JPH08191834A - Ultrasonic measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To measure the propagation speed of vibration propagating through a blood vessel or internal organs in a human body while noninvasively and efficiently calculating the hardening degree of a blood vessel or internal organs. CONSTITUTION: An ultrasonic measuring device emits ultrasonic waves 16, 17 to a subject 13 and detects the motion of blood in a blood vessel 18 on the basis of Doppler effect of reflected sonic waves to display the same. An electroacoustic conversion part 11 emitting sonic waves vibrating the specific region (blood vessel 18) in the subject 13 and a propagation time obtaining part calculating the propagation time of vibvration (sonic waves 15) between specific regions on the basis of the change of the measuring result of Doppler effect by vibration are provided and, from the calculated propagation time of vibration and the distance between specific regions, the propagation speed of the sonic waves 15 in the blood vessel 18 is calculated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention obtains information on the inside of a subject such as blood flow in the human body by applying the Doppler effect by ultrasonic waves in a medical ultrasonic measuring device, an ultrasonic non-destructive inspection device and the like. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic measuring device, and more particularly to an ultrasonic measuring device suitable for noninvasively and efficiently measuring the degree of hardening of blood vessels and organs in the human body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for visualizing the blood flow in the human body by utilizing the Doppler effect in a medical ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, for example, is known as "BLOOD FLOW IMAGING USING A DISCRET".
E-TIME FREQUENCY METER ”(IEEE 1978 ULTRASONIC SYM
POSIUM PROCEEDINGS) pp. 348-352 and the like. Such a technique measures a spontaneous movement (temporal change of blood flow velocity from the heart, movement of the heart wall, etc.) existing in the subject. Specific examples of this technique include a color flow mapping (CFM) technique for displaying a blood flow velocity in color by combining a B-mode image and a tomographic image, or deflecting and fixing an ultrasonic beam to a specific portion of a subject, There is a technique for measuring the Doppler effect in the continuous (CW) wave mode.

From a medical point of view, a technique for noninvasively asking a subject for the degree of hardening of blood vessels in the human body is required from the viewpoint of preventive medicine. Since the progress of hardening of the blood vessel may progress locally, it is significant to estimate the sound velocity of each part of the blood vessel. However, the conventional Doppler technique directly measures the velocity of the spontaneous motion existing at a specific point in the subject, and the purpose of such a pulse wave propagating through the radial restoring force of the blood vessel is Was not detected by discriminating the motor form peculiar to the structural part of.

[0004]

