JPH06315483A - Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To embody a ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus possible to show the motion of the whole part to be observed with the time. CONSTITUTION:A ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus provides the following devices: B-mode image generation part 1 to generate B-mode images; storage means 11 to store the data of plural frames of B-mode images; three dimensional image generation means 14 to generate three dimensional images containing the time axis direction from the plural B-mode image data stored in the stored in the storage means 11; instruction setting means 20 to instruct across section as required; display control means 13 to control to generate three dimensional images having the cross section which is instructed to the three dimensional image generation means 14 based on the instruction from the instruction setting means 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to improving the display of B-mode images in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a B-mode image is used when observing a two-dimensional tomographic image of a part of a subject. The B mode is a method in which a two-dimensional tomographic image is obtained by scanning the subject with an ultrasonic beam and reconstructing an echo signal (reflection signal) from the subject.

On the other hand, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, as a method of observing a temporal change in a diagnostic result, an echo signal of only one ultrasonic beam is processed, and the obtained luminance display is temporally continuous. There was an M mode display. This M
In the mode display, the display is performed by focusing on the change in the echo signal of a certain ultrasonic beam.

[0004]

However, in the M mode display, only the change of a certain sound ray can be displayed, and only a very narrow range can be displayed.

Therefore, it has been practiced to continuously take in B-mode images of a specific part of the subject into a cine memory, and reproduce and display them sequentially. However, even if these B-mode images are sequentially and continuously displayed through the cine memory, there is a problem that continuous temporal changes such as those in the M-mode are difficult to grasp.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to realize an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying the movement of the entire region to be observed together with time change.

[0007]

The above-mentioned problems are solved by the following: a B-mode image generation unit for generating a B-mode image, a storage unit for storing data of B-mode images of a plurality of frames, and data stored in the storage unit. A three-dimensional image generating means for generating a three-dimensional image, an instruction setting means for giving an instruction of an arbitrary cut section, and a tertiary having a cut section indicated by the three-dimensional image generation means based on an instruction from the instruction setting means. This is solved by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a display control unit that controls to generate an original image.

[0008]

The B-mode image data generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic unit is accumulated in a plurality of frames, and from this, the three-dimensional image generating means generates a three-dimensional image as a temporal change of the B-mode image. Then, if there is an instruction to display the cut-away cross section at any position from the instruction setting means, the three-dimensional image generation means controlled by the display control means generates a three-dimensional image including the specified cut-off cross-section and displays it on the display device. indicate.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic unit 1 generates and outputs B-mode image data by ultrasonic diagnosis. The three-dimensional image generation unit 10 includes a memory 11 that stores B-mode image data of a plurality of frames, and a memory controller 1 that controls the memory so that the memory 11 stores a plurality of frames including the latest B-mode image data.
2, a display control unit 13 that controls the display according to an instruction from the outside, a stored data in the memory 11, and a three-dimensional image processor 14 that generates a three-dimensional image based on the instruction of the display control unit 13, a generated three-dimensional image It is composed of a video memory (VRAM) 15 for accumulating data. Also,
The instruction setting unit 20 is connected so as to give various instructions to the three-dimensional image generation unit 10, and the three-dimensional image generated by the three-dimensional image generation unit 10 is supplied to the display device 30.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment thus configured is as follows. Here, description will be given with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 and the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4. B-mode image data is output from the ultrasonic diagnostic unit 1 in a predetermined cycle. The B-mode image data is stored in the memory 11 controlled by the memory controller 12. Here, the memory 11 has a plurality of data areas for n frames, and the latest n-frame B-mode image data is constantly stored under the control of the memory controller 12 (step in FIG. 2). After being stored in the memory 11 in this way, the three-dimensional image processor 14 generates a three-dimensional image in which the B-mode image data for n frames is arranged in time order and smoothed (step in FIG. 2).

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the three-dimensional image thus generated. Here, the B-mode images of the heart wall are arranged in time order, and the latest B-mode image is displayed in front. The three-dimensional image processor 14 also generates three-dimensional stereoscopic image data by connecting the edges of the same brightness portion of the B-mode images of a plurality of frames. The three-dimensional stereoscopic image data thus generated is written in the VRAM 15 and then displayed on the display device 3.
Displayed at 0.

As described above, by generating and displaying the stereoscopic image, in this case, it is possible to see the time change of the surface having the heart wall. Here, the operator sets an arbitrary cut section through the instruction setting unit 20 while viewing the stereoscopic image displayed on the display device 30 as needed (step in FIG. 2). For example, the cut cross section is instructed on a surface such as zt, xt, xz or the like, and at which position the cut is performed. It also sets thresholds, viewpoints, and rotational movements.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a stereoscopic image of a cut section on the zt plane generated by giving a cut instruction at a position on the xz plane. On the zt plane of this figure, an image similar to the conventional M-mode image can be seen. In addition, by setting the boundary by setting the threshold value, the heart wall inside the cut section is displayed, and the temporal change of the heart wall can be observed. That is, by setting an arbitrary position on the xy plane from the instruction setting unit 20, the display control unit 13 controls the memory 11 and the three-dimensional image processor 14 to generate a stereoscopic image of an arbitrary cut section. In addition, by setting the threshold value from the instruction setting unit 20, the three-dimensional image processor 14 displays only the image that is equal to or more than (less than) the threshold value, and the other portions are processed transparently. The movement is displayed more clearly.

In the above embodiments, the description has been made assuming that a three-dimensional image processor is used as the three-dimensional image generating means, but the three-dimensional image is generated by software processing by an image processing program such as a workstation. It is also possible.

[0015]

As described above in detail, three-dimensional image data as a time change of a B-mode image is generated from B-mode image data of a plurality of frames, and an arbitrary cut section of this three-dimensional image is displayed. With such a configuration,
It is possible to realize an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying the movement of the entire region to be observed together with time change.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a cut cross section of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a B-mode image.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an M mode image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic diagnostic part 10 Three-dimensional image generation part 11 Memory 12 Memory controller 13 Display control part 14 Three-dimensional image processor 15 VRAM 20 Instruction setting part 30 Display device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A B-mode image generation section (1) for generating B-mode image data, a storage means (11) for storing a plurality of frames of B-mode image data, and a plurality of frames stored in the storage means (11). 3D image generation means (14) for generating a 3D image including a time axis from the B-mode image data, and instruction setting means (20) for giving an instruction of an arbitrary cut section.
And a display control means (13) for controlling the three-dimensional image generation means (14) to generate a three-dimensional image having the instructed cut section based on the instruction from the instruction setting means (20).
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: