JP2011083525A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for notifying an operator of a positional deviation of a position where blood flow information is actually acquired from a desired position while keeping a repetition frequency of a pulse Doppler scan high.
A transmission circuit 2 that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject, a reception circuit 3 that receives ultrasonic echoes, and a simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 that forms a plurality of reception signals by performing parallel simultaneous reception processing; A data selection unit 5 that selects a reception signal for a B-mode image and a reception signal for a Doppler image, a B-mode processing unit 61 that generates B-mode data, a Doppler processing unit 62 that generates Doppler data, and a B-mode An image processing unit 7 that generates a first B-mode image representing a first range based on the data, generates a Doppler image based on the Doppler data, and a display control unit 8 that displays the Doppler image on the display unit 92. And a warning unit 12 for recognizing the misregistration of the form in the first B-mode image.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing the motion state of fluid in the body using the Doppler effect of ultrasonic waves. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that displays a position for acquiring a Doppler image on a B-mode image.

  There exists an apparatus which performs a Doppler scan in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Doppler scan is a technique for obtaining information on blood in a subject based on the principle of ultrasonic Doppler method. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a method of observing a temporal change in blood flow information by executing a pulse Doppler method (PW Doppler method) or the like is generally performed. The pulse Doppler method is a scanning method for observing blood flow.

  In the pulse Doppler method, the operator designates a position for acquiring blood flow information on the displayed reference B-mode image. Then, the ultrasonic wave is transmitted so that the ultrasonic wave is focused on the designated position. In this pulse Doppler method, in order to acquire a faster blood flow movement, it is necessary to increase the repetition frequency (RPF) of ultrasonic transmission / reception. In order to increase the repetition frequency, it is necessary to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves at a shallow depth.

  Here, the procedure of the pulse Doppler method in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described. First, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus performs a B-mode scan that displays a wide range of tissues including a tissue to be subjected to a pulse Doppler scan. Then, when performing the pulse Doppler scan, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus stops the image generation by the B-mode scan. At this time, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus displays a B-mode image generated immediately before stopping as a reference image (still image reference display). This reference image is used for designating the acquisition position of blood flow information of the pulse Doppler scan by the operator. Then, the operator refers to the B-mode image displayed on the still image reference, and designates a position on the B-mode image for acquiring blood flow information of the pulse Doppler scan. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus continuously repeats the pulse Doppler scan (PWD scan) so that the ultrasonic wave is focused on the position where the designated blood flow information is acquired.

  However, in the conventional method described above, since the generation of the B-mode image is stopped while the pulse Doppler scan is being performed, the past B-mode image is displayed in the still image reference display. Therefore, the sample marker (graphics) indicating the position where blood flow information is acquired in the pulse Doppler scan cannot be displayed on the most recent image in the current state (generally referred to as a real-time image). For this reason, even when the position of the tissue (blood vessel or the like) that is the subject of the pulse Doppler scan is moved due to the movement of the patient or the like, the movement of the tissue cannot be easily grasped.

  Therefore, a time-division scan (see, for example, Patent Document 1) in which one-time transmission / reception of pulse Doppler scan and one-time transmission / reception of B-mode scan are alternately performed has been proposed. The time division scan is also called an independent RPF scan. In this time-division scan, a Doppler image during the B-mode scan is generated by performing an interpolation process based on the Doppler image generated by the pulse Doppler scan. If such a time-division scan is performed, the B-mode image is updated at regular intervals, so that the operator can acquire a B-mode image close to the current state.

  Conventionally, a technique called simultaneous parallel reception that can obtain a plurality of reception signals (reception signals on a plurality of image scanning lines) having different focal points from reception signals of each channel obtained from one transmission (for example, Patent Document 2). Reference) is provided. This parallel simultaneous reception refers to acquiring data based on a plurality of reception beams during one repetition of transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves. That is, the term “simultaneous” here refers to acquiring data based on a plurality of reception beams at a time for one transmission / reception. This parallel simultaneous reception is generally used to efficiently generate a real-time 3D image, as described in Patent Document 2.

JP 2005-185663 A JP 2008-55087 A

  Here, as described above, in the pulse Doppler scan, it is necessary to increase the repetition frequency in order to obtain faster blood flow information. However, in order to generate a B-mode image displaying a wide range of tissue as described above in order to show a deviation between a desired position where Doppler scan is performed and a position where Doppler scan is actually performed, It is necessary to send and receive ultrasound. For this reason, when the B-mode scan and the pulse Doppler scan are alternately performed as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, even if the focus position of the pulse Doppler scan is shallow, the repetition frequency of the pulse Doppler scan is the repetition frequency of the B-mode scan. Become. For this reason, the repetition frequency of the pulse Doppler scan becomes low. This makes it difficult to obtain high-speed blood flow information by pulse Doppler scanning.

