Ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnosis apparatus

1. An ultrasound probe comprising:

a plurality of transducer elements configured to:

generate a plurality of first echo signals respectively by receiving, at a first time at each respective transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements, a reflected wave of a first ultrasound wave, and

generate a plurality of second echo signals respectively by receiving, at a second time at each respective transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements, a reflected wave of a second ultrasound wave corresponding to an ultrasound wave obtained by reversing a phase of the first ultrasound wave, wherein the second time is different than the first time;

phase reversal processing circuitry configured to reverse phases of only the plurality second echo signals; and

delay processing circuitry configured to delay the plurality of first echo signals and the plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals.

2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein the phase reversal processing circuitry comprises a plurality of phase reversal processing circuits and the delay processing circuitry comprises a plurality of delay processing circuits, and

wherein the plurality of transducer elements are configured to output said plurality of first echo signals to the plurality of phase reversal processing circuits respectively, and the plurality of phase reversal circuits are configured to output said plurality of first echo signals to the plurality of delay processing circuits respectively, and

wherein the plurality of transducer elements are configured to output said plurality of second echo signals to the plurality of phase reversal processing circuit s respectively, and the plurality of phase reversal processing circuits are configured to output said plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals to the plurality of delay processing circuits respectively.

3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein the phase reversal processing circuitry is configured to amplify the plurality of first echo signals and the plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals, and the delay processing circuitry is configured to delay the amplified plurality of first echo signals and the amplified plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , further comprising:

adding circuitry configured to generate a first addition signal by adding together two or more delayed first echo signals, of the delayed plurality of first echo signals, corresponding to two or more transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements and to generate a second addition signal by adding together two or more phase-reversed and delayed second echo signals, of the delayed plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals, corresponding to said two or more transducer elements.

5. The ultrasound probe according to claim 4 , further comprising:

subtracting circuitry configured to generate an image signal by performing a subtracting process on the first addition signal and the second addition signal.

6. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , further comprising:

power source circuitry and

a wiring connecting together the power source circuitry, the phase reversal processing circuitry, and the delay processing circuitry,

wherein the power source circuitry is configured to apply a voltage to the phase reversal processing circuitry and to the delay processing circuitry, via the wiring, thereby operating the phase reversal processing circuitry and the delay processing circuitry, and

wherein the delay processing circuitry is analog circuitry.

7. The ultrasound probe according to claim 4 , further comprising:

power source circuitry and

a wiring connecting together the power source circuitry, the phase reversal processing circuitry, the delay processing circuitry, and the adding circuitry,

wherein the power source circuitry is configured to apply a voltage to the phase reversal processing circuitry, to the delay processing circuitry, and to the adding circuitry, via the wiring, thereby operating the phase reversal processing circuitry, the delay processing circuitry, and the adding circuitry and

wherein the delay processing circuitry is analog circuitry.

8. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , further comprising:

controlling circuitry configured to transmit, to the delay processing circuitry, a digital control signal having a waveform which periodically changes and which controls the delay of the plurality of first echo signal and the plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals realized by the delay processing circuitry.

9. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound probe including:

a plurality of transducer elements configured to:

generate a plurality of first echo signals respectively by receiving, at a first time at each respective transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements, a reflected wave of a first ultrasound wave and,

generate a plurality of second echo signals respectively by receiving, at a second time at each respective transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements, a reflected wave of a second ultrasound wave corresponding to an ultrasound wave obtained by reversing a phase of the first ultrasound wave, wherein the second time is different than the first time;

phase reversal processing circuitry configured to reverse phases of only the plurality of second echo signals,

delay processing circuitry configured to delay the plurality of first echo signals and the plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals, and

adding circuitry configured to:

generate a first addition signal by adding together two or more delayed first echo signals, of the delayed plurality of first echo signals, corresponding to two or more transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements, and

generate a second addition signal by adding together two or more phase-reversed and delayed second echo signals, of the delayed plurality of phase-reversed second echo signals, corresponding to said two or more transducer elements; and

subtracting circuitry configured to generate an image signal by performing a subtracting process using the first addition signal and the second addition signal.