SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PHASED ARRAY MATERIAL IMAGING

• US 20180100923A1
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Published: 04/12/2018
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 plurality of transmitters and receivers wherein at least one of said transmitter is a reference transmitter and all other transmitters are laterally offset from said reference transmitter, and wherein at least one receiver is a reference receiver with all the other receivers being laterally offset from said reference receiver;

a beam former generating control signals for exciting each said transmitter,

a pulser generator generating excitation pulses to said transmitter in response to said control signals, in response said transmitters sending respective probe signals to a target or other object of interest, the excitation pulses to all other transmitters being delayed by a period related to said lateral offset;

a receiving module receiving echo signals from said receivers corresponding to said probe signals, said receiving module delaying echo signals from said all other receivers by delays related to said lateral offset; and

an analyzer analyzing said echo signals.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein said transmitters are one of piezoelectric, capacitive, magnetostrictive, acoustic, electromagnetic and any other transducer elements converting electrical voltage pulses into acoustic, ultrasonic or electromagnetic waves.

3. The probe of claim 1 further comprising low noise amplifiers amplifying signals from said receivers to generate said echo signals.

4. The probe of claim 1 wherein said receiving module includes ADCs converting the echo signals into corresponding digital output signals.

5. The probe of claim 1 wherein said probe and echo signals are delayed by respective amounts with said echo signals from all the receivers occurring simultaneously.

6. The proble of claim 1 wherein said echo signals are added.

7. The probe of claim 1 further comprising a set of multiplexers for multiplexing the control signals.

8. The probe of claim 1 further comprising a set of multiplexers for multiplexing the echo signals.

9. A method of probing a target comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of transmit signals from an array of transmitters disposed in a line, each transmit signal being directed to a target, with at least one said transmitters being a reference transmitter and the beams from the other transmitters reaching the target with a respective delay;

detecting echo signals from the target resulting from said transmit signals with a plurality of receivers;

delaying said echo signals by said respective delays;

converting said echo signals into corresponding digital signals; and

summing said digital signals.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising sending excitation signals to said transmitters by a beam former to cause the generation of said transmit signals, said beam former further initiating the conversion of said echo signals.