JP2001178722A - Apparatus and method of ultrasonic diagnosis - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To acquire data on the level of vanishment of fine bubbles realtime on the site where the diagnosis is actually executed using the contrast echo method with reduced burden or load on an operator and requiring only reduced skill for operating the diagnostic apparatus. SOLUTION: This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic pulse signals to a subject dosed with an ultrasonic contrast medium whose main components are fine bubbles, and comprises echo signal receiving means 12, 21-23, and 32 for receiving echo signals generated from the subject based on the transmitted signals, a means 29 for acquiring data other than an image expressing the level of vanishment of the contrast medium from the echo signal, and means 30, 31 for transmitting the data as body sensitive data to an operator. The ultrasonic waves are transmitted by the flash echo imaging method using the multi-shot method. The signal intensity difference among frames is calculated from the echo signals for plural frames as data expressing the level of vanishment of the contrast medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the field of ultrasonic imaging in which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered to a subject and imaging is performed according to a contrast echo method. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method employing a new method for monitoring the state of disappearance of microbubbles. The present invention is particularly applicable to flash echo imaging (F
It is suitable when carrying out the EI) method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Medical applications of ultrasonic signals cover various fields, and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses are one of them. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is an apparatus that obtains an image signal by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal, and is used in various modes utilizing the non-invasiveness of the ultrasonic signal.

[0003] The mainstream of this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is of a type in which a tomographic image of a soft tissue of a living body is obtained using an ultrasonic pulse reflection method. This imaging method can obtain a tomographic image of tissue non-invasively, and it can be displayed in real time compared to other medical modalities such as X-ray diagnostic equipment, X-ray CT scanner, MRI equipment, and nuclear medicine diagnostic equipment, It has many advantages, such as a small and relatively inexpensive device, no exposure to X-rays and the like, and blood flow imaging based on the ultrasonic Doppler method. Therefore, it is widely used in the diagnosis of the heart, abdomen, mammary gland, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, and the like. In particular, the simple operation of simply touching the ultrasonic probe to the body surface makes it possible to observe the heartbeat and the movement of the fetus in real time. It also has various advantages that it can be easily inspected by being moved to a different location.

[0004] In the field of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a contrast echo method for evaluating the blood flow dynamics by injecting an ultrasonic contrast agent from a vein when examining a heart or abdominal organs has recently attracted attention. I'm taking a bath. The method of injecting a contrast agent from a vein is less invasive than the method of injecting it from an artery, and diagnosis by this evaluation method is becoming widespread. The main component of the ultrasonic contrast agent is microbubbles (microbubbles), which serve as a reflection source for reflecting ultrasonic signals. The higher the injection amount or the concentration of the contrast agent, the greater the contrast effect. However, due to the nature of the bubbles of the contrast agent, depending on the state of the ultrasonic irradiation, the time of the contrast effect may be shortened.
In view of such a situation, a persistent and pressure-resistant contrast agent has been developed in recent years, but there is a concern that a long stay of the contrast agent in the body may lead to an increase in invasiveness.

When the contrast echo method is performed, a contrast agent is supplied to a region of interest of a subject part by blood flow one after another. For this reason, even if the bubbles are once erased by irradiating the ultrasonic waves, it is assumed that the contrast effect is maintained if new bubbles have flowed into the region of interest at the time of the next ultrasonic irradiation. However, in practice, the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves are usually performed several thousand times per second, and given the existence of blood flow dynamics in organ parenchyma and blood vessels with relatively low blood flow velocity, these are considered. On the diagnostic image of, the bubbles disappear one after another before confirming the brightness enhancement by the contrast agent, and the contrast effect is instantaneously reduced.

[0006] Among the diagnostic methods using a contrast agent, the most basic diagnostic method is to determine the presence or absence of blood flow at the diagnostic site by examining the presence or absence of brightness enhancement by the contrast agent. More advanced diagnostic methods include a method of knowing the temporal change in the spatial distribution of the contrast agent from the extent of the luminance change and the degree of luminance enhancement at the diagnostic site, and the time from when the contrast agent is injected to when it reaches the region of interest, And time-dependent change in echo luminance due to the contrast agent in the ROI (Time Intensity)
Curve: TIC) or a method for obtaining the maximum luminance.

The contrast echo method can also be effectively implemented based on a harmonic imaging method in which an image is formed using a non-fundamental wave component of an ultrasonic echo signal. The harmonic imaging method is an imaging method that separates and detects only a non-fundamental wave component due to a nonlinear behavior generated when a microbubble, which is a main component of a contrast agent, is excited by ultrasonic waves. Since a living organ is relatively unlikely to cause nonlinear behavior, a contrast agent image having a good contrast ratio can be obtained by this harmonic imaging method.

Further, utilizing the phenomenon in which microbubbles disappear by irradiation of ultrasonic waves as described above, flash echo imaging (Flash Echo Image) is performed.
An imaging method called a “ging method” (or also called a transient response imaging method) has been proposed, and it has been reported that luminance enhancement can be improved by this method (for example, see the literature “67-95 Study of Flash Echo Imaging Method ( 1), Naohisa Kamiyama et al., 67th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Ultrasonics, June 1996, or JP-A-8-280674). In principle, this imaging method intermittently transmits data at a rate of one frame per second instead of the conventional continuous scan of several tens of frames per second. This is a technique for eliminating high-density microbubbles at once to obtain a high echo signal.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-280674 proposes an imaging method called a multi-shot method. According to the multi-shot method, after the microbubbles are gathered based on the intermittent transmission method, ultrasonic transmission and reception for a plurality of frames are sequentially performed. When observing the images of the plurality of frames, the image of the first frame exhibits high brightness due to the high echo signal, and the subsequent images of the second and subsequent frames are collected while the microbubbles disappear, so that the signal value gradually decreases. Is observed. Therefore, the change in the image value over the plurality of frames indicates the degree of disappearance of the microbubbles on the scan surface resulting from the ultrasonic irradiation as a result.

