JP4298449B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs electronic scanning by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves using an array transducer, and mechanically moves the array transducer to obtain three-dimensional information in the body.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that obtains two-dimensional information inside the body by repeatedly transmitting and receiving ultrasound within the body using an array transducer, and further obtaining three-dimensional information inside the body by mechanically scanning the array transducer. The principle of the probe is already known, and for example, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 is known.

  Hereinafter, this conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 8A and 8B.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. In FIG. 6, a transmission pulse generated from the transmitter / receiver 4 at a timing controlled by the controller 610 drives a transducer specified by the controller 610 among the arrayed transducers 1, and ultrasonic waves are applied to a subject (not shown). Send. The ultrasonic signal reflected in the subject is converted into an electric signal by the array transducer 1, detected by the detector 5 through the transmitter / receiver 4, and then displayed as an image on the display 7 through the scanning converter 606. The

  At this time, two-dimensional scanning can be performed by sequentially changing the position of the aperture used for transmission / reception or the direction of the transmission / reception beam in the array transducer 1. Furthermore, three-dimensional scanning can be performed by rotating the motor (M) 8 to which the array vibrator 1 is fixed under the control of the controller 610. The encoder (E) 9 returns the rotational position information of the motor to the controller 10 and is useful for performing accurate control.

  By the way, the scanning direction of the mechanical scanning by the motor 8 is orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the array transducers 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the array transducer 1 is fixed to the rotor 2, and the array transducer 1 is mechanically moved so as to draw an arc around the rotation axis 3.

In this conventional example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the positional relationship between the transducer scanning direction and the mechanical scanning direction is the same, and the reciprocating motion is performed. According to this method, distortion can be reduced by passing the same position in the reciprocating motion, and two volumes of data can be obtained in one reciprocation by acquiring data at the same position in the forward and return paths. And the volume rate (number of images captured per unit time) can be improved.
Japanese Patent No. 3329770

  In the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, when the movement of the subject is slow, as shown in FIG. 8B, the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction is improved by slowing the moving speed in the mechanical scanning direction as compared with FIG. 8A. Can do. In principle, the rotation of the motor 8 may be slowed down. However, as a practical problem, when the rotation of the motor 8 is slowed down, there is a problem that the motor 8 does not start or an accurate operation cannot be expected.

  When the subject is a fetus, the movement may change from a slow state to become an active movement. In such a case, there is a problem that the method cannot be followed by changing the moving speed in the machine scanning direction.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to change the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction while keeping the moving speed in the mechanical scanning direction constant. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can obtain an optimal volume rate.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention performs electronic scanning on a specimen by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves using an array transducer and mechanically moves the array transducer in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scan. In the two-dimensional scanning that is moved, rotated, or deflected, the relationship between the mechanical scanning position and the transducer scanning position is shifted while the moving speed of the mechanical scanning position is kept constant with respect to the moving speed of the scanning position of the array transducer. The control means for changing the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction is configured.

  With this configuration, it is possible to change the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction while keeping the moving speed of the arrayed transducers in the mechanical scanning direction constant.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention further includes an operation unit for setting the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction, and the control unit changes the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction according to the setting in the operating unit. Take the configuration.

  With this configuration, the operator can optimize the scanning density and the volume rate.

  Furthermore, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes a motion detection unit that detects the motion speed of the subject, and the control unit calculates the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction according to the motion speed detected by the motion detection unit. Take the configuration to change.

  With this configuration, the scanning density can be automatically adjusted according to the moving speed of the subject.

  In this case, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes a motion detection range setting unit that designates a range of a region to be detected for detecting the motion speed of the subject with respect to the motion detection unit.

  With this configuration, it is possible to easily determine whether the volume rate is adjusted to the partial movement of the subject or the entire movement.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of changing the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction while keeping the moving speed in the mechanical scanning direction constant and obtaining an optimal volume rate in accordance with the movement of the subject. It has a special effect that it can be provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has the same schematic configuration as that of FIG. 6 referred to in the description of the conventional example, but the control of the transmitter / receiver 4 by the controller 10 (control means) and the scan converter 6 are the same. The internal data handling is different.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. FIG. 2A is the same as the conventional example, and scans the same position in both reciprocations. On the other hand, in FIG. 2B, the forward path and the backward path of the mechanical scanning are different, and the backward path enters the position of ½ of the forward path pitch when viewed in the mechanical scanning direction. The scan converter 6 in FIG. 1 recognizes that the forward path and the backward path are in different positions in this way, and generates an image having a scanning density that is twice that in the mechanical scanning direction.

  In FIG. 2C, one volume is generated in the first outbound path, the second outbound path, the first inbound path, and the second inbound path so that the pitch of the first outbound path is further divided into four equal parts.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to change the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction while keeping the moving speed of the arrayed transducers in the mechanical scanning direction constant.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, parts having the same configurations and functions as those in FIG. 1 referred to in the description of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the operation unit 11-1, that is, the scanning density adjustment switch 12 is provided in the operation unit 11-1.

  In the present embodiment, the operator sets the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction with the scanning density adjustment switch 11 of the operation unit 11, and the controller 10 scans in the mechanical scanning direction according to the setting with the scanning density adjustment switch 11. Change the density.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operator can optimize the scanning density and the volume rate.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, parts having the same configurations and functions as those in FIG. 1 referred to in the description of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a motion detector 13 (motion detector) is provided, and the motion detector 13 moves the subject based on the received signal output from the transceiver 4. The speed is detected, and the control unit 10 changes the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction according to the detected movement speed.

  As this motion detection method, it is possible to use a tissue Doppler method or the like performed in recent years, or a method of comparing tomographic images of the same cross section after time in the scan conversion unit 6. The movement speed calculated in the motion detection unit 13 is input to the controller 10, and the controller 10 increases the scanning density when the movement speed is high, and decreases the scanning density when the movement speed is low. Control the scanning line density.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the scanning density can be automatically adjusted according to the moving speed of the subject.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, parts having the same configurations and functions as those in FIG. 1 referred to in the description of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  This embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the configuration of the operation unit 11-2, that is, the motion detection range setting switch 14 (motion detection range setting means) is provided in the operation unit 11-2. In the point.

  For example, even in the case of a fetus, there is a partial movement in which only the heart is beating, and there is also an overall movement in which the fetus is moving the extremity. . In the present embodiment, the operator determines whether to change the scanning density in the machine direction even if the movement is partial, by the motion detection range setting switch 14 of the operation unit 11-2. The motion detection range set by the motion detection range setting switch 14 is input to the motion detection unit 13 as motion detection range setting data via the controller 10.

  The operator can set a more optimal scanning density by setting the motion detection range.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily determine whether the volume rate is adjusted to the partial movement of the subject or the entire movement.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention can change the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction while keeping the moving speed in the mechanical scanning direction constant, and an optimal volume rate can be obtained according to the movement of the subject. It has advantages and is useful for depiction of fetuses with intermittent movement, and can be applied to uses such as ultrasound diagnosis in obstetrics.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a diagram showing the relationship between the transducer scanning direction position and the mechanical scanning direction position of the probe, as in the prior art. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the transducer scanning direction position with respect to the mechanical scanning direction position of the probe when the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction is doubled with respect to FIG. 2A Diagram showing the relationship In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the transducer scanning direction position with respect to the mechanical scanning direction position of the probe when the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction is quadrupled with respect to FIG. 2A Diagram showing the relationship The block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. Block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus The figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the probe in the conventional ultrasonic diagnosing device The figure which shows the relationship of the transducer scanning direction position with respect to the mechanical scanning direction position of the probe in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus The figure which shows the relationship of the transducer scanning direction position with respect to the mechanical scanning direction position of the probe in the conventional ultrasonic diagnosing device at the time of making the mechanical scanning speed slow compared with FIG. 8A.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Array vibrator 2 Rotor 3 Rotating shaft 4 Transmitter / receiver 5 Detector 6, 606 Scan converter 7 Display 8 Motor 9 Encoder 10,610 Controller (control means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Operation part 12 Scanning density adjustment switch 13 Motion detection part (motion detection means)
14 motion detection range setting switch (motion detection range setting means)

Claims (4)

  In two-dimensional scanning in which electronic scanning is performed on a subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves using an array transducer, and the array transducer is mechanically moved, rotated, or deflected in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scan, the array Control means for changing the scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction by shifting the relationship between the mechanical scanning position and the vibrator scanning position while keeping the moving speed of the mechanical scanning position constant with respect to the moving speed of the scanning position of the vibrator. Equipped with ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an operation unit for setting a scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction according to a setting in the operation unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a motion detection means for detecting a motion speed of the subject,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a scanning density in the mechanical scanning direction according to a motion speed detected by the motion detection unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a motion detection range setting unit that designates a range of a region to be detected for detecting a motion speed of the subject with respect to the motion detection unit.

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