Ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnosis apparatus

摘要

To be able to control an aperture in ultrasound transducer units comprised such that the signals from a plurality of ultrasound transducers are added and output. An ultrasound probe comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a plurality of delay circuits, and an adder circuit, and configured to be able to control a reception aperture of ultrasound waves. The delay circuit performs a delay processing to reception signals. The adder circuit adds and outputs the reception signals for each predetermined group. The ultrasound probe further comprises a gate means. The gate means switches connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit. The gate means also connects only the signal path from the ultrasound transducer corresponding to the initial reception aperture that is previously set after the transmission of ultrasound waves within the cycle of the ultrasound waves and sequentially connects the corresponding signal path from the ultrasound transducer that is closer to the initial reception aperture according to the lapse in time of the reception period.

主权项

1. An ultrasound probe, comprising:
a plurality of ultrasound transducers configured to transmit ultrasound waves at a predetermined cycle and receive ultrasound echoes from inside of a subject; a plurality of delay circuits configured to receive reception signals from each of the ultrasound transducers and apply a delay processing to each of the reception signals; an adder circuit configured to add and output the reception signals to which the delay processing is performed for each predetermined group of a plurality of groups, wherein the ultrasound probe is configured to control a reception aperture of the ultrasound waves; and a gate circuit configured to switch connection and disconnection of signal paths for each signal path arranged between an ultrasound transducer of the plurality of ultrasound transducers and the adder circuit, and connect only the signal path from the ultrasound transducer corresponding to an initial reception aperture that is previously set after transmitting the ultrasound waves within the cycle of the ultrasound waves, and sequentially connect corresponding signal paths from ultrasound transducers outside the initial reception aperture according to a lapse in time of a reception period.