JP2008142151A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic diagnostic system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an image parameter of a diagnostic image captured in the past and an image parameter of a present diagnostic image identical, and to keep a position of a probe at the time of capturing the diagnostic image in the past the same as the position of the probe at the time of capturing the present diagnostic image. <P>SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 for generating the diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal to and from the probe 10 is equipped with an operational part 41 for entering coordinate data of the probe and diagnostic information, a control part 25 for controlling the image parameter at the time of generating the diagnostic image, a mark generating part 31 for generating an image showing the position of the probe 10 on a subject from the coordinate data of the probe 10, a display part 40 for displaying by combining the diagnostic image and the mark image, and a storage part 26 for storing the diagnostic information, the image parameter, and the coordinate data by associating with the diagnostic image, and displays the diagnostic image of the same lesion region with the same image quality and in the same position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic system that store diagnostic information, image parameters of a diagnostic image, and coordinate data of a probe in association with each other.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a diagnostic apparatus that irradiates a subject with ultrasonic waves and obtains a tomographic image of a tissue based on a reflected wave from the subject, and is widely used for various diagnoses because of high safety.

  When observing a lesion using a diagnostic image acquired with an ultrasound diagnostic device, the lesion becomes worse than before by comparing the diagnostic image acquired in the past with the current diagnostic image in the same subject. You can make a differential diagnosis to see if you are going to be better or better.

  In differential diagnosis of a lesion site, it is possible to capture changes over time such as how the size of the displayed lesion tissue, the shape of the margin of the lesion has changed, or how the luminance of the lesion site relative to the surrounding tissue has changed. In order to do so, it is necessary to set the same image parameters such as gain and dynamic range that affect the image quality of the diagnostic image.

As shown in FIG. 9, the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a probe 101, a transmission / reception unit 102, an A / D converter 103 that converts a received signal into a digital signal, and a phasing addition of the digitized received signal. A phasing addition unit 104, a signal processing unit 105, a display image data generation unit 106, a storage unit 107, a display unit 108, a control unit 109 for controlling each unit, and an input unit 110 are provided. A plurality of diagnostic images acquired in the above are stored in the storage unit 107 in association with the subject identifier and the image parameter at the time of acquisition, respectively, and when the subject identifier is newly input from the input unit 110, When the data exists in the storage unit 107, the image parameter at the time of acquisition associated with the diagnostic image acquired in the past is read from the storage unit 107, and the diagnosis acquired in the past It is known that an image is displayed on the display unit 108, an image parameter is set as an image parameter in the current acquisition, and the current diagnostic image and a diagnostic image acquired in the past are displayed side by side on the display unit 108 ( For example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-55326 A

  However, in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, by setting the image parameter of the diagnostic image acquired in the past and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image to be the same, it is possible to eliminate the difference caused by the difference in image quality between the two. Although it was possible, the difference in the images caused by the difference in the position and angle of the probe could not be eliminated.

  Therefore, in order to compare a minute part with high accuracy in diagnosis, it is necessary to obtain a diagnostic image of the same lesion part as the diagnostic image acquired in the past, but the same position of the subject acquired in the past and It had a problem that it was difficult to adjust to the same posture.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem. The image parameter of the past diagnostic image and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image can be set to be the same, and the past diagnostic image can be set. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of easily making the position and orientation of a probe at the time of acquisition of the probe and the position and orientation of the probe at the time of acquisition of the current diagnostic image easy.

  In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe, an operation unit that inputs diagnostic information and coordinate data of the probe, and a control unit that sets an image parameter when generating the diagnostic image, , A mark generation unit that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data, a display unit that combines and displays the diagnostic image and the mark image, and diagnostic information and an image for the diagnostic image It has a configuration including a storage unit that stores parameters and probe coordinate data in association with each other.

