Patent ID: 7775979

Claim:
A device comprising a multiplicity of ultrasonic transducers and a multiplicity of interface circuit cells, each of said ultrasonic transducers being electrically coupled to a respective one of said interface circuit cells, and each of said interface circuit cells comprising a high-voltage pulser for driving a respective ultrasonic transducer, a low-voltage switch for providing pulser control signals when said low-voltage switch is on, a low-voltage digital control circuit that outputs switch state control signals for controlling the state of said low-voltage switch, and a high-voltage transmit/receive switch disposed between said low-voltage switch and the respective ultrasonic transducer for providing a path for receive signals from the respective ultrasonic transducer to said low-voltage switch when said transmit/receive switch is on, wherein said transmit/receive switch blocks the pulser output from reaching said low-voltage switch via said path when said transmit/receive switch is off, and a low voltage splitter having a first input coupled to receive pulser control signals passed through said low-voltage switch, and an output in electrical connection with said high-voltage pulser.