Multiplexer Design for a Multi-Array Ultrasonic Imaging System

Abstract

Conventional ultrasound data-acquisition platforms have a limited number of I/O channels, and thus cannot be directly interfaced with multiple ultrasound transducer arrays. A high-voltage multiplexer is designed to allow a 128-signal DAQ to interface with up to eighteen 128-signal arrays in a time-multiplexed manner. The multiplexer is then implemented as part of a novel conformable multi-array ultrasound imaging system. Synthetic array ultrasound data is acquired and processed using delay-and-sum beamforming to form individual array images, then the images are combined to provide an expanded field of view compared to a single-array system.