Ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of ultrasonic technology, and in particular to a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, which is used to solve the problem that ultrasonic equipment cannot meet user needs due to insufficient high-frequency performance and / or ultrasonic images are greatly affected by noise. The present application synchronizes the first ultrasonic signal transmitted by the transmitting and receiving controller through a synchronization trigger to obtain a synchronization signal. The synchronization signal is increased in current and frequency by the transmitting module to obtain a second ultrasonic signal, thereby realizing high-frequency transmission. When receiving the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, the first ultrasonic echo signal of the receiving module is inserted loss compensated and sent to the transmitting and receiving controller to realize ultrasonic signal reception, thereby reducing the system noise of the ultrasonic equipment in the related art and improving the quality of the ultrasonic image. In addition, the high-frequency performance is improved when applied to desktop ultrasonic equipment and handheld ultrasonic equipment, and the high-frequency performance of the portable ultrasonic equipment is further improved when applied to portable ultrasonic equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of ultrasonic technology, and in particular to a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals. Background Art

[0002] There are three types of ultrasound devices currently: handheld ultrasound devices, portable ultrasound devices, and desktop ultrasound devices.

[0003] Handheld ultrasound devices integrate the ultrasound transmitter and receiver systems into the ultrasound probe. These devices are characterized by their small size, portability, compact structure, relatively simple hardware circuitry, and theoretically wide frequency range. However, due to their size limitations, the transmit voltage and power are insufficient, resulting in a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the receiver. This prevents accurate acquisition and clear imaging, limiting their application scenarios and preventing detailed diagnosis.

[0004] Portable ultrasound devices have relatively centralized transceiver systems, enabling more complex circuitry and providing more functionality than handheld ultrasound devices. They also support a wider frequency range, and their transmit power and sampling rate meet high-frequency requirements, thus enabling coverage of a wider range of ultrasound diagnostic frequencies. However, system noise is difficult to control, making it easy for users to overlook details in ultrasound images during clinical ultrasound diagnosis.

[0005] Desktop ultrasound equipment is fully functional, with a transmission power and sampling rate higher than handheld ultrasound equipment but lower than portable ultrasound equipment. Although the ultrasound images collected by desktop ultrasound equipment are less affected by noise, the transmission power cannot meet the high-frequency requirements. For special examinations that require high frequency, only specialized portable ultrasound equipment can be used. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application discloses an ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device, which is used to solve the problem that ultrasonic equipment cannot meet user needs due to insufficient high-frequency performance and / or ultrasonic images are greatly affected by noise.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application proposes a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, the device comprising a transmitting and receiving controller, a synchronization trigger, a transmitting module, and a receiving module:

[0008] The transmitting and receiving controller is used to transmit a first ultrasonic signal to the synchronization trigger;

[0009] The synchronization trigger is used to perform a synchronization operation on the transmission waveform signal of each channel in the first ultrasonic signal, and send a synchronization signal obtained by the synchronization operation to the transmission module;

[0010] The transmitting module is configured to increase the current and frequency of the synchronization signal to obtain a second ultrasonic signal;

[0011] The receiving module is configured to receive the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, and perform insertion loss compensation on the first ultrasonic echo signal before sending the signal to the transmitting and receiving controller.

[0012] In some embodiments, the transmitting module includes a high-voltage driver, a dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group, a first receiving isolation diode, and a second receiving isolation diode connected in series in sequence; wherein:

[0013] The dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes a first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and a second high-voltage field-effect transistor group connected in parallel;

[0014] The high-voltage driver is connected to the synchronous trigger.

[0015] In some embodiments, the receiving module includes an insertion loss compensation unit, and the insertion loss compensation unit is arranged in parallel with the second receiving isolation diode;

[0016] The insertion loss compensation unit includes a front-stage low-noise amplifier (LNA), a first high-voltage isolation device, and a second high-voltage isolation device. The first high-voltage isolation device, the front-stage LNA, and the second high-voltage isolation device are connected in series in this order, and the first high-voltage isolation device connects the probe base and the front-stage LNA, and the second high-voltage isolation device connects the front-stage LNA and the first receiving isolation diode of the transmitting module.

[0017] The first high-voltage isolation and the second high-voltage isolation are used to control the voltage of the ultrasonic echo signal input to the front-stage LNA to be between the source voltage and the operating voltage.

