Claims
- 1. A method for transmitting a plurality of short series of bursts of ultrasonic energy pulses from a probe terminated by an array of transducer elements; and modulating an amount of energy transmitted by each burst from transducer element to transducer element across the probe by varying the width of each energy pulse or varying the number of pulses per burst or varying both the width of each pulse and the number of pulses per burst while keeping each pulse amplitude constant from pulse to pulse across the probe, the modulating being sufficient to produce an operationally significant reduction of harmonics in the modulated signal.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which the amount of energy transmitted by each burst is less at the array's edge than at the array's center.
- 3. The method of claim 2 in which the amount of energy transmitted by each burst is progressively reduced from a maximum at the array's center to a minimum at the array's edge.
- 4. The method of claim 2 in which the array is a one dimensional array or a two dimensional array.
- 5. An apparatus for transmitting a plurality of short series of bursts of ultrasonic energy pulses from a probe terminated by a one dimensional or a two dimensional array of transducer elements and modulating an amount of energy transmitted by each burst from transducer element to transducer element across the probe, comprising control circuitry incorporating digital logic adapted for varying the width of each pulse or the number of pulses per burst or both the width of each pulse and the number of pulses per burst from burst to burst across the probe, the modulating being sufficient to produce an operationally significant reduction of harmonics in the modulated signal.
- 6. An apparatus of claim 5 in which the amount of energy transmitted by each burst is less at the array's edge than at the array's center.
- 7. An apparatus of claim 6 in which the amount of energy transmitted by each burst is progressively reduced from a maximum at the array's center to a minimum at the array's edge.
PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a CIP of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/926,666, filed Nov. 30, 2001 and scheduled to issue on Jan. 27, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,483 and depends for priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/446,162, filed Feb. 10, 2003. application Ser. No. 09/926,666 depends for priority on international application PCT/US00/14691, filed May 26, 2000. The International application depends for priority on U.S. Provisional Applications Nos. 60/136,364 filed May 28, 1999, 60/138,793 filed Jun. 14, 1999 and 60/152,886 filed Sep. 8, 1999.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09926666 |
Mar 2002 |
US |
Child |
10765013 |
Jan 2004 |
US |