A first advantage of the multi-shot method is that a difference in luminance (signal difference) between images of a plurality of frames can be used. The harmonic image is generated by mixing a harmonic signal derived from an ultrasonic contrast agent and a so-called tissue harmonic signal due to nonlinearity of a tissue. Depending on the subject, the intensity of the tissue harmonic signal component may be relatively large. In such a case, it becomes impossible to determine whether the luminance (signal value) of the image is truly due to the contrast agent, and the reliability is low. Concerns about the detection of hemodynamics may arise at this point. On the other hand, according to the image of a plurality of frames collected by the multi-shot method, since the brightness of the signal of the minute bubble (blood flow) decreases as the number of frames advances, the difference in brightness between the images can be compared by comparing the brightness difference of the images. The presence of air bubbles can be easily confirmed, and such determination can be made reliably.

A second advantage of the multi-shot method resides in setting an optimum transmission sound pressure. When performing the contrast echo method, it is important to determine the transmission sound pressure of the device at an optimum level. If the transmission sound pressure is too low, the above-described high-brightness flash echo signal cannot be detected. On the other hand, if the transmission sound pressure is too high, the microbubbles will disappear more than necessary, and the contrast effect will be reduced. The optimum transmission sound pressure level tends to be different for each type of ultrasonic contrast agent, and a clear value has not yet been elucidated. On the other hand, the attenuation constant for the ultrasonic signal of the subject is different due to individual differences.
It is very difficult to specify the optimum transmission sound pressure level before diagnosis. In such various situations, when the multi-shot method is used, it is possible to observe the disappearance of the microbubbles due to the change in the luminance of the images of a plurality of frames. Therefore, the transmission sound pressure level is adjusted based on the degree of the disappearance, and the optimum value is specified. Is possible.

[0012] By using the multi-shot echo method as described above, information on the disappearance of microbubbles can be obtained by comparing images of a plurality of frames that are successively captured with each other, and can be effectively used in various situations. .

[0013]

In the case of the conventional multi-shot method, in order to effectively use the imaging method, it is necessary to compare and observe images of a plurality of frames. This comparative observation must be performed by recalling the image recorded during the diagnosis after stopping the diagnosis or after the diagnosis. This is because the operator needs to be aware of various other things related to the diagnosis during the diagnosis.

However, in the case of the mid-call or the post-call, it cannot be applied to the optimum setting of the real-time transmission sound pressure, and it is determined whether the region of interest in the captured image is blood flow or tissue. It is limited to the degree of use.

In addition, since it is not a real-time diagnosis,
Even if the user wants to retake an image or to take an image from another angle during the diagnosis, it cannot be performed on the spot, so a new rescan is required.

Therefore, as another method of the comparative observation,
It is technically possible to perform a real-time diagnosis by displaying images of a plurality of frames at the same time as the image is captured and scanning them, and comparing and observing the images.

However, in the case of this real-time diagnosis, the operator must hold the probe with one hand and operate the console with the other hand while comparing and observing, for example, images of three frames. For this reason, very skillful operation is required, and operability is not good. In addition, the operator needs to observe and interpret the region of interest while comparing images of a plurality of frames with each other, and the labor involved in the diagnosis is extremely large. Also, due to such a large amount of labor, the rate of occurrence of oversight and the like is high, and the reliability of diagnosis is not sufficient.

From a general point of view, image diagnosis largely depends on vision, such as making a qualitative diagnosis based on a contrast pattern of an organ or observing the running state of a blood vessel. In the situation.

One object of the present invention is to provide intuitively (intuitively) information on the degree of disappearance of microbubbles in real time at the time of actual diagnosis when performing a contrast echo method. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method capable of performing ultrasonic diagnosis using information effectively.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that require less operator's burden and labor in performing a contrast echo method, and require less skill in operation. It is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic method.

Further, another object of the present invention is to obtain information on the degree of disappearance of microbubbles in real time at the time of actual diagnosis when performing the contrast echo method, and perform diagnosis based on this information. Ultrasound diagnostics that can obtain high-performance images, perform reliable scan preparations based on the information, and reduce the operator's operational burden and labor, and require less skill for operations. It is to provide an apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method.

[0022]

According to one aspect of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered to achieve the various objects described above. While transmitting the ultrasonic pulse signal to the subject,
Transmitting / receiving means for receiving an echo signal generated from the subject along with the transmission; acquiring means for obtaining data other than an image representing a degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent from the echo signal; And a transmission means for transmitting to the operator.

For this reason, the operator can obtain the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent in real time at the scan site as sensory information (sensory information) such as sound. For this reason, the operator needs to know in advance what degree of loss when the bodily sensation information exhibits such a state, thereby changing necessary transmission conditions on the spot while scanning. Measures can be taken in a timely manner. Therefore, the situation in which rescanning must be performed is significantly reduced, so that labor and labor of the operator are reduced, and the entire imaging time is reduced. On the other hand, complicated operations such as observing a plurality of monitor screens with a blind eye during scanning and comparing them with each other are not required, and the state of disappearance of the contrast agent can be intuitively (intuitively) determined according to the bodily information such as sound. It is possible to make a determination and take measures such as adjusting transmission conditions.
Thereby, the operation is simple, and the degree of skill required for the operation is low.

