ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CALIBRATING THE SAME

摘要

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 causes discharge means 4 to apply a discharge pulse (having a peak value equal to or greater than a collapse voltage) between electrodes of an ultrasound transducer 20 a plurality of time while inverting the polarity of the discharge pulse each time, to thereby accelerate discharge of the charge accumulated in the diaphragm of the ultrasound transducer 20, so that a transmission-reception sensitivity offset can be caused to quickly approach zero. The charge is discharged instantaneously. That is, it is possible to quickly calibrate a transmission-reception sensitivity drift stemming from time-course accumulation of charge flowing into the diaphragm between the electrodes upon application of a DC bias thereto.