Ultrasound beamformation integrated circuit and method

A method for transmit and receive beamforming in an ultrasound system comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an integrated circuit transceiver comprising ultrasound receive and transmit channels, the transmit channel comprising at least a portion of a digital to analog converter and transmit beamformer logic, and the receive channel comprising at least a portion of an analog to digital converter and receive beamformer logic, the transmit and receive beamformer logic comprising a gate array structure;
• (b) inputting a first set of control signals to the integrated transceiver;
• (c) outputting an analog ultrasound transmit waveform responsive to the first set of control signals and the transmit channel;
• (d) inputting a second set of control signals to the integrated transceiver;
• (e) inputting an analog ultrasound echo signal to the integrated transceiver;
• and
• (f) outputting a digital signal responsive to the echo signal, the second set of control signals and the receive channel.

An integrated circuit transceiver in an ultrasound system, the integrated transceiver comprising:

• a control signal input;
• an ultrasound transmit waveform output;
• transmit beamformer logic operatively connected to the control signal input;
• a digital to analog converter operatively connected to the transmit beamformer logic and the ultrasound transmit waveform output;
• an ultrasound echo signal input;
• a receive signal output;
• an analog to digital converter operatively connected to the ultrasound echo signal input;
• and
• receive beamformer logic operatively connected to the analog to digital converter and the receive signal output;
• wherein the transmit and receive beamformer logic comprise a gate array structure.