JP2005143836A - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide ultrasonic image diagnostic equipment where a three-dimensional image can be constructed and displayed with the boundary point of a target object as a starting point by setting the boundary point even when there is not a dropping part of echo data. <P>SOLUTION: A starting processing part 13 of three-dimensional image processing discriminates the dropping part and the raised part of the echo data on this side of the target object by each echo data constituting a B-mode ultrasonic, and designates the boundary point to be the starting point of the three-dimensional image processing. A three-dimensional image processing part 7 constructs the three-dimensional image based on the echo data from the starting point in the direction of an acoustic scanning line and displays it on a display monitor 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for constructing a three-dimensional ultrasonic image in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

In a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the method of automating the designation of the construction range of a three-dimensional image uses a drop portion of echo data before the target object in each two-dimensional B-mode tomographic image that is an element of the three-dimensional image. Thus, a boundary point (start point of 3D image processing) is appropriately set before the target object (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-145631 A (page 5-7, FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional method for setting the boundary point using the drop portion of the echo data, there is a problem that the boundary point cannot be set unless there is a drop portion of the echo data between the target object and the front side.

  For example, when the amniotic fluid decreases in the second trimester and the placenta and the fetus come into contact with each other, the conventional method cannot set a boundary point and cannot determine the start point of 3D image processing.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and even when there is no drop portion of echo data, a boundary point of a target object can be set and a three-dimensional image can be constructed using that as a starting point. An object is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging apparatus according to the present invention stores received echo information that is emitted from an ultrasonic probe and reflected back by a diagnosis target part as a plurality of physically continuous echo data. Storage means, conversion means for converting a plurality of echo data into B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image frame data of an arbitrary cross section of the diagnosis site, and B-mode ultrasonic tomographic images created by the conversion means are displayed in succession Display means for determining, for each echo data (acoustic scanning line data) constituting the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image, discrimination means for discriminating a drop portion and a raised portion of the echo data before the target object, and a B mode For each echo data (acoustic scanning line data) constituting an ultrasonic tomographic image, it is obtained from a drop portion and a raised portion of the echo data discriminated by the discriminating means. Image processing means for calculating a three-dimensional pixel value based on echo data from the start point in the direction of the acoustic scanning line, with the boundary point as the starting point, and the display means is the acoustic scanning line calculated by the image processing means A three-dimensional image is displayed as an aggregate of three-dimensional pixel values for each.

  This configuration makes it possible to use the echo data drop or ridge (feature data part) in front of the target object existing in the two-dimensional or three-dimensional data capture space, and to appropriately limit the boundary in front of the target object. After setting the points, the boundary points can be used as calculation start points to perform 3D image processing.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention further selects at least one of a drop portion and a raised portion of the echo data discriminated by the discriminating means as a starting point based on a setting condition of the starting point inputted from the outside. And a start point selecting means for outputting to the image processing means.

  With this configuration, if one or both of the echo data drop-in part or the raised part (feature data part) in front of the target object is selected, and the feature data part is different, it is appropriately placed in front of the target object. After setting the boundary point, three-dimensional image processing can be performed using the boundary point as a calculation start point.

  Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention further sets the start point when the discriminating part and the raised part of the echo data cannot be discriminated by the discriminating unit, or the discrimination result from the discriminating unit is set in the start point selecting unit When the condition is not satisfied, the apparatus has a configuration including a start point predicting means for determining the start point for the current acoustic scan line by approximate prediction from the start point determined by the acoustic scan line before the current acoustic scan line. Yes.

  With this configuration, it is possible to determine the start point of the three-dimensional image processing even when there is no feature data portion of the echo data drop portion or the raised portion.

  In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention has a configuration in which the determination, selection, determination, and display of the three-dimensional image of the start point are performed in real time or offline after the echo data is stored in the storage means. doing.

  With this configuration, it is possible to select whether to display a 3D image in real time or to display a 3D image from the temporarily acquired echo data.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the display means has a configuration for displaying the start point on the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image.

