JP2018171436A - Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic diagnostic device and ultrasonic diagnostic support program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To complete transference and configuration within a prescribed period even when an amount of data increases.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators allayed two-dimensionally; and a first calculation part. The first calculation part calculates at least part of delay data related to delayed time that is configured at transmission of an ultrasonic wave.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and an ultrasonic diagnostic support program.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an ultrasonic wave to an object (patient), receives a reflected wave (echo) from the object, and images the object. In recent years, the two-dimensional array An ultrasonic probe is mainly used.
Since the two-dimensional array probe has a large number of ultrasonic transducers (also simply referred to as elements) arranged two-dimensionally in a lattice shape, all elements are directly driven from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body to control transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves. It ’s difficult. Therefore, a dedicated IC (ASIC) that divides into subarrays including several elements and performs partial delay addition for each subarray is provided in the ultrasonic probe.

  The setting of the delay time for each element in each subarray needs to be performed between the end of the echo reception period, which is called a blank period, and the transmission timing of the next ultrasonic wave. Specifically, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body calculates delay control data (delay data) regarding the delay time of ultrasonic transmission / reception for each transmission / reception rate, and transfers the delay data to the ultrasonic probe within the blank period. It is necessary to complete the setting of the delay time in the acoustic probe.

  As the number of channel elements of the two-dimensional array probe increases in recent years, the delay data to be transferred also increases. Therefore, since it takes a long time to transfer and set the delay data of the transmission / reception delay, the problem is that the transfer and setting of the delayed data cannot be completed within the blank period, for example, the blank period is exceeded during the delay data transfer. Is assumed.

  As a solution to the above problem, means for increasing the operating frequency of the input interface (input IF) of the ultrasonic probe can be considered, but this is not desirable because power consumption and heat generation in the ultrasonic probe increase. Although a means for extending the set period can be considered, the frame rate is lowered. Furthermore, a method of preliminarily storing the delay data in the ultrasonic probe is conceivable. However, since the amount of delay data in the frame sequence of the two-dimensional array probe (particularly in the simultaneous mode) is enormous, It is necessary to prepare a memory, which is not realistic in terms of substrate area, power consumption, and cost. In addition, since it is necessary to secure a transfer time when storing the delayed data, the responsiveness deteriorates during the transfer of a large amount of delayed data.

JP 2012-152432 A JP 2010-187833 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the transfer and setting of delayed data can be completed within a predetermined period even if the amount of data increases.

  The ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged ultrasonic transducers and a first calculation unit. The first calculation unit calculates at least a part of the delay data related to the delay time set in each ultrasonic transducer when transmitting the ultrasonic wave.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment. The figure which shows the detail of an ultrasonic probe. The conceptual diagram which shows arrangement | positioning of the element arranged two-dimensionally. The figure for demonstrating the calculation of the whole fine transmission delay data. The conceptual diagram of the blank period which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the 1st example of distribution of the calculation process of delay data. The figure which shows the 2nd allocation example of the calculation process of delay data. The figure which shows the 3rd allocation example of the calculation process of delay data. The figure which shows the 4th example of distribution of the calculation process of delay data. The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, the part which attached | subjected the same referential mark performs the same operation | movement, and abbreviate | omits the overlapping description suitably.

(First embodiment)
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a main body apparatus 10 and an ultrasonic probe 30. The main device 10 is connected to the external device 40 via the network 100. The main device 10 is connected to the display device 50 and the input device 60.

  The main body apparatus 10 is an apparatus that generates an ultrasonic image based on echoes received by the ultrasonic probe 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body device 10 includes an ultrasonic transmission circuit 11, an ultrasonic reception circuit 12, a B-mode processing circuit 13, a Doppler processing circuit 14, a three-dimensional processing circuit 15, a display processing circuit 16, and an internal storage circuit 17. , An image memory 18 (cine memory), an image database 19, an input interface circuit 20, a communication interface circuit 21, and a control circuit 22.