The basic configuration described above can be further developed in various modes as described below.

Preferably, the transmission / reception means instructs transmission of the ultrasonic pulse signal every time a transmission stop period elapses, and at the time of transmission, causes the ultrasonic pulse to be transmitted sequentially to obtain images of a plurality of frames. It has transmission control means.

Preferably, the acquisition means is a means for obtaining a signal intensity difference between frames from the echo signals for the plurality of frames as data representing the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent.

At this time, for example, the acquisition means calculates the difference between the signal strengths of the frames as a signal strength difference between the frames, and the interest set in a part of the image of each frame. It is means for calculating the difference between the sums of the signal intensities in the region, or means for calculating the difference between the sums of the signal intensities on the scanning lines set for each frame.

[0028] The acquisition means may be means for calculating a plurality of signal strength differences between frames between arbitrary frames as the signal strength differences between the frames. At this time, as an example, the acquisition unit may calculate a signal intensity difference by sequentially changing a combination between adjacent frames as the plurality of signal intensity differences, or an image of each frame in a depth direction. This is a means for calculating a signal intensity difference for each area divided into a plurality of areas.

Further, according to a preferred aspect, in each of the above-described configurations, the bodily sensation information is sound information. In this case, the transmission unit may include a generation unit that generates data representing a degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent into the sound information data, and an output unit that outputs the sound information data as a sound. desirable. As an example, the generation unit is a unit that generates data of the sound information by reflecting data indicating a degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent in a term of amplitude or time of a reference sound waveform.

Further, according to a preferred aspect, the bodily sensation information may be visual information displayed as a graphic.

Further, a demonstration means for generating demonstration information relating to the bodily sensation information may be provided. By using this demonstration means, the operator can hear bodily information such as sound in advance as a demonstration sound before diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to confirm or cultivate the sound pitch, thereby contributing to quicker and more accurate operation during diagnosis.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a subject to which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered. A transmitting unit for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse signal, a receiving unit for receiving, via the probe, an echo signal generated from the subject along with the transmission, and delay-adding the echo signal; A receiver that detects the detected echo signal, a difference detection circuit that detects a signal difference between frame images from an output signal of the reception unit or the receiver, and converts the signal difference detected by the difference detection circuit into sound data. A sound processor and a speaker for outputting sound data converted by the sound processor as sound are provided. With this configuration, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described device can be obtained.

On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic diagnostic method of the present invention transmits an ultrasonic pulse signal to a subject to which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered, and transmits the ultrasonic pulse signal to the subject. Accompanying the reception of an echo signal generated from the subject, acquiring data other than an image representing the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent from the echo signal, and transmitting this data to the operator as bodily sensation information. Features. For example, in the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave, the transmission of the ultrasonic pulse signal is instructed every time the transmission stop period elapses, and at the time of the transmission, the ultrasonic pulse is sequentially transmitted in order to obtain images of a plurality of frames. Further, for example, a signal intensity difference between frames is obtained from the echo signals for the plurality of frames as data representing the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent. Thereby, the same operation and effect as in the case of the above-described device configuration can be obtained.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a function of rapidly and highly accurately imaging information on blood flow dynamics of a blood vessel portion using an echo signal reflected by a contrast agent, and a blood flow at an organ substantial level by detecting perfusion. It is possible to provide an ultrasonic imaging exhibiting a function of rapidly and accurately imaging dynamic information and various image processing functions for quantitative evaluation thereof.

[0035]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment can be applied to all sites of interest when administering an ultrasonic contrast agent to a subject and observing a blood flow state based on the degree of contrast, but hereinafter, the liver parenchyma or the heart An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of obtaining blood flow dynamics based on the degree of contrast of a contrast agent (perfusion) flowing into muscle and identifying an abnormal site will be described.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the entire configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic layer apparatus according to the first embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes an apparatus main body 11, an ultrasonic probe 12, an operation panel 13, and an EC connected to the apparatus main body 11.
G (electrocardiograph) 14.

The operation panel 13 includes a keyboard 13A, a trackball 13B, a mouse 13C, and an operation panel circuit 13D, or is connectable. These operating devices are used by an operator to input or set patient information, device conditions, ROI (region of interest), etc., as in the conventional device, and to change various setting conditions according to the present invention. used.

The ultrasonic probe 12 is a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals to and from the subject, and has a piezoelectric vibrator such as a piezoelectric ceramic as an electromechanical reversible conversion element. As a preferred example, a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators are arranged in an array and mounted at the tip of the probe, and a phased array type probe 12 is configured. As a result, the probe 12 converts the pulse drive voltage supplied from the apparatus main body 11 into an ultrasonic pulse signal and transmits the ultrasonic pulse signal in a desired direction inside the subject, while correspondingly transmitting the ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the subject. Is converted to an echo signal of a voltage.

The ECG 14 is used mainly in contact with the body surface of the subject, and obtains an ECG (electrocardiographic waveform) signal accompanying the pulsation of the subject's heart.

In the present embodiment, the apparatus main body 11 uses “B mode” and “CFM (Co
or "Low Flow Mapping" mode.

