Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

St. Jude Medical Systems Ab

Antonia Cornelia Van Rens

Bernard Joseph Savord

Mckee Dunn Poland

Sotir Filipov Ouzounov

Eise Carel Dijkmans

Eduard Ferdinand Stikvoort

Arjen Van Der Horst

Nico Maris Adriaan De Wild

Alfons Wouter Groenland

Amine Mounaim

Ronald Dekker

Johannes Wilhelmus Weekamp

Peter Dirksen

Sergei Shulepov

Johan Hendrik Klootwijk

Vincent Adrianus Henneken

Irina Waechter-Stehle

George Anthony Brock-Fisher

Frank Michael Weber

Ruud Vlutters

Andrew Lee Robinson

Rick Bezemer

Nik Ledoux

Marc Godfriedus Marie Notten

Man Nguyen

Magnus Samuelsson

Marcellinus J Pelgrom

Neil Francis Joye

Franciscus Paulus Maria Budzelaar

Roland Alexander Van De Molengraaf

Franciscus Hendrikus Van Heesch

Nenad Mihajlovic

Wendy Uyen Dittmer

Christianus Martinus Van Heesch

Bout Marcelis

Peter Bingley

Igor Wilhelmus Franciscus Paulussen

Roland Wilhelmus Maria Bullens

Ke Wang

Alexander Ulrich Douglas

McKee Poland

Rüdiger Günter Mauczok

Deep Bera

Aydin Mert

Katia Donato

The invention is directed to an ultrasound probe () configured to be operatively coupled to a cable (), the cable () comprising a plurality of lanes adapted to carry signals between the ultrasound probe () and a data processing unit, which is adapted to process the signals, in particular to beamform the signals and to reconstruct ultrasound images of an imaging region. The ultrasonic probe () comprises a transducer head comprising a plurality of transducer elements, which are adapted to insonify the imaging region according to an insonification scheme and to receive ultrasound signals, and a controller adapted to, responsive to the information of a faulty lane from a fault detection module adapted to detect integrity of each of the plurality of lanes, redistribute and/or reconfigure the signals carried by the faulty lane onto one or more of the non-faulty lanes.

Ultrasound probe connected via a cable

A sensor device comprises at least two sensors at the end of a shaft (such as a guidewire or catheter). One sensor uses signals in a first frequency range and a first voltage range and the other sensor uses signals in a second frequency range different to the first frequency range and a second voltage range different to the first voltage range. The first sensor is shorted based on frequency analysis, thereby to prevent the first sensor being exposed to signals associated with the second sensor. This enables the two sensors to be driven by the same shared pair of wires along the shaft, with automatic selection of the suitable sensor.

Sensing device and method for multiple remote sensors

An ultrasound system has a set of CMUT transducer devices and drive electronics for operating a selected device of the set. The drive electronics is shared between all devices of the set. Selection is made by using a set of switches (), with a respective switch between a DC bias output () of the drive electronics and an associated input () of each device. This provides a simple way to provide a selection function between the drive electronics and multiple ultrasound devices. In this way, the number of devices may be scale up, to cover a larger area, but without scaling the cost of the system by the same degree.

Capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) devices and control methods

The invention provides an ultrasound imaging system, comprising an array of transducer elements grouped into element groups, wherein the element groups comprise a plurality of first element groups (having a first orientation) and a plurality of second element groups (having a second orientation different from the first orientation). A first conductor is connected to each of the elements in each first element grouping and a second conductor is connected to each of the elements in each second element grouping. Each element group is adapted to be activated for transmission or reception by the application of a bias voltage, by way of a plurality of bias voltage circuits, and controlled by a plurality of transmit and receive circuits. The system is adapted to acquire first ultrasound data, wherein the bias voltage is applied to the first conductors of the array (or a sub-array) and the transducers receive a signal from a transmit and receive circuit. The system is further adapted to acquire second ultrasound data, wherein the bias voltage is applied to the second conductors of the array (or a different sub-array) and the transducers receive a signal from a transmit and receive circuit. Thus, the ultrasound system is adapted to acquire two separate ultrasound data (such as ultrasound images) corresponding to different views without requiring any physical movement of the array.

