Design of a multiple-rail high-voltage power supply for ultrasound scanners

Standard ultrasound modes, as implemented in commercial equipment, require to transmit high voltage (HV) burst signals, whose amplitude may be up to 150Vpp. HV power supplies typically use switching circuits that may generate undesired electromagnetic interferences. Further challenging requirements on the power supply circuits are imposed by the novel experimental methods that may entail programmable amplitudes over consecutive pulse repetition intervals (PRIs). This paper presents a 4-rail 200Vpp power supply board, designed for ultrasound systems, which is able to switch the voltage supply in consecutive PRIs according to a programmable sequence. Multiple control strategies identified to reduce the switching noise contributions are discussed.