Patent · US Active

Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and method of calibrating the same

US8517948B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
4References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 25, 2006
Grant dateAug 27, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 8, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N29/4427
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 causes discharge means 4 to apply a discharge pulse (having a peak value equal to or greater than a collapse voltage) between electrodes of an ultrasound transducer 20 a plurality of time while inverting the polarity of the discharge pulse each time, to thereby accelerate discharge of the charge accumulated in the diaphragm of the ultrasound transducer 20, so that a transmission-reception sensitivity offset can be caused to quickly approach zero. The charge is discharged instantaneously. That is, it is possible to quickly calibrate a transmission-reception sensitivity drift stemming from time-course accumulation of charge flowing into the diaphragm between the electrodes upon application of a DC bias thereto.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.