JP2006055511A - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide simply manageable ultrasonic diagnostic equipment which transmits/receives ultrasonic waves and forms an ultrasonic image on the basis of the obtained reception signal. <P>SOLUTION: This ultrasonic diagnostic equipment 10, which transmits/receives the ultrasonic waves and forms the ultrasonic image on the basis of the obtained receiving signal, comprises a plurality of functional modules 20a-20d and a relay device 18. The plurality of functional modules 20a-20d are provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment 10, and formed by functionally and broadly dividing a processing part of the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment so as to modularize each of divided processing parts. The functional modules 20a-20d are each equipped with a communication interface. The relay device 18, which is provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment 10 and connected to each of the plurality of functional modules 20a-20d via a network, relays communication between the plurality of functional modules 20a-20d and an external network environment 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves and forms an ultrasonic image based on an obtained reception signal.

  2. Description of the Related Art Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses that acquire and receive information related to in vivo tissues by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves into the living body are widely used. Some of them include a communication interface and can communicate with information devices outside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (for example, Patent Document 1). By incorporating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a communication function into a network environment such as a LAN, data can be easily shared with other information terminals.

JP 2002-159493 A

  However, when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is configured as a part of a network environment such as a LAN, the communication interface and OS of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may need to be updated according to changes in the network environment. Furthermore, when the OS of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is updated, various software of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the function of the OS may be affected, and it is necessary to update these various software. This OS and software update work takes time and effort, and management of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can be managed more easily.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves and forms an ultrasonic image based on the obtained reception signal, and is provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, A plurality of functional modules obtained by functionally classifying the processing units of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus into modules, each of which is provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and a plurality of functional modules each having a communication interface; A relay device that is network-connected to each of the functional modules, the relay device relaying communication between the plurality of functional modules and an external network environment, and constructing a LAN within the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Features.

  In a preferred aspect, the relay device can be connected to another information device via a network, and the processing unit can communicate with the other information device via the relay device. In another preferred aspect, each functional module exchanges at least a part of signals exchanged with other functional modules via the relay device. Preferably, the signal exchanged via the network connection includes a control signal for controlling each functional module.

  Here, the relay device is preferably a router, but may be a repeater or a bridge as long as it has a function of relaying communication with an external network environment. The communication interface refers to a hardware or software interface necessary for network communication, such as a communication port for connecting a communication cable or communication software. The network connection may be a wired connection using a LAN cable or an optical cable, or a wireless connection using wireless, infrared, or laser. The other information devices refer to all devices having a communication function, such as PCs, PDAs, network printers, and other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses having a communication function.

  According to the present invention, a relay device that relays communication with an external network environment is provided, and changes in the external network environment can be absorbed only by the relay device. Therefore, other components of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are not easily affected by the external network environment. Therefore, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be managed more easily.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes a main body 14 and a probe 12 and peripheral equipment 16 connected thereto. A relay device 18 is provided inside the main body 14, and communicates with an external network environment 24 via the relay device 18. A processing unit 15 that performs signal processing related to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves and ultrasonic image formation is also provided inside the main body unit 14. The processing unit 15 is modularized for each function that can be roughly classified functionally. The function modules 20 a to 20 d obtained by modularizing each function are connected to the relay device 18 via a network, and a LAN is constructed inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10. Hereinafter, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 will be described in detail.

  As is well known, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10 transmits and receives ultrasound, and forms an ultrasound image based on the received signal obtained thereby. A processing unit that performs signal processing related to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves and formation of ultrasonic images is provided inside the main body unit 14. This processing unit is physically composed of one or more CPUs, memories, circuits, software installed in the memories, and the like. Functionally, it includes multiple components such as a transmission / reception processing unit that processes ultrasonic transmission / reception signals, an image forming unit that forms ultrasonic images based on the received signals, and a control unit that controls each unit. It can be divided roughly.

  In the present embodiment, each processing unit that can be roughly classified functionally is realized as the functional modules 20a to 20d. Each functional module 20a to 20d has a CPU, a memory, a circuit, and software installed in the memory, and executes necessary processing for each function. The functional modules 20a to 20d are connected to each other via a signal line 30 such as a PCI bus or an ISA bus, and can exchange data with other functional modules. Further, each of the functional modules 20 a to 20 d has a TCP / IP communication interface (not shown), and is connected to the relay device 18 via a network. Therefore, each functional module 20a-20d can communicate with another functional module. That is, it can be said that one LAN in which each functional module 20a to 20d corresponds to a node is constructed in the main body unit 14.

  Note that all the components of the processing unit do not necessarily have to be modularized, and only a part may be modularized. In addition, components that are not included in the processing unit 15, for example, an external storage device, may be connected to the relay device 18 as one functional module. Here, the communication interface refers to an interface necessary for executing TCP / IP communication, such as a communication port for connecting a communication cable and communication software for executing communication. Further, the network connection may be a wired connection using a LAN cable or an optical cable, or a wireless connection using wireless or infrared.

  The relay device 18 is connected to an external network environment 24, for example, a LAN in a hospital where an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is placed, and relays communication between the external network environment 24 and each of the function modules 20a to 20d. The relay device 18 interprets a protocol of data transmitted / received between the external network environment 24 and each of the functional modules 20a to 20d, and performs data distribution control according to the content. That is, the relay device 18 is always present in communication between the inside of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 and the external network environment 24. When the external network environment 24 changes, the change can be absorbed by the relay device 18. That is, even if the external network environment 24 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is subjected to a cyber attack, the relay apparatus 18 is only attacked and the inside of the relay apparatus 18 is not affected. In addition, when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is connected to another network environment, it is only necessary to set connection settings for the relay apparatus 18 and the network environment, so that the setting of the LAN inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is affected. Absent. That is, even if the external network environment 24 changes, the OS and various software of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 are not affected, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be managed more easily.

  Further, the relay device 18 can be connected to another information device 22 such as a PC, a PDA, or another ultrasonic diagnostic device having a communication function via a network, and the other information device 22 and the ultrasonic diagnostic device 10 can be connected. Communication with can be easily realized. That is, other information devices 22 can also be easily incorporated into the LAN inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus by connecting to the relay device 18. Thereby, even when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is placed in a place without a network environment, data can be easily shared with other information devices 22.

  In FIG. 1, each of the functional modules 20a to 20d and the other information devices 22 are directly connected to the relay device 18, but a device such as a hub for branching / relaying a cable may be interposed. . By interposing the hub, more devices can be connected to the relay device 18 via the network. Further, the relay device 18 is not necessarily connected to the external network environment 24. Moreover, the relay apparatus 18 may be provided with a filtering function that can restrict the types of data and protocols to be passed. By providing a filtering function, it is possible to improve the defense against external cyber attacks.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 requires high-level real-time properties such as ultrasonic reception signals and ultrasonic image data, and data having a relatively large amount of data is transmitted / received via a signal line 30 such as a PCI bus. . On the other hand, data having a relatively low real-time property and a small data capacity, such as control signals for controlling the functional modules 20a to 20d, are transmitted and received by communication using TCP / IP. However, depending on the communication speed of TCP / IP, all of the data transmitted / received by the functional modules 20a to 20d may be transmitted / received by communication using TCP / IP.

  Next, the configuration of this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described more specifically. FIG. 2 shows a more specific block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 40.

  The probe 42 is an ultrasonic probe that abuts on the body surface of the subject or is inserted into a body cavity. This is provided with a plurality of vibration elements inside, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in accordance with signals from the transmission / reception module 60. The ultrasonic transmission signal and the ultrasonic reception signal are exchanged via a probe cable 76 that connects the probe 42 and the transmission / reception module 60.

  The main body 44 is provided with a plurality of functional modules 60 to 68 and a router 70 to which the functional modules 60 to 68 are connected. Each of the functional modules 60 to 68 is realized as a PCI board (an expansion board compliant with the PCI standard) on which a CPU, a memory, a signal processing circuit, and the like are mounted, and is mounted on the same motherboard. The processing content corresponding to each function is realized by software, hardware, or a combination thereof. The functional modules 60 to 68 are connected by a PCI bus 72 indicated by a solid bold line, and transmit / receive data to / from other functional modules. Each functional module 60 to 68 has a TCP / IP communication interface (for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) port or communication software), and is connected to the router 70 via a LAN cable 74 indicated by a broken line. Has been. Hereinafter, the functional modules 60 to 68 will be described.

  The transmission / reception module 60 is a functional module that functions as a transmission beam former and a reception beam former. That is, the transmission / reception module 60 generates a drive signal for driving a plurality of vibration elements in the probe 42 and supplies the drive signal to the probe 42. Further, a phasing addition process or the like is performed on the reception signals received by the plurality of vibration elements. These processes are performed in response to an instruction from the control module 66. Here, the drive signal of the vibration element is transmitted to the probe 42 via the probe cable 76. The received signal after the phasing addition is output to the image forming module 62 via the PCI bus 72. Further, control signals transmitted / received to / from the control module 66 are transmitted / received by TCP / IP communication via the LAN cable 74. That is, the control signal is converted into a packet signal suitable for TCP / IP, and transmitted / received through a path based on a general-purpose standard called TCP / IP.

  The image forming module 62 is a functional module that executes signal processing for forming a B-mode image (tomographic image), signal processing for forming a Doppler image, and the like based on the received signal after phasing addition. The image forming module 62 performs coordinate conversion, interpolation, and the like on the obtained reception signal, and creates ultrasonic image data such as a B-mode image and a Doppler image. The created ultrasonic image data is passed to the video process module 64 through the PCI bus 72. The image forming module 62 is also controlled by the control module 66, and the control signal is transmitted and received by communication based on TCP / IP.

