JP2004033658A - 3-dimensional ultrasonographic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonographic apparatus for simply performing an area definition by improving the operability in defining an effective area from an echo data space for three-dimensional image display. <P>SOLUTION: An area definition means 10 has one of a slide volume, DGC (digital gain controller) slide volume and a contact detecting means provided on the front of a display part 7, which is used for adjusting an area definition point. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for generating and displaying a three-dimensional image.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a conventional three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-113605 discloses an apparatus for specifying a region to be diagnosed for three-dimensional imaging from an echo data space area composed of a plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images. There is one described in Japanese Patent No. 221220. This apparatus uses integration processing for rendering processing that sets and visualizes the modeled data with the light source, viewpoint, and display surface, uses quadratic curves to specify the area of the integration range, and extracts organ data to be diagnosed. After that, by performing the three-dimensional processing, a three-dimensional image of the organ to be diagnosed is clearly displayed without mixing with other adjacent organs.
[0003]
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a conventional three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Hereinafter, an example of a conventional three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The transmitting / receiving unit 1 transmits / receives an ultrasonic pulse to / from a living body via the probe 2 and outputs ultrasonic echo data. The ultrasonic echo data is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 3. The three-dimensional data memory 4 accumulates three-dimensional data by moving the probe 2 while scanning it, and at the same time, generates a real-time tomographic image by a digital scan converter (hereinafter, referred to as DSC) 5. . The image generated by the DSC 5 is converted into an analog video signal by the D / A converter 6 and displayed by the display 7. Here, the probe 2 performs ultrasonic scanning in a three-dimensional region in a living body by manual scanning or mechanical scanning.
[0004]
In addition, a three-dimensional data memory 4, a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a CPU) 61, a rendering operation unit 9, and a DSC 5 are connected to each other via a bus 8. The CPU 61 determines a line-of-sight direction and an effective data area to be used for the rendering process based on data from the switch group 62 and the movement amount input device group 63. The effective area designating means 60 includes a CPU 61, a switch group 62, and a movement amount input device group 63. The CPU 61 also controls the operation of each component in FIG. The movement amount input device group 63 is a device capable of detecting the positive / negative of the direction and the movement amount, and corresponds to a rotary encoder or a trackball.
[0005]
The rendering operation unit 9 generates a three-dimensional image by rendering using the three-dimensional data in the effective data area, and displays the three-dimensional image on the display unit 7 via the DSC 5. The area designation means 60 has a CPU 61, a switch group 62, and a movement amount input device group 63, uses a quadratic curve for designating an effective area, and uses the switch group 62 and the movement amount input device group 63. And input the sign of the direction and the amount of movement. Thereby, the quadratic curve is adjusted to include only the effective area.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, since the three-dimensional area is specified using the quadratic curve, the user of the apparatus needs a rotary encoder when rotating, translating, or changing the curvature of the quadratic curve. Or trackball, but many menu screens must be used to select the functions to be used, and the key operation procedure is likely to be complicated. Is difficult to use because the coarse adjustment and the fine adjustment with small movement of the adjustment point with respect to the rotation amount of the trackball etc. cannot be performed in one adjustment. There was a problem that it was difficult.
[0007]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problem, and is capable of simplifying an operation procedure when specifying a three-dimensional area and performing rough adjustment and fine adjustment simultaneously. It is intended to provide a device.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image generation unit configured to generate an image by projecting an effective area in three-dimensional echo data; and an effective area designating unit that designates the effective area used in the projection processing. With
A display mode switching unit that switches a display mode between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image; and an area in which the position, size, and shape of an area specification frame for specifying the effective area can be changed. It has a configuration provided with a designation frame changing means and an area designation point changing means capable of simultaneously changing one or more area designation points that can be set on the area designation frame.
[0009]
With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the area designation point without using many menu screens. Further, it is possible to directly adjust the area designation points and simultaneously adjust a plurality of area designation points.
[0010]
Further, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the area designation point variable means includes a linear variable resistor.
[0011]
With this configuration, the coarse adjustment and the fine adjustment of the area designation point can be performed by one adjustment.
[0012]
Further, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the area designation point variable means includes an echo signal gain control variable resistor for controlling the gain of the echo signal.
[0013]
With this configuration, the variable resistor that normally controls the gain of the echo signal also serves as the area designating means, so that a coarse adjustment and fine adjustment of the area designating point can be performed without newly providing a slide volume for changing the area designating point. The adjustment can be performed by one adjustment.
