High voltage ultrasound transmitter with symmetrical high and low side drivers comprising stacked transistors
First Claim
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1. An ultrasound transmitter, comprising:
- a high side driver and a low side driver, wherein each of the a high side driver and a low side driver comprising an N-type field effect transistor (FET) serially coupled to a P-type FET, where, the N-type FET and P-type FET of each of the high side driver and the low side driver configured to switch current to an output of the driver in response to a driver switching control signal;
buffer drivers comprising inputs and outputs where inputs are coupled to the bias network and outputs are coupled to both the high side and the low side drivers;
a bias network that substantially equalizes the voltage drop across the N-type FET and the P-type FET of the high side and the low side drivers;
wherein the bias network further comprises;
a first, second, third and fourth resistance coupled in series between the first input to the second input on an input side of the ultrasound transmitter, and coupled between the gate of the N-type FET of the high side driver and the gate of the P-type FET of the low side driver on an output side of the ultrasound transmitter,wherein a first buffer is coupled between the first resistance and the second resistance and the gate of the high side P-type FET;
wherein a second buffer is coupled between the third resistance and the fourth resistance and the gate of the low side N-type FET; and
wherein a node between the second resistor and the third resistor is coupled to a node between the high side driver and the low side driver;
wherein current flow through the bias network becomes substantially zero when the first and second drivers are disabled; and
wherein activation of the high side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a first voltage and activation of the low side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a second voltage, said activations producing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal at the ultrasound transmitter output preserving a symmetry of the high-side and the low-side.
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Abstract
A system and method for providing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal from an ultrasound transmitter are disclosed herein. An ultrasound transmitter includes a first driver and a second driver. Each of the drivers includes an N-type device and a P-type device. The N-type device and the P-type device of each driver are serially coupled. Activation of the first driver drives an ultrasound transmitter output to a first voltage. Activation of the second driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a second voltage. The driver activations produce an ultrasonic drive signal at the ultrasound transmitter output.
26 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An ultrasound transmitter, comprising:
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a high side driver and a low side driver, wherein each of the a high side driver and a low side driver comprising an N-type field effect transistor (FET) serially coupled to a P-type FET, where, the N-type FET and P-type FET of each of the high side driver and the low side driver configured to switch current to an output of the driver in response to a driver switching control signal; buffer drivers comprising inputs and outputs where inputs are coupled to the bias network and outputs are coupled to both the high side and the low side drivers; a bias network that substantially equalizes the voltage drop across the N-type FET and the P-type FET of the high side and the low side drivers; wherein the bias network further comprises; a first, second, third and fourth resistance coupled in series between the first input to the second input on an input side of the ultrasound transmitter, and coupled between the gate of the N-type FET of the high side driver and the gate of the P-type FET of the low side driver on an output side of the ultrasound transmitter, wherein a first buffer is coupled between the first resistance and the second resistance and the gate of the high side P-type FET; wherein a second buffer is coupled between the third resistance and the fourth resistance and the gate of the low side N-type FET; and wherein a node between the second resistor and the third resistor is coupled to a node between the high side driver and the low side driver; wherein current flow through the bias network becomes substantially zero when the first and second drivers are disabled; and wherein activation of the high side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a first voltage and activation of the low side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a second voltage, said activations producing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal at the ultrasound transmitter output preserving a symmetry of the high-side and the low-side. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12)
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8. A method for providing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal, comprising:
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a stacked field effect transistors (FET) with high side and a low side drivers where each of the both high side driver and low side drivers further comprise N-type FET and P-type FET connected in series, activating each of the high side N-type FET and a high side P-type FET drive an output node to a first voltage in response to a driver switching control signal; deactivating each of a low side N-type FET and a P-type FET while the high side N-type FET and the P-type FET are activated, where the low side N-type FET and a low side P-type FET drive the output node to a second voltage when activated in response to a driver switching control signal; reducing current flow in a bias network by deactivating both the high side and the low side N-type FETs as well as both the high side and low side P-type devices FETs; preserving a symmetry of the high-side and the low-side; and providing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal; wherein the bias network further comprises; a first, second, third and fourth resistance coupled in series between the first input to the second input on an input side of the ultrasound transmitter, and coupled between the gate of the N-type FET of the high side driver and the gate of the P-type FET of the low side driver on an output side of the ultrasound transmitter, wherein a first buffer is coupled between the first resistance and the second resistance and the gate of the high side P-type FET; wherein a second buffer is coupled between the third resistance and the fourth resistance and the gate of the low side N-type FET; and wherein a node between the second resistor and the third resistor is coupled to a node between the high side driver and the low side driver. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
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an ultrasonic signal transducer that converts an electrical signal into an acoustical signal; a signal transmitter coupled to the transducer, the transmitter comprising a high-side driver that comprises a first set of stacked complementary drive transistors and a low side driver that comprises a second set of stacked complementary drive transistors, each driver comprising an N-type field effect transistor (FET) serially coupled to a P-type FET, the N-type FET and the P-type FET of each high side and low side driver configured to switch current to an output of the driver in response to a common driver switching control signal; and a bias network that substantially equalizes the voltage drop across the N-type FET and the P-type FET of the low side driver and the high side driver, wherein the current flow in the bias network is reduced by disabling the high-side and the low-side drivers, wherein the bias network further comprises; first, second, third and fourth resistance coupled in series between the first input to the second input on an input side of the ultrasound transmitter, and coupled between the gate of the N-type FET of the high side driver and the gate of the P-type FET of the low side driver on an output side of the ultrasound transmitter, wherein a first buffer is coupled between the first resistance and the second resistance and the gate of the high side P-type FET; wherein a second buffer is coupled between the third resistance and the fourth resistance and the gate of the low side N-type FET; and wherein a node between the second resistor and the third resistor is coupled to a node between the high side driver and the low side driver, wherein activation of the high side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a first voltage and activation of the low side driver drives the ultrasound transmitter output to a second voltage, said activations producing a high voltage ultrasonic drive signal at the ultrasound transmitter output preserving a symmetry of the high-side and the low-side. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification