公开(公告)号：US20180098750A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-12

申请号：US15287206

申请日：2016-10-06

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Bruno Hans Haider ,  David Martin Mills ,  Scott William Easterbrook ,  Todor Sheljaskow

IPC: A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/14 ,  A61B8/08

CPC classification number: A61B8/4488 ,  A61B8/4444 ,  A61B8/4494 ,  A61B8/461 ,  A61B8/5207 ,  A61B8/54 ,  G01S7/52046 ,  G01S15/8915

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for ultrasound transducers with variable pitch. In one embodiment, an ultrasound probe comprises a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array, wherein a pitch between adjacent transducer elements increases from a first pitch in a center of the array to a second pitch at an edge of the array, and wherein the pitch gradually varies between the first pitch and second pitch for transducer elements positioned between the center and the edge. In this way, an ultrasound probe can be operated in multiple modes while avoiding image artifacts caused by an abrupt change in pitch.

公开(公告)号：US09874631B2

公开(公告)日：2018-01-23

申请号：US15358482

申请日：2016-11-22

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Steven Charles Miller ,  Kjell Kristoffersen ,  Bruno Hans Haider

IPC: A61B8/00 ,  G01S7/52 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G10K11/34

CPC classification number: G01S7/5208 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  A61B8/488 ,  G01S7/5203 ,  G01S7/52084 ,  G01S15/8913 ,  G01S15/8915 ,  G01S15/8925 ,  G01S15/8927 ,  G10K11/345

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

公开(公告)号：US20170281128A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-05

申请号：US15087417

申请日：2016-03-31

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Reinhold Bruestle ,  Jean-Francois Gelly ,  Bruno Hans Haider

IPC: A61B8/00

CPC classification number: A61B8/4477 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  A61B8/4494 ,  A61B2562/12 ,  B06B1/0662

Abstract: A transducer array for an ultrasound probe is provided. The transducer array includes a plurality of transducer elements. Each of the transducer elements have an acoustic stack configured to generate ultrasound signals. The transducer array includes a front layer having a base and a transmission surface. The front layer is mounted to the acoustic stacks of the plurality or transducer elements. The transmission surface includes a linear incline. The transmission surface is configured to emit the ultrasound signals.

公开(公告)号：US20150087988A1

公开(公告)日：2015-03-26

申请号：US14032392

申请日：2013-09-20

Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Inventor： Warren Lee ,  Bruno Hans Haider ,  Stephen Dodge Edwardsen ,  Geir Ultveit Haugen ,  Scott Cogan ,  Chester Saj ,  Christopher Yetter ,  Bjornar Sten-Nilsen ,  Shinichi Amemiya ,  Charles Edward Baumgartner

IPC: A61B8/00

CPC classification number: A61B8/4494 ,  A61B8/4411 ,  A61B8/4455 ,  B06B1/0622

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer array for an ultrasound probe is presented. The ultrasound transducer array includes a support structure. Further, the ultrasound transducer array includes a plurality of electro-acoustic modules coupled to the support structure, wherein each of the plurality of electro-acoustic modules comprises at least one matrix acoustic array and an interconnect element, wherein each of the plurality of electro-acoustic modules is interchangeable on the support structure so as to adapt to one or more shapes of the ultrasound probe, and wherein each of the plurality of electro-acoustic modules operates in a manner substantially identical to each other of the plurality of electro-acoustic modules.

Abstract translation: 提出了一种用于超声探头的超声波换能器阵列。 超声换能器阵列包括支撑结构。 此外，超声换能器阵列包括耦合到支撑结构的多个电声模块，其中多个电声模块中的每一个包括至少一个矩阵声阵列和互连元件，其中， 声学模块在支撑结构上是可互换的，以便适应于一个或多个形状的超声波探头，并且其中多个电声模块中的每一个以多个电声模块中的彼此基本相同的方式操作 。