[0014]
Further, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the area designation point variable means has a contact detection means.
[0015]
With this configuration, for example, by operating a touch panel or the like disposed on the front surface of the display means, it is possible to directly adjust the area designation point while viewing the screen.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0018]
1, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes a transmitting / receiving unit 1, a probe 2, an A / D converter 3, a three-dimensional data memory 4, a DSC 5, a D / A converter 6, a display unit 7, and a bus 8. , A rendering operation unit 9, an effective area designating unit 10, and a CPU 11.
[0019]
The effective area designating unit 10 switches a display mode between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image, and an area in which the position, size and shape of an area designating frame for designating an effective area can be changed. It comprises a designated frame variable section 13 and an area designated point variable section 14 capable of simultaneously varying one or more area designated points that can be set on the area designated frame. Specifically, the display mode switching unit 12 uses a toggle type switch or an LCD menu selection key on an LCD panel. The area specification frame variable unit 13 uses a trackball and several types of keys, and the area specification point variable unit 14 uses a linear variable resistor (hereinafter, referred to as a slide volume).
[0020]
Here, the CPU 11 performs different control from the CPU 61 of the conventional example, so that it is given a different number. However, the same components as those of the conventional technology are denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus will be described. Is omitted.
[0021]
The operation of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0022]
First, the display image is changed from the two-dimensional image display mode to the three-dimensional image display mode shown in FIG. 2B by pressing a toggle-type switch or an LCD menu selection key of the display mode switching unit 12. Switching from the three-dimensional image display mode to the two-dimensional image display mode is also performed by the display mode switching unit 12. On the three-dimensional image display mode screen 20, an area designation screen 21 and a three-dimensional image display screen 22 are displayed. On the area designation screen 21, an area designation frame 24 having a B-mode image and a default position, size, and shape are displayed. Is displayed. The area designation frame variable unit 13 adjusts the position, size, and shape of the area designation frame 24 by using a trackball and several types of keys. Here, the size and the position of the region designation frame 24 can be set arbitrarily as long as they are within the B-mode image 23, and the diagnosis target part image 27 in the B-mode image 23 is viewed in the line-of-sight direction (see FIG. 2B). In this case, the gaze direction indicates a case where the image is viewed from above.) The setting is made so as to cover the surface portion of the diagnosis target region image 27 when viewed from above. The shape of the region designation frame 24 can be selected from either a square or a shape similar to the displayed B-mode image 23.
[0023]
The area designation point variable unit 14 uses the slide volumes 28a to 28e of FIG. 2A to specify the movement of the slide volumes 28a to 28e and the range of the three-dimensional imaging shown in FIG. 2B. By linking the movements of the area designation points 25a to 25e, the area designation points 25a to 25e can be changed. In addition, for two adjacent points (eg, between 25a and 25b), the area designation frame 24 is determined by an interpolation method such as linear interpolation, spline interpolation, or Bezier interpolation.
[0024]
In FIG. 2, the number of adjustment points of the area designation points 25a to 25e is five, but the maximum value of the adjustment points can be set arbitrarily up to the total number of slide volumes mounted on the apparatus.
[0025]
Adjustment of the position of the probe 2 or selection of data in the data memory 4 is performed in order to obtain a three-dimensional image of the central portion of the diagnosis target portion or a portion of the diagnosis target portion to be diagnosed particularly in detail. When performing this adjustment or selection, while displaying the B-mode tomographic image on the area designation screen 21 or displaying the B-mode accumulated image stored in the three-dimensional data memory 4 shown in FIG. Alternatively, the tomographic image of the diagnosis target region image 27 when viewed from the line of sight desired to perform three-dimensional imaging is obtained by calculation by the CPU 11 and displayed one by one.
[0026]
Thereafter, the slide volumes 28a to 28e corresponding to the area designation points 25a to 25e are slid up and down, and the slide volumes 28a to 28e are slid up and down so that the area designation points 25a to 25e conform to the contour of the diagnosis target part 27. Adjust the position. The adjusted area designation frame is indicated by the adjusted area designation frame 26 in FIG.
[0027]
When the slide volumes 28a to 28e are moved up and down, when the slide volumes 28a to 28e are located at the top, the slide volumes 28a to 28e are located at the top of the area designation frame 24 on the area designation screen 21 and the slide volumes 28a to 28e are located at the bottom. Is located at the bottom of the area designation frame 24.