  The ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 is a processor that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 30. The ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 is realized by, for example, a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, and a pulser circuit. The trigger generation circuit repeatedly generates rate pulses for forming transmission ultrasonic waves at a predetermined rate frequency. The delay circuit sets the transmission delay time for each element necessary to determine the transmission directivity by focusing the ultrasonic wave generated from the ultrasonic probe 30 into a beam shape for each rate pulse generated by the trigger generation circuit. give. The pulser circuit applies a drive signal (drive pulse) to the ultrasonic probe 30 at a timing based on the rate pulse. By changing the transmission delay time given to each rate pulse by the delay circuit, the transmission direction from the element surface can be arbitrarily adjusted. The transmission delay time is calculated by a delay data calculation function 221 of the control circuit 22 described later.

  The ultrasonic reception circuit 12 is a processor that performs various processes on the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 30 and generates a reception signal. The ultrasonic reception circuit 12 is realized by, for example, an amplifier circuit, an A / D converter, a reception delay circuit, and an adder. The amplifier circuit performs a gain correction process by amplifying the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 30 for each channel. The A / D converter converts the gain-corrected reflected wave signal into a digital signal. The reception delay circuit gives a reception delay time necessary for determining the reception directivity to the digital signal. The adder adds a plurality of digital signals given reception delay times. By the addition processing of the adder, a reception signal in which the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the reception directivity is emphasized is generated. The reception delay time is calculated by a delay data calculation function 221 of the control circuit 22 described later.

  The B-mode processing circuit 13 is a processor that generates B-mode data based on the reception signal received from the ultrasonic reception circuit 12. The B-mode processing circuit 13 performs envelope detection processing, logarithmic amplification processing, and the like on the received signal received from the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12, and data in which the signal intensity is expressed by brightness (hereinafter referred to as B-mode). Data). The generated B mode data is stored in a RAW data memory (not shown) as B mode RAW data on the ultrasonic scanning line. The B-mode RAW data may be stored in an internal storage circuit 17 described later.

  The Doppler processing circuit 14 is a processor that generates a Doppler waveform and Doppler data based on the received signal received from the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12. The Doppler processing circuit 14 extracts a blood flow signal from the received signal, generates a Doppler waveform from the extracted blood flow signal, and data obtained by extracting information such as average velocity, variance, and power from the blood flow signal at multiple points. (Hereinafter referred to as Doppler data) is generated.

  The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 is a processor capable of generating two-dimensional image data or three-dimensional image data (hereinafter also referred to as volume data) based on the data generated by the B-mode processing circuit 13 and the Doppler processing circuit 14. It is. The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 generates two-dimensional image data composed of pixels by executing RAW-pixel conversion.

  Further, the three-dimensional processing circuit 15 performs RAW-voxel conversion including interpolation processing that takes spatial position information into the B-mode RAW data stored in the RAW data memory, so that voxels in a desired range are obtained. Volume data composed of The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 performs rendering processing on the generated volume data to generate rendering image data. Hereinafter, the B-mode RAW data, the two-dimensional image data, the volume data, and the rendering image data are collectively referred to as ultrasound data.

  The display processing circuit 16 performs various processing such as dynamic range, brightness (brightness), contrast, γ curve correction, and RGB conversion on the various image data generated in the three-dimensional processing circuit 15, thereby generating image data. Is converted to a video signal. The display processing circuit 16 displays the video signal on the display device 50. The display processing circuit 16 may generate a user interface (GUI: Graphical User Interface) for an operator to input various instructions using the input interface circuit 20 and display the GUI on the display device 50. As the display device 50, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display, or any other display known in the art can be used as appropriate.

  The internal storage circuit 17 includes, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, or a recording medium that can be read by a processor such as a semiconductor memory. The internal storage circuit 17 includes a control program related to the delay amount setting method according to the present embodiment, a control program for realizing ultrasonic transmission / reception, a control program for performing image processing, a control program for performing display processing, and the like. I remember it. Further, the internal storage circuit 17 includes diagnostic information (for example, patient ID, doctor's findings, etc.), a diagnostic protocol, a body mark generation program, and a conversion table that presets the range of color data used for imaging for each diagnostic part. The data group is memorized. The internal storage circuit 17 may store an anatomical chart related to the structure of the organ in the living body, for example, an atlas.

