EP0036688B1 - Appareil d'exploration de milieux par méthode ultrasonore à mosaique de transducteurs réalisée en un matériau électrostrictif - Google Patents

Appareil d'exploration de milieux par méthode ultrasonore à mosaique de transducteurs réalisée en un matériau électrostrictif Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0036688B1
EP0036688B1 EP81200283A EP81200283A EP0036688B1 EP 0036688 B1 EP0036688 B1 EP 0036688B1 EP 81200283 A EP81200283 A EP 81200283A EP 81200283 A EP81200283 A EP 81200283A EP 0036688 B1 EP0036688 B1 EP 0036688B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
circuit
transducers
mosaic
electrodes
polarization
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP81200283A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0036688A1 (fr
Inventor
Michel Auphan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Laboratoires dElectronique Philips SAS
Koninklijke Philips NV
Original Assignee
Laboratoires dElectronique et de Physique Appliquee
Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Laboratoires dElectronique et de Physique Appliquee, Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV filed Critical Laboratoires dElectronique et de Physique Appliquee
Publication of EP0036688A1 publication Critical patent/EP0036688A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0036688B1 publication Critical patent/EP0036688B1/fr
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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
    • G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
    • G10K11/26—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
    • G10K11/34—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering
    • G10K11/341—Circuits therefor
    • G10K11/346—Circuits therefor using phase variation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers
    • H04R17/04—Gramophone pick-ups using a stylus; Recorders using a stylus
    • H04R17/08—Gramophone pick-ups using a stylus; Recorders using a stylus signals being recorded or played back by vibration of a stylus in two orthogonal directions simultaneously
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S367/00—Communications, electrical: acoustic wave systems and devices
    • Y10S367/90—Sonar time varied gain control systems
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S73/00—Measuring and testing
    • Y10S73/90—Automatic gain control

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for exploring media by ultrasonic method comprising at least one transducer for the repeated emission of ultrasonic signals and, for the reception of ultrasonic signals, a mosaic of individual ultrasonic transducers made of an electrostrictive material called polarization. non-retentive, the polarization field being applied to each individual transducer by electrodes.
  • Mosaic of transducers is understood to mean any multi-element transducer, such as in particular linear arrays or matrix arrays.
  • Patent of the United States of America US-A-4016862 granted on April 12, 1977 describes an apparatus for exploration of objects by ultrasound comprising a mosaic of ultrasonic transducers associated in particular with a stage of emission of ultrasonic signals and with a echo reception stage.
  • an electronic switching circuit placed at the output of the transducers and followed by a processing channel itself comprising an amplifier associated with a gain control circuit as a function of time.
  • an electrostrictive material can acquire different states depending on the polarization to which it is subjected.
  • the object of the invention is to use in a device as defined above this same known characteristic, but in the following original way, namely by using the bias voltage to impose on several transducers used in reception the same sensitivity instant.
  • the invention relates to an apparatus for exploring media by ultrasonic method comprising, for the repeated emission of ultrasonic signals, at least one transducer, and, for reception, a mosaic of individual transducers followed by a circuit of processing of the reception signals delivered by its individual transducers, the apparatus further comprising a circuit for generating a voltage ramp which, as a function of time, has a shape approximately opposite to that of the curve for attenuation of the ultrasonic signals in the environments explored, this device being characterized in that the mosaic is made of an electrostrictive material called non-remanent polarization, the electric field for energizing each individual transducer being applied using corresponding individual electrodes connected to a polarization stage which comprises the generation circuit, the polarization stage being connected to the electrodes by the int Via means of coupling of said generation circuit to the electrodes, however, preventing transmission of the output signal of this generation circuit to the part of the processing channels which is located downstream of said coupling means, and this generation circuit being intended to allow on the
  • an electrostrictive material makes it possible, in the case of the device structure which has just been defined, to impose on all the individual transducers of the mosaic a single bias voltage and therefore the same instantaneous sensitivity to the reception of ultrasonic echoes by these transducers. Then, by changing this sensitivity over time by action on the bias stage, so as to make the bias voltage (and therefore the sensitivity) inversely proportional to the attenuation curve of the transmitted and received signals, a identical gain compensation effect in all processing channels.
  • the circuit for processing the electrical signals delivered by a mosaic of individual ultrasonic transducers 1 corresponding to the echoes it receives after the emission of ultrasonic waves by these transducers comprises, following the preamplifiers 6 provided at the output of said transducers, an electronic switch 5 itself followed in series by an ultrasound signal amplifier 7 then by a video detector leading to a cathode ray display tube.
  • the gain of the amplifier 7 is fixed by a gain compensation circuit 13 as a function of time, itself controlled by a clock circuit 2.
  • this gain compensation operated by the circuit 13 is absolutely essential and must be carried out in such a way that the gain changes over time.
  • a form of curve inversely proportional to that of the curve for attenuation of the ultrasonic signals in the media explored (which is achieved by adjustable potentiometers), see Figure 2 showing the curve of evolution of the gain as a function of time.
  • the circuit for processing the electrical signals delivered by the mosaic 100 of the individual ultrasonic transducers 102a to 102n in correspondence with the echoes which it receives essentially comprises in each processing channel i (i varying from 1 to n) provided following the transducers each equipped with an output electrode, an amplifier 3i, a delay line 8i, then a whole set of digital or analog circuits which are known and therefore not shown here.
  • This processing circuit further comprises, in each channel also, a coupling circuit 10i of the electrode or electrodes to which this channel i corresponds to a polarization stage common to all the individual transducers 102a to 102n of the mosaic.
  • the mosaic is made of an electrostrictive material delivering a signal only if it is previously polarized, and the polarization stage of the transducers making up this mosaic is a single circuit 20 for generating a voltage ramp having an inverse shape, or approximately inverse to that of the curve for attenuation of ultrasonic signals in the media explored.
  • the electric field thus applied to the electrostrictive material by the sending of a unique bias voltage on each of the electrodes is identical at a given time opposite each of the transducers, and the evolution over time (see FIG. 2) of this voltage delivered by the circuit 20, in a manner inversely proportional to the attenuation curve of the ultrasound, guarantees that the sensitivity of each transducer and therefore the gain of each treatment channel increase in the same way to compensate for this attenu
  • the coupling circuit 10i comprises for example a circuit of the RC type (see FIG. 3a), the capacitor 11i of which is in series with the processing channel and so as to prevent the bias voltage cannot be superimposed on the reception signal during its processing, and the resistor 12i of which is in series with the circuit 20 for generating a voltage ramp, or comprises a transformer 13i (see FIG. 3b).
  • each coupling circuit 10i is inserted between the output of the transducer (s) concerned and the input of the amplifier 3i of the corresponding processing channel.
  • the present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have just been described, from which various variants can be proposed without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.
  • triglycine sulphate is very particularly suitable as an electrostrictive material with non-remanent polarization, but that other materials can be used for producing the mosaic, for example materials with a lower Curie point than that of sulphate. triglycine and in particular, among these, mixtures based on triglycine sulfate.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
EP81200283A 1980-03-21 1981-03-13 Appareil d'exploration de milieux par méthode ultrasonore à mosaique de transducteurs réalisée en un matériau électrostrictif Expired EP0036688B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8006295 1980-03-21
FR8006295A FR2478929A1 (fr) 1980-03-21 1980-03-21 Circuit de traitement des signaux de reception delivres par une mosaique de transducteurs ultrasonores individuels et appareil d'exploration de milieux par methode ultrasonore equipe d'un tel circuit de traitement

