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:
Aug. 17, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 29, 2005
Kai E. Thomenius, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Robert Gideon Wodnicki, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Ye-ming LI, Schenectady, NY (US);
Kai E. Thomenius, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Robert Gideon Wodnicki, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Ye-Ming Li, Schenectady, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Abstract
An ultrasonic transducer probe having a highly integrated interface circuit array. Low-voltage transmit control signals from the system are transmitted on the system transmit channels via the ultrasound probe cable and into the interface circuit array. These transmit control signals are routed through the interface circuit array using a dense switching matrix. Once the low-voltage transmit control signals reach individual cells within the interface array, they are decoded and used to control local high-voltage pulser circuits to drive individual ultrasound transducer elements made up of selected subelements that are co-integrated with the interface electronics. The interface cell circuitry further comprises a high-voltage transmit/receive switch, which is closed when the high-voltage pulser is transmitting to protect the low-voltage components.