Transmit/receive circuitry for ultrasound systems

• US 8,961,421 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wodnicki, Robert Gideon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Unsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNTLEY, DANIEL CARROLL
• Application Number:
  US11/737,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,868 Days
• Field of Search: 600/459, 600/446, 307/75, 307/112, 307/125, 307/130, 257/121, 257/124, 257/173, 257/192
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52017 particularly adapted to short-range imaging G01S7/53 takes precedence

Abstract

A transceiver for use in an ultrasound system is provided. The transceiver is configured to operate in a transmit mode and a receive mode. The transceiver comprises a high voltage switch, a low voltage switch and a resistor coupled to the high voltage switch and the low voltage switch.

Claims

1. A transducer array for use in ultrasound imaging, the transducer array comprising:

a plurality of transducers;

a plurality of transceivers, wherein each of the plurality of transducers is coupled to an associated transceiver, each of the plurality of transceivers comprising;

a high voltage MOS device comprising a source, a gate and a drain, wherein the source of the high voltage MOS device is coupled to a high voltage supply, and wherein the gate of the high voltage MOS device is coupled to a floating low voltage switching network, wherein the floating low voltage switching network is biased relative to the high voltage supply;

a low voltage MOS device comprising a source, a gate and a drain, wherein the source of the low voltage MOS device is coupled to a low voltage supply, and wherein the gate of the low voltage MOS device is coupled to a low voltage switching network, wherein the low voltage switching network is biased relative to the ground; and

a resistor coupled between the high voltage MOS device and the low voltage MOS device, wherein the resistor is coupled to the drains of the high and low voltage MOS devices, and wherein the transceiver is configured to operate alternately in a transmit mode and in a receive mode.

2. The transducer array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transducers is operable to receive and convert ultrasound signals during imaging into electrical signals.

3. The transducer array of claim 1, wherein in transmit mode each of the plurality of transceivers operates to transmit a voltage to a corresponding transducer in the ultrasound system.

4. The transducer array of claim 1, wherein in receive mode each of the plurality of transceivers operates as a transmit/receive (T/R) switch to isolate high voltage within an ultrasound system during the receive mode.

5. The transducer array of claim 2, wherein during receive mode, for each transceiver, a high voltage MOS device is disabled, a low voltage MOS device is enabled in high impedance mode and receive signals from the transducer pass through a corresponding resistor.

6. The transducer array of claim 2, wherein during transmit mode, for each transceiver, a high voltage MOS device enabled responsive to a high transmit control signal, the enabled high voltage MOS device pulls current from an associated transducer and discharges the transducer.

7. The transducer array of claim 1, wherein the high voltage MOS device comprises a MOSFET.

8. The transducer array of claim 1, wherein the low voltage MOS device comprises a MOSFET.

9. An ultrasound system for imaging objects, the ultrasound system comprising:

a probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals, the probe comprising a transducer array comprising

a plurality of transducers;

a plurality of transceivers configured to operate alternately in a transmit mode and a receive mode;

wherein each of the plurality of transducers is coupled to an associated transceiver, each transceiver comprising;

a high voltage MOS device comprising a source, a gate and a drain, wherein the source of the high voltage MOS device is coupled to a high voltage supply, and wherein the gate of the high voltage MOS device is coupled to a floating low voltage switching network, wherein the floating low voltage switching network is biased relative to the high voltage supply;

a low voltage MOS device comprising a source, a gate and a drain, wherein the source of the low voltage MOS device is coupled to a low voltage supply, and wherein the gate of the low voltage MOS device is coupled to a low voltage switching network, wherein the low voltage switching network is biased near ground;

a resistor coupled to the high voltage MOS device and the low voltage MOS device, wherein the resistor is coupled to the drains of the high and low voltage MOS devices; and

an image processor configured to generate an ultrasound image of the objects.

10. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the transducers are operable to receive and convert ultrasound signals during imaging into electrical signals.

11. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein during transmit mode each of the transceivers operates to transmit a voltage to the transducers.

12. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein during receive mode the transceivers each operate as a transmit/receive (T/R) switch to isolate high voltage within the ultrasound system during the receive mode.

13. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein during receive mode, within each transceiver the high voltage MOS device is disabled, the low voltage MOS device is enabled in a high impedance mode and receive signals from each transducer pass through the resistor.

14. The ultrasound system of claim 9, during transmit mode, within each transceiver the high voltage MOS device is enabled responsive to a high transmit control signal, the enabled high voltage MOS device pulls current from each transducer and discharges the transducer.

15. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the at least two transducers are disposed adjacent to each other.

16. The ultrasound system of claim 14, wherein the high voltage MOS device comprises a MOSFET.

17. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers comprises a reconfigurable transducer array.

18. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the reconfigurable transducer array comprises an array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUTs) cells or Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) transducers.

19. The ultrasound system of claim 18, wherein the cells may be coupled together using a low voltage switching network.

20. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein each transceiver further comprises a receive amplifier coupled to a transceiver receive input wherein the receive amplifier buffers or amplifies the receive signal before the signal enters a receive switch network.

21. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein each transceiver further comprises a control signal decoder that is coupled to transmit control input of the transceiver and wherein the control signal decoder buffers and decodes the signal when the signal comes out of a transmit switch network.

22. A capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUT) array, comprising:

a plurality of high voltage cells each of which comprises a high voltage P device;

a plurality of low voltage cells each of which comprises a high voltage N device;

a first transceiver operatively coupled to a first transducer;

a second transceiver operatively coupled to a second transducer;

a low voltage switching network configured to couple the plurality of low voltage cells to each other; and

a floating low voltage switching network configured to couple the plurality of high voltage cells to each other, wherein the first and second transceivers are coupled to each other via the low voltage switching network and the floating low voltage low voltage switching network, wherein the high voltage P device comprises a source, a gate and a drain, and the source of the high voltage P device is coupled to a high voltage supply, and the gate of the high voltage P device is coupled to the floating low voltage switching network, and the floating low voltage switching network is biased relative to the high voltage supply;

wherein the high voltage N device comprises a source, a gate and a drain, and the source of the high voltage N device is coupled to a low voltage supply, and the gate of the high voltage N device is coupled to the low voltage switching network, and the low voltage switching network is biased relative to the ground; and

wherein a resistor is coupled between the high voltage P device and the high voltage N device, and the resistor is coupled to drains of the high voltage P and high voltage N devices, and wherein the transceiver is configured to operate alternately in a transmit mode and in a receive mode.

23. The ultrasound system of claim 22, wherein each transceiver further comprises a control signal decoder that is coupled to transmit control input of the transceiver and wherein the control signal decoder buffers and decodes the signal when the signal comes out of a transmit switch network.