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

Claim 0:
1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array comprising a first transducer element and a different, second transducer element, wherein the first transducer element is configured to output a signal; and
a signal path for the signal output by the first transducer element from the first transducer element to outside the ultrasound transducer array,
wherein the first transducer element comprises a first circuit,
wherein the first circuit comprises:
a first analog buffer positioned local to the first transducer element;
a first external output configured to output the signal from the first circuit; and
a first switching arrangement comprising a first switch bank and a second switch bank and configured to route the signal from the first transducer element to the first external output through the first analog buffer,
wherein the second transducer element comprises a second circuit,
wherein the second circuit comprises:
a second analog buffer positioned local to the second transducer element;
an external input configured to receive the signal from the first circuit;
a second external output configured to output the signal from the second circuit; and
a second switching arrangement comprising another first switch bank and another second switch bank and configured to route the signal from the external input to the second external output through the second analog buffer,

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.