US 12,115,020 B2
Two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe and addition circuit
Shinya Kajiyama, Tokyo (JP); Yoshihiro Hayashi, Tokyo (JP); and Tadahiro Nabeta, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by HITACHI, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/229,916.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-103537 (JP), filed on Jun. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0386401 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); B06B 1/02 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4494 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); B06B 1/0207 (2013.01); G01S 15/8925 (2013.01); G01S 15/8927 (2013.01); G01S 15/8993 (2013.01); A61B 8/145 (2013.01); B06B 2201/76 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of transducer channels are arranged in a first direction and a second direction, each of the plurality of transducer channels including an ultrasonic transducer and a reception circuit that transmits a reception signal of the ultrasonic transducer, the plurality of transducer channels being divided into a plurality of subarrays on a basis of an addition unit of the reception signal, the two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe comprising:
an addition circuit that generates an addition signal by adding reception signals of the transducer channels included in the subarrays on a subarray basis, wherein
the addition circuit includes,
between an addition output terminal that outputs the addition signal and the transducer channels,
a transducer channel row wiring provided for each transducer channel row including the transducer channels arranged in the first direction on a subarray basis and coupled to the transducer channels of a corresponding transducer channel row,
a first switch provided for each transducer channel row wiring and coupled to the corresponding transducer channel row wiring, and
a second switch that couples transducer channel row wirings corresponding to transducer channel rows adjacent in the second direction via the first switch.