More specifically, the apparatus main body 11 includes the probe 1
Unit 21 and receiving unit 2 connected to
2. A receiver unit 23, a B-mode DSC (digital scan converter) 24, a Doppler unit 25, a data synthesizer 26, a display 27, and an image memory 28 are provided on the output side of the receiving unit 22.

The apparatus main body 11 includes the receiver unit 2.
3, a difference detection circuit 29, a sound processor 30, a speaker 31, a control circuit 32 for receiving an operation signal from the operation panel 13, and a data generation circuit 33 that operates in response to an instruction from the control circuit 32. , And E
The heart rate detecting unit 34 receives an ECG (electrocardiogram) signal from the CG 14.

The control circuit 32 and the difference detection circuit 2
9, the sound processor 30, and the speaker 31 are main elements for realizing the features of the present invention, and their operations will be described later.

The control circuit 32 has a computer configuration including a CPU and a memory, and controls the operation of the entire apparatus according to a procedure programmed in advance. The control operation includes transmission control (transmission timing, transmission delay, etc.) for the transmission unit 21, reception control (reception delay, etc.) for the reception unit 22, an instruction to generate display data for the data generator 33, and timing control for other elements. Including.

Of these, the transmission control includes the implementation of a transmission timing control method which is a feature of the present invention. In other words, the transmission timing is determined by the flash echo imaging (F / F) based on the intermittent transmission method using the multi-shot method.
It is controlled by the EI) method. FIG. 2 shows the concept of the transmission timing.

In the figure, the scan (transmission / reception) timing for one frame is schematically indicated by one black triangle. According to this control, after the scan is suspended for a fixed period Ti that can be changed, flash echo imaging based on the intermittent transmission to be scanned is performed. Since the transmission of the ultrasonic wave is stopped during the pause period Ti, the microbubbles of the contrast agent can be concentrated in the region of interest.

The pause period Ti is set using, for example, a heartbeat timing signal from the heartbeat detection unit 34 as a trigger signal. As an example, the pause period Ti is set as a period corresponding to an appropriate heart rate, such as every one heartbeat, every five heartbeats,..., Every ten heartbeats.

When the heartbeat timing signal is not used, for example, a clock built in the computer of the control circuit 32 is used, and an arbitrary time, for example, every 0.1 seconds,
The pause period Ti may be set every second,... Every 10 seconds.

The pause period Ti does not need to be the same every time, for example, 1 to 10 seconds per pause.
It may be programmed in advance to increase by seconds.

Further, the scan has a relatively short cycle Tf.
And a multi-shot method in which a plurality of frames (for example, the number of frames N = 3) are continuously scanned. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, continuous N frames of ultrasonic images are obtained in synchronization with the trigger signal after the suspension of transmission. This period Tf is a time required to generate an image of one frame, and is generally a reciprocal of the frame rate Fr (Tf
= 1 / Fr). The frame rate Fr is a relatively fast repetition frequency (generally, about 10 to 100 Hz). The number of frames N is
For example, the value can be changed / set to an arbitrary value via the operation panel 13.

Returning to FIG. 1, in response to a display data generation command from the control circuit 32, the data generation circuit 33 generates data such as graphic data and annotations of a designated ROI (region of interest) and performs data synthesis. To the vessel 26.

The ECG 14 obtains an ECG (electrocardiographic waveform) signal and sends it to the heartbeat detection unit 34. The heartbeat detection unit 34 inputs the ECG signal from the ECG 14,
While the waveform data is sent to the data synthesizer 28 for display, the pulsation timing is detected, and this timing signal is used as a signal for ECG-gated scanning by the control circuit 32.
Send to Usually, the timing of the R wave in the ECG signal is detected as the timing of this beat. However, since the operator can specify an arbitrary delay time from the R wave via the operation panel 13, as a result,
The timing of an arbitrary heartbeat phase can be specified.

The configuration of the transmission / reception system under the control of such a control system is as follows.

The transmission unit 21 has a pulse generator (not shown), a transmission delay circuit, and a pulser. The pulse generator operates at a constant pulse repetition frequency (PRF: pulse).
Generate a rate pulse according to the repetition frequency. This rate pulse is distributed to the number of transmission channels and sent to the transmission delay circuit. A timing signal for determining the delay time is supplied from the control circuit 32 to the transmission delay circuit for each transmission channel. As a result, the transmission delay circuit adds a command delay time to the rate pulse for each channel. A rate pulse with a delay time is supplied to the pulser for each transmission channel. The pulser applies a voltage pulse to each piezoelectric vibrator (transmission channel) of the probe 12 at the timing of receiving the rate pulse. As a result, the ultrasonic signal is
Radiated from 2. The ultrasonic signal transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 12 is converged in a beam shape in the subject, and is set in the scan direction in which the transmission directivity is commanded.

The transmitted ultrasonic pulse signal is reflected by a discontinuous surface of acoustic impedance in the subject. This reflected ultrasonic signal is received by the probe 12 again, and is converted into an echo signal of a corresponding voltage amount. This echo signal is taken into the receiving unit 22 from the probe 12 for each receiving channel.