[0018] In some embodiments, the receiving module further includes an analog front end unit, a time gain control unit, a third high voltage isolation unit, and an optional receiving tuning unit, wherein:

[0019] The third high-voltage isolation is used to receive the second ultrasonic echo signal after insertion loss compensation output by the second high-voltage isolation, and output the second ultrasonic echo signal to the optional receiving tuning unit;

[0020] The optional receiving tuning unit is used to tune and filter the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a third ultrasonic echo signal, and send the third ultrasonic echo signal to the analog front-end unit;

[0021] The analog front-end unit is configured to amplify, filter, and sample the third ultrasonic echo signal based on the voltage signal output by the time gain control unit, and then send the amplified signal to the transmitting and receiving controller;

[0022] The time gain control unit is used to output a voltage signal to the analog front-end unit, and the voltage signal is used to control the gain of the analog front-end unit to be positively correlated with the depth of the third ultrasonic echo signal.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group are each composed of two high-voltage metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) connected in parallel, the gate of the high-voltage MOS is connected to the high-voltage driver, the drain of the high-voltage MOS is connected to the first receiving isolation diode, the source of the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group is connected to the positive emission voltage, and the source of the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group is connected to the negative emission voltage;

[0024] The first high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes two junction field-effect transistors, and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes two insulated gate field-effect transistors.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first receiving isolation diode includes a first diode, a second diode, a third diode and a fourth diode, the anodes of the first diode and the second diode are respectively connected to the drain of the junction field effect transistor, and the cathodes of the third diode and the fourth diode are connected to the drain of the insulated gate field effect transistor.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first high-voltage isolation and the second high-voltage isolation are formed by bridge diodes;

[0027] The bridge diode has a first port connected to the anodes of the two diodes, and the first port is connected to the working voltage through a resistor;

[0028] The bridge diode has a second port connected to the cathodes of the two diodes, and the second port is connected to the source voltage through the resistor, wherein the operating voltage is greater than the source voltage;

[0029] Of the remaining two ports of the first high-voltage isolation, one port is connected to the probe base, and the other port is connected to the front-stage LNA;

[0030] Of the remaining two ports of the second high-voltage isolation, one port is connected to the first receiving isolation diode, and the other port is connected to the front-stage LNA.

[0031] In some embodiments, the optional receiving tuning unit includes a capacitor, an inductor module, a bidirectional diode and a resistor, and the capacitor, inductor module, bidirectional diode and resistor are connected in parallel; wherein the inductor module includes multiple parallel inductors, and each inductor is independently controlled by a corresponding switch.

[0032] In some embodiments, the high-voltage driver includes a first high-voltage driver connected in series with the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group, and a second high-voltage driver connected in series with the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group;

[0033] When the voltage output by the first high-voltage driver is lower than the positive emission voltage, the first high-voltage field effect transistor group is turned on;

[0034] When the voltage output by the second high-voltage driver is higher than the cathode emission voltage, the second high-voltage field effect transistor group is turned on;

[0035] Wherein, the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group are not turned on at the same time.

[0036] In a second aspect, the present application proposes an ultrasonic instrument, comprising:

[0037] The device as described in any one of the first aspects of the present application;

[0038] A power supply for supplying power to any device in the first aspect of the present application;

[0039] Probe base, used to install the probe.

[0040] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application bring at least the following beneficial effects:

[0041] This application synchronizes the first ultrasonic signal emitted by the transmitting / receiving controller with a synchronization trigger to generate a synchronization signal. The transmitting module increases the current and frequency of the synchronization signal to generate a second ultrasonic signal, achieving high-frequency transmission. When receiving the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, the receiving module performs insertion loss compensation on the first ultrasonic echo signal and then sends it to the transmitting / receiving controller to achieve ultrasonic signal reception.

[0042] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings introduced below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0044] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of an ultrasonic device according to the related art provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 1bA schematic diagram of a signal waveform collected by a probe base in the related art provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 1c This is a schematic diagram of a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2a This is one of the schematic diagrams of the transmitting module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 2b The second schematic diagram of the transmitting module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 3a A schematic diagram of the output timing of dual high-voltage field-effect transistors provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 3b A schematic diagram of the signal waveform collected by the probe base provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 4a One of the receiving module schematics provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 4b The second schematic diagram of the receiving module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 5 The second schematic diagram of the ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an ultrasonic instrument provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in the text is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0057] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to imply or suggest relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0058] While portable ultrasound devices can achieve high-frequency performance, system noise is difficult to control. The structure of desktop ultrasound devices prevents further reduction in the distance between the output port of the integrated high-voltage pulse transmitter and the probe base, requiring only increased transmission frequency to meet high-frequency requirements. Handheld ultrasound devices theoretically support a wide frequency range, but are limited by their size and insufficient transmission voltage and power.

