Electronic Systems

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic system (1) comprising: - an electronic array (3) of a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements (3a); - a control unit (40) coupled to the electronic array (3) for controlling the electronic array (3); and - a data processing unit (41) for receiving data from the electronic array (3) and processing the received data, wherein the electronic system (1) further comprises a beamformer module (43), the beamformer module (43) configured to address the plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements (3a) to form beams (B1, B2).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic systems, especially for medical purposes such as monitoring and / or regulating physiological parameters. [Background technology]

[0002] Wearable electronic monitoring systems may be used to monitor physiological parameters such as cardiac function over time. For example, such electronic systems may be embodied as monitoring and / or actuation systems with multiple sensors such as electrodes, ultrasound sensors, miniature cameras, light emitting elements, etc. The electronic systems may be worn on the body in the form of a patch.

[0003] US 2016 / 0136462 A1 discloses a wearable electronic system in the form of an ultrasound device and a method of using the device, the device including a power controller with a power source and at least one integrated circuit that sends power to an applicator. The applicator is electrically coupled to the power controller, and a surface of the applicator transmits ultrasound waves to the wearer for a given duration. The applicator includes radio frequency (RF) drive electronics, an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the drive electronics, and a monitoring device including a thermal cutoff coupled to the drive electronics.

[0004] WO 2018 / 102828 A1 discloses an ultrasound coupling patch for use with an ultrasound transducer, more particularly an ultrasound coupling patch with a gel capture function.

[0005] WO 2019 / 162485 A1 discloses a method and apparatus for performing ultrasonic measurements in a propagation medium containing inhomogeneities using a transmitter / transducer comprising multiple transmitting elements for emitting ultrasonic excitation pressure waves.

[0006] In electronic systems with a large number of sensors and / or actuator elements, sampling every single sensor and / or actuator element individually leads to an enormous amount of data. The system therefore requires high throughput and processing capabilities for this data. Driving and reading out such an array and all its individual sensors and / or actuator elements requires a large amount of power.

[0007] System complexity must be considered to reduce the overall data rate and power consumption while maintaining sufficient image quality for each application.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic system that allows efficient data acquisition, processing and processing without negatively impacting the overall data quality.

[0009] This problem is solved by an electronic system according to claim 1 of the attached claim set. Further advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent claims. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Thus, the electronic system: - an electronic array of a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements; a control unit coupled to the electronic array for controlling the electronic array; a data processing unit for receiving data from the electronic array and processing the received data; The electronic system further comprises a beamformer module configured to address the plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements to form the controllable beam.

[0011] The invention is based on the idea that a number of sensing and / or actuating elements are controlled by a beamformer module such that they generate or detect a physical beam (e.g. sound, light, RF signal, etc.). The beam of signals emitted by the sensing and / or actuating elements may be such that signals are emitted only by certain sensing and / or actuating elements, i.e. a selected number of sensing and / or actuating elements out of the total number of sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0012] In particular, the beamformer module may be configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements, or to a plurality of the sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0013] This advantageously allows high resolution measurements and / or easy control of beam focusing and / or beam steering.

[0014] In particular, a time delay may be applied when an electronic array element or multiple sensing and / or actuating elements are used to transmit ultrasonic pulses and / or receive ultrasonic signals.

[0015] The time delay of one electronic array element or multiple sensing and / or actuating elements may be defined relative to the control of other transducer array elements.

[0016] Also, the beamformer module and / or another unit of the system may be utilized to determine the delays, in particular, the delays are determined for each electronic array element or for multiple sensing and / or actuating elements and the determined delays are applied thereto.

[0017] In particular, the beamformer module is configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements, or to a plurality of the sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0018] This advantageously allows for high resolution measurements, easy control of beam focusing and / or beam steering.

[0019] Additionally, the electronic system may further comprise a sub-array definition module, the sub-array definition module configured to define at least one sub-array of sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0020] Furthermore, the subarray definition module may be configured to control at least one subarray as a functional unit for transmitting at least one actuation signal and / or receiving at least one sensing signal. A functional unit is a unit of sensing and / or actuation elements that are functionally enabled and set active together. In other words, several sensing and / or actuation elements are grouped together as one functional unit and treated as a single "element", i.e., the combined sensing and / or actuation elements are driven simultaneously as if they were a single unit.

[0021] The subarray definition module contains the functionality to select the active elements of the electronic array. In electronic arrays with a row-column based architecture, this means that there may be a row and / or column selection module as part of the subarray definition module, which defines the active rows and columns of the electronic array, and the intersection of the active rows and active columns defines the subarray. In addition, there may also be a channel selection module. The channel selection module advantageously allows the connection of "L" outputs of the electronic array to a set of "M" inputs of the analog front end and / or beamformer, where M<=L, which allows a reduction in the amount of channels required to drive the array. The channel selection module can be physically implemented as part of the electronic array, for example at its periphery, adjacent to the array elements, or the channel selection module can be implemented in a separate IC. The output of the channel selection module can be directly connected to the beamformer, but preferably it first connects to a signal conditioning module (e.g. filters, amplifiers and / or time gain amplifiers) in the analog front end. The channel selection module can be configured to connect channels along one or more dimensions of the electronic array, for example in a row-column based architecture, the channels may be connected along rows and / or columns.

[0022] The electronic system may be configured such that signals can be passed between different beamformer modules, and further such that the subarray definition module is configured such that at least one subarray can be positioned anywhere within the larger electronic array of the electronic system.

[0023] Additionally, at least two beamformer modules may be provided, and the electronic system may be further configured such that partial beamforming is performed in separate beamformer modules prior to combining the signals in a second stage beamformer.

[0024] There may be one or more beamformer modules.

[0025] One or more beamformer modules may be implemented as hardware portions of an electronic system.

[0026] Each beamformer module may be embodied such that it can control a portion of the electronic system.

[0027] In particular, the beamformer may be implemented in a hardware module (e.g., a circuit or IC) of the electronic system. There may be multiple beamformers in the system, with each beamformer controlling a portion of the electronic array. The beamformers may be implemented in a single IC or distributed in different ICs. The beamformers generating the beam and receiving the beam may be two separate hardware implementations. For example, in the transmit channel, the beamformer generating the physical pulses may be implemented as a set of pulsers connected to the physical transducers. The timing between the pulsers may be controlled separately or in a coordinated manner to control the generation of the physical beam. The receive beamformer may be implemented as a hardware module that controls the timing of the individual receive channels and combines them in a coherent manner. Implementing the receive beamformer as hardware advantageously allows for a reduction in data rate towards the rest of the system by combining N signals from the sensing elements in the electronic array into at least one output. The receive signals from the sensing elements are combined by the receive beamformer to produce the required beamforming, beam steering, and / or beam focusing. N can be, for example, 4, 8, 16, 32, or any value in between, and the amount of output channels M is less than N, preferably 1. This reduces the data rate towards the rest of the system by a factor of N / M.

[0028] Furthermore, the beamformer module may be implemented in at least one integrated circuit (IC).

[0029] Implementing various beamformers in the same IC or distributed across different ICs can result in discontinuous boundaries between different parts of the electronic array, beyond which beamforming cannot occur. The present invention addresses this by configuring the beamformers to allow signals to be exchanged between different beamformers. This allows one beamformer to take signals from an adjacent part of the electronic system, advantageously allowing beamforming across boundaries between different parts of the electronic array. The connection can be made physically through wire transfer from one beamformer module to another, and signals from one area can thus be passed to a beamformer in another area, thereby allowing beamforming with elements from an adjacent part (area) of the electronic system. This physical interconnection can be made by splitting the signal lines just before the beamformer stage, transferring the signals from one beamformer channel to another, and using switches to control the signal path, and in a more general scheme, signals can be passed between three or more beamforming stages. If the beamformers are implemented in an IC, the signals can be routed within the same array if one IC contains several arrays, or the signals can be routed between two different ICs to connect beamformers implemented in different ICs. Another option for interconnecting at least two beamformers is to branch the signal lines coming from the electronic array before they reach the input stage of the control unit, for example if the beamformers are implemented in an IC, the signal lines branch and connect to two different ICs, and a switch on the electronic array or between the electronic array and the IC controls the signal path. Alternatively, the connection can be implemented virtually, in which case each beamformer performs a summation of a part of the signal and the other beamformer performs a summation of another part of the signal. In a final step, the signals are combined in an additional common output stage to generate the fully beamformed signal. This output stage can be implemented in software or as a second hardware stage.