The receiving unit 22 includes a preamplifier, an A / D converter, a receiving delay circuit, and an adder (all not shown) in this order from the input side. Preamplifier, A
The / D converter and the reception delay circuit each have a built-in circuit for the reception channel, and are formed in a digital type reception unit. The delay time of the reception delay circuit is
It is provided from the control circuit 31 as a signal of a delay time pattern in accordance with a desired reception directivity. For this reason, the echo signal is amplified by the preamplifier for each reception channel, and A
The signal is converted into a digital signal by a / D converter, and a delay time is given by a reception delay circuit, and then added to each other by an adder. By this addition, the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the desired reception directivity is emphasized. By integrating the performances of the transmission directivity and the reception directivity, the overall performance of the transmitted and received ultrasonic beams can be obtained.

The output end of the adder of the receiving unit 22 reaches the display data combiner 28 via the receiver unit 23 and the B-mode DSC 24 in order.

The receiver unit 23 is not shown, but
It has a logarithmic amplifier, an envelope detector and the like. In the case of an apparatus that performs the harmonic imaging method, the receiver unit 27 is additionally provided with a band-pass filter that allows only a harmonic component, for example, twice the transmission frequency of the ultrasonic pulse signal to pass. . The receiver unit 23 generates echo data in a direction in which the reception directivity is given in a digital amount, and sends it to the B-mode DSC 24.

The B-mode DSC 24 converts echo data from a raster signal sequence of an ultrasonic scan into a raster signal sequence of a video format, and sends this to a data synthesizer 28.

The image memory 28 is a B-mode DSC 24
And a memory element for recording the processing signal of the DSC (either or both of a raster signal sequence of an ultrasonic scan and a raster signal sequence of a video format)
A read control circuit is provided. The echo data recorded in the memory element can be read and used in frame units during or after scanning (diagnosis). The read data is sent to the display 29 via the B-mode DSC 24 and the display data synthesizer 28 for display.

The Doppler unit 27 is provided on the output side of the receiver unit 23. The Doppler unit 27 receives the added echo signal processed by the receiving unit 22. Although this unit 27 is not shown,
Equipped with quadrature detector, clutter removal filter, Doppler shift frequency analyzer, arithmetic unit such as average speed, DSC, color processing circuit, etc., color flow mapping of Doppler shift frequency, that is, blood flow speed information and its power information It is obtained as data (CFM data). This color flow mapping data is stored in the DS
While receiving processing such as noise cancellation at C,
The scanning method is converted and sent to the data synthesizer 26. This color flow mapping data can also be sent to the image memory 25 and stored.

The data synthesizer 28 has a B-mode DSC 24
B-mode image data (gray-scale image) sent from Doppler unit 27, CFM mode image data (color flow image) sent from Doppler unit 27, ECG waveform data sent from heartbeat detection unit 32, and / or Are reconstructed into one frame of image data by processing such as arranging or superimposing the setting parameters of. The frame image data is sequentially read out by the display 29. The display 29 has a built-in D / A
The data is converted into an analog amount by a converter, and a tomographic image of the tissue shape of the subject is displayed on a display such as a TV monitor.

Next, the sub-detection circuit 29, sound processor 30, and speaker 31 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

The difference detection circuit 29 includes a plurality of frame memories (not shown), its write / read circuits, and a calculator for calculating a difference in signal strength. Therefore, the difference detection circuit 29 receives the echo signal sent from the receiver unit 23, temporarily stores the echo signal, and stores it in a frame.
Then, at an appropriate timing, a difference in signal strength between frames is calculated in an appropriate calculation mode.

There are various operation modes, and the operation mode is designated by the control circuit 32 through the operation panel 13. This calculation mode may be set as a default.

First, the types of operation modes when the difference is the scalar amount di are: (1): difference of total sum of frame signal intensities (first operation mode), (2): region of interest set in frame (Second calculation mode), (3): There is a method of calculating the difference in signal strength of one scanning line designated in a frame (third calculation mode).

In the first operation mode, as schematically shown in FIG. 3A, for example, the signal intensities of the respective pixels of the first frame and the Nth frame (final frame) are respectively summed, and the sum value is calculated. Is a method for obtaining the difference di of The frames to be subjected to the difference processing may be adjacent frames or frames in an arbitrary combination. According to the second calculation mode, an ROI (region of interest) is set in advance in a part of the image, as schematically shown in FIG. ROI is circle, ellipse,
It has a shape such as a square. Then, for example, the signal intensities (luminances) in the ROIs of the first frame and the N-th frame are respectively calculated, and the difference di between them is calculated. Further, according to the third calculation mode, as shown schematically in FIG. 3C, one (or a plurality of) scanning lines of each frame are focused on, and the signal intensity of the pixels on the scanning lines is calculated. . Then, a difference di of the signal strength is calculated between frames.

The difference detection circuit 29 calculates a plurality of signal strength differences d.
i1, di2,..., din can also be obtained. Part 1
One operation method (fourth operation mode) is a method of taking a difference between adjacent frames of echo signals of a plurality of continuous frames N obtained by the multishot method each time. For example, the signal strength difference between the first frame and the second frame is represented by di.
1, that of the second and third frames is di2
.., That of the (n-1) th frame and the nth frame
(N-1). However, the fourth operation mode designates one of the above-described first to third operation modes, and is executed in combination therewith (of course, the combination may be set in advance). FIG. 4A schematically illustrates the concept of performing the difference calculation in the fourth calculation mode based on the first calculation mode.

Further, another calculation method (fifth calculation mode) for obtaining a plurality of signal strength differences is, for example, the first frame and the Nth
As shown in FIG. 4B, this method targets a region divided by a certain width and depth between frames. For example, the signal intensity difference calculated by focusing on the depth region of 0 to 1 cm from the body surface is di1, and that calculated by focusing on the depth region of 1 to 2cm is focused on the depth region of di2, ..., n to n + 1cm. The calculated value is defined as din.

