Ultrasound apparatus permitting dynamic variation of the position of the reception focus

US4707813A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Reiner Moeller · Erlangen, DE
• Gert Hetzel
• Ulrich Saugeon · Nuremberg, DE
• Gustav Boheim · Bad Bergzabern, DE
• Viktor Zurinski · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 12, 1986
• Grant date: Nov 17, 1987
• Expiry date: Nov 12, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G10K11/345
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An ultrasound apparatus permitting dynamic variation of the position of the reception focus of a prescribable number of ultrasound transducer elements has a reception channel including a time-delay circuit for the received ultrasound echo signal following every ultrasound transducer element. For switching between different, prescribed time-delay values (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . T.sub.n), the time-delay circuit is connected to a control device. A part of the time-delay circuit is redundantly designed, so that first and a second sub-circuits for forming the time-delayed ultrasound echo signal are present. A dissolve circuit is provided which causes the second sub-circuit to be faded in the reception channel when the first sub-circuit, in a blanked condition, is switched to a different time-delay value (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . T.sub.n), and vice versa, by a control device. Significant time is thus saved when switching between the different focus positions of the ultrasound apparatus. Transmission of switching clicks onto the respectively activated sub-circuit is prevented by the use of isolating amplifiers.