  Also, in order to show the deviation between the desired Doppler scan position and the position where the Doppler scan is actually performed, it is better to obtain the position where the Doppler scan is performed from an image showing the currently scanned range as much as possible. For that purpose, it is better to obtain the current B-mode image. In order to obtain the current B-mode image, it is desirable to increase the number of B-mode scans per unit time. However, when the number of B-mode scans per unit time increases, the number of Doppler scans per unit time decreases, and Doppler image data by interpolation processing increases. When the number of Doppler images generated by the interpolation processing increases in this way, the image quality of the Doppler image by the interpolation processing may be deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and notifies the operator of the positional deviation from the desired position of the position where blood flow information is actually acquired while keeping the repetition frequency of the pulse Doppler scan high. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 includes a transmitter that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject via an ultrasonic probe, and transmits the ultrasonic waves to a specified desired position. A transmission control unit that controls the transmission unit to transmit, a reception unit that receives an ultrasonic echo from the subject via the ultrasonic probe, and a parallel simultaneous reception process for signals input from the reception unit A simultaneous parallel reception processing unit that forms a plurality of reception signals by performing, a data selection unit that selects the reception signal for a B-mode image and the reception signal for a Doppler image from the plurality of reception signals, and the B A B-mode processing unit that generates B-mode data by performing signal processing on the received signal for the mode image, and a Doppler process for generating Doppler data by performing signal processing on the received signal for the Doppler image A first B-mode image representing a first range based on the B-mode data, an image processing unit generating a Doppler image based on the Doppler data, and displaying the Doppler image on the display unit And a notifying unit for recognizing the movement of the position of the form in the first B-mode image in a recognizable manner.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 generates data based on a plurality of reception beams by simultaneous parallel reception processing, uses data based on one of the reception beams for a Doppler image, and generates data based on the remaining reception beams. This is a configuration in which the first B-mode image is updated in real time while generating a Doppler image using the B-mode image. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the operator of the deviation from the desired position of the position where blood flow information is actually acquired while keeping the repetition frequency of the pulse Doppler scan high. Thereby, the operator can grasp the deviation of the actual position where blood flow information is acquired for the subject while capturing a high-speed blood flow Doppler image.

1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment. The figure for demonstrating designation | designated of the position of the sample marker on a B mode image Diagram for explaining transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves in simultaneous parallel reception Schematic diagram of B-mode image displayed when simultaneous parallel reception is performed The figure for demonstrating the matching process by the B mode image after image processing, (A) The figure showing the state where the acquisition position of blood flow information corresponds on the structure | tissue (blood vessel) containing a measurement location, (B) The figure showing the state where the tissue (blood vessel) including the measurement location has moved and the blood flow information acquisition position does not match on the tissue The figure for demonstrating the movement detection of the structure | tissue using raw data, (A) The figure showing the raw data of the state in which the acquisition position of blood-flow information corresponds on the area | region (blood vessel) containing a measurement location, ( B) Diagram showing a state in which the region (blood vessel) including the measurement location has moved and the blood flow information acquisition positions do not match on the tissue Flowchart for detecting generation of Doppler image and movement of tissue on B-mode image by ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to first embodiment Block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing functions of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment. However, the color mode processing unit 63 represented by a dotted line is not provided in the present embodiment and will be described in a modification. Hereinafter, it is simply referred to as Doppler scan including pulse Doppler scan.

  The ultrasonic probe 1 includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate ultrasonic waves based on the pulse voltage from the transmission circuit 2 and convert reflected waves from the subject into electrical signals. When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 to the subject, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are successively reflected by the discontinuous surface of the acoustic impedance of the body tissue and received by the ultrasonic probe 1 as an echo signal. The amplitude of this echo signal depends on the difference in acoustic impedance at the discontinuous surface that is to be reflected. In addition, the echo when the transmitted ultrasonic wave is reflected by the moving blood flow or the surface of the heart wall depends on the velocity component of the moving body in the ultrasonic transmission direction due to the Doppler effect. Receive a move.

  An input unit 91 provided in the user interface 9 is used to input various instructions, conditions, region of interest (ROI) setting instructions, various image quality condition setting instructions, and the like from the operator to the overall control unit 10. A switch, a button, a trackball, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like is included. The operator inputs information using the input unit 91 while referring to information displayed on the display unit 92 provided in the user interface 9.

  As an example of input, input of the position of a sample marker (a code for specifying a position for acquiring blood flow information on a B-mode image) by an operator in Doppler scan will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the designation of the position of the sample marker on the B-mode image. The operator refers to the B-mode image 20 displayed on the display unit 92. Here, the sample marker 21 is a set of two straight lines that are parallel in the vertical direction toward the paper surface displayed on the B-mode image 20. A region between the two straight lines of the sample marker 21 indicates a position where blood flow information is acquired. The operator designates a desired position on the B-mode image 20 where blood flow information is to be acquired with the sample marker 21. In this embodiment, the operator clicks the sample marker 21 with the mouse as the input unit 91, drags it as it is, and drops it at a desired position, thereby moving the sample marker 21 to the desired position and setting the position. Can be specified. Specifically, the sample marker 21 moves along the direction in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received (the direction indicated by the arrow P). The depth at which the Doppler scan is performed is designated by the movement of the sample marker in the direction in which the ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received. Furthermore, the sample marker 21 moves along the direction of scanning with ultrasonic waves (the direction indicated by the arrow Q). The direction in which the Doppler scan is performed is designated by the movement in the scanning direction of the ultrasonic wave. Thus, by specifying the position of the sample marker 21 on the B-mode image 20, the operator inputs the depth and direction indicated by the sample marker 21 to the overall control unit 10. Here, the operator designates the depth direction based on the ultrasonic probe 1 as the depth. Thereby, the operator can input the position for acquiring blood flow information in the Doppler scan represented by the depth and direction to the overall control unit 10. Further, the operator designates the acquisition position of the blood flow information and inputs a Doppler scan start command.

  In addition, the operator uses the input unit 91 to input an angle for transmitting ultrasonic waves in a wide range B-mode image scan including a blood flow information acquisition position described later, and the wide range B-mode image scan. Specifies the scan range at.

  The display control unit 8 receives input of images based on in-vivo morphological information and blood flow information generated by the image processing unit 7 and causes the display unit 92 to display the input images.

