The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 2022
Filed:
Feb. 24, 2020
GE Precision Healthcare Llc, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Harald Weichenberger, Oberhofen, AT;
Reinhold Brüstle, Frankenburg, AT;
Anton Hörl, Strasswalchen, AT;
Bruno Hans Haider, Rehoboth Beach, DE (US);
Rene Hechtfischer, Zell am Moos, AT;
GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Abstract
An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided that comprise a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction, wherein over time one or more of the transducer elements possibly exhibit a depoling effect; and one or more drive circuits configured to: i) generate a transmit signal having at least first polarity segments, the first segments having corresponding first peak amplitudes; ii) generate a repoling signal having a repoling pattern configured to at least partially revert the depoling effect exhibited by the one or more transducer elements; and iii) generate a bias signal in the poling direction, the bias signal combined with the at least one of the transmit signal or the repoling signal to form a corresponding at least one of a biased transmit signal or a bias repoling signal, that is shifted in the poling direction.