The difference information di or di1, di2,..., Din obtained in this way is
Sent to 0. The sound processor 30 generates a sound signal in a predetermined generation mode using the input difference information. In the present embodiment, the following three modes are set as the generation modes.
Mode is prepared, and in response to the operator's command,
The control circuit 32 is configured to specify a desired generation mode to the sound processor 30. Of course, the generation mode of the sound processor 30 may be fixed in advance.

The first generation mode is a mode in which the value of the difference information di is one, and the reference sound waveform “B
(T): t = time ”. That is,
If the generated sound is S (t),

## EQU1 ## Based on the equation S (t) = diB (t), the sound S reflecting the difference information di
(T) is generated. This reference waveform B (t) may be an arbitrary one. As an example, it is convenient if the waveform signal is as long as about 1 second, for example, a so-called beep sound (a warning sound such as “Poo, Poo”, a falling sound such as “Pyong” or “Pawn”) currently used in personal computers. Sounds, plosives, etc.) are preferred. This first generation mode is a method that requires only the simplest calculation, and the amplitude is calculated using the difference information d.
A sound S (t) proportional to i is obtained.

The second generation mode is a mode in which the value of the difference information di is one.

(Equation 2) Is a method of generating a sound S (t) in which the difference information di is reflected in a time factor based on the time factor. That is, as the value of the difference information di increases, the reference sound B (t)
Pitch (frequency) becomes larger or smaller.

On the other hand, the third generation mode is a mode suitable for a plurality of difference information values di1, di2,..., Din. According to this mode, the calculation based on the first or second generation mode is performed, and the sound S (t) generated as a result is connected every minute time to generate one sound as a whole. For example, di1, di2, ..., di6
For each of the difference values of

(Equation 3) Is performed. Then, the sounds of S1 to S6 are connected every 200 msec, for example, to generate a total of 1200 msec sound.

The data of the sound S generated in any of the generation modes is sent to the speaker 31, and a short sound is generated in response to the difference information.

The operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.

Now, while continuously administering an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component, for example, the contrast agent flowing into the heart muscle, that is, the perfusion of tissue blood flow is measured by a flash echo imaging method using a multi-shot method. Suppose you are observing at.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
After that, ultrasonic transmission / reception for a plurality of frames is continuously performed, and data of a plurality of images based on intermittent transmission is obtained.
This image is displayed on the display 27 as a B-mode image or a CFM image.

At this time, the degree of disappearance of the microbubbles forming the contrast agent is reflected as luminance (signal intensity) in the images of a plurality of frames obtained by the multi-shot method.

For example, in the image of the first frame, a high-brightness echo signal derived from microbubbles is observed, but in the second frame, the echo signal may disappear.
If the microbubbles are relatively fragile or the administered concentration is low, most of the microbubbles disappear in the image of the first frame, and the luminance state of the subsequent images of the second and third frames hardly changes. There can be a situation that does not change. Conversely, if the microbubbles are relatively tough, all of the microbubbles remain in the first frame without disappearing, and in the second and subsequent frames, the brightness may gradually decrease as the frames progress. Naturally, the above-mentioned intermediate state can be obtained depending on the transmission sound pressure and the contrast agent concentration.

In this situation, in the present embodiment, the difference information of the signal intensity between the frames is used as the information reflecting the degree of disappearance of the microbubbles during scanning.
9 The number of the difference values changes according to the operation mode. This difference information is converted into sound data by the sound processor 30 and then generated as sound from the speaker 31.

Since the difference information indicates the degree of disappearance of the frame, that is, the minute bubbles when the time advances, the sound (sound) generated from the loudspeaker 31 is an information that allows the operator to sense the state of the disappearance of the bubbles. Transmitted to.
For example, when the difference information di is generated in the first generation mode, the greater the degree of bubble disappearance, the louder the operator hears.

Therefore, the operator can intuitively (intuitively) judge whether or not the current transmission conditions are optimal on the spot according to the strength of the sound, the timbre, and the like. It should be noted that the degree of strength, tone, and the like, when a sound is heard, the determination of the state in which the highest luminance echo signal is obtained from the contrast agent (optimal state) is known in advance through some training. It is desirable.

According to such intuitive judgment, the operator can immediately shift to the scan for diagnosis with the transmission conditions being optimized, such as raising or lowering the transmission sound pressure. For example,
If the contrast agent is continuously administered, the dyeing effect lasts for about 10 minutes. Therefore, in a short time after administration, the optimization of the transmission conditions based on the sound described above is completed, and the main scan is continuously performed as it is. Can be transferred to

Thus, the optimum transmission conditions in consideration of the individual differences of the individual subjects, the concentration of the administered contrast agent, and the like can be set in a short time in real time on the spot. Imaging can be performed under the optimal conditions for obtaining a proper signal.

Therefore, unlike the related art, it is not necessary to read out the image data once taken afterward, so that imaging and diagnosis can be performed in a short time and easily.

Further, as for the obtained image, an image having a high diagnostic ability can be obtained from the beginning, for example, visual discrimination between the blood flow and the tissue becomes easy, so that the necessity of re-imaging is greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the burden and labor on the operator are reduced, and the patient throughput is improved.

