JP2009125274A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and method for controlling display of ultrasonic image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which saves an arbitrary image displayed during scanning without halting the scan and enables the reference after the end of the scan. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is equipped with a transmitting and receiving part 002 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic beams to and from a subject for scanning, an image generating part 006 for generating an ultrasonic image, a display control part 009 for displaying the ultrasonic image, a mark adding part 005 for adding discrimination information to the ultrasonic image displayed when receiving the direction to add the discrimination information and for storing it to a place to save, and a storage management part 004 which sequentially stores the ultrasonic image containing the ultrasonic image to which the discrimination information is added in a cinematic memory 007, stores a new ultrasonic image after discarding the oldest ultrasonic image when exceeding capacity, and stores the ultrasonic image to which the discrimination information is added in a storage part 008 before the ultrasonic image to which the discrimination is added is discarded, and the display control part 009 displays the ultrasonic image to which the discrimination information is added after the end of the scan. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  In the present invention, an ultrasonic image is generated by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave toward a subject, the generated ultrasonic image is temporarily stored, and an operator can refer to the generated image later. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image display control method.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus irradiates a subject with an ultrasonic beam via an ultrasonic probe, receives an ultrasonic echo as a reflected wave thereof with the ultrasonic probe, and processes data based on the received ultrasonic echo Thus, an ultrasonic image in the subject is obtained, or an image representing the velocity of blood flow or the like is drawn using the Doppler phenomenon.

  A conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided with a freeze function for stopping ultrasonic images displayed sequentially at an appropriate timing. By operating a freeze button or the like on the operation panel, an ultrasonic image at the scanned timing is displayed as a still image. Further, some ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses include a storage area called a cine memory that stores image data for several frames immediately before an image that is currently generated and displayed. This is displayed at the time of freezing by reading out the ultrasound image to be referred to from this cine memory when the timing of pressing the freeze button has shifted from the ultrasound image that you actually wanted to refer to. It has a function of displaying an ultrasonic image as a still image that dates back in the past from the existing ultrasonic image. This cine memory is a place for temporarily storing images. Therefore, it is necessary to use a memory that can perform high-speed writing in order to speed up the image generation process. However, since such a memory is expensive, it is difficult to increase the capacity.

  In order to effectively use the cine memory, a technique for storing an image so as not to form an unused area of the memory (see, for example, Patent Document 1) has been provided.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-015527

  However, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to effectively use a cine memory and store a large number of ultrasonic images. However, after storing an image to the limit of the capacity of the cine memory, the cine memory When new ultrasonic images are sequentially sent, new ultrasonic images are overwritten in the oldest order of the stored ultrasonic images. That is, the old images are erased sequentially. Therefore, when there is an image to be referred to during the generation of the ultrasonic image, it is necessary to freeze and store the necessary image in a storage area other than the cine memory. This operation of freezing and storage takes time, increases the diagnosis time, and places a burden on the patient.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can store an arbitrary image displayed during scanning without stopping the scanning and can refer to it after the scanning is completed. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 transmits an ultrasonic beam to a subject via an ultrasonic probe, and transmits an ultrasonic echo reflected from the subject to the ultrasonic probe. Transmitting and receiving means for scanning the subject by receiving the image, image generating means for generating an ultrasonic image based on data based on the ultrasonic echo, and the ultrasonic images in the order of generation in the display means When the display control means to be displayed, the first storage means, the second storage means, and the instruction to add the identification information are received, the identification information is added to the ultrasonic image displayed at that time, and the storage location And the generated ultrasonic image including the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added are sequentially stored in the first storage unit, exceeding the capacity of the first storage unit. If The oldest ultrasonic image among the ultrasonic images stored in the first storage means is discarded, the new ultrasonic image is stored, and the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is discarded. Storage management means for storing the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added in the second storage means, and after the scan, the display control means, based on the identification information, displays the identification information. An ultrasonic image with a mark is displayed on the display means.