The problem to be solved is that the conventional technique cannot detect the motion mode of a structure such as a blood vessel or an organ in the human body that does not voluntarily move. is there. The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of these conventional techniques, to measure the propagation velocity of vibration propagating through a structure covering a moving body in a subject such as blood vessels and organs in the human body, It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic measuring device capable of non-invasively and efficiently obtaining the degree of hardening of an organ or the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic measuring apparatus of the present invention (1) vibrates a specific portion constituting a moving path (blood vessel 18) of a moving body in a subject 13. Based on the measurement result signal of the Doppler effect by the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 that emits the sound wave 14, the spontaneous movement in the subject 13 and the vibration by the sound wave 14 from the outside, the sound wave 1
4 is provided, and a propagation time acquisition unit that determines the time for the vibration (wave 15) to propagate between specific parts is provided, and the propagation time of the vibration (wave 15) by the sound wave 14 that is calculated by this propagation time acquisition unit and the specific part It is characterized in that the propagation velocity of the vibration (wave 15) due to the sound wave 14 at a specific portion is estimated from the distance. Further, (2) the movement path of the moving body in the subject 13 (the blood vessel 1
8) An electroacoustic conversion unit 11 that radiates a sound wave that excites and resonates a vibration having a frequency unique to the specific region, and a Doppler effect measurement including the vibration excited by the electroacoustic conversion unit. A propagation time acquisition unit that determines the time for the excited vibration (wave 15) to propagate between specific parts based on the result signal is provided, and the propagation time of the excited vibration (wave 15) that is calculated by this propagation time acquisition unit, It is characterized in that the propagation velocity of the excited vibration (wave 15) at the specific site is obtained from the distance between the specific sites. (3) In the ultrasonic measurement device described in (1) above, the propagation time acquisition unit is configured such that the pulsed sound waves 14 emitted from the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 are:
Obtaining the autocorrelation function of the measurement result signal of the Doppler effect measured at any one observation point between the reflection points when reciprocating between the reflection points caused by the change in the acoustic impedance on the moving path (blood vessel 18) , And the correlation calculator 27 for obtaining the time required for the pulse to make a round trip in a specific section. (4) In the ultrasonic measurement device according to (1), the subject 13 that detects motion based on the Doppler effect
At least two or more specific sites are provided, and the propagation time acquisition unit (correlation calculator 27) propagates the wave (wave 15) by the sound wave 14 output from the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 through the blood vessel 18 inside the subject 13. It is characterized in that the time is estimated from the cross-correlation calculation processing between each Doppler signal. Also,
(5) An electroacoustic conversion unit 11 that emits a sound wave 14 and a sound wave 14 that is output by the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 to a specific portion that configures the moving path (blood vessel 18) of the moving body in the subject 13.
Of the Doppler effect at a specific portion of each frequency swept by the transmitting circuit 21 and a frequency sweeping to radiate a sound wave matching the natural frequency of the specific portion in the subject 13. Based on the increase or decrease of the result signal, a natural frequency acquisition unit that finds the most strongly resonating frequency as the natural frequency of the specific region is provided, and the natural frequency of the specific region obtained by this natural frequency acquisition unit and the distance between the specific regions, It is characterized in that the propagation velocity of vibration (wave 15) having a natural frequency at a specific portion is obtained.

[0006]

In general, it is well known that when a boundary surface having different acoustic impedance exists, a characteristic wave is generated along the boundary surface, and surface acoustic waves are typical. In the human body, when there are structures such as blood vessels, which have characteristically different acoustic impedances in a specific direction, vibration from outside the system causes waves in various forms to propagate. For example, a pulse wave generated by the restoring force of the blood vessel in the radial direction when the heart pumps blood can be considered as an example. Excitation from outside the system can be artificially applied from the body surface using a vibrator or the like. Furthermore, since the size of the region having the boundary is always finite, it is possible that the region resonates at a specific natural frequency by receiving sound radiation from the surroundings. In that case, it is considered that the natural frequency is determined as a function of the average diameter of the blood vessel, the length of a portion between the branch points of the blood vessel branch, which can be regarded as a substantially linear shape, and the sound velocity unique to the blood vessel branch.

In view of the above, in the present invention, a specific portion of the moving path of the moving body in the subject such as a blood vessel is vibrated by a pulsed wave to generate a spontaneous movement in the subject and an external vibration. The measurement result signal of the Doppler effect can be obtained,
Based on this measurement result signal, the time during which the vibration propagates between the specific parts is obtained. Then, the propagation velocity of the vibration between the specific parts is estimated from the propagation time thus obtained and the distance between the specific parts estimated by an appropriate technique such as a conventional B-mode image or an X-ray imaging device. be able to. In addition, the Doppler effect including excited vibrations other than spontaneous movements in the subject is generated by radiating continuous waves of sufficient time length to excite and resonate vibrations (standing waves) of a specific frequency in a specific part. By measuring, it is possible to obtain the time during which the vibration propagates between the specific parts.

When the pulsed sound wave radiated from the electroacoustic transducer is reflected back and forth between the reflection points due to the change in the acoustic impedance on the moving path, the Doppler effect is obtained at any one observation point between the reflection points. When the observation is performed, the change of the signal is observed every time the pulse is reflected back and forth. These correspond to the period in which a signal change is observed, assuming that the sound velocity between reflection points is constant on average. This cycle can be estimated by the interval of peaks that appear periodically by obtaining the autocorrelation function of the measurement result signal. The propagation velocity of vibration can be estimated from this cycle and the distance between specific parts estimated by, for example, a conventional B-mode image or an X-ray image device. Further, when at least two specific parts in the subject for detecting motion based on the Doppler effect are provided, the time difference of the changing parts of the Doppler signal at each specific part, which is considered to be based on the same pulse, is calculated as follows. The time required for the wave to propagate through the structure inside the sample is estimated by the cross-correlation calculation processing of each Doppler signal.