  The internal storage circuit 17 stores the two-dimensional image data, volume data, and rendering image data generated by the three-dimensional processing circuit 15 in accordance with a storage operation input via the input interface circuit 20. The internal storage circuit 17 stores the 2D image data, the volume data, and the rendered image data generated by the 3D processing circuit 15 according to the storage operation input via the input interface circuit 20 according to the operation order and operation time. You may include and memorize. The internal storage circuit 17 can also transfer the stored data to an external device via the communication interface circuit 21.

  The image memory 18 includes, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, or a recording medium that can be read by a processor such as a semiconductor memory. The image memory 18 stores image data corresponding to a plurality of frames immediately before the freeze operation input via the input interface circuit 20. The image data stored in the image memory 18 is continuously displayed (cine display), for example.

The image database 19 stores image data transferred from the external device 40. For example, the image database 19 receives and stores past medical image data regarding the same patient acquired in a past examination stored in the external device 40. The past medical image data includes ultrasound image data, CT (Computed Tomography) image data, MR image data, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) -CT image data, PET-MR image data, and X-ray image data.
The image database 19 may store desired image data by reading image data recorded on a storage medium (media) such as MO, CD-R, or DVD.

  The input interface circuit 20 receives various instructions from the user via the input device 60. The input device 60 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a panel switch, a slider switch, a trackball, a rotary encoder, an operation panel, and a touch command screen (TCS). The input interface circuit 20 is connected to the control circuit 22 via, for example, a bus, converts an operation instruction input from the operator into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the control circuit 22. In the present specification, the input interface circuit 20 is not limited to one that is connected to physical operation components such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, an electrical signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 is received as a wireless signal, and the electrical signal is processed to output the electrical signal to the control circuit 22 A circuit is also included in the example of the input interface circuit 20. For example, an external input device that can transmit an operation instruction corresponding to an instruction by an operator's gesture as a wireless signal may be used.

  The communication interface circuit 21 is connected to the external device 40 via the network 100 or the like, and performs data communication with the external device 40. The external device 40 is, for example, a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) database that is a system that manages data of various medical images, a database of an electronic medical record system that manages an electronic medical record to which medical images are attached, and the like. The external device 40 includes various medical images other than the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, such as an X-ray CT apparatus, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus, a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus, and an X-ray diagnostic apparatus. It is a diagnostic device. The standard for communication with the external device 40 may be any standard, for example, DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine).

  The control circuit 22 is, for example, a processor that functions as the center of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The control circuit 22 executes a control program stored in the internal storage circuit 17, thereby realizing a function corresponding to the program. Specifically, the control circuit 22 executes a delay data calculation function 221 and a distribution control function 222.

By executing the delay data calculation function 221, the control circuit 22 can perform delay control data (delay data) related to delay times (transmission delay time and reception delay time) set in each ultrasonic transducer when transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. Is calculated.
In the present embodiment, the main body apparatus 10 and the ultrasonic probe 30 share the delay data calculation process. That is, a part of the delay data to be set by the ultrasonic probe 30 is calculated, and the remainder of the delay data to be set by the main device 10 is calculated. The details of the delay data calculation process will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  By executing the distribution control function 222, the control circuit 22 sets the delay time to the ultrasonic probe within a blank period (also referred to as a settable period) from the end of the echo reception period to the next ultrasonic transmission timing. The delay data calculation process is distributed to the delay data calculation function 221 and the ultrasonic probe 30 so as to be completed. An example of distribution of arithmetic processing will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The delay data calculation function 221 and the distribution control function 222 may be incorporated as a control program, or a dedicated hardware circuit capable of executing each function is incorporated in the control circuit 22 itself or the main body device 10. May be.

  The control circuit 22 includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate device (FPGA), and other complex programmable logic devices incorporating these dedicated hardware circuits. (Complex Programmable Logic Device: CPLD) or a simple programmable logic device (SPLD) may be used.

Next, the ultrasonic probe 30 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The ultrasonic probe 30 includes a setting circuit 301, a delay circuit 302, and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 303 (also simply referred to as elements). The setting circuit 301 includes an in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 and a delay data processing circuit 312.

  Although not shown, the ultrasonic probe 30 also includes a matching layer provided in the element, a backing material (not shown) that prevents propagation of ultrasonic waves from the element to the rear, and the like. The ultrasonic probe 30 is detachably connected to the main body device 10.

  The intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 receives setting information from the main body device 10 and calculates a part of the delay data using the setting information. The setting information is information before scanning by the ultrasonic probe 30 such as the focus and depth of the ultrasonic beam.

  The delay data processing circuit 312 receives a part of the delay data calculated by the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 and the data obtained by performing the remaining calculation of the delay data from the main unit 10, respectively. The delay data processing circuit 312 transfers these delay data to the delay circuit 302.

  The delay circuit 302 receives the delay data from the delay data processing circuit 312 and sets the transmission delay time and the reception delay time for each subarray and each element belonging to the subarray based on the delay data.

  The plurality of elements transmit ultrasonic waves generated based on the drive signal toward the living body P at a timing corresponding to the delay time of each element set by the delay circuit 302.

  When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 30 to the living body P, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are successively reflected by the discontinuous surface of the acoustic impedance in the in-vivo tissue of the living body P, and received by a plurality of elements as reflected waves. Is done. The amplitude of the received reflected wave depends on the difference in acoustic impedance at the discontinuous surface where the ultrasonic wave is reflected. The reflected wave when the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is reflected by the moving blood flow or the surface of the heart wall depends on the velocity component of the moving object in the ultrasonic transmission direction due to the Doppler effect. , Subject to frequency shift. The ultrasonic probe 30 receives the reflected wave from the living body P, converts it into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the main body device 10.

(About how to calculate each delay amount)
Hereinafter, as specific examples of the delay data to be divided and calculated, transmission delay data (also referred to as coarse transmission delay data) for each subarray, transmission delay data (also referred to as fine transmission delay data) for each element belonging to the subarray, and Assume that three types of reception delay data (also referred to as fine reception delay data) for each element are calculated.

  A calculation example of coarse transmission delay data, fine transmission delay data, and fine reception delay data will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the arrangement of two-dimensionally arranged elements. Here, the azimuth direction is defined as the x direction, the elevation direction is defined as the y direction, and the depth direction is defined as the z direction. In the figure, each square corresponds to the element position 701 arranged two-dimensionally. Here, it is defined that 4 × 4 elements belong to one subarray 702. The center of the subarray 702 is called a subarray position 703.
For each subarray 702, a delay distance occurs from the subarray position 703 to the focus point.

  Here, the coordinates of the focus point in the living body P are defined as (xf, yf, zf), and the coordinates of the subarray position 703 are defined as (xs, ys, 0). As the coarse transmission delay data ds, the subarray delay distance is calculated according to the equation (1).

The calculation of Expression (1) may be performed for each subarray 702.
A delay distance occurs for each element position 701 in the subarray 702.

  Here, the coordinates of each element are defined as (xe, ye, 0). For each element belonging to the subarray 702, the subarray differential focal length is calculated as the fine transmission delay data de according to the equation (2). That is, the difference between the distance from the focus point to the element position 701 and the distance from the focus point to the subarray position 703 may be calculated.

  A subarray differential focal length is calculated for each subarray 702.

Next, an example of calculating the entire fine transmission delay data will be described with reference to FIG.
Fine transmission delay data is calculated for each area 705 (subarray group) that controls a plurality of subarrays 702 in common. Specifically, for the same channel element 706 common to each subarray 702 in the area 705 (for example, the hatched element position), the value that minimizes the residual of the subarray differential focal length is set to the same channel in the area 705. The thin transmission delay data of the element 706 of FIG.

  In the example of FIG. 4, since eight subarrays 702 belong to one area 705, it is only necessary to calculate eight subarray differential focal lengths.

  The fine reception delay data can be basically calculated by performing the same calculation as the fine transmission delay data, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. The fine reception delay data may be the same value as the fine transmission delay data.

