Hierarchical switching in ultra-high density ultrasound array

• US 8,608,672 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Original Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Inventors: Vortman, Kobi, Medan, Yoav, Ezion, Avner
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/562,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• 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 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52019 Details of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A focused ultrasound system comprises a transducer having a multiplicity of transducer elements, drive circuitry that generates and outputs a plurality of drive signals, each offset by a respective phase difference, and a controller for selectively coupling the drive signals to respective transducer elements, the controller including a plurality of first tier switching modules and second tier switching modules. Each first tier module receives as an input the plurality of drive signals and outputs one of the drive signals in response to a drive signal selection signal. Each second tier module is coupled to a respective grouping of transducer elements and selectively couples a respective selected drive signal output from a first tier switching module to one or more of the transducer elements in response to a transducer element selection signal.

Claims

1. A method of delivering target acoustic energy to body tissue using a transducer having a plurality of transducer elements, the method comprising:

identifying a subset of transducer elements to be activated in order to transmit a targeted acoustic energy burst from the transducer;

simultaneously providing as inputs to each of a plurality of first tier switching modules a plurality of drive signals having different phases;

selectively outputting a respective one of the drive signals from each of the plurality of first tier switching modules based on a respective drive-signal selection signal received from a controller;

providing as inputs to each of a plurality of second tier switching modules a respective one of the drive signals output from the first tier modules, each second tier module being fixedly connected to one of a plurality of groupings of transducer elements, and each of the plurality of transducer elements being part of one of the groupings; and

for each of the plurality of second tier switching modules, selectively and simultaneously coupling the respective input drive signal, based on a respective transducer element selection signal received from the controller, to the identified transducer elements of the respective grouping, thereby activating the subset of transducer elements,

wherein the subset of activated transducer elements consists of fewer than all of the transducer elements of at least one of the groupings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one of the plurality of groupings are located on a single one of the arrays.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one of the plurality of groupings are located on different arrays.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the drive signals are supplied to first tier switching modules using respective summing networks.

6. A system for delivery of targeted acoustic energy to tissue, comprising:

a transducer having a plurality of transducer elements;

a controller;

a plurality of first tier switching modules, the first tier modules simultaneously each receiving as inputs a plurality of drive signals having different respective phases, and configured to selectively output one of the drive signals based on a respective drive signal selection signal received from the controller; and

a plurality of second tier switching modules fixedly connected to respective groupings of transducer elements, each of the plurality of transducer elements being part of one of the groupings, each second tier module receiving as an input a selected drive signal output from a respective first tier module, and being configured to selectively and simultaneously couple the drive signal, based on a respective transducer element selection signal received from the controller, to a plurality of transducer elements of the respective grouping of transducer elements,

wherein the controller is configured to supply the respective drive signal selection signal and transducer element selection signals to the first and second tier switching modules in order to activate a selected subset of the transducer elements to thereby transmit a targeted acoustic energy burst, wherein the subset of activated transducer elements consists of fewer than all of the transducer elements of at least one of the groupings.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of transducer elements are implemented as a plurality of transducer element arrays, each array being formed on a separate substrate.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one of the groupings are located on a single one of the arrays.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein substantially all of the transducer elements of at least one of the groupings are located on different arrays.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of switching elements, each switching element comprising a respective first tier module and a respective second tier module, wherein the second tier module receives as an input the selected drive signal output from the first tier module of the same switching element.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first tier switching fabric and a second tier switching fabric, the first tier fabric comprising the plurality of first tier modules and the second tier fabric comprising the plurality of second tier modules.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein at least some of the drive signals are supplied to first tier switching modules using respective summing networks.