  The transmission circuit 2 includes a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, a pulsar circuit, and the like (not shown). In the pulsar circuit, a rate pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave is repeatedly generated at a predetermined rate frequency fr Hz (period: 1 / fr second). Further, in the delay circuit, a delay time necessary for focusing the ultrasonic wave into a beam shape for each channel and determining the transmission directivity is given to each rate pulse. The trigger generation circuit applies a pulse voltage to the ultrasonic probe 1 at a timing based on the rate pulse. The transmission circuit 2 corresponds to an example of a “transmission unit” in the present invention.

  The overall control unit 10 includes a reception control unit 101 and a transmission control unit 102. The overall control unit 10 receives data output from a certain function unit and transmits the data to another function unit that is a data transmission destination. However, here, for convenience of explanation, it may be explained that each functional unit directly performs data transfer. Furthermore, the overall control unit 10 adjusts the operation timing of each functional unit.

  Based on inputs from the input unit 91 such as various instructions, conditions, a region of interest (ROI) setting instruction, various image quality condition setting instructions, the transmission control unit 102 transmits ultrasonic waves corresponding to those inputs. Thus, the transmission circuit 2 is controlled. For example, in response to the input of the blood flow information acquisition position using the input unit 91 from the operator described above, the transmission control unit 102 transmits the ultrasonic wave in the input direction and transmits the ultrasonic wave to the specified depth. The delay circuit of the transmission circuit 2 is controlled so that the focused ultrasonic wave is located.

  First, the transmission control unit 102 receives an ultrasonic diagnosis start command from the input unit 91 and controls the transmission circuit 2 to perform a B-mode scan. That is, the transmission control unit 102 controls the transmission circuit 2 so as to sequentially change the direction of the transmission beam so as to capture a cross-sectional image of the subject. Further, the transmission control unit 102 controls the transmission circuit 2 to perform B-mode scanning at predetermined time intervals after the start of Doppler scanning. Further, even when a B-mode image rescan request is received from the movement detection unit 11 described later, the transmission control unit 102 controls the transmission circuit 2 to perform one B-mode scan.

  Further, the transmission control unit 102 generates a B-mode image at the start of the ultrasound diagnosis, generates a B-mode image performed at a predetermined time interval, and generates a B-mode image based on a request from the movement detection unit 11. In this case, the transmission circuit 2 is controlled so as to generate a Doppler image. That is, the transmission control unit 102 transmits the ultrasonic wave in the direction specified by the operator using the input unit 91, focuses the ultrasonic wave at the specified depth, and further transmits the ultrasonic wave in a pulse shape. Thus, the transmission circuit 2 is controlled.

  The transmission circuit 2 transmits an ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic probe 1 to the subject by transmitting a pulse voltage to the ultrasonic probe 1.

  When performing the B-mode scan, the transmission circuit 2 captures a wide range of cross-sectional images designated by the subject operator so that the ultrasonic wave is reflected at a deeper position of the subject than in the case of the Doppler scan described later. Then, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the ultrasonic probe 1. This is because, in the case of Doppler scan, when ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received to a deep depth, the repetition frequency becomes low, and it becomes difficult to generate an image of a portion having a high blood flow velocity. On the other hand, since the repetition frequency may be low in the B mode scan, ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received at a deep depth. Then, the transmission circuit 2 sequentially changes the transmission direction of the ultrasonic waves.

  When performing simultaneous parallel reception, the transmission circuit 2 transmits ultrasonic waves in the direction specified by the sample marker, and causes the ultrasonic probe 1 to transmit ultrasonic waves so that the ultrasonic waves are in focus at the specified depth. . The ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 is represented by a solid arrow 30 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves in simultaneous parallel reception. The direction in which the arrow 30 in FIG. 3 is directed, that is, the downward direction on the paper surface is the direction toward the subject. As indicated by an arrow 30, the ultrasonic wave transmitted in one transmission is a single beam.

  The receiving circuit 3 receives an input of an ultrasonic echo signal received by the ultrasonic probe 1. The receiving circuit 3 performs A / D conversion on the inputted ultrasonic echo signal. Then, the reception circuit 3 outputs the A / D converted ultrasonic echo signal to the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4.

  The reception control unit 101 is input from the reception circuit 3 in the case of the above-described B mode scan at the start of ultrasonic diagnosis, B mode scan performed at a predetermined time interval, and B mode scan based on a request from the movement detection unit 11. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 is controlled so as to generate data based on the reception beam by performing delay processing and addition processing for generating a B-mode image on the ultrasonic echo signal. Then, the reception control unit 101 controls the data selection unit 5 to output the data input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 to the B mode processing unit 61.

  The reception control unit 101 has a storage area such as a memory. Then, the reception control unit 101 receives other information generated based on information on the received beam directed to the center of the transducer array of the ultrasonic probe 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as “the center of the ultrasonic probe 1”). A method for determining the direction and depth of the received beam is stored. Further, the reception control unit 101 stores in advance identification information (for example, an ID number) corresponding to each reception beam.

