing the circuit size, immediately after turning on and turning off of a positive FET in accordance with a positive pulse signal, a negative FET goes on for only a pull-back period allowing for the output line to return to the ground voltage. Also, immediately after turning on and turning off of the negative FET in accordance with a negative pulse signal, the positive FET goes on for only a pull-back period allowing for the output line to return to the ground voltage.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer driving circuit comprising:

a positive field effect transistor which outputs a positive voltage onto an output line to an ultrasonic transducer at on state;

a negative field effect transistor which outputs a negative voltage onto the output line to the ultrasonic transducer at on state; and

a driver circuit which carries out at least one of turning on of said negative field effect transistor for only a pull-back period allowing for said output line to return to the ground voltage immediately after turning on and turning off said positive field effect transistor in accordance with a positive pulse signal supplied, and turning on of said positive field effect transistor for only a pull-back period allowing for said output line to return to the ground voltage immediately after turning on and turning off said negative field effect transistor in accordance with a negative pulse signal supplied.

2. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said driver circuit drives said positive field effect transistor and said negative field effect transistor based on said positive pulse signal, said negative pulse signal, and a return voltage returned from said output line.

3. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 2, wherein said driver circuit comprises a positive drive circuit which drives said positive field effect transistor and a negative drive circuit which drives said negative field effect transistor.

4. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein said positive drive circuit includes:

a positive comparator which compares a positive threshold and said return voltage; and

a positive logic circuit which outputs a drive signal based on said positive pulse signal, said negative pulse signal, and an output voltage of said positive comparator.

5. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 4, wherein said positive threshold is a voltage depending on a negative transmit voltage.

6. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein said negative drive circuit includes:

a negative comparator which compares a negative threshold with said return voltage; and

a negative logic circuit which outputs a drive signal based on said positive pulse signal, said negative pulse signal, and an output voltage of said negative comparator.

7. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 4, wherein said negative drive circuit includes:

a negative comparator which compares a negative threshold with said return voltage; and

a negative logic circuit which outputs a drive signal based on said positive pulse signal, said negative pulse signal, and an output voltage of said negative comparator.

8. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein said negative drive circuit includes:

a negative comparator which compares a negative threshold with said return voltage; and

a negative logic circuit which outputs a drive signal based on said positive pulse signal, said negative pulse signal, and an output voltage of said negative comparator.

9. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 6, wherein said negative threshold is a voltage depending on a positive transmit voltage.

10. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit according to claim 7, wherein said negative threshold is a voltage depending on a positive transmit voltage.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 1;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

12. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 2;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

13. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 3;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

14. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 4;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

15. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 5;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

16. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 6;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

17. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 7;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

18. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 8;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

19. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 9;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.

20. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer driving circuit as recited in claim 10;

a receiver circuit which receives echo signals acquired at said ultrasonic probe and outputs an acoustic beam signal;

an image generating device which generates an ultrasonic image based on said acoustic beam signal; and

a display device which displays said ultrasonic image.