Amplifier with built in time gain compensation for ultrasound applications
AssigneeBfly Operations, Inc.
InventorsAmandeep Singh, Kailiang Chen, Tyler S. Ralston
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Abstract
An ultrasound circuit comprising a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) with built-in time gain compensation functionality is described. The TIA is coupled to an ultrasonic transducer to amplify an electrical signal generated by the ultrasonic transducer in response to receiving an ultrasound signal. The TIA is, in some cases, followed by further analog and digital processing circuitry.
Claims19
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- an ultrasonic transducer to provide an analog electrical signal;
- an amplifier having time gain compensation (TGC) functionality coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and configured to receive and amplify the analog electrical signal by a time-dependent amount;
- and
- a charge pump configured to:
- receive as an input signal a switching signal that is either a logical zero or a logical one, and
- generate a time-dependent control signal that modulates a gain of the amplifier.
A method of operating an ultrasound apparatus having an ultrasonic transducer, an amplifier coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and comprising feedback circuitry having an impedance, and a charge pump coupled to the feedback circuitry, the method comprising:
- operating the charge pump to output to the amplifier a time-dependent control signal configured to control, at least in part, the impedance of the feedback circuitry of the amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.