Analogue time division multiplexing for cable reduction in imaging catheters

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a front end of a transmitter circuit disposed in a catheter probe, and from a plurality of transducers disposed on the catheter probe, a corresponding plurality of analog signals;
• selectively sampling, with at least one sample and hold circuit, the plurality of analog signals received from the corresponding plurality of transducers;
• multiplexing the selectively sampled analog signals to produce a sequence of samples;
• transmitting the sequence of samples to a separate receiver circuit in communication with the transmitter circuit via a cable, the receiver circuit comprising:
• a clock;
• an analog to digital converter (ADC) in communication with the clock;
• and
• a sampling phase correction circuit in communication with the clock and the ADC;
• determining, with the sampling phase correction circuit, optimum sampling times based on measured signal delays;
• adjusting a phase of the clock based on the measured signal delays;
• and
• communicating the phase-adjusted clock signal to the transmitter circuit for the selective sampling of the analog signals by the at least one sample and hold circuit.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a front end of a transmitter circuit disposed in a catheter probe, and from a plurality of transducers disposed on the catheter probe, a corresponding plurality of analog signals;
• beamforming the received corresponding plurality of analog signals, wherein the beamforming comprises:
• controlling relative phases between respective signals of a group of transducer elements from the plurality of transducers;
• and
• combining the phase-controlled signals;
• sampling, with at least one sample and hold circuit, the beamformed signals;
• multiplexing the beamformed signals;
• and
• transmitting the beamformed and multiplexed signals to a separate receiver circuit in communication with the transmitter circuit via a cable.