Ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnostic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123765-B2
Application number	US-97790510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2010
Priority date	Jan 12, 2010
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

The present embodiment relates to an ultrasound probe having a first ultrasound vibrator group and a second ultrasound vibrator group, comprising a plurality of matrix switches and an adder. The ultrasound probe has a mode to send ultrasound to a predetermined observation point within a subject by the first ultrasound vibrator group, and to receive ultrasound echoes reflected within the subject by the second ultrasound vibrator group. The plurality of matrix switches extract, based on the distance between the second ultrasound vibrator group and the observation point, a plurality of ultrasound echoes having substantially the same phase from a plurality of ultrasound echoes output by the second ultrasound vibrator group. The adder adds the plurality of ultrasound echoes extracted by the plurality of matrix switches for each of the matrix switches and outputs them.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound probe, comprising an ultrasound vibrator group, configured to a plurality of ultrasound vibrators that are aligned two-dimensionally, that send ultrasound and receive ultrasound echo signals reflected within a subject, a preamplifier that amplifies the received ultrasound echo signals for each of said ultrasound vibrators, and a beamformer group that performs delay processing on the ultrasound echo signals amplified by said preamplifier and that rectifies phases of said ultrasound echo signals output from a plurality of said ultrasound vibrators included in said ultrasound vibrator group, a bypass signal line that is brought out from an input side of said beamformer group and that bypasses said beamformer group, the ultrasound probe that outputs said ultrasound echo signals that have been received to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, further comprising:
a bypass switch connected to said preamplifier for connecting said bypass line in operating in a first mode to divide said plurality of ultrasound vibrators into a first set of ultrasound vibrators that send ultrasound and a second set of ultrasound vibrators that receive ultrasound in order to send and receive ultrasound and wherein said bypass switch is connected to said preamplifier for connecting said beamformer in operating in a second mode to send and receive ultrasound with said plurality ultrasound vibrators,
an adder circuit that collects signals output from a plurality of said bypass switch into groups with the same phases to add and output them, and
a matrix switch connects said bypass switch and said adder circuit, and that performs control such that the output from said bypass switch is input to said adder circuit, which is different for each of the phases, operating in said first mode.

2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound vibrators that receive said ultrasound is divided into more than two subgroups including one or more of said ultrasound vibrators, and a combination of said beamformer group, said bypass switch, said matrix switch, and said adder circuit is placed for each of said subgroups, and
wherein said matrix switch performs control such that output from said bypass switch included in said subgroups is input to said adder circuit, which is different for each of the phases, operating in said first mode.

3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein some of said
preamplifiers further invert the phases of ultrasound echo signals output from said ultrasound vibrators and output them, and wherein said bypass switch outputs either signals that have bypassed said beamformer or signals in which said preamplifiers have inverted the phases of said ultrasound echo signals, operating in said first mode, and said matrix switch controls such that an output that has bypassed said beamformer and an output in which said preamplifiers have inverted the phases of said ultrasound echo signals from said bypass switch are input to said adder circuit, which is different for each of the phases, operating in said first mode.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , 2 or 3 wherein said ultrasound probe has a first ultrasound vibrator group and a second ultrasound vibrator group, said plurality of ultrasound vibrators being any ultrasound vibrators that configure said first ultrasound vibrator group and said second ultrasound vibrator group.

5. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an ultrasound probe comprising an ultrasound vibrator group, configured to a plurality of ultrasound vibrators that are aligned two-dimensionally, that send ultrasound and receive ultrasound echo signals reflected within a subject, a preamplifier that amplifies the received ultrasound echo signals for each of said ultrasound vibrators, and a beamformer group that performs delay processing on the ultrasound echo signals amplified by said preamplifier and that rectifies phases of said ultrasound echo signals output from a plurality of said ultrasound vibrators included in said ultrasound vibrator group, a bypass signal line that is brought out from an input side of said beamformer group and that bypasses said beamformer group, the ultrasound probe outputting said ultrasound echo signals, and
an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body receiving said ultrasound echo signals output from said ultrasound probe, the apparatus body performing phasing and adding processing on the ultrasound echo signals, the apparatus body generating an ultrasound image, wherein said ultrasound probe further comprises:
a bypass switch connected to said preamplifier for connecting said bypass line in operating in a first mode to divide said plurality of ultrasound vibrators into a first set of ultrasound vibrators that send ultrasound and a second set of ultrasound vibrators that receive ultrasound in order to send and receive ultrasound and wherein said bypass switch is connected to said preamplifier for connecting said beamformer in operating in a second mode to send and receive ultrasound with said plurality ultrasound vibrators,
an adder circuit that collects signals output from a plurality of said bypass switch into groups with the same phases to add and output them, and
a matrix switch connects said bypass switch and said adder circuit, and that performs control such that the output from said bypass switch is input to said adder circuit, which is different for each of the phases, operating in said first mode.

Assignees

• Hongou Hironobu
• Hirano Toru
• Uchiumi Isao
• Ishitsuka Masaaki
• Shiina Takayuki
• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp

Inventors

• Hongou Hironobu
• Hirano Toru
• Uchiumi Isao
• Ishitsuka Masaaki
• Shiina Takayuki

Classifications

• A61B8/00 Primary

  Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01S15/8927

  using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures · CPC title

• G01S7/52066

  Time-position or time-motion displays · CPC title

• G10K11/345

  using energy switching from one active element to another · CPC title

• G01S7/5208

  with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead · CPC title