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Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving apparatus and ultrasonic transmitting and receiving method

  • US 7,090,642 B2
  • Filed: 09/26/2003
  • Issued: 08/15/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An ultrasonic transmitting and receiving apparatus comprising:

  • an ultrasonic probe including plural ultrasonic transducers arranged in a two-dimensional array;

    plural transmitting circuits for respectively generating plural drive signals to be supplied to said ultrasonic probe so as to transmit an ultrasonic beam;

    plural receiving circuits for respectively processing plural detection signals output from said ultrasonic probe which has received an ultrasonic echo;

    switching means for changing electrical connection between (i) a predetermined number of ultrasonic transducers included in said plural ultrasonic transducers and (ii) a predetermined number of transmitting circuits included in said plural transmitting circuits and/or a predetermined number of receiving circuits included in said plural receiving circuits; and

    control means for controlling said switching means to partially change a sparse pattern of the ultrasonic transducers, which transmit and/or receive ultrasonic waves, in accordance with a steering direction of the ultrasonic beam to be transmitted.

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