  With this configuration, when the diagnostic image stored in the storage unit is read, the diagnostic information, the diagnostic image, the image parameter of the diagnostic image, and the coordinate data of the probe with respect to the subject can be acquired in association with each other. The diagnostic image generated based on the coordinate data can be compared with the read diagnostic image with high accuracy.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention sets an operation unit for inputting diagnostic information and an image parameter for generating a diagnostic image in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe. A control unit that performs coordinate processing, a coordinate data acquisition unit that acquires coordinate data of the probe, a mark generation unit that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data, and a diagnostic image and a mark image And a storage unit that stores diagnostic information, image parameters, and coordinate data in association with each other for a diagnostic image.

  With this configuration, the body mark in which the probe mark is superimposed on the position based on the coordinate data automatically acquired by the coordinate data acquisition unit without inputting the coordinate data of the probe from the operation unit when the operator acquires an image. The image and the diagnostic image can be combined and displayed by the display processing unit of the display unit.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the display unit displays the first composite image and the second composite image, and the first composite image is the first diagnostic image read from the storage unit. It is a composite image with a first mark image showing a probe position based on coordinate data associated with the first diagnosis image, and the second composite image is a second diagnosis image and a second diagnosis being diagnosed. It has a configuration that is a composite image with a second mark image showing the probe position based on the probe coordinate data at the time of image acquisition.

  With this configuration, the first composite image and the second composite image can be displayed with high accuracy in comparison.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the image parameter of the second diagnostic image displayed on the display unit is set to be the same as the image parameter of the first diagnostic image read from the storage unit. Yes.

  With this configuration, the image parameter of the current diagnostic image can be set to be the same as the image parameter at the time of acquiring the past diagnostic image, and can be displayed with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, the ultrasonic diagnostic system of the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe, and an image server connected via a network. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an operation unit that inputs diagnostic information about a subject, a control unit that sets image parameters when generating a diagnostic image, and a coordinate data acquisition unit that acquires coordinate data of a probe for the subject. A mark image generation unit that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data, a display unit that combines and displays the diagnostic image and the mark image, and communication that performs transmission and reception with the image server The image server includes a communication unit that performs transmission and reception with the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and diagnostic information and image parameters for the diagnostic image received from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. It has a storage section that associates and stores the chromatography data and coordinate data, the configuration with.

  With this configuration, by inputting diagnostic information to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the diagnostic image, the image parameter of the diagnostic image, and the coordinate data of the probe with respect to the subject can be obtained in association with each other. Even in this case, the current diagnostic image and the past diagnostic image can be compared with high accuracy.

  According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, when acquiring a past diagnostic image from diagnostic information, the diagnostic image, the image parameter of the diagnostic image, and the coordinate data of the probe for the subject can be acquired in association with each other. A diagnostic image and a past diagnostic image can be compared with high accuracy.

  Hereinafter, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 for displaying a diagnostic image based on an echo signal obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic pulse in a living body includes diagnostic information, image parameters at the time of image generation, and coordinate data of the probe. Is provided, and a control unit 25 having an image parameter control unit 35 for setting an image parameter at the time of image generation input from the operation unit 41 is provided.

  Moreover, the display part 40 which has the display process part 34 which synthesize | combines the body mark image which superimposed the probe mark on the position based on the coordinate data input from the operation part 41, and a diagnostic image is provided.

  Further, a configuration including an image storage unit 27 that stores the acquired diagnostic image, an image parameter storage unit 28 that stores image parameters, and a coordinate data storage unit 29 that stores coordinate data of the probe 10. It is.

  Next, the function of each part will be described.

  The probe 10 is an ultrasonic probe that irradiates a subject with ultrasonic pulses from an ultrasonic transducer, receives reflected ultrasonic waves from the subject, and converts them into electrical signals. A beam is formed, and a scanning plane is formed by scanning the ultrasonic beam.

