US20190142389A1 - Multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (tia) for an ultrasound device - Google Patents
Multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (tia) for an ultrasound device Download PDFInfo
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- US20190142389A1 US20190142389A1 US16/244,739 US201916244739A US2019142389A1 US 20190142389 A1 US20190142389 A1 US 20190142389A1 US 201916244739 A US201916244739 A US 201916244739A US 2019142389 A1 US2019142389 A1 US 2019142389A1
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/52—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/5207—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
- A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/52—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/5269—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves involving detection or reduction of artifacts
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/54—Control of the diagnostic device
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B8/56—Details of data transmission or power supply
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
- G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
- G01S15/8909—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration
- G01S15/8915—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
- G01S7/52017—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00 particularly adapted to short-range imaging
- G01S7/52023—Details of receivers
- G01S7/52025—Details of receivers for pulse systems
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
- G01S7/52017—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00 particularly adapted to short-range imaging
- G01S7/52096—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00 particularly adapted to short-range imaging related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F3/00—Amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements
- H03F3/45—Differential amplifiers
- H03F3/45071—Differential amplifiers with semiconductor devices only
- H03F3/45076—Differential amplifiers with semiconductor devices only characterised by the way of implementation of the active amplifying circuit in the differential amplifier
- H03F3/45475—Differential amplifiers with semiconductor devices only characterised by the way of implementation of the active amplifying circuit in the differential amplifier using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F3/00—Amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements
- H03F3/50—Amplifiers in which input is applied to, or output is derived from, an impedance common to input and output circuits of the amplifying element, e.g. cathode follower
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F2200/00—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers
- H03F2200/411—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F2200/00—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers
- H03F2200/516—Some amplifier stages of an amplifier use supply voltages of different value
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements covered by H03F3/00
- H03F2203/45—Indexing scheme relating to differential amplifiers
- H03F2203/45512—Indexing scheme relating to differential amplifiers the FBC comprising one or more capacitors, not being switched capacitors, and being coupled between the LC and the IC
Definitions
- the present application relates to ultrasound devices having an amplifier for amplifying received ultrasound signals.
- Ultrasound probes often include one or more ultrasound sensors which sense ultrasound signals and produce corresponding electrical signals.
- the electrical signals are processed in the analog or digital domain.
- ultrasound images are generated from the processed electrical signals.
- an ultrasound apparatus comprising an ultrasound sensor and a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) coupled to the ultrasound sensor and configured to receive and amplify an output signal from the ultrasound sensor.
- the multi-stage TIA may include stages operating with different supply voltages, which may reduce power consumption in at least some situations.
- an ultrasound apparatus comprising an ultrasonic transducer and a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) having an input terminal coupled to the ultrasonic transducer.
- the multi-stage TIA is configured to receive and amplify an analog electrical signal from the ultrasonic transducer.
- the multi-stage TIA comprises a first stage configured to receive a first supply voltage and a second stage configured to receive a second supply voltage different than the first supply voltage.
- an ultrasound on a chip device comprising a substrate, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers integrated on the substrate, and analog processing circuitry integrated on the substrate and coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
- the analog processing circuitry comprises a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier coupled to an ultrasonic transducer of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
- the multi-stage TIA comprises multiple stages configured to receive different supply voltages.
- a method of operating an ultrasound circuit comprising receiving and amplifying, with a first stage of a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier, an electrical signal output by a an ultrasonic transducer, the first stage of the multi-stage TIA operating at a first supply voltage value, and amplifying, with a second stage of the multi-stage TIA operating at a second supply voltage value different than the first supply voltage value, an output signal of the first stage.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasound device including an amplifier for amplifying an ultrasound signal, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram representation of the amplifier of FIG. 1 , illustrating two stages with different supply voltages, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a non-limiting example implementation of the multi-stage amplifier of FIG. 2 , according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.
- An ultrasound device may include one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to receive ultrasound signals and produce electrical output signals. Thus, the ultrasonic transducers may be operated as ultrasound sensors.
- the ultrasound device may include one or more amplifiers for amplifying the electrical output signals.
- the amplifier(s) may be multi-stage amplifiers, with stages that operate at different supply voltage levels. In this manner, a lower supply voltage level may be used for at least one of the stages, thus facilitating lower power operation.
- the first stage of the multi-stage amplifier may operate with a lower supply voltage than a following stage. The following stage may provide a desired output gain of the amplifier.
- a method of operating an ultrasound circuit comprising producing an electrical signal with an ultrasonic transducer and amplifying the electrical signal with a multi-stage TIA.
- the multi-stage TIA may include a first stage configured to operate at a lower supply voltage level than a following stage, and thus may provide power savings.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a circuit for processing received ultrasound signals, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.
- the circuit 100 includes N ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n , wherein N is an integer.
- the ultrasonic transducers are sensors in some embodiments, producing electrical signals representing received ultrasound signals.
- the ultrasonic transducers may also transmit ultrasound signals in some embodiments.
- the ultrasonic transducers may be capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) in some embodiments.
- the ultrasonic transducers may be piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) in some embodiments. Alternative types of ultrasonic transducers may be used in other embodiments.
- the circuit 100 further comprises N circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n .
- the circuitry channels may correspond to a respective ultrasonic transducer 102 a . . . 102 n .
- the number of ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n may be greater than the number of circuitry channels.
- the circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n may include transmit circuitry, receive circuitry, or both.
- the transmit circuitry may include transmit decoders 106 a . . . 106 n coupled to respective pulsers 108 a . . . 108 n .
- the pulsers 108 a . . . 108 n may control the respective ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n to emit ultrasound signals.
- the receive circuitry of the circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n may receive the (analog) electrical signals output from respective ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n .
- each circuitry channel 104 a . . . 104 n includes a respective receive circuit 110 a . . . 110 n and an amplifier 112 a . . . 112 n .
- the receive circuit 110 a . . . 110 n may be controlled to activate/deactivate readout of an electrical signal from a given ultrasonic transducer 102 a . . . 102 n .
- the receive circuits are controllable switches which are switched during transmit mode to disconnect the ultrasonic transducers from the receive circuitry and during receive mode to connect the ultrasonic transducers to the receive circuitry.
- Alternatives to a switch may be employed to perform the same function.
- the amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n may be multi-stage TIAs in some embodiments, outputting amplified analog signals. As will be described further below, in some embodiments one or more—and in some embodiments all—of the amplifiers 112 a - 112 n may include a first stage operating at a lower supply voltage level than a subsequent stage. The use of multi-stage TIAs with multiple supply voltages may facilitate low power operation of the circuit 100 compared to the use of alternative amplifier designs.
- the circuit 100 further comprises an averaging circuit 114 , which is also referred to herein as a summer or a summing amplifier.
- the averaging circuit 114 is a buffer or an amplifier.
- the averaging circuit 114 may receive output signals from one or more of the amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n and may provide an averaged output signal.
- the averaged output signal may be formed in part by adding or subtracting the signals from the various amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n .
- the averaging circuit 114 may include a variable feedback resistance. The value of the variable feedback resistance may be adjusted dynamically based upon the number of amplifiers 112 a . . .
- variable resistance may include N resistance settings. That is, the variable resistance may have a number of resistance settings corresponding to the number of circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n .
- the average output signal may also be formed in part by application of the selected resistance to the combined signal received at the input(s) of the averaging circuit 114 .
- the averaging circuit 114 is coupled to an auto-zero block 116 , also referred to herein as a “DC block.”
- the auto-zero block 116 may filter the averaged signal provided by the averaging circuit 114 , and thus may be considered a filter in at least some embodiments.
- the auto-zero block 116 is coupled to a programmable gain amplifier 118 which includes an attenuator 120 and a fixed gain amplifier 122 .
- the programmable gain amplifier 118 may perform time gain compensation (TGC), and thus may alternatively be referred to as a TGC stage or circuit.
- TGC time gain compensation
- the programmable gain amplifier 118 may increase the amplification provided during reception of an ultrasound signal by an ultrasonic transducer, thus compensating for the natural attenuation of the signal which occurs over time.
- the programmable gain amplifier 118 is coupled to an ADC 126 via ADC drivers 124 .
- the ADC drivers 124 include a first ADC driver 125 a and a second ADC driver 125 b .
- the ADC 126 digitizes the signal(s) from the averaging circuit 114 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates a number of components as part of a circuit of an ultrasound device
- the various aspects described herein are not limited to the exact components or configuration of components illustrated.
- aspects of the present application relate to the amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n , and the components illustrated downstream of those amplifiers in circuit 100 are optional in some embodiments.
- the components of FIG. 1 may be located on a single substrate or on different substrates.
- the ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n may be on a first substrate 128 a and the remaining illustrated components may be on a second substrate 128 b .
- the first and/or second substrates may be semiconductor substrates, such as silicon substrates.
- the components of FIG. 1 may be on a single substrate.
- the ultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n and the illustrated circuitry may be monolithically integrated on the same die (e.g., a semiconductor die, such as silicon). Such integration may be facilitated by using CMUTs as the ultrasonic transducers.
- the components of FIG. 1 form part of an ultrasound probe.
- the ultrasound probe may be handheld.
- the components of FIG. 1 form part of an ultrasound patch configured to be worn by a patient, or part of an ultrasound pill to be swallowed by a patient.
- aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which at least two stages of the multi-stage TIA operate with different supply voltages.
- the inventors have appreciated that the stages of a multi-stage TIA may impact noise performance, linearity, and gain differently.
- the first stage electrically closest to the ultrasonic transducer, may dominate noise performance of the TIA, while following (or “subsequent” or “downstream”) stages of the TIA may have a greater impact on linearity.
- the reduction of noise achievable with the first stage may depend, at least in part, on the amount of current used in the first stage, with greater current resulting in greater noise reduction.
- the inventors have recognized that operating the first stage of a multi-stage TIA at a lower supply voltage may be desirable to reduce the power consumption of that stage. Meanwhile, later stages of the TIA with a greater impact on the linearity of the TIA may be operated at a higher supply voltage level. By using distinct supply voltage levels for the multi-stage TIA, power consumption may be reduced compared to a scenario in which all stages of the multi-stage TIA operate with the same supply voltage level.
- the closed loop gain may be primarily controlled by the feedback resistance, so long as the open-loop gain bandwidth (the unity gain bandwidth) of the TIA is sufficient.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a non-limiting example of a multi-stage TIA having stages which operate at different supply voltage levels, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.
- the illustrated TIA may represent one non-limiting implementation of the TIAs 112 a . . . 112 n of FIG. 1 .
- the multi-stage TIA 200 in this non-limiting example includes a first stage 202 and a second stage 204 .
- the first stage 202 may have an input terminal 206 configured to receive an output signal of an ultrasonic transducer.
- the input terminal 206 may be coupled directly to an ultrasonic transducer or coupled through one or more additional components, such as a receive switch.
- the output of the first stage 202 may couple to the input of the second stage 204 , and an output signal of the TIA 200 may be provided at the output terminal 208 of the second stage 204 .
- the multi-stage TIA 200 of FIG. 2 may further comprise a feedback impedance 210 .
- the feedback impedance may be formed by a resistor, capacitor, or combination of impedance elements in some embodiments.
- the feedback impedance may have any suitable value to provide a target gain of the TIA.
- the first stage 202 and second stage 204 may have respective supply voltages, Vdd 1 and Vdd 2 .
- the supply voltages Vdd 1 and Vdd 2 may differ, with Vdd 2 greater than Vdd 1 in at least some embodiments.
- the first stage of the TIA that is stage 202
- the second stage 204 may have a greater impact on the linearity of the TIA.
- operating the first stage 202 at a lower supply voltage Vdd 1 may not negatively impact the linearity of the TIA, but may allow for the first stage 202 , and thus the TIA 200 , to consume less power for a given level of noise performance.
- aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which an upstream stage of the multi-stage TIA operates with a lower supply voltage than a downstream stage of the multi-stage TIA.
- aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which the first stage of the multi-stage TIA operates with a lower supply voltage than a subsequent stage (e.g., a last stage) of the multi-stage TIA.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a non-limiting example of an implementation of the multi-stage TIA 200 of FIG. 2 .
- the multi-stage TIA 300 of FIG. 3 comprises an input terminal 302 , a first stage comprising a current source I 1 and a transistor 304 , a second stage comprising an amplifier 306 (e.g., an operational amplifier) and capacitors C 1 and C 2 , and a feedback resistor 308 .
- an amplifier 306 e.g., an operational amplifier
- the first stage of the multi-stage TIA 300 may receive a first supply voltage Vdd 1 , while the second stage may receive a second supply voltage Vdd 2 .
- Vdd 1 may be less than Vdd 2 , and in some embodiments is significantly less than Vdd 2 .
- Vdd 1 may be less than three-quarters of the value of Vdd 2 , less than half of Vdd 2 , less than one-quarter of Vdd 2 , between 25% and 90% of Vdd 2 , or any other suitable value.
- the second stage of the multi-stage TIA 300 may be the dominant factor in controlling the linearity of the TIA. In at least some embodiments, it may be desirable for the TIA to provide a high degree of linearity.
- the voltage Vdd 2 may be selected at least in part to provide a desired degree of linearity.
- some aspects may be embodied as one or more methods.
- the acts performed as part of the method(s) may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
- the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements.
- the term “between” used in a numerical context is to be inclusive unless indicated otherwise.
- “between A and B” includes A and B unless indicated otherwise.
Abstract
Description
- This Application is a Continuation claiming the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/011,715, filed Jun. 19, 2018, under Attorney Docket No. B1348.70046US01, and entitled “MULTI-STAGE TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER (TIA) FOR AN ULTRASOUND DEVICE,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- U.S. application Ser. No. 16/011,715 claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/522,597, filed Jun. 20, 2017 under Attorney Docket No. B1348.70046US00, and entitled “MULTI-STAGE TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER (TIA) FOR AN ULTRASOUND DEVICE,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- The present application relates to ultrasound devices having an amplifier for amplifying received ultrasound signals.
- Ultrasound probes often include one or more ultrasound sensors which sense ultrasound signals and produce corresponding electrical signals. The electrical signals are processed in the analog or digital domain. Sometimes, ultrasound images are generated from the processed electrical signals.
- According to an aspect of the present application, an ultrasound apparatus is provided, comprising an ultrasound sensor and a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) coupled to the ultrasound sensor and configured to receive and amplify an output signal from the ultrasound sensor. The multi-stage TIA may include stages operating with different supply voltages, which may reduce power consumption in at least some situations.
- According to an aspect of the present application, an ultrasound apparatus is provided, comprising an ultrasonic transducer and a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) having an input terminal coupled to the ultrasonic transducer. The multi-stage TIA is configured to receive and amplify an analog electrical signal from the ultrasonic transducer. The multi-stage TIA comprises a first stage configured to receive a first supply voltage and a second stage configured to receive a second supply voltage different than the first supply voltage.
- According to an aspect of the present application, an ultrasound on a chip device is provided, comprising a substrate, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers integrated on the substrate, and analog processing circuitry integrated on the substrate and coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The analog processing circuitry comprises a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier coupled to an ultrasonic transducer of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The multi-stage TIA comprises multiple stages configured to receive different supply voltages.
- According to an aspect of the present application, a method of operating an ultrasound circuit is provided, comprising receiving and amplifying, with a first stage of a multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier, an electrical signal output by a an ultrasonic transducer, the first stage of the multi-stage TIA operating at a first supply voltage value, and amplifying, with a second stage of the multi-stage TIA operating at a second supply voltage value different than the first supply voltage value, an output signal of the first stage.
- Various aspects and embodiments of the application will be described with reference to the following figures. It should be appreciated that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Items appearing in multiple figures are indicated by the same reference number in all the figures in which they appear.
-
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasound device including an amplifier for amplifying an ultrasound signal, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application. -
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram representation of the amplifier ofFIG. 1 , illustrating two stages with different supply voltages, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a non-limiting example implementation of the multi-stage amplifier ofFIG. 2 , according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application. - Aspects of the present application relate to amplification circuitry for an ultrasound device. An ultrasound device may include one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to receive ultrasound signals and produce electrical output signals. Thus, the ultrasonic transducers may be operated as ultrasound sensors. The ultrasound device may include one or more amplifiers for amplifying the electrical output signals. In some embodiments, the amplifier(s) may be multi-stage amplifiers, with stages that operate at different supply voltage levels. In this manner, a lower supply voltage level may be used for at least one of the stages, thus facilitating lower power operation. In some embodiments, the first stage of the multi-stage amplifier may operate with a lower supply voltage than a following stage. The following stage may provide a desired output gain of the amplifier.
- According to an aspect of the present application, a method of operating an ultrasound circuit is provided, comprising producing an electrical signal with an ultrasonic transducer and amplifying the electrical signal with a multi-stage TIA. The multi-stage TIA may include a first stage configured to operate at a lower supply voltage level than a following stage, and thus may provide power savings.
- The aspects and embodiments described above, as well as additional aspects and embodiments, are described further below. These aspects and/or embodiments may be used individually, all together, or in any combination of two or more, as the application is not limited in this respect.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a circuit for processing received ultrasound signals, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application. Thecircuit 100 includes Nultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n, wherein N is an integer. The ultrasonic transducers are sensors in some embodiments, producing electrical signals representing received ultrasound signals. The ultrasonic transducers may also transmit ultrasound signals in some embodiments. The ultrasonic transducers may be capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) in some embodiments. The ultrasonic transducers may be piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) in some embodiments. Alternative types of ultrasonic transducers may be used in other embodiments. - The
circuit 100 further comprisesN circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n. The circuitry channels may correspond to a respectiveultrasonic transducer 102 a . . . 102 n. For example, there may be eightultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n and eightcorresponding circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n. In some embodiments, the number ofultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n may be greater than the number of circuitry channels. - The
circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n may include transmit circuitry, receive circuitry, or both. The transmit circuitry may include transmitdecoders 106 a . . . 106 n coupled torespective pulsers 108 a . . . 108 n. Thepulsers 108 a . . . 108 n may control the respectiveultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n to emit ultrasound signals. - The receive circuitry of the
circuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n may receive the (analog) electrical signals output from respectiveultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n. In the illustrated example, eachcircuitry channel 104 a . . . 104 n includes a respective receivecircuit 110 a . . . 110 n and anamplifier 112 a . . . 112 n. The receivecircuit 110 a . . . 110 n may be controlled to activate/deactivate readout of an electrical signal from a givenultrasonic transducer 102 a . . . 102 n. An example of suitable receivecircuits 110 a . . . 110 n are switches. That is, in one embodiment the receive circuits are controllable switches which are switched during transmit mode to disconnect the ultrasonic transducers from the receive circuitry and during receive mode to connect the ultrasonic transducers to the receive circuitry. Alternatives to a switch may be employed to perform the same function. - The
amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n may be multi-stage TIAs in some embodiments, outputting amplified analog signals. As will be described further below, in some embodiments one or more—and in some embodiments all—of the amplifiers 112 a-112 n may include a first stage operating at a lower supply voltage level than a subsequent stage. The use of multi-stage TIAs with multiple supply voltages may facilitate low power operation of thecircuit 100 compared to the use of alternative amplifier designs. - The
circuit 100 further comprises an averagingcircuit 114, which is also referred to herein as a summer or a summing amplifier. In some embodiments, the averagingcircuit 114 is a buffer or an amplifier. The averagingcircuit 114 may receive output signals from one or more of theamplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n and may provide an averaged output signal. The averaged output signal may be formed in part by adding or subtracting the signals from thevarious amplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n. The averagingcircuit 114 may include a variable feedback resistance. The value of the variable feedback resistance may be adjusted dynamically based upon the number ofamplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n from which the averaging circuit receives signals. In some embodiments, the variable resistance may include N resistance settings. That is, the variable resistance may have a number of resistance settings corresponding to the number ofcircuitry channels 104 a . . . 104 n. Thus, the average output signal may also be formed in part by application of the selected resistance to the combined signal received at the input(s) of the averagingcircuit 114. - The averaging
circuit 114 is coupled to an auto-zeroblock 116, also referred to herein as a “DC block.” The auto-zeroblock 116 may filter the averaged signal provided by the averagingcircuit 114, and thus may be considered a filter in at least some embodiments. - The auto-zero
block 116 is coupled to aprogrammable gain amplifier 118 which includes anattenuator 120 and a fixedgain amplifier 122. Theprogrammable gain amplifier 118 may perform time gain compensation (TGC), and thus may alternatively be referred to as a TGC stage or circuit. In performing TGC, theprogrammable gain amplifier 118 may increase the amplification provided during reception of an ultrasound signal by an ultrasonic transducer, thus compensating for the natural attenuation of the signal which occurs over time. - The
programmable gain amplifier 118 is coupled to anADC 126 viaADC drivers 124. In the illustrated example, theADC drivers 124 include afirst ADC driver 125 a and asecond ADC driver 125 b. TheADC 126 digitizes the signal(s) from the averagingcircuit 114. - While
FIG. 1 illustrates a number of components as part of a circuit of an ultrasound device, it should be appreciated that the various aspects described herein are not limited to the exact components or configuration of components illustrated. For example, aspects of the present application relate to theamplifiers 112 a . . . 112 n, and the components illustrated downstream of those amplifiers incircuit 100 are optional in some embodiments. - The components of
FIG. 1 may be located on a single substrate or on different substrates. For example, as illustrated, theultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n may be on afirst substrate 128 a and the remaining illustrated components may be on asecond substrate 128 b. The first and/or second substrates may be semiconductor substrates, such as silicon substrates. In an alternative embodiment, the components ofFIG. 1 may be on a single substrate. For example, theultrasonic transducers 102 a . . . 102 n and the illustrated circuitry may be monolithically integrated on the same die (e.g., a semiconductor die, such as silicon). Such integration may be facilitated by using CMUTs as the ultrasonic transducers. - According to an embodiment, the components of
FIG. 1 form part of an ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe may be handheld. In some embodiments, the components ofFIG. 1 form part of an ultrasound patch configured to be worn by a patient, or part of an ultrasound pill to be swallowed by a patient. - As previously described, aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which at least two stages of the multi-stage TIA operate with different supply voltages. The inventors have appreciated that the stages of a multi-stage TIA may impact noise performance, linearity, and gain differently. For example, the first stage, electrically closest to the ultrasonic transducer, may dominate noise performance of the TIA, while following (or “subsequent” or “downstream”) stages of the TIA may have a greater impact on linearity. Moreover, the reduction of noise achievable with the first stage may depend, at least in part, on the amount of current used in the first stage, with greater current resulting in greater noise reduction. However, since greater current consumption also corresponds with greater power consumption, the inventors have recognized that operating the first stage of a multi-stage TIA at a lower supply voltage may be desirable to reduce the power consumption of that stage. Meanwhile, later stages of the TIA with a greater impact on the linearity of the TIA may be operated at a higher supply voltage level. By using distinct supply voltage levels for the multi-stage TIA, power consumption may be reduced compared to a scenario in which all stages of the multi-stage TIA operate with the same supply voltage level. The closed loop gain may be primarily controlled by the feedback resistance, so long as the open-loop gain bandwidth (the unity gain bandwidth) of the TIA is sufficient.
-
FIG. 2 illustrates a non-limiting example of a multi-stage TIA having stages which operate at different supply voltage levels, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present application. The illustrated TIA may represent one non-limiting implementation of theTIAs 112 a . . . 112 n ofFIG. 1 . - As shown, the
multi-stage TIA 200 in this non-limiting example includes afirst stage 202 and asecond stage 204. Thefirst stage 202 may have aninput terminal 206 configured to receive an output signal of an ultrasonic transducer. For example, theinput terminal 206 may be coupled directly to an ultrasonic transducer or coupled through one or more additional components, such as a receive switch. - The output of the
first stage 202 may couple to the input of thesecond stage 204, and an output signal of theTIA 200 may be provided at theoutput terminal 208 of thesecond stage 204. - The
multi-stage TIA 200 ofFIG. 2 may further comprise afeedback impedance 210. The feedback impedance may be formed by a resistor, capacitor, or combination of impedance elements in some embodiments. The feedback impedance may have any suitable value to provide a target gain of the TIA. - As shown, the
first stage 202 andsecond stage 204 may have respective supply voltages, Vdd1 and Vdd2. The supply voltages Vdd1 and Vdd2 may differ, with Vdd2 greater than Vdd1 in at least some embodiments. As described above, the first stage of the TIA, that isstage 202, may have a greater impact on noise performance of the TIA than thesecond stage 204, while thesecond stage 204 may have a greater impact on the linearity of the TIA. Thus, operating thefirst stage 202 at a lower supply voltage Vdd1 may not negatively impact the linearity of the TIA, but may allow for thefirst stage 202, and thus theTIA 200, to consume less power for a given level of noise performance. - As should be appreciated from
FIG. 2 , aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which an upstream stage of the multi-stage TIA operates with a lower supply voltage than a downstream stage of the multi-stage TIA. Aspects of the present application provide a multi-stage TIA for an ultrasound device, in which the first stage of the multi-stage TIA operates with a lower supply voltage than a subsequent stage (e.g., a last stage) of the multi-stage TIA. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a non-limiting example of an implementation of themulti-stage TIA 200 ofFIG. 2 . Themulti-stage TIA 300 ofFIG. 3 comprises aninput terminal 302, a first stage comprising a current source I1 and atransistor 304, a second stage comprising an amplifier 306 (e.g., an operational amplifier) and capacitors C1 and C2, and afeedback resistor 308. - As shown, the first stage of the
multi-stage TIA 300 may receive a first supply voltage Vdd1, while the second stage may receive a second supply voltage Vdd2. In at least some embodiments, Vdd1 may be less than Vdd2, and in some embodiments is significantly less than Vdd2. For example, Vdd1 may be less than three-quarters of the value of Vdd2, less than half of Vdd2, less than one-quarter of Vdd2, between 25% and 90% of Vdd2, or any other suitable value. - The second stage of the
multi-stage TIA 300 may be the dominant factor in controlling the linearity of the TIA. In at least some embodiments, it may be desirable for the TIA to provide a high degree of linearity. The voltage Vdd2 may be selected at least in part to provide a desired degree of linearity. - Having thus described several aspects and embodiments of the technology of this application, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the technology described in the application. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
- As described, some aspects may be embodied as one or more methods. The acts performed as part of the method(s) may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
- All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
- The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.
- As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements.
- As used herein, the term “between” used in a numerical context is to be inclusive unless indicated otherwise. For example, “between A and B” includes A and B unless indicated otherwise.
- In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.
Claims (15)
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US16/244,739 US20190142389A1 (en) | 2017-06-20 | 2019-01-10 | Multi-stage trans-impedance amplifier (tia) for an ultrasound device |
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US20180360426A1 (en) | 2018-12-20 |
CA3064045A1 (en) | 2018-12-27 |
TW201906312A (en) | 2019-02-01 |
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CN110769751A (en) | 2020-02-07 |
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EP3641645A1 (en) | 2020-04-29 |
US11324484B2 (en) | 2022-05-10 |
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WO2018236778A1 (en) | 2018-12-27 |
KR20200020798A (en) | 2020-02-26 |
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