Ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575165-B2
Application number	US-78695010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2010
Priority date	May 25, 2010
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array. The plurality of transducer elements are organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of summing nodes. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a set of receive switches associated with each of the transducer elements in the receive aperture. Each set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes.

First claim

We claim:

1. An ultrasound probe comprising:
a 2D transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements, the plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture,
wherein the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other;
a plurality of summing nodes; and
a plurality of sets of receive switches, each set of receive switches comprising a plurality of receive switches, each set of receive switches being associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture, each set of receive switches configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes without an amplifier electrically connected between the associated transducer element and the one of the plurality of summing nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

2. The ultrasound probe of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture are connected to the plurality of summing nodes via the plurality of sets of receive switches based on a phase of a receive signal from each of the plurality of transducer elements.

3. The ultrasound probe of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture is connected to a first of the plurality of summing nodes.

4. The ultrasound probe of claim 3 , wherein receive signals from the subset of the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture have a phase that is the same.

5. The ultrasound probe of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

6. The ultrasound probe of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of summing nodes comprises four summing nodes.

7. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
an ultrasound probe comprising:
a 2D transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements, the plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, wherein the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other;
a plurality of summing nodes;
a plurality of sets of receive switches, each set of receive switches comprising a plurality of receive switches, each set of receive switches being associated with a different one of the transducer elements in the receive aperture, each set of receive switches configured to connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes without an amplifier electrically connected between the associated transducer element and the one of the plurality of summing nodes; and
a console comprising:
a processor connected to the ultrasound probe, the processor configured to control the plurality of sets of receive switches in order to selectively connect a subset of the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture to one of the plurality of summing nodes in a continuous-wave Doppler mode, and
a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers is connected to one of the plurality of summing nodes.

8. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the plurality of sets of receive switches in order to connect another subset of the plurality of transducer elements in the receive aperture to another of the plurality of summing nodes.

9. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of distribution nodes connected to the processor.

10. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of sets of transmit switches, each of the sets of transmit switches associated with a different one of the transducer elements in the transmit aperture, each set of transmit switches configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes.

11. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the plurality of sets of transmit switches to connect a subset of transducer elements in the transmit aperture to one of the distribution nodes.

12. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to steer the receive aperture by controlling which of the transducer elements in the receive aperture are connected to each of the summing nodes via the sets of receive switches.

13. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to steer the transmit aperture by controlling which of the transducer elements in the transmit aperture are connected to each of the distribution nodes via the sets of transmit switches.

14. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to connect each of the plurality of transducer elements to either a summing node or a distribution node during the continuous-wave Doppler mode.

15. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 7 , further comprising a housing including the processor and a user interface, the housing comprising a size and weight configured for hand-held use.

16. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of transmitters, where each of the plurality of transmitters is connected to one of the plurality of distribution nodes.

17. An ultrasound probe comprising:
a 2D transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array, the plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, wherein the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other;
a plurality of summing nodes;
a first set of receive switches associated with a first transducer element in the receive aperture, the first set of receive switches comprising a first plurality of receive switches, wherein the first set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the first transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes;
a second set of receive switches associated with a second transducer element in the receive aperture, the second set of receive switches comprising a second plurality of receive switches, wherein the second set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the second transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes; and
wherein the first set of receive switches and the second set of receive switches are collectively configured to connect both the first transducer element and the second transducer element to the same one of the plurality of summing nodes without an amplifier electrically connected between the first and second transducer elements and the one of the plurality of summing nodes.

18. The ultrasound probe of claim 17 , further comprising:
a plurality of distribution nodes;
a first set of transmit switches associated with a third transducer element in the transmit aperture, the first set of transmit switches comprising a first plurality of transmit switches, wherein the first set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the third transducer element to anyone of the plurality of distribution nodes;
a second set of transmit switches associated with a fourth transducer element in the transmit aperture, the second set of transmit switches comprising a second plurality of transmit switches, wherein the second set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the fourth transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes; and
wherein the first set of transmit switches and the second set of transmit switches

Assignees

• Miller Steven Charles
• Kristoffersen Kjell
• Haider Bruno Hans
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Miller Steven Charles
• Kristoffersen Kjell
• Haider Bruno Hans

Classifications

• G01S15/8913

  using separate transducers for transmission and reception · CPC title

• G01S7/52084

  related to particular user interfaces (special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467) · CPC title

• G01S7/5208 Primary

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

• A61B8/4488

  the transducer being a phased array · CPC title

• A61B8/488

  involving Doppler signals · CPC title