  The transmission unit 22 supplies a predetermined transmission signal to the plurality of vibration elements constituting the probe 10, and the reception unit 23 performs phasing addition processing on the plurality of reception signals output from the plurality of vibration elements. Do. In addition, the signal processing unit 24 performs gain adjustment processing, filtering processing, log compression processing, detection processing, dynamic range adjustment processing, enhancement processing, and the like on the signal from the reception unit 23, and controls the processed signal, which will be described later. To the unit 25.

  The control unit 25 is configured by a CPU that is operated by software, and performs control related to image generation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, system control, and the like. In addition, it has a function of assigning a common management number to a plurality of data such as diagnostic images, image parameters, and coordinate data.

  The control unit 25 also has an operation control of each unit based on various parameter values set by the operation unit 41 described later, and a calibration function for matching the scale size of the subject and the scale size of the body mark. .

  The image parameter control unit 35 of the control unit 25 sets image parameters such as gain, dynamic range, acoustic power, transmission power, transmission frequency, contour enhancement, STC (Sensitive Time Control), which are setting information when generating a diagnostic image. Control.

  The storage unit 26 includes diagnostic images, diagnostic information input from the operation unit 41, image parameters such as gain and dynamic range at the time of acquisition, and coordinate data regarding the position and orientation of the probe 10 on the subject at the time of acquisition. Remembered.

  At this time, since each control data is given a management number including common data for association by the control unit 25, the diagnostic information, image parameters, and coordinate data are stored in association with the diagnostic image. .

  The image processing unit 30 performs scan conversion by a digital scan converter and generates a diagnostic image based on received data.

  The mark generator 31 includes a body mark generator 32 and a probe mark generator 33. The body mark generation unit 32 includes a plurality of body marks that are prepared in advance based on instruction conditions such as the purpose of the control unit 25, the target region, the probe direction, the diagnosis department, and the operator such as a doctor. 2D body mark or 3D body mark is automatically generated based on selection of an appropriate body mark from the above or based on the instruction condition of the control unit 25.

  The probe mark generation unit 33 selects an appropriate probe mark from a plurality of probe marks prepared in advance based on an instruction condition of the control unit 25, or a two-dimensional probe mark or Automatic generation of 3D probe marks.

  The display unit 40 includes a display processing unit 34, and the display processing unit 34 superimposes and displays a probe mark at a position based on the probe coordinate data input from the operation unit 41 on the body mark output from the mark generation unit 31. And the diagnostic image generated by the image processing unit 30 based on the generated body mark image and the diagnostic image read from the image storage unit 27 of the storage unit 26 by the control unit 25 or the input signal, Is synthesized and displayed.

  The operation unit 41 includes various operation means such as a keyboard, a mouse, an operation button, and a trackball. The operation unit 41 sets diagnosis information related to diagnosis image acquisition, such as acquisition date and time, acquisition location, or subject information, and condition settings for various parameters related to the image. , And coordinate data indicating the position of the probe 10 on the subject can be input. The operation unit also includes information input means such as a CD drive and a DVD drive, and can input statistical data and image data. The data can be stored in the diagnostic information storage unit 38 of the storage unit 26.

  The operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In FIG. 2, when an operator inputs diagnostic information such as a subject name and ID number from the operation unit 41 (S201), past diagnostic images associated with the diagnostic information are retrieved and extracted from the storage unit 26 (S202). ).

  Further, coordinate data relating to the position and orientation of the probe 10 at the time of acquisition associated with the past diagnostic image extracted from the storage unit 26 is acquired (S203).

  Based on the acquired coordinate data, the mark generator 31 generates a mark image in which the body mark and the probe mark are superimposed. In the display processing unit 34, the extracted diagnostic image and body mark image are combined and displayed on the first screen 50 (hereinafter referred to as the first screen) of the display unit 40 (S204).

  Next, image parameters at the time of acquisition of the acquired past diagnostic image are acquired from the storage unit 26 (S205), and image parameters such as gain and dynamic range of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 from which the diagnostic image is to be acquired are acquired. The same as the image parameter set.