  During transmission of ultrasonic waves, the delay circuit 302 delays the drive signal from the main body device 10 based on the calculated coarse transmission delay data and fine transmission delay data, and ultrasonic waves are generated from the elements. When receiving an ultrasonic wave, a reception signal from the element is amplified by a reception amplifier (not shown), and a delay based on the fine reception delay data is applied and output to an addition circuit (not shown). The output of the addition circuit is multiplied by a system delay (coarse reception delay) based on the subarray delay in the ultrasonic reception circuit 12 of the main body apparatus 10, and is further subjected to addition processing to form an ultrasonic beam.

(Delayed data transfer and setting processing)
Next, delay data transfer and setting processing realized by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, the concept of the blank period is shown in FIG. The timing chart of the figure shows an ultrasonic transmission / reception interval (PRI: Pulse Repetition Interval) of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

  Within the blank period 901 shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 transfers the delay data related to the ultrasonic wave to be transmitted / received next from the main body apparatus 10 to the ultrasonic probe 30, and for each element in the ultrasonic probe 30. It is necessary to finish the delay time setting process.

  A first distribution example of the delay data calculation processing for completing the transfer and setting processing within the blank period 901 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a data processing sequence in the ultrasonic probe 30 during the blank period. The item “input IF” indicates a data transfer period input to the setting circuit 301 and calculated by the control circuit 22 of the main body apparatus 10. The item “calculation” indicates a calculation period in the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311. “Output IF1” and “Output IF2” indicate a transfer period of data output from the setting circuit 301 to the delay circuit 302. Here, since it is assumed that there are two signal lines (also referred to as lane numbers) for exchanging data between the setting circuit 301 and the delay circuit 302, two “outputs” IF "period. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that when delay data is output from the “output IF” to the delay circuit 302, the delay data setting process is sequentially completed.

As shown in “input IF” in FIG. 6, setting information, fine transmission delay data (thin TX delay in the figure), and fine reception delay data (thin RX delay in the figure) are input in this order. After the input of the setting information is completed, the input of the fine transmission delay data is started in the “input IF”. At this time, the intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 starts calculation of a delay related to the subarray, that is, coarse transmission delay data (coarse TX delay in the figure) based on the setting information. That is, the ultrasound probe 30 can calculate the coarse transmission delay data while receiving the fine transmission delay data.
From the viewpoint of circuit scale, it is desirable that the amount of calculation of delay data in the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 is smaller than the amount of calculation of delay data in the control circuit 22 of the main body device 10. Therefore, the control circuit 22 that executes the distribution control function 222 calculates coarse transmission delay data with a relatively small calculation amount by the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311, and the delay data calculation function 221 of the main body apparatus 10 performs the rough transmission delay data. The calculation amount is distributed so that the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data having a larger calculation amount than that are calculated.

  After the calculation of the coarse transmission delay data is completed, the setting circuit 301 outputs the coarse transmission delay data, the fine transmission delay data, and the fine reception delay data from the “output IF1” and “output IF2” to the delay circuit 302 in this order. . Note that the output order of the delay data from the output IF is not limited to the order shown in FIG. 6, and may be the order of fine transmission delay data, coarse transmission delay data, and fine reception delay data.

Next, a second distribution example of the delay data calculation process will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 performs the same transfer and setting process except that the number of lanes is different from that in the first distribution example of FIG. If the number of lanes can be increased as shown in FIG. 7, the transfer of delay data from the setting circuit 301 to the delay circuit 302 can be completed in a shorter time. Since the transfer of the delay data to the delay circuit 302 only needs to be completed within the blank period, the output timing at the outputs IF1 to IF3 is as soon as the calculation of the coarse transmission delay data in the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 is completed. What is necessary is just to transmit sequentially.

Next, a third distribution example of the delay data calculation process will be described with reference to FIG.
The example of FIG. 8 shows a case where the number of lanes is four and the values of the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data are the same. When the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data have the same value, either the fine transmission delay data or the fine reception delay data may be received from the main unit 10.

Next, a fourth distribution example of the delay data calculation process will be described with reference to FIG.
When scanning with an ultrasonic probe is not performed, such as when performing a so-called freeze operation, a time of several hundred milliseconds may be given as a blank period. In such a case, a certain amount of time can be spent on the calculation processing of the delay data.

