Ultrasound Sub-array Receiver Beamformer with Analog Delay Slope Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound receiver sub-arrays face challenges in dynamic focusing and apodization due to power consumption, size constraints, and image artifacts caused by limited analog delay capabilities and aperture stepping, which compromise image quality and frame rate.
Innovation Solution
A sub-array receiver beamformer system that uses analog delay lines with individual delays based on a linear delay slope, combined with digital beamforming and profile control registers to maintain focus and apodization across multiple image lines with minimal memory and power usage, allowing for dynamic focusing and apodization in the digital domain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If independent transducer elements with ADC for each signal are used, then signal processing capability is improved, but power consumption and device size increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transducer element signals into sub-arrays, where signals from multiple elements are summed in the analog domain before ADC conversion. This reduces the number of ADCs required from one per element to one per sub-array, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining signal processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the full transducer array into multiple sub-arrays, each handling a portion of the aperture. This allows parallel processing of sub-array signals with fewer ADCs, reducing overall system power consumption while maintaining imaging capability.
2Device complexity
If analog delay lines with fixed delays are used, then device complexity is reduced, but dynamic focusing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic delay adjustment by allowing the delay profile control register to be updated during the receive interval. This enables the analog delay lines to adapt their delay values dynamically, maintaining focusing capability across multiple image lines without requiring complex digital processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-calculates and stores delay profiles in a control register that can be updated before or during the receive interval. This preliminary preparation of delay values allows fast switching between different focus depths without real-time computation, maintaining both simplicity and adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If aperture stepping is performed to maintain dynamic apodization, then image quality is improved, but frame rate decreases due to communication overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-loads delay profiles into the profile control register during transmit intervals or between image lines. This preliminary action ensures that delay information is ready when needed, eliminating the need for time-critical communication during the receive interval and maintaining high frame rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a delay profile control register as an intermediary buffer between the delay calculation logic and the analog delay lines. This intermediary allows delay profiles to be updated and stored without requiring real-time communication during signal reception, decoupling the update rate from the frame rate.
4Measurement precision
If more memory is allocated for delay information storage, then dynamic focusing precision is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent represents delay profiles using compact parameter sets (slope and intercept values) rather than storing complete delay tables. This parameter-based representation achieves the same focusing precision with significantly reduced memory requirements, shrinking device size while maintaining precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces power consumption, size, and complexity while maintaining image focus and quality, eliminating artifacts and enabling efficient aperture stepping, thus improving ultrasound imaging performance.
Implementation Method 1
analog delay lines including individual delays unique to each of the transducer elements and calculated based on a linear delay slope for delaying the analog signals
Implementation Method 2
The transducer elements convert the received acoustic energy into electrical signals. In a traditional ultrasound system, the signals from each of the transducer elements are amplified and converted from an analog signal to a digital signal.
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasound method and apparatus can include: transducer elements arranged in a sub-array for generating analog signals based on a return signal detected by the transducer elements during a receive interval; analog delay lines including individual delays unique to each of the transducer elements and calculated based on a linear delay slope for delaying the analog signals; an analog to digital converter for converting the analog signals to a digital signal; a digital beamformer with a digital delay based on one portion of the linear delay slope for delaying the digital signal; and a profile control register containing depth bits corresponding to multiple points for updating the linear delay slope during the receive interval to adjust for the multiple points within an image line.