  In the case of Doppler scan, the reception control unit 101 receives input of information on the direction and depth of the received beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1 (information on the focal point of the ultrasonic wave) from the input unit 91. Then, the reception control unit 101 equally divides the angle formed by the reception beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the reception beam toward the transducer at the end of the ultrasonic probe 1 from the focus of the reception beam. Find the direction of the other receive beam. In addition, the reception control unit 101 stores in advance a method for calculating the depth of each of the other received beams based on the depth of the received beam toward the center of the input ultrasonic probe 1. In this calculation method, for example, a triangle in which the focal point of the reception beam toward the center is the center of the base and the reception beam toward the transducer at the end of the ultrasonic probe 1 forms a hypotenuse is obtained, and the depths of the other reception beams are determined. In this method, the triangle is located at the bottom of the triangle. And the reception control part 101 calculates | requires the depth of another receiving beam based on the calculation method. In FIG. 3, the reception beam 31 is a reception beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1, and further includes a reception beam 32a, a reception beam 32b, a reception beam 32c, a reception beam 32d, a reception beam 32e, a reception beam 32f, a reception beam 32g, The reception beam 32h,..., The reception beam 32m, the reception beam 32n (hereinafter, this combination of reception beams is referred to as “reception beam 32a etc.”) is another reception beam.

  The reception control unit 101 sequentially transmits a command for generating the reception beam 32 a and the reception beam 31 to the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 based on the obtained direction and depth of each reception beam. At this time, the reception control unit 101 also transmits identification information corresponding to the reception beam that is the target of the generation command to the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4. This identification information is determined according to a predetermined rule. The predetermined rule may be a rule that can specify a reception beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1. For example, the reception beam 31 heading toward the center of the ultrasound probe 1 in FIG. 3 is numbered 1, and the other reception beams are numbered from number 2 onward from one end side to the other end side of the ultrasound probe 1, that is, FIG. Alternatively, the number 3 of the reception beam 32a may be number 2, and the number may be sequentially assigned to the reception beam 32n. As another method, the receiving beam 31 may be added to the receiving beam 32a and the like, and a number may be assigned sequentially from the receiving beam 32a toward the receiving beam 32n. In this case, it is possible to specify that the reception beam having the middle number of the reception beam is the reception beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1, that is, the reception beam 31.

  The reception control unit 101 outputs identification information of the reception beam 31 to the data selection unit 5. Further, the reception control unit 101 outputs identification information such as the reception beam 32 a to the data selection unit 5.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 has a storage area (not shown) such as a memory. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 receives an input of an ultrasonic echo signal converted into a digital signal from the receiving circuit 3. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 stores the input ultrasonic echo signal in its own storage area.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 receives the B-mode scan at the start of the ultrasonic diagnosis, the B-mode scan performed at a predetermined time interval, and the B-mode scan based on a request from the movement detection unit 11. The data generation command based on the reception beam for the B mode is received. Then, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 performs delay processing and addition processing for generating a B-mode image on the ultrasonic echo signal stored in its own storage area, and performs one transmission beam on one transmission beam. Generate data based on the received beam for the B-mode image. In this case, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 generates data based on the received beam using an ultrasonic echo reflected at a deeper portion than in the case of Doppler scan in order to generate a cross-sectional image of a wide range of the subject. . Then, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 outputs data based on the generated reception beam for the B-mode image to the image processing unit 7.

  In the case of Doppler scan, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 receives a data generation command based on a reception beam corresponding to one of the reception beams 32a and the like in FIG. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 applies a delay process to the ultrasonic echo signal for each channel stored in its own storage area so as to generate data based on the reception beam corresponding to the designation. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 adds the ultrasonic echo signals for each channel subjected to the delay process to generate data based on the designated reception beam. The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 sequentially receives data generation instructions based on the reception beams 32a to 32n from the reception control unit 101, and generates data based on the reception beams 32a to 32n.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 receives a data generation command based on the reception beam 31 in FIG. 3 from the reception control unit 101. Then, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 performs delay processing so as to generate data based on the reception beam 31 on the ultrasonic echo signal for each channel stored in its own storage area. Further, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 adds the ultrasonic echo signals for each channel subjected to the delay processing to generate data based on the reception beam 31.

  Furthermore, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 generates reception data identification information (ID) corresponding to the data based on the generated reception beam, together with the generation instructions of the data based on the reception beams 32a to 32n and the reception beam 31, respectively. Is received from the reception control unit 101.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 adds corresponding input identification information to data based on the generated reception beam. Here, the addition of identification information is performed, for example, by adding identification information as a header or footer of data based on the generated reception beam.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 outputs data based on the reception beam to which the identification information is added to the data selection unit 5.

  In the case of the above-described B-mode scan at the start of ultrasonic diagnosis, B-mode scan performed at a predetermined time interval, and B-mode scan based on a request from the movement detection unit 11, the data selection unit 5 receives B from the reception control unit 101. A transmission command to the mode processing unit 61 is received. Then, the data selection unit 5 outputs data based on the reception beam for the B mode image input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 to the B mode processing unit 61.

  The data selection unit 5 receives input of identification information for specifying the reception beam 31 and identification information of each reception beam such as the reception beam 32a from the reception control unit 101. Further, the data selection unit 5 receives data input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 based on a reception beam to which identification numbers such as the reception beam 31 and the reception beam 32a are added.

  The data selection unit 5 identifies data based on the reception beam 31 from the data based on the reception beam input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 based on the identification information of the reception beam 31 input from the reception control unit 101. To do. Then, the data selection unit 5 outputs data based on the specified received beam 31 to the Doppler processing unit 62. Further, the data selection unit 5 identifies data having specific information such as the reception beam 32a among the data based on the reception beam input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4. Then, the data selection unit 5 outputs data based on the specified reception beam 32a and the like to the B mode processing unit 61. Here, in the present embodiment, the data selection unit 5 identifies data having specific information such as the reception beam 32a from the data based on the reception beam input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4. For example, the configuration may be such that data based on a received beam having identification information other than the identification information of the received beam 31 is output to the B-mode processing unit 61.

  The signal processing unit 6 includes a B mode processing unit 61 and a Doppler processing unit 62.

  The B-mode processing unit 61 mounted on the signal processing unit 6 receives data based on each reception beam such as the reception beam 32a from the data selection unit 5. The B-mode processing unit 61 performs logarithmic amplification, envelope detection processing, and the like on each received data, and generates B-mode data in which the signal intensity is expressed by brightness. The B mode processing unit 61 outputs the generated B mode data to the image processing unit 7.

  The Doppler processing unit 62 mounted on the signal processing unit 6 receives data based on the reception beam 31 from the data selection unit 5. The Doppler processing unit 62 performs signal processing such as frequency analysis of velocity information on the received data based on the transmission / reception time of the ultrasonic wave calculated based on the position specified by the sample marker using the input unit 91. Blood flow information at the position specified by the sample marker is obtained. The Doppler processing unit 62 outputs the obtained blood flow information to the image processing unit 7.

  The image processing unit 7 has a scan converter 71. The scan converter 71 converts the ultrasonic scan line signal sequence into a scan line signal sequence of a general video format represented by a television or the like by coordinate conversion or the like, thereby generating an ultrasonic wave as a display image. Generate a diagnostic image. The data before entering the image processing unit 7 may be referred to as “raw data”. Then, the image processing unit 7 generates a B-mode image in which the intensity of the reflected wave is expressed by luminance based on the B-mode data input from the B-mode processing unit 61, and the display control unit 8 and the movement detection unit 11. Output to. Further, the image processing unit 7 generates a Doppler image based on the blood flow information input from the Doppler processing unit 62 and outputs the Doppler image to the display control unit 8.

  Next, the operation of the display control unit 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a B-mode image displayed when simultaneous parallel reception is performed. FIG. 4 shows a state in which a part of the B-mode image is updated by simultaneous parallel reception based on the state of FIG.

  The display control unit 8 causes the display unit 92 to display a wide range of B-mode images 20 including blood flow information acquisition positions in advance before performing simultaneous parallel reception. This wide-range B-mode image 20 corresponds to an example of a “second B-mode image” in the present invention. Further, the range in which the subject is scanned in the generation of the B-mode image 20 corresponds to an example of the “second range” in the present invention.

  The display control unit 8 receives the B mode image and the Doppler image from the image processing unit 7. Then, the display control unit 8 is updated with the B mode image input from the image processing unit 7 in the currently displayed B mode image 20 based on the direction and depth information of each reception beam 32a and the like. To identify the part. For example, the display control unit 8 specifies that the part of the region 23 in the B-mode image 20 in FIG. 4 is updated by the direction and depth of the reception beam 32a and the like. Here, the display control unit 8 updates the image of the specified region 23 in the B-mode image 20 to the B-mode image input from the image processing unit 7 and causes the display unit 92 to display it. The B-mode image for updating the portion of the region 23 corresponds to an example of “first B-mode image” in the present invention. Further, the range in which the subject is scanned in the generation of the first B-mode image represented by the region 23 by simultaneous parallel reception corresponds to an example of the “first range” in the present invention.

  Further, the display control unit 8 updates the Doppler image 24 based on the Doppler image input from the image processing unit 7. Here, the Doppler image 24 is a graph in which the horizontal axis is time (the information becomes older as it goes to the left toward the paper surface), and the vertical axis is the speed.

  The movement detection unit 11 has a storage area such as a memory. The movement detection unit 11 stores a threshold value of the movement amount of the tissue displayed in the B-mode image in its own storage area. This movement amount threshold value can be determined, for example, as an amount that is a quarter of the length of the base of the triangle formed by the region 23 of FIG. Here, the tissue displayed in the B-mode image is an example of the “form in the B-mode image” in the present invention. In addition, the movement detection unit 11 stores a predetermined time for determining that the tissue has moved when the state in which the tissue has moved is equal to or longer than that time. The time for determining that the tissue has moved is preferably 1 second to 2 seconds. In this embodiment, this time is 1 second. Further, the movement detection unit 11 stores the coordinates of each point of the displayed B-mode image.

  The movement detection unit 11 receives an input of a B-mode image from the image processing unit 7. Hereinafter, the most recently input B-mode image is referred to as a “B-mode image of the current frame”. The movement detection unit 11 stores B-mode images generated from a frame a predetermined time before the time when the B-mode image of the current frame is generated to a frame immediately before the current frame. Then, the movement detection unit 11 performs matching processing based on the current B-mode image and the stored B-mode images of a plurality of frames. By this matching process, the movement detection unit 11 detects the amount of movement of the tissue due to the displacement of the displayed tissue. Here, as a specific matching process, for example, a region having a characteristic luminance near a region where a Doppler image is generated in a B-mode image is used as a matching region, and the B mode of the matching region in each frame This is done by extracting the position on the image and calculating the amount of movement based on the displacement of the position. This matching process will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a matching process using a B-mode image after image processing. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a state in which blood flow information acquisition positions are coincident with each other on a tissue (blood vessel) including a measurement location, and FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating movement of the tissue (blood vessel) including the measurement location. It is a figure showing the state where the acquisition position of blood flow information does not correspond on a structure | tissue. First, in the state of the tissue including the blood vessel 27 when the blood flow information acquisition position is first designated by the sample marker, the operator moves on the blood vessel 27 shown on the B-mode image 20 in FIG. The area 25 is set as a matching area. Next, when the operator strongly presses the ultrasonic probe 1 against the subject from the state of FIG. 5A, the blood vessel 27 displayed in the B-mode image 20 moves, and FIG. ). At this time, the movement detection unit 11 extracts a region whose luminance distribution matches the region 25 in FIG. 5A from the B-mode image 20 in FIG. Here, the movement detection unit 11 extracts the region 26 on the blood vessel 27 in FIG. Then, based on the stored coordinates of each point on the B-mode image, the movement detection unit 11 calculates the distance that the region 25 on the B-mode image has moved to the region 26. Here, it is the distance that the matching area has moved from the area 25 to the area 26 represented by the dotted line in FIG. Here, a region 25 indicated by a dotted line is a diagram added for easy explanation of the movement of the matching region, and is not actually displayed on the B-mode image.