  In such a case, the intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 may perform operations other than the calculation of the coarse transmission delay data as long as the delay data calculation and setting process is completed within the blank period 901. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the delay data processing circuit 312 receives setting information and coarse transmission delay data transferred from the main body device 10. The intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 calculates fine transmission delay data and fine reception delay data. The delay data processing circuit 312 may transfer the coarse transmission delay data received from the main unit, the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data calculated by the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 to the delay circuit 302.

  If the condition for completing the delay data calculation and setting process within the blank period 901 is satisfied, the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 performs the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data in addition to the coarse transmission delay data calculation. A part may be calculated.

  In the above description, the distribution control function 222 distributes the delay data calculation process to the delay data calculation function 221 and the ultrasonic probe 30, but the distribution control function 222 need not be provided. For example, the coarse transmission delay data may be calculated by the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311, and the fine transmission delay data and the fine reception delay data may be set in advance so as to be calculated by the delay data calculation function 221 of the main body device 10. Good.

  According to the first embodiment shown above, separately from the delay calculation function of the main body apparatus, the ultrasonic probe has a delay calculation circuit, and based on the condition for completing the setting of the delay data within the blank period, The calculation of delay data necessary for delay setting is shared. In the ultrasonic probe, a part of the delay data is calculated in the ultrasonic probe while the delay data calculated in the main unit is being transferred. Thereby, the amount of delay data transferred from the main unit can be reduced, and even when the number of elements (number of channels) of the two-dimensional array probe is increased, without increasing the operating frequency of the input IF of the ultrasonic probe, Delay data can be transferred and set within a predetermined blank period.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the ultrasonic probe 30 including the arithmetic circuit (intra-probe delay arithmetic circuit 311) is connected in advance. However, delay data is generated between the apparatus main body and the ultrasonic probe such as a one-dimensional array probe. It is also assumed that an ultrasonic probe having the number of elements that does not need to be divided and calculated is connected.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, flexible control is realized by determining the type or the like of the connected ultrasonic probe and deciding whether or not to distribute the calculation process of the delay data based on the determination result. be able to.

A block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the control circuit 22 further executes a connection determination function 223 in addition to the function according to the first embodiment. .

  By executing the connection determination function 223, the control circuit 22 determines the type of the connected ultrasonic probe 90, and determines whether or not to perform distribution control of delay data calculation processing. Note that the control circuit 22 may determine the number of elements of the ultrasonic array probe by executing the connection determination function 223.

  The connection determination function 223 may be incorporated as a control program, or a dedicated hardware circuit capable of executing each function may be incorporated in the control circuit 22 itself or the main body device 10.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In step S1101, the control circuit 22 that executes the connection determination function 223 determines whether or not the connected ultrasonic probe performs distribution control of delay data calculation processing. For example, whether or not to perform distribution control is determined to include distribution control if the intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 is included in the ultrasonic probe 90. If the number of elements is equal to or greater than a threshold value, it is determined to perform distribution control. do it. For these determinations, for example, product information relating to the specifications of the ultrasonic probe 90 (presence / absence of arithmetic circuit, number of elements, etc.) is prepared in advance, and product information is transmitted when the ultrasonic probe 90 is connected. By doing so, the control circuit 22 that executes the connection determination function 223 may determine based on the product information. If distribution control is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S1102, and if distribution control is not required, the process proceeds to step S1107.

  In step S1102, the control circuit 22 distributes calculation processing according to the calculation amount of the delay data so that the delay data is completely set within the blank period. For example, the amount of data of coarse transmission delay data, fine transmission delay data and fine reception delay data to be calculated according to the number of elements can be grasped, and the time required for calculation can be estimated from the data amount and the operating frequency. Therefore, the calculation process may be distributed according to the processing capabilities of the in-probe delay calculation circuit 311 and the delay data calculation function 221 so that the transfer and setting process of the delay data is completed within the blank period.

  In step S1103, the main device 10 transmits the fine transmission delay data, the fine reception delay data, and the setting information that are calculated in advance by the delay data calculation function 221 to the ultrasonic probe.

  In step S1104, the intra-probe delay calculation circuit 311 calculates coarse transmission delay data based on the setting information.

  In step S1105, the setting circuit 301 sets the delay data by transferring the coarse transmission delay data, the fine transmission delay data, and the reception delay data to the delay circuit 302.

