Patent ID: 6238346
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A61B,G01S,G10K

Abstract:
An ultrasound transducer system for producing a wide area scan of a body, said system comprising:a transducer body comprising an array of N.times.M transducer elements, there being M columns of N transducer elements, wherein M and N are integers;transmitter means for generating transmission signals;receiver means for receiving and processing ultrasound backscatter signals;switch means for connecting said transmitter means to a plurality of subarrays of N.times.X transducer elements along said array, where X is an integer <M, so as to energize each of the transducer elements in each subarray to cause ultrasound beams to be generated therefrom; andcontrol means for operating said switch means to sequentially connect said transmitter means and receiver means to each said subarray so as to enable reception by said receiver means of acoustic signals from an elongated sector volume.