  The movement detection unit 11 compares the movement amount with the stored threshold value, and determines whether or not the movement amount of the tissue on the B-mode image exceeds the threshold value. Then, the movement detection unit 11 causes the movement of the tissue exceeding the threshold in the B-mode image of the frame stored in advance for a predetermined time (1 second in the present embodiment), and the movement of the tissue is the current frame. When the B-mode image continues, it is determined that the tissue has moved on the B-mode image. The reason why the predetermined time is used to determine the movement of the tissue in this manner is to improve the matching accuracy by determining the movement of the tissue when the tissue is surely moved.

  As a specific method of this determination, for example, matching processing is performed on the B-mode image of the current frame and the B-mode image of the previous frame, and it is determined whether there is a movement that exceeds a threshold as the movement of the tissue. . When there is a movement exceeding the threshold, a frame in which movement exceeding the threshold has occurred from the position of the desired tissue before the frame immediately before the current frame is specified. Then, the frame immediately before the identified frame is compared with the current frame, and it is determined whether or not the movement of the tissue exceeds the threshold value. When the movement amount exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether or not the time from the specified frame to the current frame is 1 second or more. If the movement amount is 1 second or more, the B-mode image of the previous frame is It can be determined that the tissue has moved on the B-mode image when the movement of the tissue exceeding the threshold occurs and the movement of the tissue continues to the B-mode image of the current frame. In the case of less than 1 second, the result of the movement of the tissue exceeding the threshold from the position of the desired tissue is stored. Also, the current frame is compared with the previous frame of the identified frame, and if the deviation is less than or equal to the threshold, it is determined that no movement exceeding the threshold has occurred from the position of the desired tissue. Memorize the results.

  When the movement detection unit 11 determines that the tissue has moved on the B-mode image, the movement detection unit 11 notifies the warning unit 12 of the movement of the tissue. When the movement detection unit 11 determines that the tissue has moved on the B-mode image, the movement control unit 11 performs a wide-range B-mode image 20 (second B-mode image) previously designated by the operator with respect to the transmission control unit 102. ) Send a rescan request.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the movement detection unit 11 uses the B-mode image generated by performing coordinate conversion or the like on the raw data output from the B-mode processing unit 61 by the image processing unit 7. However, this can also be performed using raw data. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining tissue movement detection using raw data. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing raw data in a state where blood flow information acquisition positions coincide with each other on a region (blood vessel) including a measurement location, and FIG. 6B shows a region (blood vessel) including the measurement location. ) Is moved and the blood flow information acquisition position does not match on the tissue. 6A and 6B are diagrams in which the horizontal axis represents time (depth), and the vertical axis represents the respective received beams (the received beams 32a and the like in FIG. 3). Even in this case, the movement detection unit 11 can detect the movement of the tissue by performing the matching process using the raw data. That is, the movement detection unit 11 receives the designation of the ultrasonic transmission / reception time from the operator and determines the mapping area as the area 51 on the raw data 50 in FIG. And the movement detection part 11 specifies the area | region 52 which is an area | region which has the same luminance distribution as the area | region 51 of FIG. 6 (A) on the raw data 50 of FIG. 6 (B) using a brightness | luminance. Then, the movement detection unit 11 calculates the distance between the region 51 and the region 52, determines whether or not the distance exceeds the stored threshold value, and further determines the state from a frame a predetermined time before the current frame. It is possible to detect the movement of the tissue by determining whether or not it is continuous up to the previous frame.

  In response to the notification of the movement of the tissue from the movement detection unit 11, the warning unit 12 displays a warning on the display unit 92. Here, in the present embodiment, the movement is notified to the operator by displaying a warning on the display unit, but this may be another method, for example, a process such as attaching a warning light or the like. The warning unit 12 and the movement detection unit 11 constitute an example of a notification unit of the present invention.

  Next, the generation of a Doppler image and the detection of tissue movement on the B-mode image in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for detecting the generation of the Doppler image and the movement of the tissue on the B-mode image in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Step S001: Upon receiving an ultrasonic diagnosis start command from the input unit 91, the overall control unit 10 controls the transmission circuit 2, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, and the data selection unit 5 so as to perform a B-mode scan.

  Step S002: The transmission circuit 2, the reception circuit 3, and the data selection unit 5 generate data based on the reception beam of the B mode scan. Further, the signal processing unit 6 and the image processing unit 7 perform signal processing and image processing on data based on the reception beam of the B mode scan to generate a B mode image. The display control unit 8 causes the display unit 92 to display the generated B-mode image.

  Step S003: The operator obtains blood flow information by Doppler scan by referring to the B-mode image displayed on the display unit 92 and specifying the position on the B-mode image with the sample marker using the input unit 91. Specify the position to perform.

  Step S004: The overall control unit 10 controls the transmission circuit 2, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, and the data selection unit 5 to perform simultaneous parallel reception.