[0030] The HW beamformer may be configured to handle signals generated by an array arranged in a row-column architecture. Connecting the HW beamformer to outputs along the rows and / or columns of the array allows the beamformer to receive signals from either the rows or columns or a combination thereof. This advantageously allows for azimuth and / or elevation receive operation.

[0031] The beamformer module may be configured to drive the rows and columns of the electronic array.

[0032] Furthermore, the subarray definition module and the beamformer module can be combined to allow smooth placement and beamforming of the subarrays within the larger electronic array, with "smooth" in this context referring to the ability to place the subarrays in the larger electronic array with an accuracy equal to the size of a single electronic array element or a multiple of this value. The accuracy of the position can vary along different dimensions of the array. For the channel selection module, such smooth placement can be achieved by routing different outputs of the array to the same input of the beamformer, while a switch (or a collection of switches) can control the signal path and placement of the receive channels in the larger array. In particular, interleaving of channels from the electronic array to the channels of the beamformer advantageously allows placement of the subarrays with an accuracy of one column (e.g., for a 16-channel beamformer, the first channel connects to the first, seventeenth, thirty-third, etc. rows of the electronic array, and the second channel connects to the second, eighteenth, thirty-fourth, etc. rows of the electronic array). Other configurations are possible if coarser increments are acceptable. Another option is to place a multiplexer / demultiplexer between the beamformer and the output of the electronic array. The multiplexer and / or demultiplexer allow to address the coding and reduce the amount of interconnection required between the beamformer and the electronic array. Transfer schemes such as interleaving and / or (de)multiplexing advantageously allow to reduce the number of channels, and if such a scheme is implemented directly in the electronic array, it provides the additional benefit of reducing the amount of signal paths required between the control unit and the electronic array. It is also possible that different schemes are applied to the transmit and receive beamformers, for example the transmit beamformer can have a channel for each individual array input, whereas the receive beamformer can have an interleave between the output of the electronic array and the input of the beamformer. Any other combination of interleaving, (de)multiplexing, or direct connections can also be envisaged.

[0033] The beamformer may be configured either through hardware or software to reduce complexity or enable higher resolution imaging. In particular, all channel combinations may be done in hardware to produce a single output and reduce data rate. On the other hand, if resolution is the primary requirement, either partial summing or bypassing may be done in the beamformer. The individually sampled signals may then be combined in a later step (e.g., in software) to enable techniques such as synthetic aperture imaging to improve image quality or multi-line transmission / acquisition to increase data rate.

[0034] The electronic system may further comprise an envelope detection module. In particular, the envelope detection module is configured to reduce the data rate towards the digital part of the electronic system, in particular the envelope detection module is implemented in hardware and is hardware based. To further reduce the total data rate, a hardware based beamformer in the receive chain may be combined with the hardware based envelope detection module. The data rate may be reduced by such an envelope detection module by removing the high frequency carrier and leaving only the low frequency envelope data that carries the information. The detection of the envelope may be performed by a combination of signal rectification (e.g. with a diode) and low pass filtering, through an IQ demodulator or other possible techniques for signal demodulation.

[0035] The electronic system may further comprise an apodization module, which is configured to perform hardware-based apodization before passing the signal to the beamformer. Thus, the beamformer in the receive chain may be combined with hardware-based apodization. This allows for providing signal apodization in a power-efficient manner and allows for improved resolution and / or SNR.

[0036] In particular, the electronic system may for example be an electronic system, which may generally be an electronic system as disclosed in WO 2019 / 162485 A1, and further disclosed features may be added to the system disclosed in WO 2019 / 162485 A1, for example.

[0037] Thus, the system advantageously requires less computing power, reducing the power consumption of the electronic system.

[0038] The invention is based on the idea that by hierarchical aggregation of sensing and / or actuating elements the complexity and data throughput are reduced, while the operation of the electronic device is not disturbed or is only minimally affected.

[0039] Additionally, there is a controller that defines or knows which columns and rows are active for transmitting and / or receiving signals, with the intersection of an active N and an active M defining a subarray. In this manner, addressing of the sensing and / or actuating array elements can be done in a less complicated manner since the elements are addressed in groups of sensing and / or actuating array elements called subarrays.

[0040] The system may be configured to monitor physiological parameters such as cardiac function over time. For example, such an electronic system may be embodied as a monitoring and / or actuation system with multiple sensors such as electrodes, ultrasound sensors, miniature cameras, light emitting elements, etc. The electronic system may be worn on the body in a patch-type format. If the system is configured for cardiac monitoring, it may include, for example, monitoring the patient's cardiac activity and / or cardiac characteristics. Monitoring cardiac activity may include monitoring parameters such as cardiac rhythm and / or cardiac output.

[0041] The system has at least one electronic array, i.e. a device or unit comprising a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements. The electronic array may be embodied in a two-dimensional structured arrangement. In other words, the electronic array may have a two-dimensional structure, such as a two-dimensional array with a row-column structure. The shape may be rectangular, circular, elliptical or square. Three-dimensional arrays are also conceivable. In detail, the electronic array may have a chip design. The electronic array may be embodied, for example, as a transducer array, and the sensing and / or actuating elements may be embodied as transducer array elements. The transducer array elements are units that may be used as actuators for generating ultrasonic pulses or signals. Alternatively or additionally, the transducer array elements may also be used to receive or detect ultrasonic pulses or signals. Instead of transducers, electrodes or light-emitting diodes or cameras etc. may be used as sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0042] To reduce system complexity, several sensing and / or actuating elements may be combined into one functional unit and treated as a single "element", i.e., the combined sensing and / or actuating elements are driven simultaneously as if they were a single unit.

[0043] The sensing and / or actuating elements in the electronic array may be connected in series or in parallel for optimal driving.

[0044] In particular, the sensing and / or actuation elements may be configured to be individually controllable.

[0045] In one embodiment of the system, the electronic array is flexible. Thus, the system can advantageously adjust its geometry to the probe or sample surface, e.g., the patient's body. In particular, the sensing and / or actuating elements may be flexibly oriented towards each other.

[0046] For example, the sensing and / or actuation elements may be supported by a flexible substrate such that they may be disposed on a planar or curved surface. The substrate may, for example, be made of a polymeric material.

[0047] In one embodiment of the system, the sensing and / or actuating array is integrated into an adhesive patch for fixing the sensing and / or actuating array to the patient's body. Advantageously, the system can then be easily used to monitor the patient's body functions, such as neurological parameters, heart rate, pulse, respiration, blood flow, physiological parameters such as fluid movement, etc., especially for long-term monitoring. The patch can be an adhesive patch.

[0048] The electronic array may be integrated into the patch by providing an adhesive area suitable for attaching the patch to the patient's body surface. Alternatively, a fabric or other flexible material may be provided with an adhesive material and used to secure the electronic array to the body surface. Alternatively, an adhesive-free mechanical strap or a combination of strap and adhesive may be provided to secure the electronic array to the body surface. In particular, the patch may be configured to secure the electronic array in close proximity to the body surface.

[0049] The electronic system also comprises a control unit, which may comprise several components, which may be structurally integrated with one another, for example in a common housing or enclosure structure, or which may be implemented as structurally separate components, which may be coupled with one another.

