Patent ID: 11877895
Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. An ultrasound imaging caste comprising:
a controller; and
a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) device, wherein the CMUT device comprises:
a CMUT cell comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, wherein the third electrode is capacitively coupled with the first electrode; and
probe circuitry physically and electrically connected to the CMUT cell, wherein the probe circuitry comprises:
ultrasound transmission circuitry including a pulser circuit configured to apply AC voltage over the first and second electrodes of the CMUT cell for transmitting acoustic signals;
ultrasound reception circuitry configured to receive acoustic echo signals responsive to the acoustic signals for performing ultrasound data acquisition; and
a switch mode DC-DC converter configured to generate and apply a high bias voltage to the third electrode of the CMUT cell, wherein the pulser circuit and the switch mode DC-DC converter are integrated as a single probe circuit,

wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the ultrasound transmission circuitry and the ultrasound reception circuitry to perform the ultrasound data acquisition, and to control the switch mode DC-DC converter to generate the high bias voltage alternately with the operation of the ultrasound transmission circuitry and the ultrasound reception circuitry for performing the ultrasound data acquisition.