Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-30
2001-06-19
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S459000, C365S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248069
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally related to ultrasound systems, and, more particularly, the present invention is related to optical interconnect and method for optically coupling an ultrasonic probe and an imaging console using a quantum-well device.
Ultrasound systems typically comprise a hand-held probe having an array of ultrasound transducer elements which transmit during a transmit mode of operation a vibratory signal to be propagated into a medium and receive during a receive mode of operation a reflected signal from within the medium. By controlling the time delay and the applied voltages of an array of such transducers, the focal point of an ultrasound beam can be controlled and scanned. A transducer array can be used both as a transmitter and receiver. It thus forms an image by properly controlling the beam-forming parameters.
In known ultrasound array imaging systems, each transducer element is commonly connected by an individual miniaturized coaxial cable to a single analog channel followed by an analog-to-digital converter and delay circuit. Thus, for example, a 128-channel system may use up to 128 delay circuits plus all other associated electronic components. At typical imaging frequencies of 1-20 MHz, delay circuits need timing accuracy in the order of a few nanoseconds. The transducer array may be assembled separately from the console electronics unit which provides the electrical control, signal processing, and power conditioning. The interconnect between the transducer unit and the electronic unit becomes complicated as the number of array elements increases. For example, the large number of individual coaxial cables collectively becomes difficult to maneuver. The degree of complexity increases even more as the sensor array becomes two dimensional (2D) for three dimensional (3D) or volumetric scanning. Sometimes additional components, such as multiplexers, may be installed in the probe to attempt to reduce the cable count. Unfortunately, the additional components may increase the cost of the imaging system and may impact the overall reliability of the system.
Previous attempts to use optical fibers to communicate ultrasound information are believed to have been generally based on one of the following two techniques. In the first known technique, the received echo signal is used to drive an optical source. Unfortunately, such optical sources typically have relatively low efficiency and hence they result in high power consumption devices. For example, the amount of power dissipated in a probe handle may be prohibitive since it may result in exceeding heat dissipation constraints. In the second known technique, the power dissipation in the handle is reduced by putting the optical source in the console, and then modulating the signal from that optical source with information from the acoustic echo. Unfortunately, this technique is also believed to have failed to provide a practical solution since such technique also results in relatively high power consumption, very low dynamic range, or both. For example, a standard Mach-Zehnder modulator may dissipate in the order of one watt.
In view of the foregoing issues, it would be desirable to provide systems and techniques that could reduce the complexity of the interconnects and cabling in ultrasound probes, such as multirow or two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer arrays. It would be further desirable to provide a greatly improved optical modulator that has a relatively high dynamic range and that further allows for relatively low power dissipation in the operation of the imaging system so as to handle operation of a large number of channels using an optical fiber interconnect.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing needs are fulfilled by providing an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasonic probe including an array of ultrasonic transducers. The imaging system further comprises a plurality of interconnect channels for enabling optical communication of the ultrasonic probe with an imaging console. Each interconnect channel comprises a quantum-well device having a terminal electrically coupled to receive an electrical signal from a corresponding transducer. The quantum well device is further configured to receive and process an input optical signal to supply a modulated optical signal in response to amplitude variation of the electrical signal. An optical cable assembly is coupled to transmit from the imaging console the optical input signal received by the quantum-well device.
The present invention further fulfills the foregoing needs by providing in another aspect thereof an optical interconnect for an ultrasound imaging system having an ultrasonic probe including an array of ultrasonic transducers. The interconnect comprises a plurality of interconnect channels for enabling optical communication of the ultrasonic probe with an imaging console. Each interconnect channel comprises a quantum-well device having a terminal electrically coupled to receive an electrical signal from a corresponding transducer. The quantum well device is further configured to receive and process an input optical signal to supply a modulated optical signal in response to amplitude variation of the electrical signal. A first optical cable assembly is coupled to transmit from the imaging console the optical input signal received by the quantum-well device. The first optical cable assembly is further coupled to transmit back to the imaging console the modulated signal supplied by the quantum well device. A second optical cable assembly is coupled to a phototransistor circuit responsive to an optical control signal transmitted from the console through said second optical cable assembly to generate a respective excitation electrical signal, wherein said excitation electrical signal is transmitted to a corresponding transducer to cause the transducer to generate vibratory energy to be propagated through a medium during a transmit mode of operation of the ultrasound system, and further wherein the electrical signal received by the quantum-well device from each corresponding transducer is generated during a receive mode of operation of the ultrasound system in response to propagated vibratory energy received from within the medium.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the foregoing needs are fulfilled by providing a method for optically interconnecting an ultrasound imaging system having an ultrasonic probe including an array of ultrasonic transducers. The method allows for enabling optical communication of the ultrasonic probe with an imaging console through a plurality of interconnect channels. The method further allows for electrically coupling a quantum-well device to receive an electrical signal from a corresponding transducer. A coupling step allows for optically coupling the quantum well device to receive and process an input optical signal to supply a modulated optical signal in response to amplitude variation of the electrical signal. An optical cable assembly is provided to transmit from the imaging console the optical input signal received by the quantum-well device. A coupling step allows for optically coupling that first optical cable assembly to transmit back to the imaging console the modulated signal supplied by the quantum well device.
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Liu Yung Sheng
Smith Lowell Scott
Agosti Ann M.
Breedlove Jill M.
General Electric Company
Lateef Marvin M.
Patel Maulin
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