[0050] The sensing and / or actuating elements are configured to generate and / or receive signals, e.g., electrical signals, optical signals, sound signals, ultrasonic pulses or signals, based on the control signals. To provide the respective control signals to the electronic array, the control unit may comprise a transmitting module and a receiving module, which may be implemented in driver modules for the electronic array and / or for the transistors, which may control the sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0051] The control unit may be configured to perform various tasks, such as, but not limited to, the following examples: The control unit may be configured to perform digital signal processing and / or filtering. The control unit may also be configured to perform operations related to storing and / or retrieving information, particularly in memory modules, such as random access memory (RAM) modules. The control unit may also be configured to perform operations to drive external interfaces, such as interfaces with memory modules, transceiver units, and / or receive control signals from other units, for example via a USB interface or a wireless interface. The control unit may also perform operations to control the transducer array, for example through switches coupled to the transducer array elements, which may be transistors.

[0052] The control unit may consist of or comprise one or several microprocessors. The control unit, and in particular the microprocessor(s) of the control unit, may be fully or partly integrated in a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0053] The PCB may be rigid, flexible, stretchable, or a hybrid combination thereof.

[0054] In one embodiment, the system further comprises a beamformer module having a plurality of transducer elements, the transducers being sensing and / or actuating elements. Herein, the beamformer module is configured to apply a time delay to at least one electronic transducer array element, or a plurality of sensing and / or actuating transducer array elements. This advantageously allows for easy control of high-resolution measurements, beam focusing and / or beam steering.

[0055] In particular, a time delay may be applied when an electronic transducer array element, or multiple sensing and / or actuating transducer array elements, are used to transmit ultrasonic pulses and / or receive ultrasonic signals.

[0056] The time delay of one electronic transducer array element or multiple sensing and / or actuating transducer array elements may be defined relative to the control of other transducer array elements.

[0057] Also, the beamformer module and / or another unit of the system may be utilized to determine the delays, in particular, the delays are determined for each electronic transducer array element or for multiple sensing and / or actuating transducer array elements and the determined delays are applied thereto.

[0058] In particular, the control unit may comprise an ASIC for implementing the beamformer control and / or the design of signal processing algorithms for applying spatial and / or temporal sparsity conditions for example for transmitting ultrasound pulses and / or collecting or providing data (related to measurements made by the ultrasound device as well as ultrasound pulses and signals). In particular, the beamformer control may comprise an electronic delay and summing circuit capable of applying different delays to functional units comprising, for example, a certain number of transducer array elements, for example 8 to 32, for example 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 transducer array elements, or several connected transducer array elements (for example 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18), which sums the outputs of the channels to one single output value. In particular, by applying a unique delay to each functional unit of the transducer array elements, ultrasound pulses may be generated in a coordinated manner such that a specific shape of the ultrasound beam is obtained. Additionally, the elements that receive the ultrasound signals may be controlled by a beamformer in a coordinated manner to provide targeted measurements within the sample volume.

[0059] The data processing unit may be implemented in various ways. It may comprise, for example, a microprocessor. In particular, it may comprise an ASIC design. The data processing unit and the control unit may also be implemented as software modules that are at least partially executed on a common computing unit. For example, the processing unit may read from a memory and execute instructions to perform the operations that implement the data processing unit and / or the control unit.

[0060] The data processing unit may also comprise one or several analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and / or digital-to-analog converters (DAC), which are configured to interconnect the analog and digital channels and allow both the collection and processing of digital data and the processing of analog control and detection signals. The time-gain controller may be implemented using DAC elements and / or another architecture.

[0061] The subarray definition module may be implemented as a software module with instructions for computing operations implementing the subarray definition functionality. This software module may in particular be implemented as a module of a control unit. In particular, the subarray definition module may be comprised at least in part in the control unit and / or the data processing unit.

[0062] The subarray definition module implements functions to reduce the complexity and / or quantity of data and sensors. Such functions may affect the generation and / or detection of signal beams, such as electrical pulses, magnetic field pulses, light beams, ultrasonic pulses and signals, by the transducer array, or may affect the acquisition and / or processing of data.

[0063] The coupling between the electronic array and the control unit may comprise a hardwired connection, in particular an interface for data and / or power transmission between the electronic array and the control unit. In particular, the control unit and / or parts of the control unit may be located on the electronic array or may be integrated with the electronic array into one common part.

[0064] In particular, where the control unit controls an electronic array, there will be a hardwired connection and / or a wireless interface will be provided. Where a wireless electronic array is implemented, the control unit may be located at the electronic array and / or integrated into one component with the electronic array.

[0065] In particular, where the electronic array is hardwired to another element, at least part of the control of the electronic array may be implemented in the electronic array and / or integrated with the electronic array into one component, and where there is hardwired access to the electronic array, an additional control unit may be provided, for example a separate PC or control unit.

[0066] In one embodiment, the electronic system further comprises a power supply unit for providing energy to the electronic array and / or the control unit. Thus, the system can be used very flexibly and advantageously, especially when a portable power source is provided. For example, the power source may comprise a battery integrated into a portable device as a component of the system.

[0067] Rather than operating the electronic array as a single whole and using each element as an individual unit, a sub-array scanning architecture may be used, i.e., groups of sensing and / or actuating elements may be combined as functional units, in particular adjacent elements are combined.

[0068] In particular, a control algorithm may be provided for controlling each subarray in the electronic array. For each subarray, the control algorithm may control the position of that subarray among the plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements. Also, for each subarray, the control algorithm may control the focusing depth and / or steering angle of the signal transmission beam shape and / or the signal reception beam shape implemented by that subarray of sensing and / or actuating elements, and such beamforming algorithms may be implemented as software modules in the case of a programmable unit and / or by chip design.

[0069] When individual subarrays are controlled as functional units for transmitting signal pulses and / or receiving signals, the system may be configured to perform signal-based sample measurements, for example, by using the subarrays as unit cells for transmitting and / or receiving signal pulses and / or receiving signals.

[0070] The sensing and / or actuating elements of the sub-array act as a combined "functional unit" to control the transmission of signal pulses and collect reflected signals from the sample, e.g., from within the patient body, thereby collecting a 1D depth data set.

[0071] The system may also be configured to generate 3D spatial information from a 1D data set collected by the electronic array or one or more subarrays of the electronic array.

[0072] The system may be configured to determine the positions of the subarrays in the electronic array such that they are not hindered by obstructions to the signal beam, e.g., due to obstacles. To collect data, e.g., to generate 3D spatial information, the control unit may be configured to control, for each subarray, the position of the subarray, as well as the focal depth and / or steering angle of the subarray, e.g., according to a selected region of interest in the patient's body.

[0073] In particular, the size and pitch of the sensing and / or actuating elements may be tailored to the wavelength used for ultrasound, i.e., the acoustic wavelength (lambda). In this specification, pitch means the distance from the center of one transducer array element to the neighboring sensing and / or actuating element. The signals emitted from (or received by) these sensing and / or actuating elements interfere differently at different pitch values.

[0074] The subarray locations are determined and controlled among the plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements to control the subarrays for imaging and to measure, for example, 3D spatial information. This may be performed by controlling signal paths between a switching array configured to send control signals to and / or readout signals from the sensing and / or actuating elements and a control unit of the system, which may be located at the periphery of the sensor. The control unit may be configured to selectively switch rows and / or columns of sensing and / or actuating elements, in particular in combination with other elements or parts of the overall system and driver modules for the switches, to define active subarrays and subarray locations within a larger matrix of the electronic array of the system.

[0075] The complexity of a system may be defined as a characteristic in various ways. In particular, the complexity is a measure of the number of individually driven functional units. For example, the "complexity" of a system may refer to the total amount of channels used for generating signal pulses and / or receiving signals.

[0076] The subarray size is selected and configured such that a suitable signal-to-noise ratio, a particular beam shape, and / or a required image quality can be achieved. For example, when a certain subarray size SA is selected, where SA is the product of the number of rows "n" and the number of columns "m" (SA=n*m), this can significantly reduce the system complexity.

[0077] In one embodiment, the subarray definition module is configured to define multiple subarrays such that there is no overlap between the sensing and / or actuating elements of different subarrays. In other words, the sensing and / or actuating elements are not "shared" between different subarrays, i.e., they do not belong to several subarrays, but only belong to one or none of the subarrays. Thus, the electronic array can be advantageously controlled in a very simple and efficient manner.

[0078] In one embodiment, the system comprises at least two electronic arrays forming at least one electronic array set, and the control unit is configured to control the electronic array set as one single electronic array. By using an electronic array set, for example, several locations can be monitored with one system (e.g., as required for lung monitoring). Furthermore, a larger surface area can be monitored. Also, different viewpoints can be established for monitoring targets, which may be organs, fluid-carrying structures, or other volumetric features in the body, for example, the heart and / or lungs and / or chest.

[0079] Several electronic arrays may be combined in series and / or parallel into a single functional unit, i.e. a single electronic array set, which is driven as a single electronic array in the electronic system.

[0080] Various architectures may be used to address the sensing and / or actuating elements individually or in combination as a functional unit. In a row / column based architecture, for example, sensing and / or actuating elements arranged in one dimension are combined and treated as one functional unit. Such elements in one dimension may be arranged essentially along a straight line. For example, instead of individually controlling each single element of the electronic array and / or collecting signals from all the sensing and / or actuating elements, all elements along one axis may be combined as a single input and / or output. For example, all elements in one row or column are combined. Connecting the sensing and / or actuating elements to control elements configured as switches allows selectively connecting the sensing and / or actuating elements to rows or columns, thus allowing partial selection of active sensing and / or actuating elements along a single row or column. The pulsers and receivers for driving and reading out, respectively, the associated sensing and / or actuating elements can each be connected to either the rows or columns of the array or combinations thereof, leading to possible configurations within the readout electronics referred to herein as row / row, column / column or row / column readout schemes.

[0081] In one embodiment, the system is configured such that the electronic array is controlled according to a row / column based architecture. This advantageously allows for a significant reduction in data complexity. The row / column architecture may be implemented by this particular electronic array architecture, or it may be implemented by how the control unit drives the electronic array, where the row or column configuration may be set by the control unit.

[0082] In a row / column based architecture, sensing and / or actuating elements located along the same row or column are connected together and addressed as a single functional unit. This combination of single sensing and / or actuating elements reduces the complexity from N*M (if each single sensing and / or actuating element were controlled individually) to N+M, where N and M represent the number of rows and columns present in the electronic array. Connecting the sensing and / or actuating elements to control elements configured as switches allows selective connection of the sensing and / or actuating elements to rows or columns, thus allowing partial selection of active sensing and / or actuating elements along a single row or column.

[0083] Here, each row / column unit may still be composed of multiple interconnect lines forming connections between external nodes and internal sensing and / or actuation elements, each interconnect line now being capable of carrying a different signal, for example to provide a signal line, a ground line, or to provide a control signal for switching.

[0084] In particular, the elements of a row or column may be combined in various ways: for example, the data of these elements as sensors may be virtually combined as one channel by suitable control by a control unit, or the row / column architecture may be implemented by the design of the electronic array itself, for example by performing an integration step directly at the level of the sensing and / or actuating elements. The row / column configuration may be implemented by suitable chip design.

[0085] In one embodiment, the system is configured such that a subarray size is provided, subarrays of this subarray size are defined, and the electronic array is controlled based on the individual subarrays. Thus, the subarrays can be advantageously defined with great precision and adjusted to suit different conditions.

[0086] The value of the subarray size may be determined or given in various ways, for example, in a dynamic determination step, an optimal subarray size is determined depending on parameters such as available computing power, signal-to-noise ratio or precision value, geometric properties of the object or electronic array, or calibration values ​​that may be determined or measured in a calibration step. In particular, the subarray size is pre-determined through system considerations. Considerations may be, for example, the signal-to-noise ratio of the return signal, and geometry including parameters such as beam divergence and focused beam width.

[0087] In one embodiment, the sensing and / or actuating elements of each subarray are configured to provide analog sensor signals, and the sensor signals of the sensing and / or actuating elements of each subarray are provided to one common analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In particular, the individual signals of the transducer array elements of one subarray are first combined and then provided to the ADC. This advantageously leads to reduced complexity.

[0088] For example, in a row / column architecture, there may be one ADC per row or per column. The ADC may be provided in the data processing unit or implemented as a separate unit. By providing the detection signals of a sub-array of sensing and / or actuating elements to one ADC, only one digital signal is generated, reducing the amount of acquired data.

[0089] The number of analog-to-digital converters required by the system is reduced from one per receive channel to one per subarray, thus reducing the amount of data generated. As a result, significant gains in power consumption and data rate can be achieved.

[0090] In one embodiment, the system is configured to filter data received from the electronic array to obtain filtered data of reduced spatial and / or temporal resolution. This advantageously leads to a reduced amount of data to be processed. The filtering may be performed by the data processing module and / or by other modules and units.

[0091] To reduce the amount of data that needs to be provided by the system, various filter circuits and / or algorithms may be applied. For example, the sampling rate may be adjusted by hardware and / or software means so that measurements are only taken at the time points that are actually needed. Also, the spatial resolution of the measurements and scans may be adjusted to an appropriate value, depending for example on the data processing capabilities, power consumption requirements, or subsequent data quality requirements.

[0092] The invention also relates to a method for operating an electronic system, in which a number of subarrays are defined within an electronic array, each subarray being controlled as a functional unit for transmitting signal pulses and / or receiving signals.

[0093] In particular, the method serves the purpose of operating an electronic system, and thus, it has the same advantages as the electronic system of the present invention.

[0094] Further details and advantages of the invention are then disclosed in connection with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0095] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an electronic system. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of an electronic array of an embodiment of an electronic system. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of an electronic array of an embodiment of an electronic system. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of an electronic array of an embodiment of an electronic system. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of an electronic array of an embodiment of an electronic system. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the electronic system shown in FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the electronic system shown in FIG. [Figure 3C] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the electronic system shown in FIG. [Figure 3D] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the electronic system shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a method for operating an electronic system. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of a volume reconstruction procedure performed by the electronic system according to FIG. 1; [Figure 6] 4 is a flow chart of a possible embodiment of beamforming by a beamformer module of the electronic system according to the invention in the form of a transmit beamformer. [Figure 7] 8 is a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to FIG. 7; [Figure 8A] 8 is a representation of a steered beam produced by the beamformer module of FIG. 7. [Figure 8B] 8 is a representation of a steered beam produced by the beamformer module of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 4 is a flow chart of a possible embodiment of beamforming by a beamformer module of the electronic system according to the invention in the form of a receive beamformer. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to FIG. 9; [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to FIG. 9 using an envelope detection module. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to FIG. 9 using an apodization module. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a diagram of a possible embodiment of signal passing between beamformer modules of an electronic system according to the present invention using peripheral circuits. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram of a possible embodiment of signal passing between beamformer modules of an electronic system according to the present invention without peripheral circuitry. [Figure 15] Here we show a possible embodiment of the passing of signals between beamformer modules of an electronic system according to the invention between different ICs (ASICs), where the channel selection module, which is part of the subarray definition module, is partially implemented in an IC (ASIC). [Figure 16] Here we show a possible embodiment of the passing of signals between different ICs (ASICs) and the beamformer module of the electronic system according to the invention, where the channel selection module, which is part of the subarray definition module, is implemented on the periphery of the electronic array. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a possible embodiment for interleaving channels. [Figure 18] 13 is a flow chart for operating a possible embodiment of a two-stage beamformer module. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a possible embodiment of a two-stage beamformer module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0096] 1 and 2A-2C illustrate one embodiment of an electronic system for monitoring physiological parameters.

[0097] FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview and illustrates the functional blocks of an electronic system 1 .

[0098] The electronic system 1 according to this embodiment is configured as a wearable electronic system 1, in particular for long-term monitoring of physiological parameters of a patient.

[0099] In particular, the electronic system may generally be an electronic system as disclosed in WO 2019 / 162485 A1. The following additional features can further be realized in the already disclosed electronic system of WO 2019 / 162485 A1:

[0100] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electronic system is (at least partially) mounted within the patch 2.

