MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASONIC IMAGING SYSTEM WITH ADAPTIVE FRONT-END GAIN AND ADAPTIVE TRANSMITTER GAIN

The front-end gain of a medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system receiver is adaptively set by acquiring receive samples that vary in range, generating a gain function that varies in range as a function of envelope amplitude of the receive samples, and then controlling the front-end gain with the gain function. In this way, front-end gain is set in accordance with the currently prevailing imaging conditions, and front-end gain that is excessively high or low is avoided. Transmitter gain is adaptively set to limit or prevent front-end gain saturation of the receiver.