Acoustic beam forming in phased arrays including large numbers of transducer elements
US8002706B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 2009 |
| Grant date | Aug 23, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 15, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N2007/0095
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A focused ultrasound system includes a transducer array, a controller for providing drive signals to the transducer array, and a switch. The transducer array includes a plurality of “n” transducer elements, and the controller includes a plurality of “m” output channels providing sets of drive signals having respective phase shift values, “m” being less than “n.” The switch is coupled to the output channels of the controller and to the transducer elements, and is configured for connecting the output channels to respective transducer elements. The controller may assign the transducer elements to respective output channels based upon a size and/or shape of a desired focal zone within the target region, to steer or otherwise move a location of the focal zone, and/or to compensate for tissue aberrations caused by tissue between the transducer array and the focal zone, geometric tolerances and/or impedance variations of the transducer elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.