  In this state, the operator refers to the position of the probe mark on the body mark displayed on the first screen 50 of the display unit 40, and the position and posture of the probe 10 with respect to the subject acquired a past diagnostic image. The position and orientation of the probe 10 are adjusted so as to be the same as those, and the diagnostic image is acquired by matching the position and the like, and the diagnostic image is acquired (S206).

  The display processing unit 34 displays the acquired current diagnostic image on the second screen 60 of the display unit 40 (S207).

  An example of a composite image displayed on the display unit 40 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the first screen 50 displays a past diagnostic image 52 including the lesioned part 51, a body mark 53 at the time of acquisition, and a probe mark 54 at a position based on the coordinate data. A current diagnostic image 62 including the lesion 61 is displayed.

  By comparing the lesioned part 51 on the first screen 50 and the lesioned part 61 on the second screen 60 displayed with the same image quality, it is possible to identify and diagnose the presence and degree of change of the lesioned part over time.

  Next, it is determined whether or not to save the current diagnostic image displayed on the second screen as a new diagnostic image (S208). If there is no change over time in the lesion and there is no need to save the current diagnostic image as a new diagnostic image (NO in S208), the operation is terminated.

  When a new image is to be stored because of a change over time in the lesion (YES in S208), the coordinate data of the probe 10 when the new image to be stored is acquired from the operation unit 41 is input (S209). ).

  As a result, the control unit 25 associates the diagnostic image with diagnostic information such as the name of the subject, the acquisition date and time, the acquisition location, the association between the diagnostic image and the image parameter at the time of acquisition, the diagnostic image and the subject of the probe 10 at the time of acquisition. Association with coordinate data relating to the position and orientation of the specimen is performed.

  Then, the associated diagnostic information, diagnostic image, image parameter, and coordinate data of the probe 10 are stored in the storage unit 26 (S209), and the operation ends.

  As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment, the image parameter of the past diagnostic image and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image are set to be the same, and the probe at the time of acquisition of the past diagnostic image is set. Since the position and orientation of the probe and the position and orientation of the probe at the time of acquisition of the current diagnostic image can be made the same, it is possible to display the diagnostic image of the same lesion area with the same image quality, and the operator's skill and knowledge It is possible to identify and diagnose objectively and easily whether or not the lesion has changed over time and the degree of change, regardless of the experience or the like.

  Furthermore, by shortening the operation and setting time of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the burden on the operator can be reduced and the diagnosis time can be greatly reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the form in which the reference image and the diagnostic image are displayed side by side has been described. However, a display form in which the entire image is displayed while selecting either the reference image or the diagnostic image may be used. .

  Although the first screen and the second screen have been described as having the same size, it is possible to switch one screen larger and the other screen smaller so that, for example, the same size can be used when identifying changes over time in a lesion. When the lesion site is identified and changed over time, it is easy to confirm the state of the lesion site by displaying it on a large screen.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the composite image in the past diagnosis is shown on the first screen, and the composite image in the current diagnosis is shown on the second screen.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the past diagnostic images associated with the diagnostic information are retrieved from the image storage unit and acquired, but there are a plurality of past diagnostic images associated with the diagnostic information. The latest diagnostic image may be acquired or a list of past diagnostic images may be displayed, and an appropriate diagnostic image may be selected from the list.

  In addition, when a specialist doctor is in charge for the first time, information that serves as a guide to the operator, such as an illustration or a photo showing how to apply the probe to the subject, is input from the operation unit 41 when acquiring a diagnostic image, The diagnostic information can be stored in the diagnostic information storage unit 38 in association with the diagnostic image. In this case, when the reference image acquired by the specialist during the subsequent diagnosis is read from the diagnostic information storage unit 38 of the storage unit 26, not only the image parameters and the probe position are made the same, but also the operator Since diagnostic information as a guide can be acquired and displayed together, even an inexperienced operator can accurately compare with past diagnostic images.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention includes a magnetic field generation unit 11, a magnetic sensor 12, and a coordinate calculation unit 21 in order to acquire coordinate data related to the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject. The difference from the first embodiment is that the coordinate data acquisition unit 13 is further configured.

