Connection arrangement and method of operation of a 2D array for phase aberration correction

• US 5,460,180 A
• Filed: 09/30/1994
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Systems, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Nock, Levin F., Klepper, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US08/316,603
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.08, 128/661.01, 128/662.03, 73/620, 73/625, 73/626
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/20 Application to multi-element transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/40 with testing, calibrating, safety devices, built-in protection, construction details

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging system of the type including a 2D transducer array which has first and second types of transducer elements. Each element of the first type occupies an area of the array which is an integral fraction of the area occupied by each element of the second type. A connection arrangement comprising a plurality of multiplexer/summation circuits is provided for electrically connecting the array elements to the remainder of the ultrasound imaging system. Each multiplexer/summation circuit has a plurality of signal inputs individually connected to a respective plurality of the elements of the first type for selectively combining a given number of the elements of the first type together, the given number being an inverse of the integral fraction. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the 2D array is generally rectangular in shape and has elements arranged into rows along its lateral dimension and columns along its elevational dimension, with a first lateral portion of the array including at least one column of elements of the first type and a second lateral portion of the array including columns of elements of the second type. The multiplexer/summation circuit has signal inputs connected individually to each of the elements of a column of the elements of the first type, for selecting the given number of elements to be combined.

Claims

1. A vibratory energy imaging system, comprising:

a 2D transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements for generating pulses of vibratory energy which are directed towards reflectors and which receive reflections of said vibratory energy and develop echo signals in response thereto, said transducer array having first and second types of transducer elements, the first type occupying an area of the array which is an integral fraction of the area occupied by each element of the second type;

signal processing apparatus for processing said echo signals so as to produce an image signal representative of a shape of said reflectors;

and

a connection arrangement for connecting said elements to said signal processing apparatus, comprising at least one multiplexer/summation circuit having a plurality of signal inputs individually connected to a respective plurality of the elements of the first type for selectively combining a given number of the elements of the first type together, the given number being an inverse of the integral fraction.

2. The vibratory energy imaging system of claim 1, wherein:

the 2D array is generally rectangular in shape and has elements arranged into rows along its lateral dimension and into columns along its elevational dimension, with a first lateral portion of the array including at least two columns of a plurality of elements of the first type and a second lateral portion of the array including columns of a plurality of elements of the second type, with the second lateral portions being positioned adjacent the first lateral portions; and

the connection arrangement including a plurality of multiplexer/summation circuits corresponding in number to the plurality of columns having elements of the first type, each multiplexer/summation circuit having signal inputs connected individually to each of the elements of the first type of a corresponding column and selecting the given number of elements to be combined.

3. The vibratory energy imaging system of claim 2, wherein:

the signal processing apparatus has a given input impedance; and

the multiplexer/summation circuit has an output impedance which matches the given input impedance.

4. A method of operating a vibratory energy imaging system, comprising the steps of:

energizing a 2D transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements of first and second types of transducer elements, the first type occupying an area of the array which is an integral fraction of the area occupied by each element of the second type, and generating pulses of vibratory energy which are directed towards reflectors in response thereto;

receiving reflections of said vibratory energy at said 2D transducer array, with said elements developing electrical echo signals in response thereto; and

connecting the electrical echo signals developed by each of said elements to a signal processing apparatus for developing an image signal representative of a shape of said reflectors, said connecting comprising individually connecting each of said elements of said second type directly to said signal processing apparatus, and connecting each of the elements of said first type to said signal processing apparatus via a multiplexer/summation circuit having a plurality of signal inputs individually connected to a respective plurality of the elements of the first type for selectively combining a given number of the elements of the first type together, the given number being an inverse of the integral fraction.