Ultrasound imaging system probe with alternate transducer polling for common-mode noise rejection

Abstract

An ultrasonic imaging system has a probe with an even-numbered plurality of N of transducer elements, with one transducer element being present in each of a like plurality N of signal-processing channels, and with successive ones of the transducers polarized in alternating directions. The transducers require channel excitation drive signals which are either a positive-polarity pulse or a negative-polarity pulse, with signal polarity being dependent upon the polarity of the transducer in the particular channel. The processed outputs of each odd channel is connected directly to an associated input of a coherent summer while the processed output of each even channel is individually amplitude-inverted before connection to an associated summer of input. The summation means output is the sum of all channel transducer outputs, with suppression of any common-mode signal appearing anywhere in the system channels, from the transducer to the summation means inputs.