  In step S1106, the delay circuit 302 delays the drive signal based on each delay data, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves.

  In step S1107, since an ultrasonic probe that does not require distribution control is connected, the main device 10 may perform normal transmission / reception delay data calculation, and the main device 10 may perform transmission / reception delay data transfer and setting processing. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1106 to transmit / receive ultrasonic waves.

  According to the second embodiment described above, the type of the connected ultrasonic probe is determined, and the distribution control of the delay data calculation process is performed based on the determination result, so that the same as in the first embodiment. In addition, the delay data transfer and setting process can be completed within the blank period, and flexible control can be realized.

In the above-described embodiment, a two-dimensional array probe including a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged elements has been described as an example of the ultrasonic probe. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even the ultrasonic probe (also referred to as a one-dimensional array probe) including a plurality of elements arranged one-dimensionally may perform the distribution control of the delay data calculation process described above.
The number of one-dimensionally arranged elements is considered to be less than the number of two-dimensionally arranged elements, but when the blanking period is extremely short, or when the frame rate is high and the amount of data is extremely large, This is because it is considered necessary to perform distribution control of the delay data calculation process described above.
In the case of a one-dimensional array probe, for example, transmission delay data relating to a set of a plurality of elements is set as coarse transmission delay data, and transmission delay data relating to each element of the element set is used as fine transmission delay data. Should just be done.

  In addition, each function according to the embodiment can also be realized by installing a program for executing the processing in a computer such as a workstation and developing the program on a memory. At this time, a program capable of causing the computer to execute the technique can be stored and distributed in a storage medium such as a magnetic disk (such as a hard disk), an optical disk (such as a CD-ROM or DVD), or a semiconductor memory. .

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 10 ... Main body apparatus, 11 ... Ultrasonic transmission circuit, 12 ... Ultrasonic reception circuit, 13 ... B mode processing circuit, 14 ... Doppler processing circuit 15 ... 3D processing circuit, 16 ... display processing circuit, 17 ... internal storage circuit, 18 ... image memory, 19 ... image database, 20 ... input interface circuit, 21. ..Communication interface circuit, 22 ... Control circuit, 30, 90 ... Ultrasonic probe, 40 ... External device, 50 ... Display device, 60 ... Input device, 100 ... Network, 221 ... Delay data calculation function, 222 ... Distribution control function, 223 ... Connection determination function, 301 ... Setting circuit, 302 ... Delay circuit, 303 ... Ultrasonic transducer, 311 ..Delay calculation times in the probe , 312 ... Delay data processing circuit, 701 ... Element position, 702 ... Subarray, 703 ... Subarray position, 705 ... Area, 706 ... Element of the same channel, 901 ... Blank period.

Claims (7)

A plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
A first calculation unit that calculates a part of delay data related to a delay time set for each ultrasonic transducer prior to transmission of the ultrasonic wave;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: An ultrasonic probe having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and a first computation unit that computes a part of delay data related to a delay time set in each ultrasonic transducer prior to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves;
A second calculation unit for calculating the remainder of the delay data;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:   The first calculation unit and the second calculation unit, so that the setting of the delay time to the ultrasonic probe is completed within a blank period from the end of the ultrasonic reception period to the next ultrasonic transmission timing. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that distributes the calculation process of the delay data.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit distributes a calculation amount in the first calculation unit to be smaller than a calculation amount in the second calculation unit. The first calculation unit calculates coarse transmission delay data related to the subarray,
5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second calculation unit calculates fine transmission delay data regarding each ultrasonic transducer belonging to the subarray. 6.   The super unit according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether or not to distribute the calculation process of the delay data according to a type of an ultrasonic probe to be connected. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. Ultrasound diagnosis including a plurality of ultrasound transducers and an ultrasound probe having a computation unit that computes part of delay data related to the delay time set for each ultrasound transducer prior to transmission / reception of ultrasound An ultrasound diagnosis support program for controlling an apparatus,
On the computer,
A calculation function for calculating the remainder of the delay data;
A control function for allocating calculation processing of the delay data to the calculation unit and the calculation function;
Ultrasound diagnosis support program to realize.