Further, when a specific part in the subject is excited by a continuous wave, these natural vibrations cause an increase / decrease in amplitude and a maximum value with respect to the frequency sweep when the Doppler signal observation part is not in the vibration node but in the antinode. It becomes possible to detect the applied frequency. The natural frequency can be estimated from the frequency value that gives the maximum value or the frequency difference between a plurality of frequency values that give the maximum value. Based on the natural frequency in that case and the average diameter of the blood vessel estimated by a conventional B-mode image, an X-ray imaging apparatus, or the like, or the length of a portion between the branch points of the blood vessel branch, which can be regarded as a linear blood vessel, The sound velocity peculiar to a branch can be estimated.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the configuration of the ultrasonic measuring device of the present invention according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the ultrasonic measurement device in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows an operation example when the subject 13 is a human body and the wave 15 propagating through the blood vessel 18 is detected. The probe 10 includes a blood vessel 18 in the subject 13.
It has an electroacoustic transducer 11 that emits a sound wave 14 for exciting a wave 15 that propagates along, and an electroacoustic transducer array 12 that performs B-mode imaging and Doppler measurement.

In this embodiment, the electroacoustic transducer 11 is composed of a piezoelectric vibrator, but it may be composed of an electromagnetic speaker or the like. However, the frequency at which the electroacoustic conversion efficiency of the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 is highest is set to several 100 KHz or less in accordance with the resonance frequency of a specific structure in the subject 13, here, the blood vessel 18. The electroacoustic conversion unit 11 is connected to the wave transmission circuit 21 in FIG. The electroacoustic transducer array 12 is formed of a 3.5 MHz piezoelectric vibrator and is connected to the transmission / reception separation circuit group 20 in FIG. 1. Normal pulse Doppler measurement is performed using a part of the array in the electroacoustic transducer array 12. That is, ultrasonic beam transmission / reception 16 and 17 are performed simultaneously or alternately, and Doppler measurement is performed at different points on the blood vessel 18.

The propagation time of the wave 15 on the blood vessel 18 can be obtained by the cross-correlation of the Doppler signals thus obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, as typical examples of the measurement results of the two Doppler signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam transceivers 16 and 17 of FIG.
2 is obtained. In FIG. 4, the waveform 44 based on the heartbeat
0 and 441, the pulses 450 to 452 by the electroacoustic transducer 11 for vibration in FIG. 2 are detected while maintaining the launch period. Pulse 4 due to these vibrations
In the present example, 50 to 452 are asynchronous with the heartbeat waveform in order to improve the discriminability from the heartbeat, but they may be equipped with an electrocardiographic detector and may be synchronized so as to correspond to the gap portion of the heartbeat waveform.

If the same pulse wave propagated along the blood vessel 18 in FIG. 2 is observed at different positions and at different times in the signal waveform 41 and the signal waveform 42, the distance between the two measurement points is significantly different. If not, the correlation will be very high. Therefore, the cross-correlation calculation of the signal waveform 41 and the signal waveform 42 is performed, and the propagation time τ can be estimated from the time difference that gives the maximum. Although it is possible to estimate the propagation time τ using only the heartbeat waveform, it is more stable than the heartbeat in the repetition period and amplitude of the pulse waveform, and higher than the heartbeat. It is advantageous in achieving a repetition frequency.

The configuration and operation of the ultrasonic measuring device according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the ultrasonic measurement apparatus according to the present embodiment is similar to that of a conventionally known B-mode tomographic image capturing / Doppler blood flow measurement mechanism 200 in which a structure (a blood vessel in FIG. 18
Etc.) for exciting the electro-acoustic conversion unit (denoted by SWR in the figure) 11, a wave transmission circuit (denoted by TR in the figure) 21, a trigger circuit (denoted by TRG in the figure) 23, Also, the configuration is provided with a correlation calculator (described as COR in the figure) 27.

