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. 19, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1995
Tat-Jin Teo, Redmond, WA (US);
John R Klepper, Seattle, WA (US);
Siemens Medical Systems, Inc., Iselin, NJ (US);
Abstract
The ultrasound transducer array defines an average row spacing along the elevation for receiving transducer elements that differs from an average row spacing along the elevation for transmitting transducer elements. In one embodiment a relatively 'coarse' row spacing is used for reception and a relatively 'fine' row spacing is used for transmission. The differing spacings lead to different transmit-elevation and receive-elevation beam-patterns. In one configuration the number of transducer elements, and correspondingly the number of ultrasound processing channels, is reduced. In an alternative configuration the beam-pattern 'footprint' is increased without increasing the number of transducer elements or processing channels. The array includes dedicated transmit-only elements and/or dedicated receive-only elements, together with coincident, time-shared transmit/receive elements. The coarse-fine spacings enable improved elevational focus without substantially increasing side lobe levels in a focal plane and far field portion of a resulting beam-pattern.