Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system with thin cable ultrasonic probes
First Claim
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1. A thin cable ultrasonic probe which acquires ultrasonic image information for display, on an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, said probe comprising:
- a multielement transducer array;
a receive beamformer, coupled to said transducer array, which selectively combines digital echo signals derived from signals received by elements of said transducer array to form digital coherent echo signals; and
a cable, connecting said probe to said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, which transmits digital coherent echo signals from said probe to said system.
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Abstract
An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided with scanheads having a reduced size cable by virtue of the performance of at least some of the beamforming in the scanhead. The need to individually couple signals from all of the elements of the transducer array of the scanhead is eliminated, and the size of the scanhead cable correspondingly reduced, by the coupling of combined, beamformed signals through the cable to an ultrasound system.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A thin cable ultrasonic probe which acquires ultrasonic image information for display, on an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, said probe comprising:
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a multielement transducer array; a receive beamformer, coupled to said transducer array, which selectively combines digital echo signals derived from signals received by elements of said transducer array to form digital coherent echo signals; and a cable, connecting said probe to said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, which transmits digital coherent echo signals from said probe to said system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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6. A thin cable ultrasonic probe which acquires ultrasonic image information for display on an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, said probe comprising:
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a multielement transducer array; transmit circuitry coupled to said array; a receive beamformer, coupled to said transducer array, which selectively combines echo signals derived from signals received by elements of said transducer array to form coherent analog echo signals, wherein said receive beamformer comprises a CCD beamformer; and a cable which connects said probe to said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, wherein said cable includes a conductor which couples beamformed echo signals from said probe to said system, a data line which couples control data from the ultrasound system to the transmit circuitry, a DC supply voltage conductor coupled to said receive beamformer, a reference potential conductor coupled to said receive beamformer, and a drive voltage conductor, said drive voltage being applied to piezoelectric material of the transducer array under control of said transmit circuitry.
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13. A thin cable ultrasonic probe which acquires ultrasonic image information for display on an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, said probe comprising:
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a multielement transducer array; an integrated circuit including transmit control circuitry coupled to said transducer array which acts to control the transmission of electronically steered and/or focused ultrasound beams by said transducer array, and a receive beamformer, coupled to said transducer array, which acts to selectively combine echo signals received by elements of said transducer array to form at least partially beamformed echo signals; and a cable which connects said probe to said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, including at least one conductor which couples an energizing potential from said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system to components of said probe, and at least one conductor which couples said at least partially beamformed echo signals to said ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, wherein the number of said at least partially beamformed echo signal conductors is less than the number of said elements of said multielement transducer array. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification