【発明の名称】超音波ビームの3次元集束装置

Japanese Patent JP2851005

B2

Device for focusing an ultrasonic beam in three dimensions, comprising: - a cylindrical phase bar (100) of generatrix X'X, comprising MxN elemental transducers arranged in a curved matrix of M lines parallel to X'X and N curved columns perpendicular to said lines, - a circuit (200) for the formation of focusing planes Pj passing through X'X, consisting of: - a multiplexer (201) which, on the one hand, in respect of the MxN signals received by said bar (100), selects, for each column i, the mo signals sjk supplied by the elemental transducers, the line number of which is j + k with k=0,1,...,mo-1, mo being a given number representing the width of the aperture of the ultrasonic beam and which, on the other hand, forms the sum Sjk of the signals sjk and sjmo-k-1 supplied by elemental transducers which are symmetrical in relation to the centre of the aperture defined by mo, - N identical focusing circuits (202f) which, for each column i, apply to the signals Sjk a delay tau k for phase restoration, and form the sum Sj of the signals Sjk thus phase-restored, - and an angulation circuit (300) which, for given j, applies, before summing them, to the N signals Sj a phase law defining, in the focusing plane Pj, a focusing direction D. Application to medical ultrasonic echography.