[0059] like Figure 1a As shown, in the related art, the ultrasonic device transmits a high-voltage excitation signal to the probe base through an integrated high-voltage pulse transmitter. The ultrasonic echo signal returned by the probe base is sent to the AFE unit through a conversion switch. The AFE unit amplifies, filters, and samples the ultrasonic echo signal, and then sends the signal to the transmitting and receiving controller. The TGC unit is used to adjust the gain of the AFE unit, and the conversion switch is used to protect the AFE unit from being penetrated by the transmission. However, the distance from the output port of the integrated high-voltage pulse transmitter to the probe base is too far, resulting in insufficient transmission voltage and power of the device, limited sampling rate, and unable to meet high-frequency requirements. For special examinations that require high frequency, only specialized portable ultrasound equipment can be used. However, due to the difficulty in controlling system noise, users ignore details in the ultrasound image.

[0060] Figure 1b The results obtained based on simulation experiments are Figure 1a Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic signal waveform collected at the probe base. The transmission voltage of the integrated high-voltage pulse generator is 75V, and the ultrasonic signal frequency is 20MHz. From the second peak, the waveform of the ultrasonic signal is stable, and the voltage peak is about 67V. The rising and falling edges of the waveform are usually calculated based on 10% to 90% of the transmission voltage. Figure 1b It can be seen that the rising and falling edges of the waveform are approximately 16ns each. If the standard pulse width condition is followed, the time for the level to maintain 90% of the emission voltage should be greater than or equal to The pulse width setting condition is that the time for the level to maintain at 90% of the emission voltage in half a cycle is Therefore, within half a cycle, the time required for the rising and falling edges to maintain 90% of the transmitting voltage is 16ns, and the minimum cycle of the ultrasonic signal is (16+16+16)*2=96ns ( Figure 1bEvery two peaks in the wave form a cycle, corresponding to a frequency of 10.4 MHz. If the transmit pulse reaches the set transmit voltage value, the minimum supported cycle is (16 + 16) * 2 = 64 ns, corresponding to a frequency of 15.6 MHz. If the set transmit voltage value cannot be reached, the required penetration depth cannot be achieved.

[0061] Based on simulation results, the insertion loss of the echo signal emitted by a 20MHz ultrasound signal through the probe base is approximately 7.2dB. Based on the average human attenuation coefficient of 0.7dB / MHz.cm, the maximum detection depth of a 20MHz ultrasound signal is 3.57cm. However, due to the influence of desktop ultrasound cable length on bandwidth, the actual reception depth is reduced by 0.5cm, resulting in the inability to clearly see the deeper blood flow signals of some superficial organs in the generated ultrasound image.

[0062] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application proposes a high-frequency ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device.

[0063] This application synchronizes the first ultrasonic signal emitted by the transmitting and receiving controller with a synchronization trigger to generate a synchronization signal. The synchronization signal is then increased in voltage by a high-voltage driver in the transmitting module, and the current and frequency are increased by a dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group in the transmitting module to generate a second ultrasonic signal, achieving high-frequency transmission. This improves both superficial and deep penetration during diagnosis. Upon receiving the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, the pre-stage low-noise amplifier of the receiving module performs insertion loss compensation on the first ultrasonic echo signal to generate the second ultrasonic echo signal. The pre-stage low-noise amplifier has the characteristic of lower gain and lower noise. Insertion loss compensation is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal as soon as it is acquired, enabling insertion loss compensation to be performed near the probe base. The closer to the probe base, the lower the gain required by the pre-stage low-noise amplifier, resulting in less system noise and improved ultrasonic image clarity. An optional receiver tuning unit adjusts the bandwidth of the receiving module to ensure that the low-frequency portion of the second ultrasonic echo signal is filtered out, further increasing the high-frequency energy and signal resolution, resulting in a third ultrasonic echo signal. Finally, the third ultrasonic echo signal is sent to the transmitting and receiving controller through the analog front-end unit and the time gain unit to realize ultrasonic signal reception.

[0064] Compared with the existing technology, when the present application is applied to handheld ultrasonic devices, portable ultrasonic devices and desktop ultrasonic devices, the voltage is increased by a high-voltage driver, the current and frequency of the corresponding ultrasonic device are increased by the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group in the transmitting module, and the system noise of the portable ultrasonic device is reduced by the front-stage low-noise amplifier, which is beneficial to improving the clarity of the ultrasonic image.

