Patent ID: 11933892
Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B  A | IPC A  B  G

Claim 1:
2. An ultrasound imaging method, comprising:
outputting a signal using a first transducer element of an ultrasound transducer array, wherein the first transducer element comprises a first circuit;
routing the signal output by the first transducer element on a signal path from the first transducer element to outside the ultrasound transducer array, comprising:
routing, using a first switching arrangement comprising a first switch bank and a second switch bank of the first circuit, the signal from the first transducer element to a first external output of the first circuit through a first analog buffer of the first circuit, wherein the first analog buffer is positioned local to the first transducer element;
outputting, using the first external output, the signal from the first circuit;

receiving the signal at a second circuit using an external input of the second circuit, wherein a second transducer element of the ultrasound transducer array comprises the second circuit;
routing, using a second switching arrangement comprising another first switch bank and another second switch bank of the second circuit, the signal from the external input to a second external output of the second circuit through a second analog buffer of the second circuit, wherein the second analog buffer is positioned local to the second transducer element; and
outputting, using the second external output, the signal from the second circuit, wherein the signal path for the signal output by the first transducer element comprises the first analog buffer and the second analog buffer such that the signal is routed from the first transducer element to outside the ultrasound transducer array through the first analog buffer and the second analog buffer.