Ultrasound transmit beamformer integrated circuit and method

Abstract

The invention provides a novel method of transmit beamforming, which allows compact analog implementation of complex digital algorithms without compromising their features. It is aimed to support envelope shaping, apodization, and phase rotation per channel and per firing. Each of three embodiments represents a complete transmit channel driven by pulse-width modulated (PWM) waveforms stored in a conventional sequence memory. PWM signals controls the transmit pulse envelope (shape) by changing the duty cycle of the carrier. Beamformation data are loaded prior to a firing via serial interface. Under the direction of a controller, the circuitry allows high precision (beyond sampling rate) phase rotation of the carrier. It also provides transmit apodization (aperture weighting), which maintains an optimal trade-off among low sidelobe level and widening of the mainlobe. Implementing such an IC, the manufacturing cost of a high-end ultrasound system can be reduced. Equally, the proposed solution makes the benefits of digital transmit beamformers available to midrange and entry-level machines since it merely requires a modified programming of the sequence memory.