  The video process module 64 combines the obtained ultrasonic image data with image data indicating other ultrasonic image data or other measurement data as necessary, and forms display image data to be displayed on the monitor. The obtained display image data is converted into a television signal and then output to the monitor 46 and the video output unit 48. The video process module 64 is also controlled by the control module 66, and the control signal is transmitted and received by communication based on TCP / IP.

  The control module 66 is a module that controls the overall operation of the apparatus, including the control of the function modules 60 to 68. The control module 66 controls each unit of the apparatus in accordance with a user instruction input from an operation panel (not shown), and realizes processing according to the instruction. The control signal output from the control module 66 is packetized and transmitted by communication based on TCP / IP through the LAN cable 74. The control module 66 can communicate with the external network environment 52 via a router 70 described later, and can transmit / receive data to / from an information device installed in the external network environment 52.

  Thus, by modularizing each function, the function can be changed and expanded more flexibly. That is, by modularization, the function modules 60 to 68 are not easily affected by other function modules, and new functions can be easily added or existing functions can be updated. Therefore, when a new optional function is added, an optional module 68 may be added. At this time, the influence of the other functional modules can be minimized, so that the design can be easily changed. In addition, since a general-purpose interface called TCP / IP is used as a control signal transmission / reception interface, design for signal transmission / reception can be facilitated.

  The router 70 functions as a relay device. This has a plurality of LAN ports (Ethernet (registered trademark) ports) and can be connected to a plurality of function modules 60 to 68 via a network. Further, it is connected to the external network environment 52 and can communicate with the external network environment 52. At this time, the router 70 has a fixed IP address for the external network environment 52. The router 70 has a DHCP function and issues a local IP address to various devices connected to the LAN port. Based on the IP address, data to be transmitted / received is distributed. If it is determined that the data transmitted from the function modules 60 to 68 is addressed to the external network environment, the data is sent to the external network environment 52. Further, data transmitted from the external network environment 52 is distributed to each functional module 60 to 68 based on the IP address.

  As described above, since the external network environment 52 is connected via the router 70, when the external network environment 52 changes, it is only necessary to update the router 70. Specifically, even when a vulnerability is found in the external network environment or when a computer virus occurs, it is only necessary to respond to the router 70. Therefore, even if the external network environment 52 changes, the OS and various software of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 40 are not easily affected, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 40 can be managed more easily. In addition, since the router 70 separates the inside of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 40 and the external network environment 52 from the viewpoint of a network, information leakage from the inside of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 40 can be reduced.

  The router 70 has a LAN port for external connection so that it can be connected to other information devices 54 and 56 via a network. If another information device such as a PC or an ultrasonic diagnostic device having a communication function is connected to the LAN port for external connection, communication between the ultrasonic diagnostic device and the other information devices 54 and 56 is simplified. realizable. Therefore, even if a network environment is not established at the installation location of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 40, data sharing with other information devices can be easily performed. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily store the acquired ultrasonic image data and measurement data in another computer, or to print various obtained data with a network printer. In addition, since a portable personal computer or the like can be directly connected, software update of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus during maintenance of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be easily performed. Further, it can be connected to a portable simple ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a communication function. Thereby, it is possible to more easily handle data acquired by a simple ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a relatively low display function and signal processing capability with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a high display function and signal processing capability.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the relay device (router) is provided, it is difficult to be affected by changes in the external network environment, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be managed more easily. In addition, data can be easily shared with other information devices even when placed in a place without a network environment. Furthermore, since each function is modularized, the extensibility of the design can be improved. In particular, since a part of signals to be transmitted / received such as control signals is performed by a general-purpose interface called TCP / IP, interface design related to signal transmission / reception can be simplified.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that further embodies FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

  10, 40 Ultrasonic diagnostic device, 12, 42 Probe, 14, 44 Main unit, 15, 58 Processing unit, 16 Peripheral device, 18 Relay device, 20 Functional module, 22, 54, 56 Information device, 24, 52 External network Environment, 30 signal lines, 46 monitor, 48 video output unit, 60 transmission / reception module, 62 image forming module, 64 video process module, 66 control module, 68 option module, 70 router, 72 PCI bus, 74 LAN cable.

Claims (5)

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves and forms an ultrasonic image based on the obtained reception signal,
A plurality of functional modules that are provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and functionally classify the processing units of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus into modules, each of which includes a communication interface;
A relay device provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and connected to each of the plurality of functional modules via a network, wherein the relay device relays communication between the plurality of functional modules and an external network environment;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a LAN inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The relay device can be connected to other information devices over a network,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the processing unit is capable of communicating with the other information device via the relay device. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
Each functional module exchanges at least a part of signals exchanged with other functional modules via the relay device. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the signal exchanged via the network connection includes a control signal for controlling each functional module. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the relay device is a router.

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