High-voltage Pulsers and Switches Designed for Portable to Mid-range Ultrasound Systems

(Product News, 17 Nov 2008)

To support manufacturers developing affordable, compact ultrasound systems, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has announced its TX7xx family of fully integrated high-voltage pulsers and switches. The TX734, the first device in the TX7xx family, is a quad-channel, high-voltage pulser, also known as transmitter, specifically designed for portable to mid-range medical ultrasound systems. The TX734 reduces board space by 50 percent compared to discrete solutions, and its active damping feature improves pulse symmetry and second order distortion to achieve clearer images.

The TX734 addresses the needs of high-density systems that require a three-level, high-voltage pulse pattern by integrating four channels of level translators, drivers, high-voltage output stage and active damping into a 64-pin, 9x9mm QFN package.

Active damping, also called fast clamping to ground, allows for a clean three-level return-to-zero (RTZ) waveform. This improves pulse symmetry and delivers low second order distortion of -40dB. The active damping feature in the TX734 prevents noise from being injected into the transducer, which improves signal sensitivity by at least 5dBc, resulting in better image quality.

The output stages of the TX734 are designed to deliver up to ±2A peak output currents, with up to ±75V swings, tailored for portable to mid-range systems. The output frequency of the TX734 is up to 15MHz and allows customers to take full advantage of higher frequency transducers for far-field images.

TI's TX7xx family of high-voltage pulsers and switches, along with the AFE58xx family of analog front end receivers, offers ultrasound designers a complete and highly integrated analog signal chain for better, more compact ultrasound systems. These devices are complemented by more than 15 embedded processors that support medical imaging applications, including high-performance digital signal processors (DSPs), digital media processors based on DaVinci technology, and low power OMAP application processors. Along with TI's power management products, clocks and interfaces, plus dedicated customer support, they comprise a complete portfolio that ultrasound customers can leverage to design their systems.

Click here for more information on TI's TX734 quad-channel, high-voltage pulser

Click here for more information on TI's TX734 quad-channel, high-voltage pulser

Click here for more information on TI's medical components portfolio

Click here for more information on Texas Instruments