  In FIG. 4, the same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The magnetic field generator 11 has a magnetic field generating coil that is fixed to a predetermined position such as an examination table on which the subject is placed or a predetermined position of the subject via a belt or the like and generates a magnetic field of a three-axis orthogonal system. Then, alternating currents having different frequencies are passed through the coils to generate alternating magnetic fields. The magnetic sensor 12 is housed in the side surface or inside of the probe 10 and detects an alternating magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 11 with a three-axis orthogonal detection coil.

  The coordinate calculation unit 21 determines the position and posture of the probe 10 on the subject with respect to the reference position based on the input signal to each coil from the magnetic field generation unit 11 and the output signal of each coil output from the magnetic sensor 12. Calculate and output coordinate data.

  The storage unit 26 stores diagnostic images, diagnostic information input from the operation unit 41, image parameters such as gain and dynamic range at the time of acquisition, and on the subject of the probe 10 at the time of acquisition obtained from the coordinate data acquisition unit 13. Coordinate data regarding the position and orientation is stored.

  At this time, since each control data is given a common management number for association by the control unit 25, the diagnostic information, the image parameters, and the coordinate data are stored in association with the diagnostic image.

  The operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In FIG. 5, when an operator inputs diagnostic information such as a subject name and ID number from the operation unit 41 (S301), a past diagnostic image associated with the diagnostic information is retrieved and extracted from the storage unit 26 (S302). ).

  Further, coordinate data regarding the position and orientation of the probe 10 at the time of acquisition associated with the past diagnostic image extracted from the storage unit 26 is acquired (S303).

  Based on the acquired coordinate data, the mark generator 31 generates a mark image in which the body mark and the probe mark are superimposed. In the display processing unit 34, the extracted diagnostic image and body mark image are combined and displayed on the first screen of the display unit 40 (S304).

  Next, image parameters at the time of acquiring the acquired past diagnostic image are acquired from the storage unit 26 (S305), and image parameters such as the gain and dynamic range of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 from which the diagnostic image is to be acquired are acquired. The same as the image parameter set.

  In this state, the operator refers to the probe mark position on the body mark displayed on the first screen of the display unit 40, and the position and posture of the probe 10 with respect to the subject acquired the past diagnostic image. A diagnostic image is acquired by combining the probes 10 so as to be the same, and a diagnostic image is acquired (S306).

  At this time, based on the input signal of each coil from the magnetic field generation unit 11 and the output signal of each coil output from the magnetic sensor 12, the probe position is calculated by the coordinate calculation unit 21, and the coordinates of the probe 10 on the subject are calculated. A body mark image is generated by superimposing the probe mark generated by the probe mark generator 33 on the position based on the data.

  In order to simplify the task of matching the position and orientation of the probe 10 to be the same as when a past diagnostic image is acquired, a notification means for emitting sound or light is provided or on the screen of the display unit 40. It is desirable to change the display in terms of brightness, color, and the like. Furthermore, when approaching the past position and posture, the amount of energy is gradually increased (the volume is increased and the amount of light is increased), or the color is changed, etc. When entering the range, it is desirable to notify so that it can be understood that it is the same. In this way, the operator is not only looking at the probe mark on the screen, but also in the process of approaching the past state (position, posture, etc.) with sound or light, etc. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the direction is wrong, and it is possible to easily approach a predetermined state in a short time.

  The display processing unit 34 combines the acquired current diagnostic image with the body mark generated by the body mark generation unit 32 and displays the combined image on the second screen of the display unit 40 (S307).

  An example of a composite image displayed on the display unit 40 is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, a probe mark 54 is displayed on the first screen 50 at a position based on the past diagnostic image 52 including the lesion 51, the body mark 53 at the time of acquisition, and the coordinate data, and the second screen 60. A probe mark 64 is displayed at a position based on the current diagnostic image 62 including the lesion 61, the body mark 63 at the time of acquisition, and the coordinate data.

