Switch circuit for exciting ultrasonic transducer elements
AssigneeHitachi Medical Corporation
InventorsMasao Kuroda, Sekijyuro Ono, Toshio Kondo, Noriyoshi Ichikawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit for exciting an ultrasonic transducer element comprises a diode switch exhibiting a long reverse recovery time duration connected between an input and an output terminal. A transducer exciting signal varying in both positive and negative directions and applied to the input terminal is conducted to the output terminal through the diode switch.
Claims9
A switch circuit for an ultrasonic transducer element comprising a diode having a cathode connected to an input terminal for pulse signals for exciting the ultrasonic transducer element and an anode connected to an output terminal, said anode also being connected through a resistor to a control voltage terminal for controlling a conductive state of said diode, said diode having a long reverse recovery time due to a hole storage effect and being adapted to produce pulse signals having bipolar pulse components at the output terminal in accordance with the pulse signals at the input terminal.
An apparatus for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves comprising at least one pulser means for generating pulses, at least one ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving an echo from an object to produce echo signals, and switch circuit means having an input terminal connected to said pulser means and an output terminal connected to said ultrasonic transducer means for applying pulse signals to said ultrasonic transducer means and passing the received echo signals to an echo processor means connected to a connecting point at which said pulser means is connected to said input terminal of said switch circuit means, said switch circuit means comprising a diode having a cathode connected to said input terminal and an anode connected to said output terminal, said anode also being connected through a resistor to a control voltage terminal means for controlling a conductive state of said diode, said diode having a long reverse recovery time due to a hole storage effect and being adapted to produce pulse signals having bipolar pulse components at said output terminal in accordance with pulses of said pulser means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.