Ultrasound imaging system using an array of transducer elements and an imaging method

A sensor arrangement is for mounting along an elongate device. The sensor arrangement is for positioning along a line sensor arrangements and has terminal blocks at a proximal and distal side, each for connection to one or more wires. A connection circuit controls the coupling of sensor signals to the proximal wires and the coupling of the distal wires to the proximal wires. In this way, a bypass function is implemented through the connection circuit, which avoids the need for physical wires of a distal sensor arrangement to bypass the sensor arrangement itself.

Sensor arrangement for mounting on a guidewire or catheter

An ultrasound probe has a two dimensional matrix array transducer and a digital microbeamformer. The microbeamformer comprises a plurality of transmitters and amplifiers coupled to elements of the array transducer, a plurality of low power analog to digital converters and digital beamforming circuitry coupled to the amplifiers, a microbeamformer controller, a power supply and a USB controller which cumulatively consume three watts or less.

2D array ultrasound probe with 3 watt digital microbeamformer

A capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) device in which integrated probe circuitry includes both the ultrasound transmission and reception circuitry and a DC-DC converter for generating a bias voltage for the CMUT cell. The high voltage pulses of a pulser circuit and a high voltage DC bias voltage are both generated by a single probe circuit, which is local to the CMUT cell.

CMUT device and imaging method

An ultrasound probe contains an array transducer and a microbeamformer coupled to elements of the array. The microbeamformer comprises analog to digital converters which convert received echo signals to digital echo signals, a plurality of digital delay circuits which produce a plurality of selectably delayed digital echo signals for a plurality of digital multiline echo signals, and a plurality of digital summers which combine the selectably delayed digital echo signals to produce a plurality of digital multiline echo signals in response to a single transmit event.

Ultrasound probe with multiline digital microbeamformer

An ultrasound probe contains an array transducer and a microbeamformer coupled to elements of the array. The microbeamformer comprises analog to digital converters and digital beamforming circuitry for at least thirty-two digital channels in the microbeamformer. Preferably the analog to digital converters are low power ADCs for reduced power consumption in the probe. Integrated circuits of thirty-two channels can be cascaded to produce 64-channel and 128-channel digital microbeamformers for an ultrasound array probe.

Ultrasound probe with thirty-two channel digital microbeamformer

An ultrasound probe in which there is local amplification, time gain compensation and digitization of each transducer element output. Inverting arrangements surround the time gain compensation and digitization units, and a synchronous inversion function enables deterministic distortion to be cancelled.

Ultrasound probe and processing method

An ultrasound system has a set of CMUT ultrasound transducer devices and a drive circuit for operating the ultrasound transducer devices, for delivering an AC drive signal and receiving a reflected signal. An intermediate circuit is between the drive circuit and the set of ultrasound devices in the form of an array of coupling circuits, each coupling circuit between the drive circuit and an associated at least one ultrasound transducer device. Each coupling circuit comprises a buffer element connected between a bias voltage and a device terminal and as series capacitor. The intermediate circuit serves as a connection link between the set of CMUT transducer elements and the driving/sensing electronics, and is formed as a passive integrated technology circuit. The buffer element prevents a low-impedance short between the CMUT cell bias node and the counter electrode in the case of a CMUT cell drum short circuit. In this way, failure of an individual cell will not cause a breakdown of the whole CMUT array nor a breakdown of the driving electronics.

Capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) devices

An ultrasound probe contains an array transducer and a microbeamformer coupled to elements of the array. The microbeamformer comprises one or more analog ASICs containing transmitters and amplifiers coupled to transducer elements, and one or more digital ASICs containing analog to digital converters and digital beamforming circuitry. The analog ASICs and the digital ASICs are manufactured by different integrated circuitprocesses, with that of the analog ASIC optimized for high voltage analog operation and that of the digital ASICs optimized for high density, low voltage digital circuitry.

Ultrasound probe with digital microbeamformer having integrated circuits fabricated with different manufacturing processes

An ultrasound (US) system is discloses and includes a plurality of transducer elements forming a one-dimensional array and a plurality of bias voltage circuits. Each bias voltage circuit is in communication with a respective first set of the transducer elements and configured to apply a bias voltage to its respective first set of the transducer elements. The US system also included a second plurality of transmit and receive circuits. Each transmit and receive circuit is in communication with a respective second set of transducer elements and configured to stimulate signal transmission or reception of the respective second set of transducer elements.

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Nuenen, Netherlands

Antonia Cornelia Van Rens