  At this time, the operator matches the position of the probe mark 54 on the body mark 53 displayed on the first screen 50 with the position of the probe mark 64 on the body mark 63 displayed on the second screen 60. Move the probe over the subject. By confirming the position of the probe mark 64 with reference to the probe mark 54, the diagnostic site can be combined even when the contour of the position diagnostic image is unclear and it is difficult to align the diagnostic position with the previous time. I can do it.

  Then, by comparing the lesioned part 51 on the first screen 50 and the lesioned part 61 on the second screen 60 displayed with the same image quality, it is possible to identify and diagnose whether or not the lesioned part has changed over time.

  Next, it is determined whether or not to save the current diagnostic image displayed on the second screen as a new diagnostic image (S308). If there is no change over time in the lesion and there is no need to save the current diagnostic image as a new diagnostic image (NO in S308), the operation is terminated.

  When a new image is stored due to a change in the lesioned part over time (YES in S308), the control unit 25 associates the diagnostic image with diagnostic information such as the name of the subject, acquisition date and acquisition location, and the like. Then, the diagnostic image is associated with the image parameter at the time of acquisition, and the diagnostic image is associated with coordinate data relating to the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject at the time of acquisition (S309).

  Then, the diagnostic information, the diagnostic image, the image parameter, and the coordinate data of the probe 10 associated in S309 are stored in the storage unit 26 (S309), and the operation ends.

  As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment, the image parameter of the past diagnostic image and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image are set to be the same, and the probe at the time of acquisition of the past diagnostic image is set. Since the position and orientation of the probe and the position and orientation of the probe at the time of acquisition of the current diagnostic image can be made the same, it is possible to display the diagnostic image of the same lesion area with the same image quality, and the operator's skill and knowledge It is possible to identify and diagnose objectively and easily whether or not the lesion has changed over time and the degree of change, regardless of the experience or the like.

  Furthermore, since the coordinate acquisition unit is provided in the present embodiment, the coordinate data acquisition unit 13 automatically acquires the coordinate data of the probe from the operation unit when the operator acquires an image. The body mark image in which the probe mark is superimposed at the position based on the coordinate data and the diagnostic image can be combined and displayed by the display processing unit 34 of the display unit 40.

  Thereby, the operation and setting time of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be shortened, the burden on the operator can be reduced, and the diagnostic time can be greatly reduced.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the coordinate data acquisition unit 13 includes the magnetic field generation unit 11, the magnetic sensor 12, and the coordinate calculation unit 21, but the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject are described. As long as the coordinate data can be acquired, it is not limited to a magnetic sensor but may be an optical sensor or the like.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 7, the ultrasonic diagnostic system includes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 and an image server 80 connected via a communication network 70.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 that displays a diagnostic image based on an echo signal obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic pulse in a living body includes an operation unit 41 that inputs diagnostic information, and an image generated by the operation unit 41 is generated. It is the structure provided with the control part 25 which has the image parameter control part 35 which sets the image parameter in the case of.

  In addition, in order to acquire coordinate data related to the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject, a coordinate data acquisition unit 13 that acquires coordinate data including a magnetic field generation unit 11, a magnetic sensor 12, and a coordinate calculation unit 21. Is provided.

  Moreover, the display part 40 which has the display process part 34 which synthesize | combines the body mark image which superimposed the probe mark on the position based on the coordinate data acquired by the coordinate data acquisition part 13, and a diagnostic image is provided.

  On the other hand, the image server 80 includes a communication unit 81 that transmits / receives diagnostic images and the like to / from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 2 via the communication network 70, and a storage unit 82 that stores diagnostic image information.

  The storage unit 82 includes an image storage unit 27 that stores the acquired diagnostic image, an image parameter storage unit 28 that stores image parameters, and a coordinate data storage unit 29 that stores coordinate data of the probe 10.