  Step S005: The transmission circuit 2 transmits an ultrasonic wave via the ultrasonic probe 1 so as to acquire blood flow information at a position specified by the sample marker of the subject.

  Step S006: The receiving circuit 3 receives an ultrasonic echo from the subject via the ultrasonic probe 1, and performs A / D conversion.

  Step S007: The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 stores the ultrasonic echo signal input from the reception circuit 3. Then, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 sequentially generates data based on the reception beam specified by the reception control unit 101, and sets the corresponding identification number input from the reception control unit 101 to the data based on the generated reception beams. Append.

  Step S008: The data selection unit 5 performs the Doppler image from the data based on the reception beam input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 based on the identification number of the reception beam for Doppler image input from the reception control unit 101. The data based on the received beam (received beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1) is specified. Then, the data selection unit 5 outputs data based on the specified received beam for the Doppler image to the Doppler processing unit 62. Further, the data selection unit 5 is based on the identification information of other reception beams input from the reception control unit 101, and the data other than for Doppler images is selected from the data based on the reception beams input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4. Identify data based on the receive beam. Then, the data selection unit 5 outputs data based on the received beam other than the specified Doppler image to the B mode processing unit 61.

  Step S009: The Doppler processing unit 62 performs frequency analysis of velocity information on the data based on the received beam input from the data selection unit 5, extracts blood flow and tissue components due to the Doppler effect, and is designated by a sample marker. Blood flow information is generated. Then, the Doppler processing unit 62 outputs the obtained blood flow information to the image processing unit 7.

  Step S010: The B mode processing unit 61 performs logarithmic amplification, envelope detection processing, and the like on the data based on the received beam input from the data selection unit 5, and the B mode in which the signal intensity is expressed by brightness. Generate data. Then, the B mode processing unit 61 outputs the generated B mode data to the image processing unit 7.

  Step S011: The image processing unit 7 generates a B-mode image and a Doppler image based on the input B-mode data and blood flow information. Then, the display control unit 8 updates the image of the corresponding part (region 23 in FIG. 4) in the B-mode image displayed on the display unit 92 with the B-mode image input from the image processing unit 7. . Further, the display control unit 8 updates the Doppler image displayed on the display unit 92 using the Doppler image input from the image processing unit 7.

  Step S012: The overall control unit 10 determines whether or not the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended. The overall control unit 10 can determine whether or not the ultrasonic diagnosis is ended based on whether or not a diagnosis end command is input from the input unit 91. If the ultrasonic diagnosis has not ended, the process proceeds to step S013. When the ultrasonic diagnosis is finished, the operation is finished.

  Step S013: The movement detection unit 11 stores the B-mode image input from the image processing unit 7. Then, the movement detection unit 11 performs matching processing based on the B-mode image of the latest frame and the B-mode image of the frame before a predetermined time, based on the B-mode image of the latest frame, and detects the tissue displayed on the B-mode image. The movement amount is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the state where the movement amount of the tissue displayed in the B-mode image exceeds the stored threshold value continues for a predetermined time or more. If the movement amount of the tissue displayed on the B-mode image exceeds the threshold value continues for a predetermined time or longer, the process proceeds to step S015. If the movement amount of the tissue displayed in the B-mode image exceeds the threshold value is less than the predetermined time, the process returns to step S004.

  Step S014: The movement detection unit 11 notifies the warning unit 12 that the tissue displayed in the B-mode image has moved. Further, the movement detection unit 11 transmits to the overall control unit 10 an execution command for a wide range B-mode scan (generation of a second B-mode image) designated in advance by the operator.

  Step S015: The warning unit 12 displays a warning that the tissue displayed in the B-mode image has moved on the display unit 92, and notifies the operator of the movement of the tissue.

  Step S016: The overall control unit 10 controls the transmission circuit 2, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, and the data selection unit 5 so as to generate data based on the reception beam for the B mode image. Thereafter, the process returns to step S002.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment acquires a predetermined range (at least blood flow information) almost simultaneously with the generation of the Doppler image by performing simultaneous parallel reception when performing the Doppler scan. B-mode image data in the region up to the vicinity of the depth) can be acquired. Then, based on the acquired B-mode image data, the movement of the tissue displayed in the B-mode image can be detected and notified to the operator. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the operator of the deviation of the position where the Doppler scan is actually performed from the desired position while keeping the repetition frequency of the pulse Doppler scan high. This makes it possible for the operator to grasp the deviation of the actual position where the pulse Doppler scan is performed on the subject while capturing a high-speed blood flow Doppler image.

(Modification)
A block diagram showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this modification is also shown in FIG. However, in this modification, the signal processing unit 6 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment described above is further provided with a color mode processing unit 63 represented by a dotted line in FIG.

  The operator selects whether to generate a Doppler image or a color Doppler image at the start of ultrasonic diagnosis. This selection is performed using the user interface 9.

  When the generation of the Doppler image is selected, the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, a case where generation of a color Doppler image is selected will be described.

  Under the control of the transmission control unit 102 and the reception control unit 101, the transmission circuit 2 and the reception circuit 3 transmit an ultrasonic wave a plurality of times in the same direction, and receive an ultrasonic echo corresponding to each transmission. Furthermore, in order to acquire blood flow information in a desired imaging region (for example, a tomographic plane), a plurality of times of transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves in one direction described above are performed for all scanning lines constituting the imaging region (tomographic plane). repeat.

  The simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4 performs simultaneous parallel reception processing on the ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to one transmission, generates data based on a plurality of reception beams, and generates data based on the generated reception beams as data. Output to the selector 5.