Further, in order to recognize the state of disappearance of the microbubbles, there is no need for a complicated and burdensome operation for the operator, such as simultaneously displaying a plurality of frames of images while scanning and comparing and observing the images. When a sound is used as in the present embodiment, it is only necessary to learn the characteristics of the sound, there is no need to look at a plurality of screens while using both hands for scanning operation, and the level of skill required for operation is Is greatly reduced, and the effort involved in diagnosis is greatly reduced.
In addition, work efficiency is improved. Since the burden on the operator is reduced, the rate of occurrence of oversight of an abnormal part during observation is reduced, and this is also effective in ensuring the reliability of diagnosis.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the technique of effectively recognizing the disappearance of microbubbles is applied to flash echo imaging has been described. However, this technique can be implemented in a normal scanning method. Can be.

For example, in the case of the normal continuous transmission method, if the scan section is gradually changed with respect to the organ substance such as the liver filled with the contrast agent, the microbubbles in the scanned section disappear, Since the scan section continuously shifts to a new section that has not disappeared, the bubble disappearance phenomenon occurs one after another in the new section. In such imaging, if the moving speed when the operator moves the scan section by manually operating the probe is not uniform, the degree of disappearance also changes. For this reason, a difference in the degree of staining occurs between a plurality of captured images, which may affect diagnosis.

The present invention can also eliminate the inconvenience caused by such a scan state. That is, when the present invention is applied to the scan based on the ordinary continuous transmission, if the degree of the bubbles in the cross section that disappears one after another is constant, the generated sound becomes almost constant in volume. This sound, which is intuitive to the operator, is necessary to easily grasp the degree of bubble disappearance on the spot and raise or lower the transmission sound pressure, rather than reviewing the image after examining it and examining it. Measures can be taken in a timely manner.

As a modification of the embodiment according to the present invention, a function of generating a sound for demonstration can be added to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the first embodiment. This demonstration sound is a sound corresponding to the above-described appropriate difference information di (> 0). For example, as shown in FIG.
E, the sound processor 30 may receive the operation information from the button 13E via the control circuit 32, and the sound processor 30 may generate the demonstration sound via the speaker 31. Of course, the control circuit 32 may directly control the operation of the speaker 31.

Therefore, if the operator presses the button 13E before the diagnosis, the sound can be heard in advance. Therefore, it is possible to confirm or cultivate in advance the feeling of sound to be heard after entering the diagnosis. In addition, by configuring the demo sound so as to appropriately change the intensity, tone, etc., the operator can intuitively confirm the change width of the disappearance state of the ultrasonic contrast agent through the sound before diagnosis. The operation after shifting to the diagnosis can be performed more quickly and accurately.

(Second Embodiment) An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has the same function as that of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the first embodiment described above, but differs from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the first embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. It is in. That is, as compared with the configuration of the apparatus shown in FIG.
2, that is, before the receiver unit 23. Other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those in FIG.

Thus, the difference detection circuit 29 inputs the echo signal in the state of the RF signal obtained by simply adding the reception delay. That is, the difference detection circuit 29 performs difference calculation in the above-described various calculation modes using the RF signal.
By this difference operation, information such as phase disturbance of the echo signal can be obtained. This information reflects random behavior other than disappearance phenomena, such as changes in the size and vibration of microbubbles. Therefore, based on this information, the sound processor 3
0 operates in the same manner as described above, and a sound signal is output from the speaker 31.

According to the present embodiment, since the difference detection circuit needs to store the echo signal as an RF signal, the amount of data required for storage increases, but since the detection is performed in the state of the RF signal, the sound pressure As a result, the ability to detect microbubbles sensitive to noise is improved, and a sound reflecting the degree of disappearance of microbubbles more accurately can be heard.

Third Embodiment An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that it outputs information on the degree of disappearance of microbubbles obtained from the difference.

In this apparatus, the sound processor is replaced with an indicator generation circuit 35, and the output of this generation circuit 35 is directed to a data synthesizer 26, as compared with that of the first embodiment.

The inverter generation circuit 35 outputs the luminance difference di converted to the scalar amount detected by the difference detection circuit 29.
Is input, and this information is converted into corresponding numerical value or level meter information. This conversion information is sent to the data synthesizer 26.
Is displayed on the display 27 via the. FIG. 7 (A), (B)
Shows two examples displayed in a level meter format.
Since this level meter type is commonly seen on a daily basis, the operator can intuitively grasp the disappearance state of the microbubbles by looking at the level meter type.

The display 27 displays the first frame image and the Nth frame image obtained by the flash echo method using the multi-shot method side by side, so that the luminance difference can be visually identified. Although it is good, by displaying the scalar amount di as in the present embodiment, a more quantitative value can be intuitively notified. For this scalar display,
As the diagnostic image, it is sufficient to display only the image of the first frame, which often has the highest luminance.

The above embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is determined according to the description of the claims, and various embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0104]

As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the ultrasonic diagnostic method according to the present invention, a contrast echo method is performed by administering an ultrasonic contrast agent mainly containing microbubbles to a subject. In the above, the degree of disappearance of the microbubbles is changed into bodily sensation information such as sound and output, so that the operator can intuitively know that the contrast agent is flowing into the region of interest.

Further, the operator can intuitively recognize (determine) the degree of the disappearance of the microbubbles during scanning without looking at the continuous frame images.
Therefore, for example, if the sound is loud (sound having a high frequency), the operator intuitively judges that the degree of bubble disappearance is too large, and lowers the output of the transmission pulse. Is intuitively determined to be too small, and the output of the transmission pulse is increased. This operation can be repeated in real time on the spot, whereby the balance between the disappearance of bubbles and the image quality can be balanced, and finally the optimal transmission sound pressure can be set.

