MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ELEMENT SWITCHING

摘要

A method and system (10) for obtaining ultrasound data is provided. Two or more transducer elements (12, 22) are shorted or connected to the same transmit (24) or receive channel for a single transmit or receive event. The affect of any grating lobes generated from shorting the transducer elements (12) are minimized by receiving acoustic energy and then obtaining ultrasound data at a harmonic of a fundamental transmit frequency. No contrast agent is added during imaging. A multiplex (32, 34) with a limited number of switches is used to short pairs of transducer elements together. Alternatively, a multiplex with a limited number of switches is used to transmit or receive from spaced apertures, such as by connecting a channel to every second transducer element.