In the B-mode tomographic image capturing / Doppler blood flow measuring mechanism 200, the electroacoustic transducer array 12 is individually connected with the transmission / reception separation circuit group 20.
Each of the 0s is a transmission circuit group (indicated as TR 'in the figure) 22
And a receiving circuit group (indicated as RC in the figure) 24 are connected to each other. The output of the wave receiving circuit group 24 is a phasing circuit (BF in the figure).
25) and the output of the phasing circuit 25 is the digital scan converter (described as DSC in the figure) 2
8 and Doppler measurement circuit (indicated as DOP in the figure) 2
It becomes 6 inputs. The output of the Doppler measurement circuit 26 is the correlation calculator 27 and the digital scan converter 28.
Will be input. The output of the correlation calculator 27 becomes an input to the digital scan converter 28 together with the direct output of the Doppler measurement circuit 26, and an image is displayed on the display device (described as MON in the figure) 29 in luminance.

The electroacoustic converter 11 for exciting the sound waves propagating along the structure in the subject is driven by the wave sending circuit 21, and the driving timing follows the output of the trigger circuit 23. The trigger circuit 23 also determines the drive timing of the wave transmission circuit group 22. In addition, the trigger circuit 23,
According to the output of the digital scan converter 28. The electroacoustic transducer array 12 is divided at a pitch of about half the wavelength of the center frequency (3.5 MHz) of ultrasonic pulses transmitted and received by the piezoelectric vibrator. Assuming that the number of divisions is n, a wave transmission circuit 22 is provided via each of the wave transmission / reception separation circuits 20. Each of the n wave-transmitting circuits 22 is aligned with the spatial arrangement of each element of the electroacoustic transducer array 12 according to the output of the trigger circuit 23 and so as to be focused on a specific wave-forming focal point in the subject. Output a pulse signal with a delay time.

The transmission / reception separation circuit group 20 is a circuit using a diode pair or the like, and protects the input of the reception circuit 24 from the high voltage of the transmission pulse signal. Since the reception signal reflected from the inside of the subject is weak, it is individually input to the reception circuit group 24 and amplified by the transmission / reception separation circuit 20. Receiving circuit group 2
The amplified output of 4 becomes the input of the phasing circuit 25. Phaser 2
5 is, after analog / digital conversion of the received signal,
A single or a plurality of phasing addition signals are output by adding up the received signals assuming a wavefront from the expected receiving focus in the subject. In the case of the B-mode tomographic image display, the phasing addition signal output from the phasing circuit 25 is converted into a luminance signal and stored and held in the digital scan converter 28 under the control of a controller (not shown). After the coordinate conversion corresponding to the position within the cross section of the reception focal point group is performed, the brightness is displayed on the display device 29.

In the Doppler mode, the phasing addition signal output from the phasing circuit 25 is converted into a signal indicating the speed after the processing by the Doppler signal processing unit 26 by the control device described above. It is output to the digital scan converter 28. Then, in the case of pulse Doppler measurement, the time axis display of the motion velocity is displayed together with the deflection display of the ultrasonic beam, and in the case of color flow mapping (CFM), the velocity is displayed in color together with the B-mode tomographic image. The coordinate conversion is performed by the digital scan converter 28.
It is performed by When performing signal processing unique to the present invention, after the phasing addition signal output from the phasing circuit 25 undergoes Doppler signal processing such as quadrature detection processing and phase detection,
It is an input to the correlation calculator 27. This Doppler signal processing
In the case of including a configuration for performing the correlation calculation processing, the correlation calculation unit in the Doppler signal processing unit 26 may be used instead of the correlation calculation unit 27 provided separately. Further, it goes without saying that the linear scanning type of FIG. 2 having a large aperture may be used, and sector type scanning in which beam deflection is performed while transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves at the same aperture position can be realized.