  With this configuration, the start point of the 3D image processing can be clearly indicated to the operator.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging apparatus capable of setting a boundary point of a target object and constructing and displaying a three-dimensional image using the boundary point of the target object as a starting point even when there is no drop portion of echo data. It has a special effect of becoming.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

  In FIG. 1, an ultrasonic signal transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 1, reflected by the diagnosis target part and received by the ultrasonic probe 1 is subjected to signal processing such as amplification and detection by the reception signal processing unit 2, Are temporarily stored in the cine memory 5 (storage means) as a plurality of continuous echo data. At the same time, the received ultrasonic signal is supplied to the reception signal processing unit 2, and a plurality of echo data are converted into a B mode of an arbitrary cross section of the diagnosis site by a digital scan converter (DSC) 3 (conversion means). It is converted into ultrasonic tomographic image frame data and displayed on the display monitor 4 (display means) as a B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image.

  The previous echo data stored in the cine memory 5 by the cine memory read control unit 6, the cine memory read address counter 11, the cine memory write control unit 8, the cine memory write address counter 12, and the 3D image processing unit 7 (image processing means). A 3D image is created based on the above. Further, the operator designates various conditions including a start point setting condition described later for creating a three-dimensional image via the input device 10, and the system control unit 9 controls the entire apparatus.

  Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described together with the characteristic configuration of the present invention.

  The cine memory read control unit 6 reads echo data from successive frames of the cine memory 5, and the 3D image processing unit 7 creates a 3D image from the echo data of the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image by a volume rendering method.

  The three-dimensional image processing start processing unit 13 (discriminating means) performs an interval averaging process on echo data read from consecutive frames by the cine memory read control unit 6, and then compares the data values before and after. A case where the value becomes negative with respect to the threshold value is determined as a drop portion of the echo data string, and a case where the difference becomes positive with respect to the threshold value is determined as a raised part of the echo data string.

  Further, the logic processing unit 14 (start point selection means) sets the start point of the 3D image processing set from the input device 10 with respect to the positive and negative values determined by the 3D image processing start processing unit 13. Depending on the condition, select a combination, ie only positive, only negative, and both positive and negative, determine the starting point of the final 3D image processing, and echo this starting point The data string address is set in the 3D image processing unit 7 and 3D image processing starts.

  The start point prediction processing unit 15 (start point prediction means) stores the 3D image processing address of the past echo data sequence, and the 3D image processing start processing unit 13 includes a drop portion of the corresponding echo data sequence and If the raised portion does not exceed the positive / negative threshold, or if the determination result from the three-dimensional image processing start processing unit 13 does not satisfy the start point setting condition set in the logic processing unit 14, the tertiary of the past echo data sequence From the original image processing address, the start point which is the three-dimensional image processing address of the corresponding echo data string is determined by approximate prediction.

  The above processing can be performed offline while the echo data string is read, that is, in real time, or once stored in the cine memory 5.

  FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of determining the start point of 3D image processing in a plurality of echo data sequences for a fetus using the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2A, 21 indicates a plurality of echo data strings, and the first echo data string 21-1, the second echo data string 21-2,..., The (n-1) th echo data string 21- (n -1), n-th echo data string 21-n,.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, for the amplitude information of the first echo data sequence 21-1, the three-dimensional image processing start processing unit 13 sequentially compares the echo data corresponding to the amniotic fluid part. Therefore, the drop portion 23 of the echo data sequence exceeding the changeable threshold value ΔD input from the input device 10 can be determined as the starting point of the three-dimensional image processing.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2C, the amplitude information of the second echo data string 21-2 corresponds to the fetal skull 22 (FIG. 2A) in the three-dimensional image processing start processing unit 13. Since successive comparison of echo data is performed and the difference between the preceding and succeeding data sequences becomes a positive value, the raised portion 24 of the echo data sequence exceeding the changeable threshold value ΔU input from the input device 10 is subjected to three-dimensional image processing. Can be determined as the starting point.