[0065] After introducing the design concept of the embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] like Figure 1c As shown, an ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application includes: a transmitting and receiving controller 11, a synchronization trigger 12, a transmitting module 13, and a receiving module 14. The ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device 10 is connected to a probe base 15.

[0067] The transmitting and receiving controller 11 is used to transmit a first ultrasonic signal to the synchronization trigger 12 .

[0068] The synchronization trigger 12 is used to perform a synchronization operation on the transmission waveform signal of each channel in the first ultrasonic signal, and send a synchronization signal obtained by the synchronization operation to the transmission module 13.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the transmit / receive controller 11 is a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which includes multiple transmit channels. Each channel can transmit a first ultrasonic signal based on a clock signal. Because the rising edge timing of the clock signal of different channels is different, the first ultrasonic signals of different channels need to be synchronized in a synchronization trigger.

[0070] The transmitting module 13 is used to increase the current and frequency of the synchronization signal to obtain a second ultrasonic signal.

[0071] exist Figure 2a In the schematic diagram of the transmitter module 13 shown, the transmitter module 13 includes a high-voltage driver 131, a dual high-voltage FET group 132, a first receiving isolation diode 133, and a second receiving isolation diode D7, connected in series. The high-voltage driver 131 includes a first high-voltage driver U1A and a second high-voltage driver U2A connected in parallel. The dual high-voltage FET group 132 includes a first high-voltage FET group 1321 and a second high-voltage FET group 1322 connected in parallel.

[0072] In this embodiment of the present application, based on the application requirements of ultrasonic signals in the medical field, the frequency of the second ultrasonic signal is higher than that of the synchronization signal. After the synchronization signal is input into the first high-voltage driver U1A and the second high-voltage driver U2A, the high-voltage driver 131 converts the synchronization signal into a corresponding high-voltage excitation signal to increase the signal voltage and control the conduction of the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group 1321 or the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group 1322.

[0073] The structures of the first high voltage field effect transistor group 1321 and the second high voltage field effect transistor group 1322 are as follows: Figure 2bThe first high-voltage field effect transistor group 1321 is composed of two high-voltage metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) Q1 and Q2 connected in parallel, and the second high-voltage field effect transistor group 1322 is composed of two high-voltage MOS Q3 and Q4 connected in parallel.

[0074] like Figure 2b As shown, the gates of high-voltage MOS transistors Q1 and Q2 are connected to the first high-voltage driver U1A, and the gates of high-voltage MOS transistors Q3 and Q4 are connected to the second high-voltage driver U2A. The drains of high-voltage MOS transistors Q1-Q4 are connected to the first receiving isolation diode 133. The sources of Q1 and Q2 of the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group 1321 are connected to the positive-emitter voltage HVP, and the sources of Q3 and Q4 of the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group 1322 are connected to the negative-emitter voltage HVN.

[0075] Assume that high-voltage MOS Q1 and Q2 are junction-type (P) high-voltage MOS, and high-voltage MOS Q3 and Q4 are insulated-gate (N) high-voltage MOS. In the embodiment of the present application, the high-voltage excitation signal emitted by the first high-voltage driver U1A is called a P-type high-voltage excitation signal; the high-voltage excitation signal emitted by the second high-voltage driver U2A is called an N-type high-voltage excitation signal. The waveforms of the P-type high-voltage excitation signal and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal are as follows: Figure 3a As shown in the figure, when the high-voltage excitation signal begins to be transmitted at time t0, the P-type high-voltage excitation signal starts at a high level and the high and low-level signals change at a specified period. The N-type high-voltage excitation signal starts at a low level and the low and high-level signals change at a specified period. If the cycle is calculated as a continuous complete high-level and low-level signal change starting from the rising or falling edge, the waveform of the P-type high-voltage excitation signal is equivalent to the N-type high-voltage excitation signal after shifting half a period.

[0076] To prevent the first high-voltage FET group 1321 and the second high-voltage FET group 1322 from being turned on simultaneously, the present application sets the first high-voltage FET group 1321 to be turned on when the high-voltage excitation signal output by the first high-voltage driver U1A is high and the high-voltage excitation signal output by the second high-voltage driver U2A is low. When the voltage value of the high-voltage excitation signal output by the first high-voltage driver U2A is high and the high-voltage excitation signal output by the first high-voltage driver U1A is low, the second high-voltage FET group 1322 is turned on, further increasing the signal frequency. The conduction conditions of Q1-Q4 are shown in Table 1.

