JP2004057532A - Display method and display device for bloodstream image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display method and a display device for a bloodstream image, for simplifying the operation and facilitating correspondence to a measured region in an organism. <P>SOLUTION: An ultrasonic signal is transmitted to a bloodstream part in an organism through a transmitter and a receiver by an ultrasonic search unit having vibrators arrayed in two-dimensions, and the received ultrasonic signal is converted to a bloodstream image by a doppler analysis circuit to display the bloodstream image on the back of the ultrasonic probe. The bloodstream image display device is composed of: the ultrasonic search unit having the vibrators arrayed in two dimensions; a transmitter for an ultrasonic signal to a bloodstream part in an organism and a receiver for reflecting the same; a doppler analysis circuit for converting the received ultrasonic signal to a bloodstream image; and a bloodstream image display part mounted on the back of the ultrasonic search unit. Thus, the blood information right under the part to which the ultrasonic search unit is applied can be obtained so that it is very easily understood in diagnosis. Further, the device itself will not be complicated to simplify the operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for displaying a blood flow image in a living body and a display device therefor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the prevalence of adult diseases has increased with lifestyles and aging, and adult diseases are occupied by what is called the three major diseases of heart disease, cerebral infarction and cancer. Above all, the morbidity of heart disease is high, and the time from onset to death of heart disease is short. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment without subjective symptoms are desired.
[0003]
In diagnosing a heart disease, it is important to quickly grasp abnormalities in blood flow in the heart cavity. Therefore, an intracardiac contrast method using X-rays and an image diagnostic method using ultrasound are widely used.
[0004]
However, although the former contrast method is convenient for grasping the whole heart, it not only imposes a burden on the examinee, but also the device itself is very large and hardly general purpose. In addition, the latter ultrasonic method has little invasion to the examinee and is easy, but has a problem that the operation requires skill and that only two-dimensional information of one slice can be obtained. Further, the former has a problem that the positional relationship between the organ and the organ in the examinee is easy to understand, while the latter has a narrow visual field, so that experience is required for the correspondence between the organ and image information.
[0005]
In connection with the latter, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-226016, an array of M × N two-dimensionally arranged ultrasonic continuous wave probes is brought into contact with the skin of a human body, and each ultrasonic probe is The blood flow velocity is calculated from the Doppler effect of the sensed ultrasonic waves, the arrangement pattern of each ultrasonic probe is made to correspond to the display screen, and each blood flow velocity is expressed in color tone and its density with the electrocardiogram or independently. Although a blood flow velocity measuring device using ultrasonic waves for health diagnosis to be displayed on a display screen has been proposed, since the main body and the display screen are installed at positions away from the ultrasonic probe due to their size, ultrasonic waves are not used. It is troublesome to look at the display screen while checking the position of the probe in the human body one by one.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and does not impose a burden on the examinee, does not require the skill of the examiner, and furthermore, a method of displaying a blood flow image that is easy to correspond to the organ of the examinee. The display device is not provided.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Here, the present inventor transmits an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body through a transmitter and a receiver by an ultrasonic probe having transducers arranged two-dimensionally, and receives the received ultrasonic signal. Was converted to a blood flow image by a Doppler analysis circuit, and a blood flow image display method comprising displaying the blood flow image on the back of the ultrasonic probe was found.
[0008]
Further, an ultrasonic probe having transducers arranged two-dimensionally, a transmitter of an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body, a receiver of a reflected ultrasonic signal, and a received ultrasonic signal We have now found a blood flow image display device including a Doppler analysis circuit for converting the blood flow image and a blood flow image display unit provided on the back of the ultrasonic probe.
[0009]