The specific measurement procedure for blood vessels in this example will be described below. First, by observing a B-mode image and a color flow mapping (CFM) image of the measurement device, the position of the probe 10 is determined so as to capture the cross section in the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel in the tomographic image. In the figure, measurement of Doppler signals at two fixed focal points provided at two points corresponding to the intersections of the ultrasonic beam transmitters / receivers 16 and 17 and the blood vessel 18 is started simultaneously. This is a plurality of conventional Doppler measurements in only one scanning direction. The distance between two points is measured from the top of the image, and this is combined with the later time difference measurement to obtain the estimated value of the local velocity. Then, the electroacoustic transducer 11 radiates a pulsed sound wave into the subject, thereby exciting the vibration propagating on the blood vessel 18 in FIG. still,
In the present embodiment, the vibration is excited by the fixed single-oscillator sound source in the probe 10, but the focal length and the deflection direction may be changed in order to improve the excitation efficiency depending on the purpose.

While continuing the Doppler measurement at the above two points,
When periodic pulse-like excitation is performed so that the vibration propagates through the specific portion on the blood vessel, the fluctuation of the Doppler measurement signal is observed. By changing the cycle, it can be confirmed that the variation is due to vibration. Further, from the start time of the excitation pulse and the start time in the pulse-like fluctuation of the Doppler measurement signal, the excitation pulse that reaches the Doppler measurement point directly without passing through the blood vessel is distinguished. From the cross-correlation calculation of the varying portion of the Doppler measurement signal due to the wave motion along the discriminated blood vessel, the time difference in which this pulse propagates can be obtained. The propagation velocity can be estimated by setting this as the time for traveling the distance between the two points.

Next, as a second embodiment according to the present invention,
The measurement when the wave propagating through the blood vessel is reflected at a specific section of the blood vessel branch will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, consider a case where Doppler measurement and vibration are performed on a blood vessel in a portion sandwiched between two specific blood vessel branches. When the sound radiated from the electroacoustic transducer 11 is a pulse, the blood vessel 18
Waves along the path are reflected back and forth in a section having a length indicated by symbol L in the figure. At one point on the propagation path of this wave, the beam 31
When the Doppler measurement is performed by the method, the pulse caused by the excitation pulse is attenuated but is reflected back and forth in the section L on the B-mode image. A typical example of the result of observing this as a change in the Doppler signal is shown by the waveform 43 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the waveform 43,
Waveforms 4530 to 4534 caused by the excitation pulse are obtained by overlapping waveforms 442 to 444 caused by the heartbeat. However, in this case, the waveform 444 caused by the heartbeat and the waveform 4533 caused by the excitation pulse cannot be distinguished because the waveforms actually overlap each other. These series of waveforms 4530-4534
Are reciprocating at the same reflection end, a set of waveforms 4530, 4532, 4534 having different amplitudes but the same phase,
Further, it is considered that the sets of the waveforms 4531 and 4533 are arranged at equal time intervals to each other. These cycles T
Can be estimated from the time difference that gives the maximum value by calculating the autocorrelation function of the waveform 43. The sound velocity of the section on the blood vessel can be estimated from L read from the image and the time period T.

The configuration for realizing the measurement in the second embodiment is the same as the configuration in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that the beam for performing the Doppler measurement or the blood vessel and beam is used. There is a point that can be measured even if there is only one intersection point, and that the calculation target of the correlation calculator 27 is not a mutual correlation but an autocorrelation with the same waveform. Needless to say, the number of beams for Doppler measurement is not limited to one as shown in FIG. 3 and may be plural.

Next, as a third embodiment according to the present invention,
An example of a case where a sound wave (tone burst wave) that is close to a continuous wave for a specific time length is radiated into the subject by the electroacoustic conversion unit 11, and thereby a standing wave is excited on a specific internal structure. explain. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the configuration of the ultrasonic measuring device of the present invention according to the present invention. In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, compared to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a sound wave (tone burst wave) from the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 that is close to a continuous wave within the subject for a specific time length. 1 is newly provided, and the correlation calculator 27 of FIG.
Is replaced with a computer (indicated as PC in the figure) 62, and all the processing of the following measurement data is interactively performed on the computer 62.