  In FIG. 7, the same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The communication unit 37 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 and the communication unit 81 of the image server 80 transmit and receive data such as image parameters, coordinate data, and diagnostic information via the communication network 70.

  The storage unit 82 has the same function as the storage unit 26 of FIG. 1, and associates image parameters, coordinate data, and diagnostic information with the diagnostic image received from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 2. Remember.

  The operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic system configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In FIG. 8, first, an operator inputs diagnostic information such as a subject name and ID number from the operation unit 41 (S501), and the input diagnostic information is transmitted from the communication unit 37 via the communication network 70 to the image server 80. A past diagnostic image transmitted to the communication unit 81 and associated with the diagnostic information is retrieved and extracted from the image storage unit 27 of the storage unit 82, and the extracted past diagnostic image is transmitted from the communication unit 81 via the communication network 70. By being transmitted to the communication unit 37 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 acquires a past diagnostic image associated with the diagnostic information. (S502).

  Also, coordinate data regarding the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject at the time of acquisition associated with the acquired past diagnostic image is stored in the storage unit of the image server 80 via the communication network 70 in the same manner as the acquisition of the past diagnostic image. 82 from the coordinate data storage unit 29 (S503).

  Then, the probe mark generator 33 selects or automatically generates the probe mark at a position based on the acquired past diagnostic image and the coordinate data acquired by the body mark selected or automatically generated by the body mark generator 32 in the display processing unit 34. Are superimposed on the body mark image and the combined image is displayed on the first screen of the display unit 40 (S504).

  Next, the image parameter at the time of acquisition associated with the acquired past diagnostic image is acquired from the image parameter storage unit 28 of the storage unit 82 of the image server 80 via the communication network 70 in the same manner as the acquisition of the past diagnostic image. In step S505, image parameters such as the gain and dynamic range of the diagnostic image to be acquired are set to be the same as the acquired image parameters.

  The operator refers to the probe mark position on the body mark displayed on the first screen of the display unit 40, and the position and posture of the probe 10 with respect to the subject are the same as the position and posture at which the past diagnostic image is acquired. Thus, the probe 10 is combined to obtain a diagnostic image (S506).

  The body mark generation unit 32 creates a body mark that schematically represents the shape of the subject, and the probe mark generation unit 33 uses the coordinate data obtained by the magnetic field generation unit 11, the magnetic sensor 12, and the coordinate calculation unit 21. A probe mark is created on the body mark.

  The mark generation unit 31 generates a mark image in which the probe mark is superimposed on the body mark, and displays the combined image of the diagnostic image and the mark image created in S506 on the second screen of the display unit 40 (S507).

  An example of a composite image displayed on the first screen and the second screen of the display unit 40 is the same as FIG.

  Next, it is determined whether or not to save the current diagnostic image displayed on the second screen as a new diagnostic image (S508). When it is not necessary to save the current diagnostic image as a new diagnostic image (NO in S508), the operation ends.

  When a new image is stored due to a change with time in the lesioned part (YES in S508), the control unit 25 associates the diagnostic image with diagnostic information such as the subject name, acquisition date and acquisition location, The diagnostic image is associated with the image parameter at the time of acquisition, and the diagnostic image is associated with coordinate data relating to the position and orientation of the probe 10 with respect to the subject at the time of acquisition (S509).

  Next, the associated diagnostic image information and the like are transmitted from the communication unit 37 to the communication unit 81 of the image server 80 via the communication network 70, and the image storage unit 27, the image parameter storage unit 28, the coordinate data of the storage unit 82 are transmitted. Each is stored in the storage unit 29 (S510), and the operation is terminated.

  As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic system of the present embodiment, the image parameter of the past diagnostic image and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image are set to be the same, and the probe at the time of acquisition of the past diagnostic image is set. Since the position and orientation of the probe and the position and orientation of the probe at the time of acquisition of the current diagnostic image are the same, diagnostic images of the same lesion area can be displayed in parallel with the same image quality. Regardless of this, it is possible to objectively and easily identify and diagnose whether or not the lesion has changed over time and the degree of change.