[0077]

[0078] Table 1

[0079] As can be seen from Table 1, when the P-type high-voltage excitation signal and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal output opposite signals at the same time, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 outputs the positive emission voltage HVP or the negative emission voltage HVN; when the P-type high-voltage excitation signal and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal output high levels at the same time, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 is grounded; when the P-type high-voltage excitation signal and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal output low levels at the same time, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 is in a high-impedance state, and at this time the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 directly outputs the high-voltage excitation signal.

[0080] The signal waveform output by the dual high-voltage field effect tube group 132 according to the received high-voltage excitation signal is as follows: Figure 3a As shown. Figure 3a It can be seen that from time t0 onwards, when the P-type high-voltage excitation signal is detected to be high and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal is detected to be low, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 outputs a positive emission voltage HVP. When the P-type high-voltage excitation signal is detected to be low and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal is detected to be high, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 outputs a negative emission voltage HVN. If both the P-type high-voltage excitation signal and the N-type high-voltage excitation signal are detected to be high, the output voltage of the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 is 0.

[0081] Therefore, after receiving the high-voltage excitation signal, the dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group 132 outputs the positive emission voltage HVP or the negative emission voltage HVN and sends it to the first receiving isolation diode 133 .

[0082] In such Figure 2b The first receiving isolation diode 133 shown includes four diodes, namely a first diode D1, a second diode D2, a third diode D3, and a fourth diode D4. The anodes of the first diode D1 and the second diode D2 are connected to the drains of the first high-voltage MOSs Q1 and Q2, and the cathodes of the third diode D3 and the fourth diode D4 are connected to the drains of the second high-voltage MOSs Q3 and Q4. To prevent the first receiving isolation diode 133 from breaking down, the reverse breakdown voltage of the diodes D1 to D4 in the first receiving isolation diode 133 is greater than the sum of the absolute values ​​of the positive emission voltage HVP and the negative emission voltage HVN. For example, if Figure 2b The voltage range of the positive emission voltage HVP is 0-100V, and the voltage range of the negative emission voltage HVN is -100-0V. Therefore, the reverse breakdown voltage of the diodes D1-D4 in the first receiving isolation diode 133 is greater than 200V.

[0083] The structure of the second receiving isolation diode D7 is as follows Figure 2b, is a bidirectional diode that outputs the output signal of the first receiving isolation diode 133 as a second ultrasonic signal. The bidirectional diode has a voltage stabilizing function, which is used to ensure that the voltage of the output signal of the first receiving isolation diode 133 and the voltage of the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal emitted by the probe base 15 are within the reverse breakdown voltage, preventing the diode from being broken down. At the same time, the second receiving isolation diode D7 has the characteristics of passing high voltage and blocking low voltage, playing the role of receiving isolation. The voltage value of the ultrasonic echo signal is much lower than the voltage value that meets the conduction condition of the second receiving isolation diode D7. Therefore, it can ensure that the ultrasonic echo signal is blocked by the second receiving isolation diode D7 from the probe base and transmitted from the receiving module 14 to the transmitting and receiving controller 11. At this time, the second receiving isolation diode D7 is not conductive when receiving the ultrasonic echo signal, and appears in a high-impedance state for the dual high-voltage field effect transistor 132, further reducing the receiving insertion loss.

[0084] The probe base 15 in this application collects the signal, and the collected waveform is as follows: Figure 3b shown. Figure 3b The following waveforms are given as examples, still taking the transmitting voltage of the transmitting module 12 as 75V as an example. When the voltage reaches 67V, the rising edge is about 8 to 9ns. Figure 1b The rising edge of the waveform in the figure is increased by about 7 to 8 ns. According to the time when the level is maintained at 90% of the transmitting voltage, it should be greater than or equal to The pulse width setting condition is that one cycle is approximately (8+8+8)×2=48ns, and the corresponding frequency is approximately 20MHz. Figure 3b The maximum voltage that can be reached is about 98V. At this time, one cycle is about (8+8)×2=24ns, and the highest frequency that can be reached is about 30MHZ, which meets the needs of high-frequency imaging.

[0085] The receiving module 14 is configured to receive the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, perform insertion loss compensation on the first ultrasonic echo signal, and then send the signal to the transmitting and receiving controller 11 .

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, the structure of the receiving module 14 is as follows: Figure 4a As shown, it includes an insertion loss compensation unit 141, a third high voltage isolation diode D9, an optional receiving tuning unit 142, an active front end (AFE) unit 143, and a time gain control (TGC) unit 144. The insertion loss compensation unit 141 is connected in parallel with the second receiving isolation diode D7.