When a specific portion in the subject is excited by a continuous wave, strong resonance can be obtained when the natural frequency of the structure and the transmission frequency of the electroacoustic transducer 11 match. As shown in FIG. 3, when the Doppler observation site set when a standing wave is excited in a specific section of length L is not a node of vibration but an antinode, the Doppler signal changes with respect to the frequency change of the excited wave. Increase or decrease can be detected. When the frequency is changed, the nodes of vibration or the positions of the antinodes move.Therefore, provide a fixed measurement point near the center of the specific section, or doppler with a spatial cycle of less than half the wavelength of the wave propagating on the section. Provide measurement points for signals. The amplitude of the standing wave is calculated from the increase / decrease of the Doppler signal at these measurement points, and the standing wave frequency that resonates most strongly can be estimated by investigating for each frequency of the continuous wave that excites it.

FIG. 6 shows a typical example of an observed waveform when a Doppler measurement point is provided near the center of a section on a blood vessel and is excited by tone burst waves having different frequencies. In FIG. 6, the waveform 51 is overlapped with the waveforms 540 and 541 due to the heartbeat and the waveforms 511 and 512 due to the tone burst waves having different frequencies. The resonance frequency can be estimated from the frequency that gives the largest fluctuation from the changes in the amplitudes A1 and A2 of the tone burst waves measured as the changes in the Doppler signal. It is also possible to investigate the change of the Doppler signal by using the waveform of the excitation sound source as a chirp signal like the waveform 52. In such a case, the signal change 530 due to the vibration is detected by overlapping the waveforms 542 and 543 due to the heartbeat like the waveform 53. At this time, it can be approximately treated that the frequency giving the maximum value of the envelope of 530 is the frequency having the largest resonance. The resonance frequency obtained in this way is (2m-
If it corresponds to 1) / 2 wavelength resonance, the sound velocity can be calculated from the wavelength and the section length L by appropriately selecting m.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, in the ultrasonic measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment, the vibration of a specific structure in the subject, that is, the blood vessel is excited, and its motion is measured by Doppler measurement. By detecting the sound velocity of the blood vessel. As a result, the degree of hardening of blood vessels in the human body can be obtained non-invasively for a subject, and a new diagnostic index can be presented from the viewpoint of preventive medicine.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the measurement of the degree of hardening of blood vessels when the subject is a human body has been described as an example, but the present invention is also applicable to the measurement of the degree of hardening of organs of a human body. Further, in the above three embodiments, in a measurement situation in which the sound wave from the vibration source does not propagate through the blood vessel or the organ boundary, but directly reaches the Doppler observation point, the fluctuation component that directly arrives is the fluctuation component of the present invention. It becomes an obstacle to measurement. In order to avoid this, as the device configuration, the electroacoustic conversion unit 11 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is not provided in the probe 10 but is independent, and the vibration position is set with a sufficient spatial distance from the measurement point. It is also possible. For example, if the wave propagating through a blood vessel is measured, the vicinity of the main trunk of the aorta and vena cava can be excited from the body surface, and the Doppler measurement point can be set at the branching blood vessel branch.

[0029]

According to the present invention, in the conventional ultrasonic measuring apparatus utilizing the Doppler effect, it is possible to measure the propagation velocity of vibration propagating through a specific site in a subject such as a blood vessel or an organ in the human body. This makes it possible to efficiently and non-invasively obtain the degree of hardening of a specific site in the subject such as a blood vessel or an organ in the human body.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the configuration of the ultrasonic measuring device of the present invention according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the ultrasonic measurement device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the ultrasonic measurement device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a signal waveform of a measurement result of a Doppler signal in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the configuration of the ultrasonic measurement device of the present invention according to the present invention.

