# US 10,502,717 B2 · Method and system for measuring a wideband loop sensitivity for an acoustic transducer

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- Number: US 10,502,717 B2
- Document ID: US10502717B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/855,677
- Filed: 2017-12-27
- Published: 2019-06-27
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-27
- Assignees: Broadsound Corporation
- Applicants: Broadsound Corporation
- Inventors: Ying-Wei Yuan; Jen-Chih Yao; Fu-Chieh Yang; Wen-Pin Lai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502717B2

## CPC

- G01N 29/30: Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects
- G01N 29/343: {pulse waves, e.g. particular sequence of pulses, bursts}
- G01N 29/46: by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis {or wavelet analysis (spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14)}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for measuring a wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) for an acoustic transducer in an acoustic probe. A pulse signal is employed as a wideband reference signal Vr(t); and, in a pulse-echo measurement a corresponding wideband echo signal Ve(t) is obtained. A normalized loop frequency response {circumflex over (X)}(f) for the acoustic transducer is defined as a ratio of a Fourier Transform of the Ve(t) to a Fourier Transform of the Vr(t). A wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) for the acoustic transducer is defined as an absolute square of the {circumflex over (X)}(f) in decibel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for measuring a wideband loop sensitivity for an acoustic transducer among a plurality of acoustic transducers in an acoustic probe, the system comprising:
a pulse generator; and
a control unit electrically coupled to the pulse generator,
wherein
the pulse generator is configured to be selectively electrically coupled to a predetermined load for generating, by the pulse generator, a first pulse to create a wideband signal as a reference signal,
the control unit includes a memory storing therein a program or firmware for causing the control unit to
obtain a wideband reference signal Vr(t), and
obtain a function {circumflex over (V)}r(f) that is a Fourier Transform of the wideband reference signal Vr(t), and
the system further comprises the acoustic probe, and the pulse generator is electrically coupled to the acoustic probe when the predetermined load is not electrically coupled to the pulse generator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pulse is one of a unipolar pulse and a bipolar pulse.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the unipolar pulse is one of a negative-going pulse and a positive-going pulse.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bipolar pulse is a negative-going pulse first and a positive-going pulse second.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bipolar pulse is a positive-going pulse first and a negative-going pulse second.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to store the function {circumflex over (V)}r(f) in the memory.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
when the pulse generator is electrically coupled to the acoustic probe, the pulse generator is configured to generate a second pulse to create a wideband acoustic wave from a first acoustic transducer among the plurality of acoustic transducers in the acoustic probe, and
the control unit is configured to
obtain a wideband echo signal Ve(t) after the wideband acoustic wave being reflected from an acoustic mirror, and
obtain a function Ve(f) that is a Fourier Transform of the wideband echo signal Ve(t).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the control unit is configured to
obtain a normalized loop frequency response {circumflex over (X)}(f) for the first acoustic transducer as follows:
X
^
⁡
(
f
)
⁢
=
def
⁢
V
^
e
⁡
(
f
)
V
^
r
⁡
(
f
)
.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein
the control unit is configured to
obtain a wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) which is a function of frequency for the first acoustic transducer as follows:
SL(f)10 log|{circumflex over (X)}(f)|2.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein
the control unit further has a storage device, and is configured to store the wideband loop sensitivity SL (f) in the storage device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein
the control unit is configured to
output the wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) stored in the storage device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein
the control unit is configured to
sequentially or randomly obtain the wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) for each and all of the plurality of acoustic transducers in the acoustic probe.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein
the control unit is configured to, after sequentially or randomly obtaining a plurality of wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) corresponding to the plurality of acoustic transducers in the acoustic probe,
store the plurality of wideband loop sensitivity SL (f) in the storage device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein
the control unit is configured to
output at least one of the plurality of wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) stored in the storage device.

### Claim 15

A method for measuring a wideband loop sensitivity for an acoustic transducer among a plurality of acoustic transducers in an acoustic probe, the method using a pulse generator and a control unit electrically coupled to the pulse generator, the control unit including a memory storing therein a program or firmware, the method comprising:
electrically coupling a predetermined load to the pulse generator;
generating, by the pulse generator, a first pulse to create a wideband signal as a reference signal;
obtaining, by the control unit, a wideband reference signal Vr(t);
obtaining, by the control unit, a function {circumflex over (V)}r(f) that is a Fourier Transform of the wideband reference signal Vr(t); and
disconnecting the predetermined load from the pulse generator, and then electrically coupling the acoustic probe to the pulse generator.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:
after said electrically coupling the acoustic probe to the pulse generator,
generating, by the pulse generator, a second pulse to create a wideband acoustic wave from a first acoustic transducer among the plurality of acoustic transducers in the acoustic probe;
obtaining, by the control unit, a wideband echo signal Ve(t) after the wideband acoustic wave being reflected from an acoustic mirror; and
obtaining, by the control unit, a function {circumflex over (V)}e(f) that is a Fourier Transform of the wideband echo signal Ve(t).

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:
obtaining, by the control unit, a normalized loop frequency response {circumflex over (X)}(f) for the first acoustic transducer as follows:
X
^
⁡
(
f
)
⁢
=
def
⁢
V
^
e
⁡
(
f
)
V
^
r
⁡
(
f
)
.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:
obtaining, by the control unit, a wideband loop sensitivity SL(f) which is a function of frequency for the first acoustic transducer as follows:
SL(f)10 log|{circumflex over (X)}(f)|2.