[0087] The structure of the insertion loss compensation unit 141 is as follows: Figure 4bAs shown, it includes a first high-voltage isolation D6, a pre-stage LNA (i.e., U3A), a second high-voltage isolation D5, and resistors R1-R4 connected in series. The first high-voltage isolation D6 connects the probe base to the pre-stage LNA, while the second high-voltage isolation D5 connects the pre-stage LNA U3A to the first receiving isolation diode 133.

[0088] In this application, the ultrasonic echo signal travels from the first receiving isolation diode 133 to the probe base 15 through the backplane and probe switching board. This results in a long distance from the probe base 15 to the transmitter and receiver boards, reducing the insertion loss during transmission and reception, which in turn affects the transmission frequency of the second ultrasonic signal and the reception frequency of the first ultrasonic echo signal. Therefore, the pre-stage LNA U3A is required to reduce the insertion loss and thus increase the transmission frequency of the second ultrasonic signal and the reception frequency of the first ultrasonic echo signal.

[0089] Because the insertion loss of the ultrasonic echo signal decreases as it is closer to the probe base 15, the pre-stage LNA U3A needs to amplify at a lower gain. Furthermore, the pre-stage LNA U3A exhibits lower noise as its gain decreases. Therefore, the pre-stage LNA U3A is placed close to the probe base to prevent excessive noise that could affect user experience.

[0090] like Figure 4b As shown in FIG, since the load voltage of the front-stage LNA U3A is limited, the second high-voltage isolation D5 and the first high-voltage isolation D6 are required to control the voltage of the ultrasonic echo signal input to the front-stage LNA to be between the source voltage VSS and the operating voltage VDD. The structure of the second high-voltage isolation D5 and the first high-voltage isolation D6 is shown in FIG. Figure 4b The figure shows a bridge diode consisting of four diodes. The bridge diode has a first port connected to the anodes of the two diodes, connected to the operating voltage VDD via resistors R1 and R3; and a second port connected to the cathodes of the two diodes, connected to the source voltage VSS via resistors R2 and R4. The operating voltage VDD is greater than the source voltage VSS. Of the remaining two ports of the first high-voltage isolation D6, one is connected to the probe base 15, and the other is connected to the pre-stage LNA. Of the remaining two ports of the second high-voltage isolation D5, one is connected to the third high-voltage isolation D9, and the other is connected to the pre-stage LNA U3A.

[0091] In the embodiment of the present application, the load voltage of the front-stage LNA U3A is much less than 200V. To prevent the front-stage LNA U3A from being broken down by the high voltage, the present application adjusts the resistance values ​​of the resistors R1 to R4 in the insertion loss compensation unit 141 so that the voltage value of the ultrasonic echo signal is maintained between VSS and VDD, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the front-stage LNA U3A.

[0092] In this application, the third high-voltage isolation D9 is used to receive the second ultrasonic echo signal after insertion loss compensation. The second ultrasonic echo signal has high-frequency characteristics and filters out low-frequency noise. However, the second ultrasonic echo signal has increased insertion loss in the low-frequency portion, which cannot meet the requirements of low-frequency probes such as convex arrays and phased arrays. Therefore, the second ultrasonic echo signal needs to be output to the optional receive tuning unit 142 through the third high-voltage isolation D9.

[0093] The third high-voltage isolation D9 has the same structure as the first high-voltage isolation D6 and the second high-voltage isolation D5. The third high-voltage isolation D9 is used to ensure that the voltage value of the second ultrasonic echo signal is between VSS and VDD, so that the optional receiving tuning unit 142, the AFE unit 143 and the TGC unit 144 will not receive overload voltage.

[0094] like Figure 4b As shown, the optional receiving tuning unit 142 is used to tune and filter the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a third ultrasonic echo signal, and send the third ultrasonic echo signal to the AFE unit 143.

[0095] In the embodiments of this application, Figure 4b The optional receiving tuning unit 142 includes a capacitor, an inductor module 1421, a bidirectional diode D8 and a resistor, and the capacitor C, the inductor module 1421, the bidirectional diode D8 and the resistor R5 are connected in parallel. Among them, the inductor module 1421 includes multiple inductors connected in parallel, and each inductor is independently controlled by a corresponding switch. Taking the present application as an example, the inductor module 1421 includes inductors L1~L3, and each inductor is independently controlled by a corresponding switch S1~S3. By switching the switch to control different inductors to conduct, the unnecessary low frequency in the third ultrasonic signal is filtered out and the power of the third ultrasonic signal is increased.