6 is an explanatory diagram showing a signal waveform example of a measurement result of a Doppler signal by the ultrasonic measurement device in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 10: probe, 11: electroacoustic transducer, 12: electroacoustic transducer array, 13: subject, 14, 15: sound wave, 16,
17, 31: ultrasonic beam transmission / reception, 18: blood vessel, 20:
Transmission / reception separation circuit group, 21: Wave transmission circuit, 22: Wave transmission circuit group,
23: Trigger circuit, 24: Wave receiving circuit group, 25: Phase adjusting circuit, 26: Doppler measurement circuit, 27: Correlation calculator, 28:
Digital scan converter, 29: Display device, 41
-43,51,53: Doppler signal, 61 :, 62: Calculator, 200: B-mode tomographic imaging / Doppler blood flow measurement mechanism, 440-444, 540-543: Heartbeat waveforms, 450-452, 511, 512 , 530, 453
0-4534: Waveform due to vibration

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic wave is radiated to a moving body in a subject,
Based on the Doppler effect of the reflected sound waves, in the ultrasonic measurement device for detecting and displaying the movement of the moving body in the subject, a specific portion constituting the moving path of the moving body in the subject is determined. Electro-acoustic conversion means for emitting sound waves to vibrate,
Based on a measurement result signal of the Doppler effect including the vibration by the electroacoustic conversion means, a propagation time acquisition means for determining a time during which the vibration propagates between the specific parts is provided, and the propagation time acquisition means determines the time. An ultrasonic measuring device characterized in that the propagation time of the vibration at the specific portion is obtained from the propagation time of vibration and the distance between the specific portions. 2. An ultrasonic wave is radiated to a moving body in the subject,
Based on the Doppler effect of the reflected sound waves, in the ultrasonic measurement device for detecting and displaying the movement of the moving body in the subject, in a specific portion constituting the moving path of the moving body in the subject , Based on the measurement result signal of the Doppler effect including the electroacoustic conversion means that emits a sound wave that excites the vibration of the specific region, and the vibration excited by the electroacoustic conversion means, the excited vibration is Propagation time acquisition means for determining the propagation time between the specific parts is provided, and the specific part of the excited vibration is calculated from the propagation time of the excited vibration calculated by the propagation time acquisition means and the distance between the specific parts. An ultrasonic measuring device, characterized in that the propagation time in a vehicle is obtained. 3. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein in the propagation time acquisition means, the pulse-shaped sound waves radiated from the electroacoustic conversion means cause a change in acoustic impedance on the movement path. When reciprocating between the reflection points, the autocorrelation function of the measurement result signal of the Doppler effect measured at any one observation point between the reflection points is obtained,
An ultrasonic measuring device comprising a correlation calculating means for obtaining a time required for the pulse to make a round trip in the specific section. 4. The ultrasonic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the propagation time acquisition means includes any two or more between the specific parts with respect to the pulsed sound waves emitted from the electroacoustic conversion means. An ultrasonic measuring device, comprising: a correlation calculating unit that obtains a cross-correlation function of a measurement result signal of the Doppler effect measured at an observation point and obtains a time during which the pulse propagates in the specific section. 5. An ultrasonic wave is radiated to a moving body in the subject,
Based on the Doppler effect of the reflected sound waves, in the ultrasonic measurement device for detecting and displaying the movement of the moving body in the subject, in a specific portion constituting the moving path of the moving body in the subject An electroacoustic conversion means for radiating a sound wave; a wave transmission means for frequency-sweeping the sound wave output by the electroacoustic conversion means to radiate a sound wave matching the natural frequency of a specific portion in the subject; Based on the increase and decrease of the measurement result signal of the Doppler effect at the specific site for each frequency swept by the transmitting means, the natural frequency acquisition means for determining the most strongly resonating frequency as the natural frequency of the specific site, An ultrasonic measurement apparatus, characterized in that a propagation velocity of vibration of the natural frequency at the specific site is obtained from the natural frequency of the specific site obtained by the natural frequency acquisition means and the distance between the specific sites.