[0101] The electronic system 1 comprises an electronic array 3 .

[0102] The electronic array 3 comprises a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a.

[0103] A subset of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3 a forms a sub-array 4 .

[0104] In particular, each sensing and / or actuating element 3a may be composed of one or several sub-elements 3b, which are driven as a single larger sensing and / or actuating "element" 3a.

[0105] Other configurations are possible, using a different number of sub-elements 3b or different configurations of sub-elements 3b.

[0106] In addition, there is a switch array or switch module 5 .

[0107] Yet another part of the electronic system 1 is an analog front end 10 having a switch driver 6 , a receiver 7 and a pulser 8 .

[0108] The receiver 7 may be embodied as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

[0109] Pulsar 8 may be a pulser module.

[0110] There may be a digital application specific integrated circuit 9 .

[0111] Furthermore there is an interface module 11 and an external unit 12 / back-end unit 12 .

[0112] An electronic array 21 comprising a sensor array (eg electronic array 3 above) and a switch array is coupled to a unit implementing a switch driver 23 , a receiver 24 and a pulser unit 25 .

[0113] These units are arranged to communicate with an electronic array 21 via analog signals 22 .

[0114] In this embodiment, they are implemented in an application specific integrated circuit. Such circuits can be located in the periphery of the sensor or in the analog front end 10.

[0115] They are also used to receive and process signals and communicate with the signal processing / control unit 26, which may be implemented as an embedded computer system in the analog front end 10, for example with an FPGA having a CPU, memory or other units, and these control and signal processing algorithms may also be implemented partly or completely in an application specific integrated circuit.

[0116] Further processing of the provided data is performed by a control module 27 which incorporates, for example, sensor signal reconstruction algorithms, data analysis, visualization and control algorithms.

[0117] Furthermore, FIG. 2C shows another embodiment, in which two or more electronic arrays 3 can form an electronic array set 3c, which is then controlled as one functional unit, i.e., a “virtual” single electronic array.

[0118] 2C, the first and second electronic arrays 3 are arranged in one electronic array set 3c. In this embodiment, the electronic array set 3c is controlled "virtually" as one single electronic array 3.

[0119] FIG. 2C also shows that the electronic array 3 comprises a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, which are arranged as a matrix with N rows and M columns in number.

[0120] 2C further shows that a subset of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a constitutes a sub-array 4, which is now controlled as a unit. The sub-array 4 has n rows and m columns.

[0121] 2C also shows that the elements 3a along one row and / or column of the electronic array 3 are interconnected by one or more interconnect lines, a so-called row / column based architecture. The elements 3a connect to the interconnect lines in parallel, and switches determine whether the elements 3a are connected and to which signal path they connect. Thus, the rows and / or columns of the electronic array 3 can be controlled collectively. This allows simplifying the system by switching the rows and / or columns of elements 3a collectively.

[0122] The electronic array 3 in this embodiment is flexible, in that the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a are arranged on a flexible substrate, for example made of a flexible polymer material.

[0123] Furthermore, the electronic system 1 comprises a switch array, which may be embodied as a transistor array 5, comprising a plurality of transistor elements.

[0124] The switch array 5 is configured such that the switch elements of the switch array 5 control corresponding sensing and / or actuating elements 3a.

[0125] In this embodiment, a switch array 5 is used having 150*150 transistor elements, arranged as a 2D matrix with orthogonal rows and columns. The size of the array depends inter alia on the size of the respective electronic array 3 and may be different in different embodiments.

[0126] In particular, the transistor array 5 may be disposed on the same substrate as the electronic array 3 .

[0127] In particular, "Heterogeneous Integration (HI)" may refer to the assembly and packaging of multiple separately manufactured components into a single chip to improve functionality and enhance operational characteristics. In this embodiment, one single array with a single function (sensing) is fabricated, which suggests a monolithic device.

[0128] In particular, attention is directed to FIG. 2C, where an example of a row / column architecture is illustrated.

[0129] In this embodiment, both the electronic array 3 and the transistor array 5 are integrated into the adhesive patch 2 .

[0130] In this embodiment, the adhesive patch 2 is approximately 10 x 10 cm in size. The size may vary in different embodiments.

[0131] The adhesive patch 2 is made of a material suitable for the purpose of attaching the electronic system 1, in particular the electronic array 3, to the patient's skin. Therefore, biocompatible and breathable materials are used. The adhesive layer of the patch is used to attach the patch to the body and to ensure that the position of the electronic array 3 remains essentially constant relative to the patient's skin.

[0132] The system 1 also includes a functional block for analog control of electronic devices, the so-called analog front-end.

[0133] The analog front end 10 is coupled to the electronic array 3 and the transistor array 5 to provide options such as control and readout of the electronic array 3 and / or the transistor array 5. To this end, both data and power may be transferred through the coupling between the analog front end 10 and the patch 2 having the electronic array 3 and the transistor array 5.

[0134] Here, a transistor driver module 6 is provided in the analog front end 10, which is configured to provide a low level interface for controlling and managing the transistor array 5 and its individual transistor elements, respectively.

[0135] A receiver 7 is also provided as part of an analog front end 10, which is arranged to convert an analog input signal into a digital output signal.

[0136] Also provided is a pulser module 8 as part of the analog front end 10, which is configured to control the electronic array 3 so that signal pulses are generated. In particular, beam forming is performed here. A delay value may be set individually for each pulser unit of the system 1 generating the signal pulses. The delays in the different channels of the pulser unit, in particular for each sensing and / or actuating element 3a, determine the focusing and the beam profile.

[0137] Also provided is a digital middle end, which is configured to perform some of the control operations for the electronic system 1, in particular to control the activity of the electronic array 3 and the transistor array 5 to generate signal pulses and detect signals. The digital middle end is also configured to perform signal processing on signals received from the analog front end.

[0138] As part of the digital middle end, a microprocessor and / or other units may be provided that perform operations to control the electronic system 1 and its electronic components.

[0139] Thus, the electronic system 1 of this embodiment provides an easily customizable sensor and monitoring device.

[0140] The interface module provides the ability to establish connections based on wired and / or wireless connections. In this embodiment, example connection methods include USB and Ethernet, as well as via Bluetooth and WiFi networks.

[0141] The interface module here is configured to enable a data communication and / or a power connection with an external unit.

[0142] In this embodiment, the PCB and its components and the transistor array 5 constitute an integrated control and data processing unit. The PCB and the transistor array 5 and the electronic array 3 may be configured as separately formed units in different embodiments or they may be integrated into one common unit.

[0143] The system 1 is configured to monitor physiological parameters such as cardiac function over time. For example, such an electronic system 1 may be embodied as a monitoring and / or actuation system with multiple sensors such as electrodes, ultrasound sensors, miniature cameras, light emitting elements, etc. The electronic system 1 may be worn on the body in a patch-type format. If the system 1 is configured for cardiac monitoring, it may include, for example, monitoring the patient's cardiac activity and / or cardiac characteristics. Monitoring cardiac activity may include monitoring parameters such as cardiac rhythm and / or cardiac output.

[0144] Turning now to FIG. 2A, a detailed view of the electronic array 3 of this embodiment of the electronic system 1 is illustrated.

[0145] The electronic array 3 comprises a matrix of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, a small number of which are shown only diagrammatically.

[0146] The system 1 is configured such that subarrays 4 of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a can be defined. The elements 3a of the subarray 4 are treated as one functional unit for generating signal pulses and / or detecting signals.

[0147] In this embodiment, the control circuitry performs steps for defining sub-arrays 4 within the electronic array 3. The definition of the sub-arrays 4 may be performed in different ways, for example by the chip design or by another unit controlling the electronic array 3.

[0148] In this embodiment, the electronic array 3 has N=75-200 rows and M=75-200 columns, which are arranged as a two-dimensional matrix. Meanwhile, a subarray size value of 4-32 rows by 4-32 columns is defined. Thus, a group of 162 elements 3a is grouped into one subarray 4. This leads to a significant reduction in the system complexity and data volume, respectively. This aspect will be further described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0149] In this specification, the interrelated elements 3a are selected to be adjacent to each other.

