Ultrasound transmitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238249-B2
Application number	US-201213590672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2012
Priority date	Aug 21, 2012
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A circuit for driving ultrasound transducers uses a sample-and-hold circuit to sample multiple sample periods of a transducer driving waveform, and uses the samples to modify drive parameters. Use of multiple sample periods enables independent measurement and adjustment of different portions of the transducer driving waveform to ensure mirror symmetry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising the steps of:
sampling, by a sample-and-hold circuit, a sample period of a driving waveform having an upright waveform and an inverted waveform;
receiving, by a switched capacitor network, the output of the sample-and-hold circuit
integrating, by an integrator, the output of the switched capacitor; and
modifying, by a controller, drive circuit parameters of the driving waveform having an upright waveform and an inverted waveform; based on the output of the integrator.

2. The method of claim 1 , the step of sampling further comprising:
sampling a portion of an upright driving waveform and sampling a corresponding portion of an inverted driving waveform.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the step of sampling:
filtering, by a low-pass filter, the driving waveform.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the steps of sampling and integrating over multiple cycles of the driving waveform.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the steps of sampling, integrating, and modifying, over multiple sample periods.

6. An apparatus, comprising
means for sampling, by a sample-and-hold circuit, a sample period of a driving waveform having an upright waveform and an inverted waveform;
means for receiving, by a switched capacitor, the output of the sample-and-hold circuit
means for integrating, by an integrator, the output of the switched capacitor network; and
means for modifying, by a controller, drive circuit parameters of the driving waveform having an upright waveform and an inverted waveform; based on the output of the integrator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , the step of sampling further comprising:
means sampling a portion of an upright driving waveform and sampling a corresponding portion of an inverted driving waveform.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising, means for filtering, by a low-pass filter, the driving waveform.

Assignees

• Nielsen Max Earl
• Jordanger Ricky Dale
• Oguzman Ismail Hakki
• Gao Zheng
• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Nielsen Max Earl
• Jordanger Ricky Dale
• Oguzman Ismail Hakki
• Gao Zheng

Classifications

• B06B1/0215 Primary

  for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes · CPC title

• B06B2201/55

  Piezoelectric transducer · CPC title

• B06B2201/76

  Medical, dental · CPC title

• B06B1/0261 Primary

  taken from a transducer or electrode connected to the driving transducer · CPC title

• B06B1/06

  operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction (piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00) · CPC title