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0036688A1 EP0036688A1 (fr) 1981-09-30
EP0036688B1 true EP0036688B1 (fr) 1985-05-22

Family

ID=9239919

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81200283A Expired EP0036688B1 (fr) 1980-03-21 1981-03-13 Appareil d'exploration de milieux par méthode ultrasonore à mosaique de transducteurs réalisée en un matériau électrostrictif

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US4375166A (enrdf_load_html_response)
EP (1) EP0036688B1 (enrdf_load_html_response)
JP (1) JPS56148056A (enrdf_load_html_response)
AU (1) AU539888B2 (enrdf_load_html_response)
CA (1) CA1157140A (enrdf_load_html_response)
DE (1) DE3170578D1 (enrdf_load_html_response)
ES (1) ES500469A0 (enrdf_load_html_response)
FR (1) FR2478929A1 (enrdf_load_html_response)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL8200478A (nl) * 1982-02-09 1983-09-01 Philips Nv Ultrasone zender.
DE3511768C2 (de) * 1985-03-30 1994-06-09 Betr Forsch Inst Angew Forsch Elektromagnetischer Wandler
US4881409A (en) * 1988-06-13 1989-11-21 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multi-point wall thickness gage
US5213104A (en) * 1991-10-24 1993-05-25 Reynolds Charles A Doppler ultrasound monitor system
CN100496406C (zh) * 2004-10-15 2009-06-10 株式会社日立医药 超声波诊断装置
JP2006122344A (ja) * 2004-10-28 2006-05-18 Toshiba Corp 超音波画像診断装置

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2928068A (en) * 1952-03-25 1960-03-08 Gen Electric Compressional wave transducer and method of making the same
US2956184A (en) * 1954-11-01 1960-10-11 Honeywell Regulator Co Transducer
US3889227A (en) * 1972-09-22 1975-06-10 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ultrasonic wave receiving apparatus
NL7217703A (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1972-12-28 1974-07-02
US4034332A (en) * 1974-10-15 1977-07-05 Agence Nationale De Valorisation De La Recherche (Anvar) Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving devices using dielectric transducers
JPS53142075A (en) * 1977-05-17 1978-12-11 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ultrasonic diagnosing device
FR2405484A1 (fr) * 1977-10-05 1979-05-04 Labo Electronique Physique Systeme electronique d'exploration et de focalisation au moyen d'ondes ultrasonores
FR2411506A1 (fr) * 1977-12-07 1979-07-06 Labo Electronique Physique Systeme electronique pour la compensation automatique de gain d'impulsions d'echos
US4180792A (en) * 1978-03-09 1979-12-25 General Electric Company Transmit-receive transducer array and ultrasonic imaging system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES8206947A1 (es) 1982-08-16
AU6850881A (en) 1981-09-24
AU539888B2 (en) 1984-10-18
JPS56148056A (en) 1981-11-17
FR2478929A1 (fr) 1981-09-25
JPS6319024B2 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1988-04-21
EP0036688A1 (fr) 1981-09-30
DE3170578D1 (en) 1985-06-27
US4375166A (en) 1983-03-01
FR2478929B1 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1984-10-19
ES500469A0 (es) 1982-08-16
CA1157140A (en) 1983-11-15

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