As described above, displaying a blood flow image on the back surface of the ultrasonic probe by the liquid crystal display is extremely convenient because a region of interest immediately below the probe can be physically directly observed.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an ultrasonic probe 1 having a two-dimensionally arranged transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body via a transmitter and a receiver, and transmits the ultrasonic signal to a received body cavity. Blood flow image, which is biological information just below the ultrasound probe 1, is displayed on a small color liquid crystal display screen provided on the back of the ultrasound probe 1 using a simple Doppler analysis circuit. Therefore, the biological information immediately below the ultrasound probe 1 is displayed on the screen, and the ultrasound probe 1 is associated with the blood flow image. It is easy to grasp flow information.
[0011]
Since the ultrasonic probe 1 is held by hand, it is easier to use the image display unit 2 if it is slightly smaller than this. For example, when the diameter of the ultrasonic probe 1 is 70 mmφ, the image display unit 2 is suitably 2 to 2.5 inches (diagonal 50.8 to 63.5 mm). When the diameter is 50 to 60 mmφ which is easy to use, the size of the image display unit 2 is further reduced.
[0012]
An apparatus for displaying a blood flow image includes an ultrasonic probe 1 having two-dimensionally arranged transducers, a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body, and a receiver for reflecting an ultrasonic signal. And a Doppler analysis circuit for converting a received ultrasonic signal into a blood flow image, and a blood flow image display unit provided on the back of the ultrasonic probe.
[0013]
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, in the blood flow image display device, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the oscillator via the transmitting circuit via the transmitting circuit is reflected on the blood flow, returns to the vibrator, and receives the ultrasonic wave The sound wave is displayed as a blood flow image on the display unit via the detection circuit, the FFT circuit, and the display control circuit. The entire blood flow image display device is controlled by a control circuit.
[0014]
The oscillation circuit performs the basic transmission of the ultrasonic wave and the system to be used, and the transmission circuit drives the vibrator. The vibrator transmits ultrasonic waves into the body of the examinee, and as a result, receives the ultrasonic waves reflected from the body of the examinee with the receiving circuit and amplifies the received signal.
[0015]
From the signal amplified through the receiving circuit, a frequency displacement part due to the Doppler effect is selected by AM detection or FM detection. Further, a transition frequency is calculated by an FFT circuit (Fast Fourier operation circuit) to obtain a blood flow velocity. Therefore, the detection circuit and the FFT circuit in this case are generally referred to as a Doppler analysis circuit. The display control circuit controls the display method, and the image display unit 2 using a liquid crystal display displays a blood flow image for the examiner.
[0016]
In displaying the blood flow image, the blood flow velocity is displayed in a stepwise color tone, so that a relative change in the blood flow velocity can be easily recognized. As a result, not only valvular disease but also occlusion in other parts of the blood vessel can be detected from the high-speed abnormal blood flow in the heart chamber. Further, since the image display unit 2 is located right above the ultrasonic probe 1, it is easy to grasp an abnormal part.
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows an ultrasonic probe 1 in which an image display unit 2 is integrally provided on the front side. This is connected to the main body 3 of the blood flow image display device via the cable 4 as shown in FIG.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
The blood flow image display device according to the present invention can obtain blood flow information immediately below the ultrasonic probe, so that the inside of the body can be seen through, so that it is very visually and intuitively in diagnosis. The device is easy to understand. Further, since the operation principle is simple, the operation itself is simple without making the device itself complicated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system of a blood flow image display apparatus. FIG. 2 (a) shows an ultrasonic probe, FIG. 2 (c) shows an image display unit, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the entire blood flow image display device.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic probe 2 Image display part 3 Blood flow image display main body 4 Cable

Claims (2)

An ultrasonic probe having a two-dimensionally arranged transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body through a transmitter and a receiver, and the received ultrasonic signal is subjected to a blood flow by a Doppler analysis circuit. A method of displaying a blood flow image, which comprises converting the image to an image and displaying the blood flow image on the back of the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic probe having transducers arranged two-dimensionally, a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to a blood flow portion in a living body and a receiver for an ultrasonic signal to be reflected, and a blood flow for receiving a received ultrasonic signal. A blood flow image display device comprising: a Doppler analysis circuit for converting an image into an image; and a blood flow image display unit provided on the back of the ultrasonic probe.

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