Ultrasound transmitter with voltage-controlled rise/fall time variation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRobert G. Wodnicki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an ultrasound transmit ASIC, the rise and fall times of the output pulse can be controlled by varying the gate-source voltage used to drive the output-stage transistors. Control of the rise/fall times can be effected either by trimming on-chip during fabrication or by changing the gate-source voltage that drives the output-stage transistors, either on-chip or off-chip. In all cases it will be necessary to first test the manufactured device to determine how much calibration voltage needs to be applied.
Claims14
A device comprising an ultrasound transducer element and an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit comprising means for driving said ultrasound transducer element with a transmit pulse having a rise time and a fall time;
- and means for varying the rise or fall time of said transmit pulse, wherein said driving means comprise a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor having their drains connected at a junction, the source of said first PMOS transistor being connected to a terminal at a first voltage level and the source of said first NMOS transistor being connected to ground, said junction being electrically coupled to an input of said ultrasound transducer element, and said time varying means comprise a second NMOS transistor having a drain connected to the gate of said first PMOS transistor and having a source connected to a terminal at a first control voltage level, and a first digital-to-analog converter that supplies said first control voltage level.
A device comprising an ultrasound transducer element and an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit comprising means for driving said ultrasound transducer element with a transmit pulse having a rise time and a fall time;
- and means for varying the rise and fall time of said transmit pulse, wherein said driving means comprise a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor having their drains connected at a junction, the source of said first PMOS transistor being connected to a terminal at a first voltage level and the source of said first NMOS transistor being connected to ground, said junction being electrically coupled to an input of said ultrasound transducer element, and said time varying means comprise a second NMOS transistor having a drain connected to the gate of said first PMOS transistor and having a source connected to a terminal at a first control voltage level, a first digital-to-analog converter that supplies said first control voltage level;
- a second PMOS transistor having a drain connected to the gate of said first NMOS transistor and having a source connected to a terminal at a second control voltage level;
- and a second digital-to-analog converter that supplies said second control voltage level.
A method for adjusting the duty cycle of an ultrasound transmit pulse output by an integrated circuit to an ultrasound transducer element, comprising the following steps:
- calibrating the rise times of ultrasound transmit pulses output by said integrated circuit as a function of a variable first logic voltage;
- determining a second voltage that produces a desired rise time;
- and
- driving said integrated circuit with said second logic voltage to produce a transmit pulse having said desired rise time.
A device comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer element;
- a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor having their drains connected at a junction, the source of said first PMOS transducer being connected to a first terminal at a first voltage level and the source of said first NMOS transistor being connected to a second terminal at a second voltage level less than said first voltage level, said junction being electrically coupled to an input of said ultrasound transducer element;
- a second NMOS transistor having a drain connected to the gate of said first PMOS transistor and having a source connected to a third terminal at a first control voltage level;
- and
- a first digital-to-analog converter that supplies said first control voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.