Ultrasound system with asymmetric transmit signals
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsNeil Owen, Harry Amon Kunkel
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Abstract
An ultrasound system drives the elements of an ultrasound probe with asymmetric transmit signals which reinforce poling of the probe transducer. The use of asymmetric transmit signals enables a transducer element to withstand a significantly higher RF transmit voltage without degradation, which in turn enables higher acoustic output and improved reliability. This is particularly beneficial with single crystal transducer material when used to generate high energy pressure waves of long duration such as shear wave push pulses.
Claims14
An ultrasound system which transmits ultrasonic energy into a body, the system comprising:
- an ultrasound probe having an array of ultrasonic transducer elements, wherein the array of ultrasonic transducer elements comprises a piezoelectric material with a domain aligned in an orientation providing a polarization of the piezoelectric material;
- and
- a transmit beamformer having transmit channels coupled to the ultrasonic transducer elements and configured to apply asymmetric transmit signals to the elements during their respective transmit intervals, wherein the asymmetric transmit signals comprise asymmetric positive and negative excursions above and below a transducer reference potential which together produce a non-zero mean amplitude configured to generate a force to maintain the domain aligned in the orientation such that the polarization of the piezoelectric material is reinforced while transmitting the ultrasonic energy into the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.