Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Jacques Borburgh

Ingmar Feigt

Bertram Sachs

Helmut Rost

Gerhard Naefe

In an exemplary embodiment, a transducer element row W.sub.1 through W.sub.m has a signal delay device for the delay of arriving echo signals in such a manner that phase balance of the individual signals result at the output. It is the objective of the disclosure to construct such an apparatus with which, given a specified number of transducers, the grating lobes in the directional response of the antenna are eliminated, and nevertheless the electronic outlay can be kept within boundaries. This objective is achieved in that the signals are transmitted, in groups, respectively, by the delay device to individual adders whose output signals are linked in a unit for quasi-multiplicative processing. In the case of digital technique, through binary signal processing, a considerable simplification results accompanied by the elimination of the interfering directional response of the resolution capability.

Apparatus for ultrasonic scanning

In the exemplary disclosure, the apparatus includes electronic delay circuitry for delaying echo signals produced in use by a multiplicity of transducers of the apparatus such that the phase relationship between respective echo signals is substantially maintained. The circuitry comprises a multiplicity of partial-line stores, each partial-line store being adapted for storing data corresponding to a part of an ultrasonic scanning line, associated in groups of at least three with respective ones of the transducers and control circuitry arranged such that, in use, data corresponding to echo signals (E(t)) is sequentially written in to the partial-line stores of the group (I, II, III) for each of the transducers, beginning with the first such transducer to receive an echo signal, until at least the first partial-line store (I) of the group (I, II, III) for the last such transducer to receive an echo signals has been supplied with data, after which, data can be simultaneously read out from all of the partial-line stores.

In an exemplary embodiment, the transducer elements are arranged in rows and columns, the transducer elements bein contacted at both sides by oppositely disposed contact surfaces, and switches being associated with the contacts of the one contact surface as well as with the contacts of the other contact surface for the purpose of adjustment of preselectable transmitting and/or receiving surface of transducer elements during a transmitting/receiving cycle, in particular, for the purpose of dynamic focusing. It is an object of the disclosure to construct an ultrasonic array which can function with an optimally low outlay of switches and which if desired also permits a transition to continuously varied apertures. In accordance with the disclosure, this object is achieved in that transducer elements, with their one contact surface in the direction of the rows, and with their other contact surface in direction of the columns, are contacted together into groups, and that there is maximally associated, with each row group, an individual common row group switch, and that there is maximally associated, with each column group, an individual common column group switch. A transfer to continuously variable aperture is possible in the simplest manner if continuously variable switching elemets, such as controllable resistances, or the like, are utilized as transmitting and/or receiving switches.

Ultrasonic array

In exemplary embodiments, a transmitting layer of material having a relatively high dielectric constant and high acoustic impedance, and a receiving layer of material having a relatively low dielectric constant and low acoustic impedance are superimposed such that an optimum construction is provided which simultaneously creates optimum results for the instance of transmission and reception. The two layers are interconnected by means of hybrid techniques such that they mate in a laminar manner.

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Poxdorf, Germany

Jacques Borburgh