[0150] In further embodiments, this definition of the subarray 4 may be configured in various ways, for example in a configuration step by inputting a predefined subarray size value defining the number of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a to be included in the subarray 4 and / or by inputting the position of the subarray 4 within the electronic array 3. Also, the form of the subarray 4, i.e. its dimensional size, may be determined by the input values.

[0151] In one embodiment, the subarray size may be defined during system development. In the product itself, the subarray size may be fixed with no option to dynamically reconfigure this value. In this case, the fixed size will be used.

[0152] Said values ​​controlling how the sub-array 4 is defined may be determined by a digital mid-end and / or a digital back-end, some of this functionality may be implemented in an ASIC or another control element of the electronic system 1 or by input through an interface module, depending in particular on the algorithm. Such algorithms determining the parameters for defining the sub-array 4 may use input values ​​such as data / image quality requirements, signal-to-noise ratio, information about factors interfering with the operation of the system, user input and configuration information, and / or other parameters.

[0153] Turning to FIG. 2D, an embodiment for implementing a row / column based micro hardware beamformer is illustrated diagrammatically.

[0154] The subarray 4 has n rows and m columns and is connected to a micro hardware beamformer 30. In this particular case, the n rows of transducer array elements 3a are each combined into one output channel 31. These output channels are named "Ch1" to "Chn".

[0155] For a transducer array element 3 a of a subarray 4 , a microhardware beamformer 30 combines the n analog input channels 31 from the subarray 4 into one single digital output channel 35 .

[0156] For this purpose, a delay operation is performed by delay unit 32, followed by a summation unit 32 which is used to coherently sum the n analog inputs. An analog-to-digital converter 34 is used to convert the resulting analog signal into a digital signal which is output through a digital output channel 35.

[0157] In a further embodiment, each channel 31 may perform some analog processing of the input signal before that channel's signals are combined in the analog beamformer 30 .

[0158] A schematic diagram of another embodiment is shown in Figure 3. The illustrated components may also be present in the embodiments described above, and similar or equivalent elements have the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail again.

[0159] Some or all of the elements and modules shown in FIG. 3 may be implemented as different units, such as separately formed devices, or they may be implemented by program modules within the same computing unit and / or digital memory device.

[0160] It should be understood that the combination of elements and modules in this embodiment is illustrative and includes a number of optional features that are not necessarily related to each other or combined in a single embodiment of the invention.

[0161] In FIG. 3 an electronic array 3 is shown which is connected to a control unit 40 (which controls the electronic array 3 ) which may be at least partially constructed on the PCB 10 .

[0162] The connection between the electronic array 3 and the control unit 40 is a direct cable-coupled connection, however, in alternative embodiments, an indirect and / or wireless connection is possible.

[0163] For example, the control unit 40 can be attached to the patch 2 (possible for wireless and wired patches). Furthermore, there can be an additional control unit in a separate computer, especially for the wired version.

[0164] The electronic array 3 is configured for providing a signal (or a signal pulse) and / or receiving an ultrasonic signal and comprises a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a.

[0165] The control unit 40 comprises a transistor array 5, which has already been described above.

[0166] The control unit 40 further comprises a dedicated data processing unit 41, which in different embodiments may comprise part of other modules (designated below with reference numbers 41-49) or may in different embodiments be implemented by several individual modules. The data processing unit 41 receives and processes data from the electronic array 3.

[0167] Furthermore, the control unit 40 comprises a reference module 45 .

[0168] The control unit 40 also comprises a sub-array definition module 42 .

[0169] The combination of groups of sensing and / or actuating elements 3 a into subarrays 4 can alternatively be performed by a subarray definition module 42 .

[0170] Also, the subarray definition module 42 may be implemented as a software module with instructions for computational operations that implement the subarray definition functionality. Such a software module may be implemented in conjunction with the control unit 40 in particular.

[0171] The sub-array definition module 42 may be at least partially structurally and / or functionally or as an integral part thereof by the control unit 40 and / or the data processing unit 41 .

[0172] As shown in Fig. 3, the electronic system 1, in particular for cardiac monitoring, comprises an electronic array 3 having a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, a control unit 40 coupled to the electronic array 3 for controlling the electronic array 3, and a data processing unit 41 for receiving and processing data from the electronic array 3. Here, the electronic system 1 further comprises a sub-array definition module 42, which is configured to define at least one sub-array 4 of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a and to control the at least one sub-array 4 as a functional unit for transmitting at least one signal pulse and / or receiving at least one signal.

[0173] In Fig. 4 a method for operating the electronic system 1 is described. The following description is based on the embodiment of the electronic system 1 described above, e.g. with reference to Fig. 3, although other embodiments of the electronic system 1 may also be suitable.

[0174] In this context, "sub-array definition" refers to a reduction in the amount of read and / or write channels required to address a sensor, in particular a sensing and / or actuating element 3a or a sub-array 4.

[0175] This can be achieved by connecting the elements together as a row / column architecture, which leads to a subarray definition from N*M to (N+M) (see Figure 2B); c) driving sub-arrays 4 rather than the entire electronic array 3 at a time, resulting in a sub-array definition from (N+M) to (n+m); and / or d) Using a hardware beamformer, combine the n (or m) analog input channels 31 of the sub-arrays 4 into a single digital input channel 35 (see FIG. 2C).

[0176] In step 51 a number of sub-arrays 4 are defined in the electronic array 3. In a subsequent step 52, the individual sub-arrays 4 are controlled as functional units for transmitting signal pulses and / or receiving signals.

[0177] In this embodiment of the system, steps 51, 52 are performed by a sub-array definition module 42 comprised in the control unit 40 of the electronic system 1. Here, the sub-array definition module 42 is configured to control other units and modules, in particular the transistor driver module 6, the receiver module 7 and / or the pulser module 8, depending on whether a transmit cycle or a receive cycle is active.

[0178] Steps 51, 52 may be performed periodically, i.e. they may be repeated, for example at given intervals, or may be triggered by a predetermined event and / or control signal.

[0179] In one embodiment, the system is configured so that the sub-arrays 4 can be dynamically defined and their positions changed.

[0180] In this embodiment, the subarrays 4 are defined such that there is no overlap between the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a of different subarrays 4, i.e., there are no sensing and / or actuating elements 3a that are “shared” between different subarrays 4.

[0181] In another embodiment, the electronic array set 3c comprises at least two electronic arrays 3, and the control unit 40 is configured to control the electronic arrays 3 as one functional unit.

[0182] Also, in one embodiment, the electronic array 3 may be controlled according to a row / column based architecture.

[0183] Further, the subarray size may be predetermined, provided, or determined by an algorithm, and the subarrays 4 of this subarray size are defined based on this value. The electronic array 3 is then operated based on these individual subarrays 4.

[0184] The sensing and / or actuating elements 3a are also controlled by a control unit 40, in particular via the transistor array 5. The sensing and / or actuating elements 3a of each sub-array 4 detect the analog ultrasonic sensor signal and generate an analog signal, which is provided to a receiver module 7.

[0185] In particular, the analog signals from the electronic array elements 3b of one sub-array 4 are processed by one common receiver module of the system 1. In further embodiments, several different receiver modules 7 may be provided, for example to speed up data acquisition and processing.

[0186] Furthermore, the microbeamforming architecture may be implemented by a hardware beamformer module 43 , such as specialized control circuitry and / or a separate element of the control unit of system 1 .

[0187] The data may also be filtered after it is received from the electronic array 3. This may be performed by a filter module 44, which may operate on analog and / or digital signals. Depending on which filter is applied, the filtered data is obtained with reduced spatial and / or temporal resolution.

[0188] Additionally, the beamformer module 43 is configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements, or to a plurality of the sensing and / or actuating elements (e.g., by generating electronic pulse trains with different time offsets for each channel in step 100 of FIG. 6 and delayed pulses in FIG. 7).

[0189] The electronic system 1 further comprises a sub-array definition module 42 configured to define at least one sub-array 4 of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a.