[0096] In this application, Figure 4b The bidirectional diode D8 is used to further protect the optional receive tuning unit 142, ensuring that the third ultrasonic echo signal is within the conduction voltage of the bidirectional diode D8 and does not cause saturation of the AFE unit 143. S1-S3 are low-voltage analog switches that can be used to switch between different inductors, thereby adjusting the bandwidth of the receive channel and ensuring that the third ultrasonic echo signal can reach the maximum input dynamic range. Due to the presence of an equivalent resistor in the AFE unit 143 (any device has an obstruction effect on current flow, and the equivalent resistor is the resistance value generated by the internal structure of the AFE unit 143, not the actual resistor device), and the presence of an equivalent capacitor (similar to the meaning of an equivalent resistor) in the process from the probe base to the TGC unit, it is also necessary to set a resistor R5 and a capacitor C to represent the equivalent resistance and equivalent capacitance of the AFE unit 143 to prevent the equivalent resistance of the AFE unit and the equivalent capacitance from the probe base 15 to the TGC unit 144 from affecting the power of the third ultrasonic echo signal.

[0097] The AFE unit 143 is configured to amplify, filter, and sample the third ultrasonic echo signal based on the voltage signal output by the time gain control unit 144 , and then send the amplified signal to the transmitting and receiving controller.

[0098] In this embodiment of the present application, when the received signal voltage, current, or frequency is too low to meet the device's carrier-to-noise ratio requirements, the AFE unit amplifies the signal to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. During transmission, the third ultrasonic echo signal may be mixed with interference signals caused by the driver amplifier and power supply switching, resulting in aliasing of the third ultrasonic echo signal. To eliminate aliasing, the AFE unit filters the third ultrasonic echo signal at different sampling rates and sends it to the transmit / receive controller 11.

[0099] The time gain control unit 144 is configured to output a voltage signal to the AFE unit 143 . The voltage signal is configured to control the gain of the AFE unit 143 to be positively correlated with the depth of the third ultrasonic echo signal.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, if a high-frequency receiving function of, for example, 20 MHz or higher is to be achieved, the AFE unit 143 should meet the requirement of a sampling rate of at least 100 MHz or higher. The control voltage range of the AFE unit 143 is 0 to VTGC, and the attenuation range (gain range of the AFE unit) is approximately 0 to Avca db. The attenuation coefficient in the human body is constant, with a value of 0.7 dB*MHz. -1 *cm -1 , the frequency of the ultrasonic signal is calculated as frx MHz, and the frequency depth of the ultrasonic signal corresponding to the AFE unit 143 should be Assuming that the speed of sound is 1540 m / s (ie 0.154 cm / us), the slew rate of the voltage of the TGC unit 144 should be greater than The bandwidth of the TGC unit 144 should be greater than

[0101] The TGC unit 144 increases the gain of the AFE unit 143 by sending a high-bandwidth voltage to the AFE unit 143, thereby increasing the frequency depth of the ultrasonic signal corresponding to the AFE unit 143, so that the AFE unit 143 can amplify, filter and sample the third ultrasonic echo signal.

[0102] like Figure 5The figure shows a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device according to the present application. FPGA 11 transmits a first ultrasonic signal to synchronization trigger 12, which then outputs a synchronization signal. The synchronization signal passes through the first high-voltage driver U1A, the second high-voltage driver U2A, high-voltage MOS transistors Q1-Q4, diodes D1-D4, and the second receiving isolation diode D7 in the transmitter module 13, where the current is increased, resulting in a second ultrasonic signal with high-frequency characteristics. The device according to the present application can improve the high-frequency performance of handheld and desktop ultrasonic devices, and further enhance the high-frequency performance of portable ultrasonic devices. The probe base 15 returns the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal to the first high-voltage isolation diode D6, the second high-voltage isolation diode D5, the pre-stage LNA U3A, and the third high-voltage isolation diode D9. The receiving module 14 performs insertion loss compensation, tuning and filtering, amplification, and sampling on the first ultrasonic echo signal before sending it to FPGA 11. The insertion loss compensation and the characteristics of the pre-stage LNA U3A reduce system noise, improving the image quality of portable ultrasonic devices used in clinical ultrasonic diagnosis.

[0103] like Figure 6 The figure shows an ultrasonic instrument 20 provided by the present application, which includes a probe base 15, a power supply 16 and an ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device 10.

[0104] The power supply 16 is used to supply power to the probe base 15 and the ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device 10 .

[0105] The probe seat 15 is used to install the probe.

[0106] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present application.

