RECONFIGURABLE ANALOG FRONT-END IC AND ULTRASOUND IMAGE SYSTEM USING SUCH IC

摘要

The present invention relates to a reconfigurable analog front-end integrated circuit (IC) and an ultrasound imaging system using the same. The reconfigurable analog front-end IC comprises: a level shifter to convert an inputted trigger signal into a high voltage pulse of 10 V or higher; a driver to transmit the high voltage pulse to a transducer array in a transmission mode; and a preamplifier to amplify a signal received from an ultrasonic transducer in a reception mode. The driver transfers the signal received from the ultrasonic transducer to the preamplifier in the reception mode, and blocks the ultrasonic transducer and the preamplifier in the transmission mode. A front-end circuit including a high voltage switch and a high voltage pulser which can be used in an ultrasound imaging system application is realized on a single chip by using a standard low voltage CMOS process only, and the driver of the pulser is reconfigured by the switch to reduce a surface area occupied by the front-end circuit on the chip.