[0190] The electronic system 1 is configured so that signals can be passed between the different beamformer modules, and further so that the subarray definition module 42 is configured so that at least one subarray 4 can be positioned anywhere within the larger electronic array 3 of the electronic system 1.

[0191] The electronic system 1 may also be embodied such that at least two beamformer modules are provided, and the electronic system 1 is further configured such that partial beamforming is performed in separate beamformer modules prior to combining the signals in a second stage beamformer.

[0192] The electronic system 1 also comprises an envelope detection module (see also FIG. 11), which is configured to reduce the data rate towards the digital part of the electronic system 1, in particular the envelope detection module being implemented in hardware and based on hardware.

[0193] The electronic system 1 may further comprise an apodization module (see FIG. 12), which is configured to perform hardware-based apodization before passing the signals to the beamformer.

[0194] The beamformer module 43 is configured to drive the rows and columns of the electronic array.

[0195] Additionally, the beamformer module is implemented in at least one integrated circuit.

[0196] In another embodiment, the filters can be configured by adjusting the filter characteristics. Thus, the filters can be enabled and disabled, their influence on the data can be adjusted, and / or the resolution of the filtered data can be adapted to, for example, the needs of monitoring specific organs and functions, the imaging objectives, or device-specific properties. Figure 6 shows a flow chart of a possible embodiment of beamforming by the beamformer module 43 of the electronic system 1 according to the present invention in the form of a transmit beamformer.

[0197] In the first possible step, step 100, the beamformer module 43 generates a train of electrical pulses with different time offsets for each channel.

[0198] In the second step, step 102, the signal is connected into an electronic array.

[0199] In a third step, step 104, the electrical signal is converted into a physical wave, for example via a transducer (in ultrasonic embodiments, i.e. when the sensing and / or actuating element is embodied as an (ultrasonic) transducer).

[0200] In the fourth step, step 106, the interference of physical waves from different channels creates directed beams.

[0201] Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to Fig. 6. The embodiment of the electronic system 1 with the beamformer module 43 shown is configured and adapted to perform the method shown and described in relation to Fig. 6.

[0202] Some pulse generators, or pulser modules 8, are provided with a controllable time offset.

[0203] The pulser module 8 is capable of generating pulses, designated here as pulses P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6.

[0204] The pulser module 8 is connected to a channel selection module 42 a which is part of the subarray definition module 42 .

[0205] There are 6 pulser modules 8. Other numbers of pulser modules are possible. It is also possible that there are any other number, for example between 1 and 100, preferably in the range of 1 to 20, for example 16 pulser modules (meaning there are 16 channels).

[0206] Additionally, as part of the subarray definition module 42 is a column selection module 42b.

[0207] Also shown is an electronic array 3, here consisting of a number of ultrasonic transducers 3a as sensing and / or actuating elements 3a. Additionally, there is a column bus 3d and a row bus 3e, which represents a collection of at least one electrical interconnection line.

[0208] A selected column 3f and a selected row 3g define a sub-array 4 of the transducer 3a.

[0209] As such, the multiple sensing and / or actuating elements 3a are controlled by the beamformer module 43 such that the sensing and / or actuating elements generate an ultrasound beam as shown in Figure 8A or 8B. The beam of signals emitted by the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a may be such that signals are emitted only by certain sensing and / or actuating elements, i.e., a selected number of sensing and / or actuating elements (here a sub-array 4 of sensing and / or actuating elements 3a) out of the total number of sensing and / or actuating elements.

[0210] In particular, the beamformer module 43 is configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, or to a plurality of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, as can be seen in pulses P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6.

[0211] This advantageously allows high resolution measurements and / or easy control of beam focusing and / or beam steering.

[0212] In particular, a time delay may be applied when multiple sensing and / or actuating elements 3a are used to transmit ultrasonic pulses P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6.

[0213] The time delay of one electronic array element or multiple sensing and / or actuating elements may be defined relative to the control of other transducer array elements.

[0214] Also, the beamformer module 43 and / or another unit of the system may be utilized to determine the delays. In particular, a delay is determined for each electronic array element or for multiple sensing and / or actuating elements 3a and the determined delays are applied thereto.

[0215] In particular, the beamformer module 43 is configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a, or to a number of the sensing and / or actuating elements 3a.

[0216] This advantageously allows for high resolution measurements, easy control of beam focusing and / or beam steering.

[0217] 8A and 8B show representations of steered beams produced by the beamformer module of FIG.

[0218] FIG. 8A shows a beam B1, which propagates straight from its source.

[0219] FIG. 8B shows beam B2, which propagates at an angle from its source.

[0220] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a possible embodiment of beamforming by the beamformer module 43 of the electronic system 1 according to the invention in the form of a receive beamformer.

[0221] In the first possible step, i.e. step 200, the electrical signal is converted into a physical wave, for example via a transducer (in an embodiment using ultrasound, i.e. when the sensing and / or actuating element is embodied as an (ultrasonic) transducer).

[0222] In the second step, step 202, the electrical signals from the electronic array 3 are connected to a receive beamformer (ie, a beamformer module 43 having receive beamformer functionality).

[0223] In the third step, step 204, a different time delay to each channel is applied by delay element 32 and enters the beamformer module, where the delay pattern determines the "listen direction".

[0224] In the fourth step, step 206, the inputs of the different channels are coherently summed in the summing module 44 into a single output.

[0225] Figure 10 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to Figure 9, using a receive beamformer module 43. Components similar or identical to those shown in Figure 7 are denoted with the same reference numerals.

[0226] The illustrated embodiment of electronic system 1 with beamformer module 43 is configured and adapted to perform the method shown and described in relation to FIG.

[0227] Step 204 is performed using delay element 32 .

[0228] Step 206 is performed using the summing module 44 .

[0229] Figure 11 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to Figure 9, using a receive beamformer module 43 with an envelope detection module 45. Components similar or identical to those shown in Figure 7 are denoted with the same reference numbers.

[0230] The illustrated embodiment of electronic system 1 with beamformer module 43 is configured and adapted to perform the method shown and described in relation to FIG.

[0231] A hardware-based beamformer 43 in the receive chain is combined with a hardware-based envelope detection module 45 as shown in Figure 11 to further reduce the total data rate. The data rate can be reduced by such an envelope detection module by removing the high frequency carrier, leaving only the low frequency envelope data that carries the information. The envelope detection can be done by a combination of signal rectification (e.g. with diodes) and low pass filtering, through an IQ demodulator or other possible techniques for signal demodulation.

[0232] Fig. 12 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the beamforming according to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 of the electronic system 1 using a receive beamformer module 43 with an apodization module 46. Components similar or identical to those shown in Fig. 7 are denoted with the same reference numerals.

[0233] It may also comprise an envelope detection module 45 (not shown).

[0234] The illustrated embodiment of electronic system 1 with beamformer module 43 is configured and adapted to perform the method shown and described in relation to FIG. 9 or FIG. 10 or FIG.

[0235] As shown, the electronic system 1 includes an apodization module 46 that is configured to perform hardware-based apodization before passing the signals to the beamformer 43 .

[0236] FIG. 13 shows a possible embodiment of the passing of signals between the beamformer modules 43 of the electronic system 1 according to the invention using peripheral circuits 47.

[0237] The electronic array 3 having sensing and / or actuating elements 3a is connected to two peripheral circuits 47 located along the row and column edges.

[0238] As can further be seen, one of the peripheral circuits 47 is connected to two integrated circuits (ICs) 9 .

[0239] The integrated circuit 9 is connected to a signal bus 48 .

[0240] A signal bus 48 is configured to pass signals between the beamformer modules 43 of each of the different ICs 9 .

[0241] Signals are passed between ICs 9 either before beamforming or after beamforming. If the signals are passed before beamforming, they are passed across different regions to allow smooth placement of the subarrays. If the signals are passed after beamforming, the partially beamformed signals are sent to the second stage beamformer module.