[0028]
In FIG. 2A, when simultaneously adjusting the area designation points 25b and 25d, a plurality of area designation points can be adjusted simultaneously by simultaneously moving the slide volumes 28b and 28d.
[0029]
In the area designation screen 21 shown in FIG. 2B, the slide volumes 28a to 28e move up and down, but the movement direction of the slide volume and the movement direction of the area designation point on the area designation screen 21 match. As described above, when one side of the region specification frame 24 to be adjusted is determined, the B-mode image 23 itself is rotated so that the one side is displayed on the upper part of the region specification screen 21. Here, it is assumed that the area specification points 25a to 25e can be set on any one side of the area specification frame 24.
[0030]
For example, when the positional relationship between the region designation frame 24 and the diagnosis target region image 27 in FIG. 2A is as shown in FIG. 3A, the region designation point 31 is set on the right side of the region designation frame 34. When the B-mode image 23 including the region designation frame 34 and the diagnosis target region image 30 is rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, the display shown in FIG. 3B is displayed, and the movement of the slide volumes 28a to 28e and the region designation point 31 The direction of the movement on the screen can be matched. In FIG. 3, black square marks indicate the position of the area designation point 31 before adjustment, and white square marks indicate the position of the area designation point 31 after adjustment.
[0031]
Further, the slide volumes 28a to 28e themselves may be rotated without rotating the images so that the movement direction of the area designation points 25a to 25e on the screen matches the movement direction of the slide volumes 28a to 28e.
[0032]
The adjusted area designation frame (considering the plane including the diagnosis target part image 27) obtained by the area designation frame 24 including the adjusted area designation points 25a to 25e is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the image ( The rendering operation unit 9 performs integration processing for volume rendering using the data in the echo space obtained when the image is moved in both positive and negative directions (both directions can be considered). A three-dimensional image is generated and displayed on the three-dimensional image display screen 22.
[0033]
In this way, a three-dimensional image in which the diagnosis target region image 27 is clearly displayed is obtained. In this case, it is assumed that the three-dimensional image display screen 22 can be enlarged and displayed on the entire surface of the three-dimensional image display mode screen 20 of the display unit 7 so that the doctor or the patient can easily view and make the diagnosis easier.
[0034]
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the area specifying means 10 for the data area for generating the three-dimensional image includes the display mode switching unit 12, the area specifying frame changing unit 13, and the area specifying point changing unit 14. With this configuration, it is possible to perform the coarse adjustment and the fine adjustment of the area designation point by one adjustment. In addition, it becomes possible to directly adjust the area designation point to be set. Further, since the slide volume can operate a plurality of volumes at the same time, it is possible to simultaneously adjust a plurality of area designation points.
[0035]
Next, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the area specifying means 40 in the first embodiment includes the CPU 11, the display mode switching section 12, the area specifying frame changing section 13, and the area specifying point changing section 14, It has a memory 41, a selector 42, and a variable resistor for echo signal gain control for a digital gain controller (hereinafter abbreviated as DGC), that is, a DGC variable unit 43.
[0036]
The DGC slide volume unit 52 adjusts the gain of the received echo from a portion close to the probe to a portion far from the probe in accordance with the distance from the probe. And adjust the gain according to the digital value. In the present embodiment, the DGC slide volume unit 52 operates as the DGC variable unit 43 that adjusts the gain of the received echo in a mode other than the three-dimensional image display mode. It operates as the unit 14. These functions are switched by the selector 42 according to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image display mode.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, the number of the DGC slide volume units 52 provided on the operation panel 50 is eight, and among them, five DGC slide volume units 53a to 53e are used, and their movements and the area in FIG. By linking the movements of the designated points 25a to 25e, the positions of the area designated points 25a to 25e are adjusted. The LCD menu selection key 54 and the LCD panel 55 are used to switch the display mode between the two-dimensional display mode and the three-dimensional display mode, and the trackball 51 is used to change the size, position, and shape of the area designation frame.
[0038]
In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the B-mode image 23 or the DGC slide volumes 53a to 53e are adjusted so that the movement direction of the DGC slide volumes 53a to 53e and the movement direction of the area designation points 25a to 25e match. The included DGC slide volume unit 52 is rotated.