Therefore, it is not necessary to read out an image after imaging and compare it with each other to read out the degree of disappearance of the microbubbles, as in the prior art. be able to. For this reason, since only one imaging is required, the necessity of re-imaging is remarkably reduced, operation time is reduced, and operation time and imaging time can be saved. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the determination of the blood flow / tissue in the region of interest, but also to the setting of the transmission condition, and has high versatility.

In addition, since it is not necessary to compare a plurality of monitor images with each other by scanning while scanning, the operation is simplified, the labor is reduced, and the required skill level is significantly reduced. The reliability for diagnosis is also increased.

As a result, it is possible to quantify the information on the blood flow dynamics of the blood vessel portion and the information on the hemodynamics at the organ substantial level by detecting perfusion with higher precision and higher definition. As a result, detailed information can be reliably provided for quantification of blood flow information and differential diagnosis.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining timing of transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves in flash echo imaging using a multi-shot method.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining various difference calculation modes (first to third calculation modes) for an echo signal.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining various difference calculation modes (first to third calculation modes) for an echo signal.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a display when the disappearance state of microbubbles is represented by a level meter method.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 11 apparatus main body 12 ultrasonic probe (transmitting / receiving means) 13 operation panel 14 ECG sensor 21 transmitting unit (transmitting / receiving means) 22 receiving unit (transmitting / receiving means) 23 receiver unit (transmitting / receiving means) 24 B-mode DSC 25 Doppler unit 26 data synthesizer 27 Display 28 Image memory 29 Difference detection circuit (acquisition means) 30 Sound processor (transmission means / generation means) 31 Speaker (transmission means / output means) 32 Control circuit (including transmission control means. Part of acquisition means and transmission means) 33) Data generation circuit 34 Heart rate detection unit 35 Integrator generation circuit (transmission means / generation means)

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A transmitting / receiving means for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse signal to a subject to which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered, and receiving an echo signal generated from the subject with the transmission. An ultrasonic wave, comprising: an acquisition unit that obtains data other than an image representing a degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent from the echo signal; and a transmission unit that transmits the data to the operator as bodily sensation information. Diagnostic device. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission / reception unit instructs transmission of the ultrasonic pulse signal every time a transmission stop period elapses, and obtains an image of a plurality of frames at the time of transmission. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having transmission control means for causing the ultrasonic pulse to be transmitted sequentially. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition unit calculates a signal intensity difference between frames from the echo signals for the plurality of frames as data representing a degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent. An ultrasonic diagnostic device that is a means for obtaining. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition unit calculates a signal intensity difference between the frames as:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as a means for calculating a difference between the sums of signal intensities of the respective frames. 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition unit calculates a signal intensity difference between the frames as:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is a means for calculating a difference in the sum of signal intensities in a region of interest set in a part of an image of each frame. 6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acquiring unit calculates a signal intensity difference between the frames as:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which is a means for calculating a difference in the sum of signal intensities on a scanning line set for each frame. 7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition unit calculates a signal intensity difference between the frames as:
Multiple signal strength differences between these frames between arbitrary frames,
An ultrasonic diagnostic device that is a means for calculating. 8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit is configured to calculate a signal intensity difference by sequentially changing a combination between adjacent frames as the plurality of signal intensity differences. Ultrasound diagnostic equipment. 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit divides an image of each frame into a plurality of regions in a depth direction as the plurality of signal intensity differences, and obtains a signal intensity for each region. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as a means for calculating a difference. 10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bodily sensation information is sound information. 11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transmitting means generates data representing a degree of disappearance of said ultrasonic contrast agent into said sound information data, and generating means for said sound information. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: output means for outputting data as sound. 12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the generation unit reflects the data representing the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent in a term of amplitude or time of a reference sound waveform. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is means for generating sound information data. 13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bodily sensation information is visual information displayed as a graphic. 14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: demonstration means for generating demonstration information relating to the bodily sensation information. 15. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a subject to which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered, comprising: a transmitting unit for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse signal to the subject via a probe; A receiving unit that receives, via the probe, an echo signal generated from the subject along with the transmission and delay-adds the echo signal; a receiver that detects the echo signal delayed and added by the receiving unit; A difference detection circuit for detecting a signal difference between frame images from an output signal of the unit or the receiver, a sound processor for converting a signal difference detected by the difference detection circuit into sound data, and a sound converted by the sound processor. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a speaker that outputs data as sound. 16. An ultrasonic pulse signal is transmitted to a subject to which an ultrasonic contrast agent containing microbubbles as a main component is administered, and an echo signal generated from the subject is received with the transmission. An ultrasonic diagnostic method comprising: acquiring data other than an image representing the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent from a signal; and transmitting the acquired data to the operator as bodily sensation information. 17. The ultrasonic diagnostic method according to claim 16, wherein the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave commands transmission of the ultrasonic pulse signal every time a transmission stop period elapses, and an image of a plurality of frames is transmitted at the time of the transmission. An ultrasonic diagnostic method in which the ultrasonic pulse is sequentially transmitted to obtain the ultrasonic pulse. 18. The ultrasonic diagnostic method according to claim 17, wherein as the data indicating the degree of disappearance of the ultrasonic contrast agent, a signal intensity difference between frames is obtained from the echo signals for the plurality of frames. .