[0242] FIG. 14 shows a possible embodiment of signal passing between beamformer modules 43 of an electronic system 1 according to the invention without using peripheral circuitry 47 (as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 13).

[0243] An electronic array 3 with sensing and / or actuating elements 3a is connected to the two ICs 9 directly, ie without any peripheral circuitry 47 in between.

[0244] The integrated circuits 9 are connected to each other by a signal bus 48 .

[0245] A signal bus 48 is configured to pass signals between the beamformer modules 43 of each of the different ICs 9 .

[0246] Signals are passed between ICs 9 either before beamforming or after beamforming. If the signals are passed before beamforming, they are passed across different regions to allow smooth placement of the subarrays. If the signals are passed after beamforming, the partially beamformed signals are sent to the second stage beamformer module.

[0247] Figure 15 shows a possible embodiment of the passing of signals between beamformer modules 43 of an electronic system 1 according to the invention, here between different ICs (ASICs) 9, where a channel selection module 42a, which is part of the subarray definition module, is partially implemented in the IC (ASIC) 9. This embodiment can be implemented in any of the above embodiments shown and described in figures 6 to 14.

[0248] The passage of signals between different ICs 9 (ASIC 9) is done as follows:

[0249] The output signals from the electronic array 3 are shared between the different ICs 9 to allow smooth positioning of subarray positions across boundaries.

[0250] In this implementation, the channel selection module 42a (part of the sub-array definition module) is partially implemented in an IC (ASIC) 9.

[0251] Figure 16 shows a possible embodiment of the passing of signals between beamformer modules 43 of an electronic system 1 according to the invention, here between different ICs (ASICs) 9, the channel selection modules 42a being part of the subarray definition modules implemented at the periphery of the electronic array 3. This embodiment can be implemented in any of the above embodiments shown and described in figures 6 to 14.

[0252] FIG. 17 shows a possible embodiment for interleaving channels within the beamformer module 43 of the electronic system 1.

[0253] By interleaving the channels, it is possible to always connect the three subsequent electronic array outputs to all N (3 in this example) AFE / beamforming channels.

[0254] FIG. 18 shows a flow chart of a possible embodiment and how the two stage beamformer module operates.

[0255] In the first possible step, step 300, an electrical system converts physical waves into electrical signals through a transducer.

[0256] In the second step, step 302 , signals are coupled from the electronic array to two different beamformer modules 43 .

[0257] In a third step, i.e., step 304, partial beamforming of the N signals is performed in the first beamformer module 43 (first beamformer module) and partial beamforming of the M signals is performed in the second beamformer module 43 (second beamformer module).

[0258] In the fourth step, i.e., step 306, the output of the first beamformer module 43 (first beamformer module) and the output of the second beamformer module 43 (second beamformer module) are connected to the input of a second stage beamformer module 43.

[0259] In the fifth step, step 308, the partially beamformed signals are combined into a fully beamformed signal in the second stage beamformer module 43.

[0260] 19 shows a possible embodiment of a two stage beamformer module. The embodiment of the electronic system 1 with the beamformer module 43 shown is configured and adapted to perform the method shown and described in relation to FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0261] 1. Electronic Systems 2 Adhesive Patches 3. Electronic Array 3a Sensing and / or Actuating Elements 3b Sub-elements 3c Electronic Array Set 3d Column bus (one or more signal lines) 3e Row bus (one or more signal lines) 3f Selected columns 3g Selected row 4 Subarray 5. Transistor Array 6 Transistor Driver Module 7 Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) 8 Pulsar Module 9 Digital Application Specific Integrated Circuits (Control Circuits) 10 Analog Front End 11 Interface Module 12 External unit, back-end unit 21 Electronic Array 22 Analog Signals 23 Switch driver unit 24 Receiver unit 25 Pulsar Unit 26 Signal processing and control unit 27 Control Module 30 Microbeamformer 31 Analog Output Channels 32 Delay Units 33 Addition Unit 34 Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) 35 digital output channels 40 Control Unit 41 Data Processing Unit 42 Subarray Definition Module 42a Channel Selection Module (part of the Subarray Definition Module) 42b Column selection module (part of the subarray definition module) 43 Beamformer Module 44 Addition Module 45 Envelope Detection Module 46 Apodization Module 47 Peripheral Circuits 48 Signal Bus 51 Steps 52 Steps 71 Steps 72 Steps 73 Steps 74 Steps 75 steps 76 Steps 77 Steps 81 Steps 82 Steps 83 Steps 84 Steps 91 Steps 92 Steps 93 Steps 100 steps 102 Steps 104 Steps 106 Steps 200 steps 202 Steps 204 Steps 206 Steps 300 steps 302 Steps 304 Steps 306 Steps 308 Steps N Number of rows M Number of columns P1 Pulse P2 Pulse P3 Pulse P4 Pulse P5 Pulse P6 Pulse Ch1 Channel Ch2 channel Ch3 channel Ch4 channel Ch5 channel Ch6 Channel B1 Beam B2 Beam

Claims

1. An electronic system (1), comprising: an electronic array (3) of a plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements (3a), a control unit (40) coupled to said electronic array (3) for controlling said electronic array (3); a data processing unit (41) for receiving data from said electronic array (3) and for processing said received data; Equipped with The electronic system (1) further comprises at least one beamformer module (43), the beamformer module (43) configured to address the plurality of sensing and / or actuating elements (3a) to form a beam.

2. 2. The electronic system (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the beamformer module (43) is configured to apply a time delay to at least one of the sensing and / or actuating elements (3a), or to a number of the sensing and / or actuating elements (3a).

3. 3. The electronic system (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a subarray definition module (42), said subarray definition module (42) configured to define at least one subarray (4) of sensing and / or actuating elements (3a).

4. The electronic system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the subarray definition module includes a channel selection module (42a).

4. 4. The electronic system (1) of claim 3, wherein the electronic system (1) is configured such that signals can be passed between different beamformer modules (43) and further wherein the subarray definition module (42) is configured such that the at least one subarray (4) can be positioned anywhere within the larger electronic array (3) of the electronic system (1).

5. 5. The electronic system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two beamformer modules (43) are provided, and the electronic system (1) is further configured so that partial beamforming is performed in separate beamformer modules (43) before combining the signals in a second stage beamformer (43).

6. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the electronic system (1) further comprises an envelope detection module (45), which is configured to reduce the data rate towards the digital part of the electronic system (1), in particular the envelope detection module (45) being implemented in hardware and based on hardware.

7. The electronic system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the electronic system (1) further comprises an apodization module (46), the apodization module (46) being configured to perform hardware-based apodization before passing the signal to a beamformer.

8. 8. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the sub-array definition module (42) is configured to control the at least one sub-array (4) as a functional unit for transmitting at least one actuation signal and / or receiving at least one sensing signal.

9. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the subarray definition module (42) is configured to define a plurality of said subarrays (4) such that there is no overlap between the sensing and / or actuating elements (3a) of different subarrays (4).

10. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the electronic system (1) comprises at least two sensing and / or actuating arrays (3) forming at least one sensing and / or actuating array set, and the control unit (40) is configured to control the sensing and / or actuating array set as one single sensing and / or actuating array (3).

11. The electronic system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the electronic system (1) is configured such that the sensing and / or actuating array (3) is controlled according to a row / column based architecture.

12. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the electronic system (1) is configured to provide a subarray size, subarrays (4) of said subarray size are defined, and the sensing and / or actuating array (3) is controlled on the basis of each of said subarrays (4).

13. The electronic system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the sensing and / or actuating elements (3a) of each sub-array (4) are configured to provide analog sensor signals, and the sensor signals of the sensing and / or actuating elements (3a) of each sub-array (4) are provided to one common analog-to-digital converter (7, 34).

14. Electronic system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the beamforming architecture is implemented by a hardware beamforming module.

15. A method for operating an electronic system (1), in particular an electronic system according to one of claims 1 to 14, comprising: - defining a number of sub-arrays (4) within an electronic array (3) of sensing and / or actuating elements; - controlling each of said sub-arrays (4) as a functional unit for transmitting and / or receiving signals.

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