التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
| العنوان: |
ULTRASOUND PROBE AND ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS |
| Document Number: |
20120310096 |
| تاريخ النشر: |
December 6, 2012 |
| Appl. No: |
13/579665 |
| Application Filed: |
December 20, 2011 |
| مستخلص: |
To be able to control an aperture in ultrasound transducer units comprised such that the signals from a plurality of ultrasound transducers are added and output. An ultrasound probe comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a plurality of delay circuits, and an adder circuit, and configured to be able to control a reception aperture of ultrasound waves. The delay circuit performs a delay processing to reception signals. The adder circuit adds and outputs the reception signals for each predetermined group. The ultrasound probe further comprises a gate means. The gate means switches connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit. The gate means also connects only the signal path from the ultrasound transducer corresponding to the initial reception aperture that is previously set after the transmission of ultrasound waves within the cycle of the ultrasound waves and sequentially connects the corresponding signal path from the ultrasound transducer that is closer to the initial reception aperture according to the lapse in time of the reception period. |
| Inventors: |
Hongou, Hironobu (Otawara-shi, JP); Miyajima, Yasuo (Utsunomiya-shi, JP); Hirano, Toru (Otawara-shi, JP); Uchiumi, Isao (Nasushiobara-shi, JP); Iwama, Nobuyuki (Nasushiobara-shi, JP); Ishitsuka, Masaaki (Nasushiobara-shi, JP) |
| Assignees: |
Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Otawara-shi, JP), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Tokyo, JP) |
| Claim: |
1. An ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of ultrasound transducers that transmit ultrasound waves at a predetermined cycle and receive ultrasound echoes from the inside of a subject; a plurality of delay circuits that receive reception signals from each of the ultrasound transducers and apply a delay processing to each of the reception signals; and an adder circuit that adds and outputs the reception signals to which the delay processing is performed for each predetermined group; wherein, the ultrasound probe is configured to be able to control a reception aperture of the ultrasound waves, further comprising: a gate means configured to be able to switch connection and disconnection of the signal paths for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit, and connects only the signal path from the ultrasound transducer corresponding to the initial reception aperture that is previously set after transmitting the ultrasound waves within the cycle of the ultrasound waves and sequentially connects the corresponding signal path from an ultrasound transducer that is closer to the initial reception aperture according to the lapse in time of the reception period. |
| Claim: |
2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein the gate means comprises a preamplifier that mediates in a signal path between the ultrasound transducer and the delay circuit and amplifies the reception signals, further comprising: a gain control voltage supply unit that supplies gain control voltage for controlling the gain of the preamplifier; and a gain control gate circuit that is configured to be able to control supply and disconnection of the gain control voltage to the preamplifier; wherein, the gain control gate circuit controls the reception aperture by supplying the gain control voltage to the gain control gate circuit to individually connect the signal path from the preamplifier to the delay circuit. |
| Claim: |
3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein the gate means is a switch that mediates in a signal path between the delay circuit and the adder circuit, and the switch controls the reception aperture by switching connection and disconnection of the signal path between the delay circuit and the adder circuit for each the signal path. |
| Claim: |
4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein the delay circuit is a multiplier circuit that receives reference signals including either delay instructions or disconnection instructions and multiplies it by the reception signals, the multiplier circuit performing a delay processing to the reception signals and outputting reception signals to which the delay processing is performed when the reference signals include delay instructions, the multiplier circuit disconnecting the output of the reception signal when the reference signals include disconnection instructions, and the delay circuit is operated as the gate means by switching reference signals to the delay circuit to control the reception aperture. |
| Claim: |
5. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising: a plurality of ultrasound transducers that transmit ultrasound waves at a predetermined cycle and receive ultrasound echoes from the inside of a subject; a plurality of delay circuits that receive reception signals from each of the ultrasound transducers and apply a delay processing to each of the reception signals; and an adder circuit that adds and outputs the reception signals to which the delay processing is performed for each predetermined group; and comprising an ultrasound probe configured to be able to control a reception aperture of the ultrasound waves, wherein the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus receives the reception signals that are output from the ultrasound probe and performs to phase and add on the reception signals to generate an ultrasound image, and wherein the ultrasound probe comprises a gate means configured to be able to switch connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit, and connects only a signal path from an ultrasound transducer corresponding to the initial reception aperture that is previously set after transmitting the ultrasound waves within the cycle of the ultrasound waves and sequentially connects a corresponding signal path from an ultrasound transducer that is closer to the initial reception aperture according to the lapse in time of the reception period. |
| Claim: |
6. An ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of ultrasound transducers that transmit ultrasound waves and receive ultrasound echoes from the inside of a subject; a plurality of delay circuits that receive reception signals from each of the ultrasound transducers and apply a delay processing to each of the reception signals; and an adder circuit that adds and outputs the reception signals to which the delay processing is performed for each predetermined group; and a gate means configured to be able to switch the connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
600/447 |
| Current International Class: |
61; 61 |
| رقم الانضمام: |
edspap.20120310096 |
| قاعدة البيانات: |
USPTO Patent Applications |