Abstract: Endoscopic method and apparatus are provided for the simultaneous visual and ultrasonic imaging of internal body parts through use of a probe insertable into a body cavity. The probe includes a rectilinear transducer array acoustically coupled to the body through a cylindrical focusing lens having an outer face which conforms to the probe contour. The transducer array is included in a pulsed ultrasonic imaging system of the B-scan type. A tube, which includes a flexible portion adjacent the probe, connects the probe to a control housing containing manually operated control mechanism for bending the flexible tube portion. A control handle extends from the side of the housing for control of bending by the operator. The pulsed ultrasonic imaging system includes pulse generator and pulse receiver means connected to individual elements of the transducer array by coaxial cables extending through the tube.

Abstract: A differential amplifying system is disclosed which includes a first section having a pair of amplifying channels comprising a pair of operational amplifiers having low noise characteristics, each of which amplifiers has an inverting input, a noninverting input, and an output terminal. Input capacitors are provided for differentially connecting an input signal to be amplified to the noninverting inputs of said pair of amplifiers. Balanced negative feedback resistance circuits are provided for connecting the output terminals of the amplifiers to their own inverting inputs. The noninverting amplifier inputs are connected to ground through a balanced pair of tapped resistance networks. Balanced positive feedback circuits, each including a resistor, connect the amplifier output terminals to the taps on the associated resistance networks for positive feedback to said noninverting amplifier inputs thereby increasing the effective input resistance of said amplifying channels.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for pulsed ultrasonic imaging of a section of the interior of an object from reflections by internal discontinuities of recurrent transmitted pulses of ultrasonic energy, are provided. There is included a transducer array comprising a plurality of adjacent transducer elements for converting echo signals received from discontinuities within the object to equivalent electrical signals. Range gated signal processing means are provided for processing electrical signals from the transducer array reflected from discontinuities within any one of a plurality of range zones within the section to be imaged to provided range gated signals representative of segments of lines within the section to be imaged. The signal processing means includes electronic receiver beam focusing and scanning means for focusing the transducer array at the range zone at which the signals are range gated and for scanning the same.