  However, in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, when the positive / negative data difference does not exceed the threshold value, the three-dimensional image processing of the corresponding echo data is performed from the three-dimensional image processing address of the past echo data accumulated in the start point prediction processing unit 15. An address is determined as a starting point.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2D, the n-th echo data sequence 21-n has no drop portion and no raised portion. In this case, the first echo data sequence 21-1 to the first ( The start point prediction processing unit 15 performs an approximate prediction process from the echo data string 21- (n-1) (n-1) (FIG. 2A) to determine the start point of the three-dimensional image processing.

  The start point of the three-dimensional image processing determined as described above is displayed on the two-dimensional B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image and clearly shown to the operator.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, for each echo data (acoustic scanning line data), the drop portion and the raised portion of the echo data before the target object are determined, and the boundary point is automatically set, A three-dimensional image can be constructed and displayed based on echo data from the start point in the acoustic scan line direction, starting from the boundary point of each echo data (acoustic scan line data).

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is capable of appropriately automatically setting the range of 3D imaging, and has an advantage that, for example, only the fetus can be clearly expressed as a 3D image. It is useful as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram which shows an example which determines the starting point of the three-dimensional image process in the some echo data sequence with respect to a fetus using the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on one embodiment of this invention Waveform diagram showing amplitude information of the first echo data string in FIG. 2A Waveform diagram showing amplitude information of the second echo data string in FIG. 2A Waveform diagram showing amplitude information of the nth echo data string in FIG. 2A

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic probe 2 Received signal processing part 3 DSC (conversion means)
4 Display monitor 5 Cine memory (memory means)
6 Cine Memory Reading Control Unit 7 3D Image Processing Unit (Image Processing Means)
8 Cine Memory Write Control Unit 9 System Control Unit 10 Input Device 11 Cine Memory Read Address Counter 12 Cine Memory Write Address Counter 13 3D Image Processing Start Processing Unit (Determination Unit)
14 logic processing unit (start point selection means)
15 Start point prediction processing unit (start point prediction means)
21 Multiple Echo Data Sequences 21-1 First Echo Data Sequence 21-2 Second Echo Data Sequence 21-n nth Echo Data Sequence 22 Fetal Skull Bone 23 Echo Data Dropped Portion 24 Echo Data Uplift part 25 Predicted starting point

Claims (5)

Storage means for storing received echo information emitted from the ultrasonic probe and reflected back at the diagnosis site as a plurality of physically continuous echo data;
Conversion means for converting a plurality of echo data into B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image frame data of an arbitrary cross section of the diagnosis site;
Display means for continuously displaying B-mode ultrasonic tomographic images created by the conversion means;
For each echo data constituting the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image, a discriminating means for discriminating a drop portion and a raised portion of the echo data in front of the target object;
For each echo data constituting the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image, the boundary point obtained from the drop portion and the raised portion of the echo data discriminated by the discriminating means is used as the start point, and the start in the acoustic scanning line direction Image processing means for calculating a three-dimensional pixel value based on echo data from a point,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the display unit displays a three-dimensional image as an aggregate of three-dimensional pixel values for each acoustic scanning line calculated by the image processing unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further selects at least one of a drop portion and a raised portion of the echo data determined by the determination unit as the start point based on the setting condition of the start point, and the image The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising start point selection means for outputting to the processing means. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further sets the start point when the discriminating portion and the raised portion of the echo data cannot be discriminated by the discriminating unit, or the discrimination result from the discrimination unit is set in the start point selecting unit The start point prediction means for determining a start point for the current acoustic scan line by approximate prediction from a start point determined by an acoustic scan line before the current acoustic scan line when the condition is not satisfied. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determination, selection, determination and display of the three-dimensional image are performed in real time or offline after echo data is stored in the storage means. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the start point on the B-mode ultrasonic tomographic image.

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