Analog Signal Processing in Ultrasound Probes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound imaging systems require significant communication bandwidth and power between the probe and the main unit, limiting their portability and efficiency, as most processing is done digitally and requires multiple conductors and high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an ultrasound processing system that uses analog signal processing in discrete time analog circuits within the probe, including passive charge sharing processing sections and fractional delay filters, to reduce power consumption and communication requirements, enabling more complex processing and potentially eliminating the need for a separate main unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If digital signal processing is used in the probe, then processing capability is improved, but power consumption and communication bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces digital signal processing circuits with analog signal processing circuits in the probe. Specifically, analog delay lines, analog summing circuits, and analog filter circuits are used instead of their digital counterparts, thereby maintaining processing capability while significantly reducing power consumption and eliminating the need for high-speed ADCs and large data transmission bandwidths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing domain from digital to analog by modifying the operational parameters of the signal processing system. Analog circuits operate with continuous voltage signals rather than discrete digital values, enabling processing functions (delay, summing, filtering) to be performed with lower power consumption and reduced communication requirements.
2Device complexity
If more processing is performed in the probe, then system complexity is reduced, but communication bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes digital processing with analog processing to perform beamforming, delay, and summing operations directly in the probe using analog circuits. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to the main unit, as only the final processed analog signals (or reduced digital representations) need to be communicated, thereby reducing communication bandwidth requirements while maintaining reduced system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If wireless battery-powered operation is implemented, then portability is improved, but power consumption limits processing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs analog signal processing circuits instead of digital circuits to perform processing functions in the probe. Analog circuits consume significantly less power, enabling the probe to operate wirelessly on battery power while maintaining full processing capability for beamforming, delay, and signal summation. This resolves the contradiction between portability and processing capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An approach to signal processing in an imaging system, for instance an ultrasound medical imaging system, makes use of analog signal processing prior to conversion to digital form, which may be performed in a portable probe of the system. In some examples, the system includes multiple controllable input processing blocks, each implementing a discrete time analog signal processing stage such as time domain filtering for fractional time delay, anti-alias filtering, or matched filtering. The processing blocks may be implemented using a passive charge sharing approach in which charge is transferred between capacitive elements in successive phases using controlled switches.