  Of the data based on the plurality of reception beams generated by the simultaneous parallel reception input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, the reception beam specified by the data selection unit 5 as the data based on the reception beam toward the center of the ultrasonic probe 1 The data based on is output to the color mode processing unit 63. Further, among the data based on the plurality of reception beams input from the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, data based on the other reception beams is output to the B mode processing unit 61. The identification of data based on the reception beam is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The color mode processing unit 63 generates color Doppler image data such as blood flow velocity information, power information, and dispersion information based on the data based on the received beam input from the data selection unit 5. Then, the color mode processing unit 63 outputs the generated color Doppler image data to the image processing unit 7.

  The B mode processing unit 61 operates in the same manner as in the first embodiment, generates B mode data in a predetermined range, and outputs the data to the image processing unit 7.

  The image processing unit 7 generates a color Doppler image by, for example, arranging a specific area on the B-mode image based on data for a color Doppler image generated based on data based on a plurality of reception beams. Can do. Further, the image processing unit 7 generates a B mode image from the B mode data.

  The display control unit 8 updates a predetermined region of the B-mode image displayed on the display unit 92 and updates the color Doppler image.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the movement detection unit 11 determines whether the tissue displayed in the B-mode image has moved using the B-mode image generated by the image processing unit 7.

  When the movement detection unit 11 determines that the tissue has moved, the warning unit 12 notifies the display unit 92 of the movement of the tissue and notifies the operator. The overall control unit 10 controls the transmission circuit 2, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, and the data selection unit 5 so as to perform a wide range B-mode scan designated by the operator in advance.

  In this modification, the apparatus having the function of generating a color Doppler image is described in the first embodiment. However, even when the apparatus has a function such as the M mode, the movement of the tissue displayed in the B mode image is also described. Can be detected in the same manner.

  In this way, not only when generating a Doppler image, but also when generating a color Doppler image or an M mode image, it is possible to detect the movement of the tissue displayed in the B mode image. It is.

[Second Embodiment]
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured to notify the operator by displaying the B-mode image in the current state without automatically detecting the movement of the tissue position displayed in the B-mode image. This is different from the first embodiment. That is, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment has a configuration that does not include the movement detection unit 11 and the warning unit 12 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the first embodiment. In the following description, functional units having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are assumed to have the same functions unless otherwise specified. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functions of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Upon receiving the input of the Doppler image generation command, the ultrasonic probe 1, the transmission circuit 2, the reception circuit 3, the simultaneous parallel reception processing unit 4, the data selection unit 5, the signal processing unit 6, and the image processing unit 7 It operates in the same manner as in the embodiment, and generates a Doppler image at a specified position and a B-mode image by simultaneous parallel reception processing.

  The image processing unit 7 outputs the generated Doppler image and B-mode image to the display control unit 8.

  The display control unit 8 changes the image of the region 23 in FIG. 4 to the input B mode image, and updates the B mode image 20 displayed on the display unit 92. Further, the display control unit 8 updates the Doppler image 24 of FIG. 4 using the input Doppler image.

  Thus, the display control unit 8 acquires the blood flow information by displaying the B-mode image 20 updated with the current B-mode image generated by the simultaneous parallel reception process on the display unit 92. Is notified to the operator.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment can update and display a part of the displayed B-mode image as the current B-mode image. Thereby, the operator can grasp the movement of the position of the tissue displayed in the B-mode image by referring to the displayed image, and the operator can capture a high-speed blood flow Doppler image, It becomes possible to grasp the deviation of the actual position where blood flow information is acquired for the subject.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic probe 2 Transmission circuit 3 Reception circuit 4 Simultaneous parallel reception processing part 5 Data selection part 6 Signal processing part 7 Image processing part 8 Display control part 9 User interface 10 General control part 61 B mode processing part 62 Doppler processing part 63 Color Mode processing unit 71 Scan converter 91 Input unit 92 Display unit 101 Reception control unit 102 Transmission control unit

Claims (4)

A transmitter that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject via an ultrasonic probe;
A transmission control unit that controls the transmission unit to transmit the ultrasonic wave to a designated desired position;
A receiving unit for receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject via the ultrasonic probe;
A parallel simultaneous reception processing unit that forms a plurality of reception signals by performing simultaneous parallel reception processing on the signals input from the reception unit;
A data selection unit that selects the reception signal for a B-mode image and the reception signal for a Doppler image from the plurality of reception signals;
A B-mode processing unit that generates B-mode data by performing signal processing on the received signal for the B-mode image;
A Doppler processing unit that generates Doppler data by performing signal processing on the received signal for the Doppler image;
An image processing unit that generates a first B-mode image representing a first range based on the B-mode data, and generates a Doppler image based on the Doppler data;
A display control unit for displaying the Doppler image on a display unit;
A notification unit for recognizing the movement of the position of the form in the first B-mode image;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The notification unit
A movement detector for detecting the movement amount of the form based on the B-mode data or the first B-mode image;
A warning unit for notifying a warning when the amount of movement exceeds a threshold;
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: When the movement amount exceeds the threshold value,
The transmission control unit controls the transmission unit to transmit ultrasonic waves to a second range of a wider range including the first range;
The B-mode processing unit and the image processing unit generate a second B-mode image representing the second range based on a signal input from the receiving unit,
The display control unit causes the display unit to display the second B-mode image.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2. The notification unit
The supervision according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first B-mode image is displayed on the display unit via the display control unit to notify the deviation of the form. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.