Curved array of sequenced ultrasound transducers
AssigneeNorth American Philips Corporation
InventorKenneth R. Erikson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An array of ultrasound transducers for pulsed sector-scan operation includes a plurality of transducer elements disposed on an arc of a circle and oriented to emit and receive ultrasound radiation in the direction of the center of the arc. A group of adjacent transducers within the array is active for each ultrasound pulse. The position of the group in the array is incrementally shifted along the arc, one transducer at a time, to effect scanning. The inherent focussing effect of a curved group of transducers is compensated with time delays or a negative lens to provide a parallel, sector-scanned radiation beam.
Claims21
Apparatus for producing and/or receiving a sector scanned, substantially parallel beam of ultrasound energy comprising:
- an array, including a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements disposed along a curved line, each element being oriented to direct ultrasound energy toward and receive ultrasound energy from the center of the curve;
- means for transmitting electrical pulses to and receiving electrical pulses from the transducer elements;
- means for connecting a group of active transducer elements to the means for transmitting and receiving, the group of active elements comprising a preselected number of adjacent transducer elements in the array, said preselected number being greater than one and less than the total number of transducer elements in the array;
- means for sequentially changing the elements in the active group to incrementally shift the active group along the curve;
- and
- means for defocussing ultrasound energy produced and received by the transducer elements in the active group which means function to direct said energy between the active zone and a substantially parallel beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.