  Furthermore, by shortening the operation and setting time of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the burden on the operator can be reduced and the diagnosis time can be greatly reduced.

  In addition, since diagnostic image information is stored in the image server, it can also be accessed from other authorized ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses connected via a communication network. For example, when the subject is transferred for some reason, the ultrasound of the transfer destination Past diagnostic images can also be displayed on the diagnostic device.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention can set the image parameter of the past diagnostic image and the image parameter of the current diagnostic image to be the same, and the probe at the time of acquiring the past diagnostic image. Since the position and orientation of the probe and the position and orientation of the probe at the time of acquisition of the current diagnostic image can be easily made the same, diagnostic images of the same lesion area can be displayed in parallel with the same image quality. It has the effect of being able to objectively and easily distinguish and diagnose the presence and degree of change, and is useful as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the ultrasound diagnosing device in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of the ultrasound diagnosing device in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasound diagnosing device in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the ultrasound diagnosing device in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of the ultrasound diagnosing device in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing system in Embodiment 3 of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the ultrasonic diagnosing system in Embodiment 3 of this invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 Probe 11 Magnetic field generation part 12 Magnetic sensor 13 Coordinate data acquisition part 21 Coordinate calculation part 22 Transmission part 23 Reception part 24 Signal processing part 25 Control part 26,82 Storage part 27 Image storage part 28 Image parameter Storage unit 29 Coordinate data storage unit 30 Image processing unit 31 Mark generation unit 32 Body mark generation unit 33 Probe mark generation unit 34 Display processing unit 35 Image parameter control unit 37, 81 Communication unit 38 Diagnostic information storage unit 40 Display unit 41 Operation unit 50 First screen 51, 61 Lesions 52 Past diagnostic image 53, 63 Body mark 54, 64 Probe mark 60 Second screen 61 Current diagnostic image 70 Communication network 80 Image server

Claims (5)

In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe,
An operation unit for inputting diagnostic information and coordinate data of the probe;
A control unit for setting an image parameter when generating the diagnostic image;
A mark generator that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data;
A display unit that combines and displays the diagnostic image and the mark image;
A storage unit that associates and stores the diagnostic information, the image parameter, and the coordinate data of the probe for the diagnostic image;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe,
An operation unit for inputting diagnostic information;
A control unit for setting an image parameter when generating the diagnostic image;
A coordinate data acquisition unit for acquiring coordinate data of the probe;
A mark generator that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data;
A display unit that combines and displays the diagnostic image and the mark image;
A storage unit that associates and stores the diagnostic information, the image parameter, and the coordinate data of the probe for the diagnostic image;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The display unit displays a first composite image and a second composite image,
The first composite image is a composite image of a first diagnostic image read from the storage unit and a first mark image indicating a probe position based on coordinate data associated with the first diagnostic image. ,
The second composite image is a composite image of the second diagnostic image being diagnosed and a second mark image indicating a probe position based on probe coordinate data at the time of acquisition of the second diagnostic image. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized. The image parameter of the second diagnostic image displayed on the display unit is set to be the same as the image parameter of the first diagnostic image read from the storage unit. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a diagnostic image by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal from a probe, and an image server connected via a network,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises:
An operation unit for inputting diagnostic information about the subject;
A control unit for setting an image parameter when generating the diagnostic image;
A coordinate data acquisition unit for acquiring coordinate data of the probe with respect to the subject;
A mark image generation unit that generates an image indicating the position of the probe on the subject based on the coordinate data;
A display unit that combines and displays the diagnostic image and the mark image;
A communication unit that performs transmission and reception with the image server,
A communication unit that performs transmission and reception with the ultrasonic diagnostic device;
An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising: a storage unit that stores the diagnostic information, the image parameter, and coordinate data in association with the diagnostic image received from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

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