[0039]
When the DGC slide volumes 53a to 53e are used for adjusting the area designation points 25a to 25e, the DGC function is to press a predetermined specific key on the operation panel 50, or to select a soft menu, for example. Pressing a predetermined LCD menu selection key 54 displayed on the LCD panel 55 stops the operation. Thus, the DGC slide volume unit 52 is used only for adjusting the area designation point. At this time, the current DGC setting value is stored in the CPU 11 on the operation panel 30 or in the peripheral memory 41 of the CPU 11, and the image displayed on the display unit 7 is also based on the stored DGC setting value. Is displayed. After the 3D image display mode ends, until the DGC slide volume unit 52 is operated, the DGC setting value retains the state before the switching of the 3D image display mode, and any one of the DGC slide volume units 52 is changed. Then, it is assumed that an image display in which the reception gain control is performed based on the position of the DGC slide volume unit 52 at that time is performed.
[0040]
Further, in the case of the present embodiment, the position of the DGC slide volume cannot be set in advance to the uppermost end or the like as in the first embodiment. Area designation points 25a to 25e are displayed according to the position of 53e. Thereafter, the region may be specified along the contour of the diagnosis target part image 27. In FIG. 2, the number of set points of the area designation points 25a to 25e is five, but any number can be set as long as the number is equal to or less than the total number of the DGC slide volume units 52.
[0041]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the DGC slide volume unit 52 can simultaneously operate a plurality of volumes, so that a plurality of area designation points can be changed at the same time as in the first embodiment. . In addition, by making the existing DGC slide volume unit 52 have both the DGC function and the area designation point adjustment function, it is not necessary to newly provide a slide volume, so that the operation panel 50 can be downsized.
[0042]
Lastly, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0043]
The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment has a touch panel on the front surface of the display unit 7 as a contact detection unit for changing an area designation point. In the present embodiment, the screen example shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on display unit 7 in FIG. 1, a touch panel is arranged on the front of display unit 7, and after selecting area designation points 25a to 25e on the touch panel with a finger or the like, By moving it up and down, the area designation point can be adjusted. In addition, the shape, position, and size of the area designation frame 24 can be changed using the touch panel. As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to directly operate the area designation point while viewing the display image.
[0044]
In the above description, the configuration has been described in which the area designation point variable unit includes a newly provided slide volume, a DGC slide volume, and a touch panel provided on the front of the display unit, but the operation panel unit 40 can be remotely operated. Even when control by a remote control or other wireless communication means is possible, the same can be realized by mounting a slide volume or the like on the remote control or the like.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is provided with the area-designating-point changing means for designating an effective area for generating a three-dimensional image, so that the area-designating point can be adjusted without performing a complicated operation. Becomes possible. In addition, it is possible to perform direct adjustment of the area designation points, simultaneously perform coarse adjustment and fine adjustment, and simultaneously adjust a plurality of area designation points.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a relationship between a slide volume and an area designation point. FIG. 1B shows a three-dimensional image display mode. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a diagnosis target region image and a region designation frame before rotation. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a diagnosis target region image and a region designation frame after rotation. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an operation panel configuration. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transmission / reception part 2 Probe 3 A / D conversion part 4 Three-dimensional data memory 5 DSC
6 D / A conversion unit 7 display unit 8 bus 9 rendering operation unit 10 effective area designation unit 11 CPU
12 display mode switching unit 13 area designation frame variable unit 14 area designation point variable unit 20 three-dimensional image display mode screen 21 area designation screen 22 three-dimensional image display screen 24 area designation frames 25a to 25e area designation point 27 diagnosis target part image 28 Slide volume 29 Slide volume section 30 Diagnosis target part image 31 Area designation point 34 Area designation frame 40 Effective area designation section 41 Memory 42 Selector 43 DGC variable section 50 Operation panel 52 DGC slide volume sections 53a to 53e DGC slide volume 60 Effective area designation Means 61 CPU
62 Switch group 63 Movement amount input device group

Claims (4)

Image generating means for generating an image by projecting an effective area in the three-dimensional echo data, and effective area designating means for designating the effective area used for the projection processing;
A display mode switching unit for switching a display mode between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image; 3. A three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a designated frame changing means; and an area designated point changing means capable of simultaneously changing one or a plurality of area designated points settable on the area designated frame. 2. The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area designation point variable means has a linear variable resistor. 2. The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said area designation point variable means has an echo signal gain control variable resistor for controlling a gain of an echo signal. 3. The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area designation point variable unit has a contact detection unit.

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