[0107] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic signal transmitting and receiving device, characterized in that: The device includes a transmitting and receiving controller, a synchronous trigger, a transmitting module and a receiving module. The receiving module includes an insertion loss compensation unit, which includes a pre-stage LNA, a first high-voltage isolation and a second high-voltage isolation. The first high-voltage isolation and the second high-voltage isolation are composed of bridge diodes. The bridge diode has a first port connected to the anodes of the two diodes, and the first port is connected to the working voltage through a resistor. The bridge diode has a second port connected to the cathodes of the two diodes, and the second port is connected to the source voltage through the resistor, wherein the working voltage is greater than the source voltage. Of the remaining two ports of the first high-voltage isolation, one port is connected to a probe base, and the other port is connected to the pre-stage LNA. Of the remaining two ports of the second high-voltage isolation, one port is connected to the first receiving isolation diode, and the other port is connected to the pre-stage LNA. The transmitting and receiving controller is used to transmit a first ultrasonic signal to the synchronization trigger; The synchronization trigger is used to perform a synchronization operation on the transmission waveform signal of each channel in the first ultrasonic signal, and send a synchronization signal obtained by the synchronization operation to the transmission module; The transmitting module is configured to increase the current and frequency of the synchronization signal to obtain a second ultrasonic signal; The receiving module is configured to receive the first ultrasonic echo signal of the second ultrasonic signal, and perform insertion loss compensation on the first ultrasonic echo signal before sending the signal to the transmitting and receiving controller.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The transmitting module includes a high-voltage driver, a dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group, a first receiving isolation diode and a second receiving isolation diode connected in series in sequence; wherein: The dual high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes a first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and a second high-voltage field-effect transistor group connected in parallel; The high-voltage driver is connected to the synchronous trigger.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The insertion loss compensation unit is arranged in parallel with the second receiving isolation diode; The first high-voltage isolation, the front-stage LNA, and the second high-voltage isolation are connected in series in this order, and the first high-voltage isolation connects the probe base and the front-stage LNA, and the second high-voltage isolation connects the front-stage LNA and the first receiving isolation diode of the transmitting module; The first high-voltage isolation and the second high-voltage isolation are used to control the voltage of the ultrasonic echo signal input to the front-stage LNA to be between the source voltage and the operating voltage.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that The receiving module further includes an analog front end unit, a time gain control unit, a third high voltage isolation unit and an optional receiving tuning unit, wherein: The third high-voltage isolation is used to receive the second ultrasonic echo signal after insertion loss compensation output by the second high-voltage isolation, and output the second ultrasonic echo signal to the optional receiving tuning unit; The optional receiving tuning unit is used to tune and filter the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a third ultrasonic echo signal, and send the third ultrasonic echo signal to the analog front-end unit; The analog front-end unit is configured to amplify, filter, and sample the third ultrasonic echo signal based on the voltage signal output by the time gain control unit, and then send the amplified signal to the transmitting and receiving controller; The time gain control unit is used to output a voltage signal to the analog front-end unit, and the voltage signal is used to control the gain of the analog front-end unit to be positively correlated with the depth of the third ultrasonic echo signal.

5. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group are each composed of two high-voltage metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) connected in parallel, the gate of the high-voltage MOS is connected to the high-voltage driver, the drain of the high-voltage MOS is connected to the first receiving isolation diode, the source of the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group is connected to the positive emission voltage, and the source of the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group is connected to the negative emission voltage; The first high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes two junction field-effect transistors, and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group includes two insulated gate field-effect transistors.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The first receiving isolation diode includes a first diode, a second diode, a third diode and a fourth diode. The anodes of the first diode and the second diode are respectively connected to the drain of the junction field effect transistor, and the cathodes of the third diode and the fourth diode are connected to the drain of the insulated gate field effect transistor.

7. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The optional receiving tuning unit includes a capacitor, an inductor module, a bidirectional diode and a resistor, and the capacitor, inductor module, bidirectional diode and resistor are connected in parallel; wherein the inductor module includes multiple parallel inductors, and each inductor is independently controlled by a corresponding switch.

8. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The high-voltage driver includes a first high-voltage driver connected in series with the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group, and a second high-voltage driver connected in series with the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group; When the voltage output by the first high-voltage driver is lower than the positive emission voltage, the first high-voltage field effect transistor group is turned on; When the voltage output by the second high-voltage driver is higher than the cathode emission voltage, the second high-voltage field effect transistor group is turned on; Wherein, the first high-voltage field-effect transistor group and the second high-voltage field-effect transistor group are not turned on at the same time.

9. An ultrasonic instrument, characterized in that: include: The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A power supply for supplying power to any of the devices in claims 1 to 8 of the present application; Probe base, used to install the probe.

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