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:
Nov. 17, 1987
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1986
Reiner Moeller, Erlangen, DE;
Gert Hetzel, Erlangen, DE;
Ulrich Saugeon, Nuremberg, DE;
Gustav Boheim, Zirndorf, DE;
Viktor Zurinski, Erlangen, DE;
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin and Munich, DE;
Abstract
An ultrasound apparatus permitting dynamic variation of the position of the reception focus of a prescribable number of ultrasound transducer elements has a reception channel including a time-delay circuit for the received ultrasound echo signal following every ultrasound transducer element. For switching between different, prescribed time-delay values (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . T.sub.n), the time-delay circuit is connected to a control device. A part of the time-delay circuit is redundantly designed, so that first and a second sub-circuits for forming the time-delayed ultrasound echo signal are present. A dissolve circuit is provided which causes the second sub-circuit to be faded in the reception channel when the first sub-circuit, in a blanked condition, is switched to a different time-delay value (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . T.sub.n), and vice versa, by a control device. Significant time is thus saved when switching between the different focus positions of the ultrasound apparatus. Transmission of switching clicks onto the respectively activated sub-circuit is prevented by the use of isolating amplifiers.