  The ultrasonic image display control method according to claim 8, a step of collecting ultrasonic echoes reflected from a subject based on an ultrasonic beam transmitted toward the subject, and data based on the ultrasonic echoes Generating an ultrasonic image based on the scan, a live image display step for displaying the ultrasonic image immediately after generation on a display means, and the display when there is an instruction to add identification information An identification information adding step for adding identification information to the ultrasonic image, and the generated ultrasonic image including the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is sequentially stored in a first storage means. If the capacity of the first storage means is exceeded, the oldest ultrasonic image among the ultrasonic images stored in the first storage means is discarded and a new ultrasonic image is stored. Protection A first storage step for storing a storage location in the first storage means of the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added; and before the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is discarded A second storage step of storing the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added in the second storage unit at a timing; and a storage location in the second storage unit of the ultrasonic image stored in the second storage unit. Based on the input of the identification information, the ultrasonic image with the identification information added is read out from the first storage means or the second storage means and displayed on the display means after the second storage stage to store and after the scan ends And a mark image display stage to be performed.

  According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or the ultrasonic image display control method according to claim 8, identification information is attached to an ultrasonic image temporarily stored in a cine memory during scanning, and the identification information is further added. The ultrasonic image with the mark can be copied to another storage means before being erased from the cine memory, and the ultrasonic image can be kept. This makes it possible to refer to a necessary image after the scan is completed without interrupting the scan. Therefore, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the ultrasonic image display control method according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the speed of the ultrasonic diagnosis and contribute to the reduction of the physical and mental burden on the patient. .

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing functions of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment has two modes: a scan mode for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves toward a subject to generate an ultrasonic image, and a reference mode for referring to an ultrasonic image generated after the scan ends. . These modes are switched by the mode switching unit 013 in response to an input from the input unit 011. In FIG. 1, the mode switching unit 013 is provided separately from the system control unit 003, but this may be configured such that the mode switching unit 013 is provided in the system control unit 003. Hereinafter, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment in each mode will be described.

(Operation in scan mode)
The ultrasonic probe 001 includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators such as piezoelectric ceramics arranged in a line. The piezoelectric vibrator receives a voltage pulse input from the transmission / reception unit 002 and vibrates by the voltage to generate a directional ultrasonic beam. Then, the piezoelectric vibrator transmits the ultrasonic beam to the subject. The ultrasonic probe 001 receives an ultrasonic echo obtained by reflecting the transmitted ultrasonic beam at a discontinuous surface of the acoustic impedance of the subject with a piezoelectric vibrator. Then, the piezoelectric vibrator converts the received ultrasonic echo into an echo signal that is an electrical signal, and outputs the echo signal to the transmission / reception unit 002. In this ultrasonic probe 001, the ultrasonic probe 001 or the piezoelectric vibrator is oscillated by mechanical control or manually. In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 001 is described as a one-dimensional probe in which piezoelectric vibrators are arranged in a one-dimensional array. This is because two piezoelectric transducers are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. A dimension probe may be used.

  The transmission / reception unit 002 is provided with a transmission pulse generator, a transmission delay circuit, a pulser, a reception delay circuit, and an adder (all not shown). The transmission / reception unit 002 corresponds to “transmission / reception means” in the present invention.

  The transmission pulse generator generates a transmission pulse signal for forming an ultrasonic beam for each rate pulse (ultrasonic wave transmission / reception reference rate) based on a constant pulse repetition frequency (PRF: Pulse Repetition Frequency). The transmission pulse generator generates a transmission pulse signal for forming a desired ultrasonic beam. The transmission pulse signal is a control pulse signal for emitting an ultrasonic pulse. This transmission pulse signal is distributed by the number of transmission channels and sent to the transmission delay circuit. The transmission delay circuit is inputted with timing control data for determining the delay time for each transmission channel. Based on this timing control data, the transmission delay circuit delays the transmission pulse signal for each transmission channel. The delayed transmission pulse signal is input to the pulsar for each transmission channel. The pulser applies a voltage pulse to each piezoelectric vibrator (transmission channel) of the ultrasonic probe 001 at the timing of receiving the transmission pulse signal. Thereby, an ultrasonic beam is emitted from the ultrasonic probe 001. The emission direction of the ultrasonic beam is determined by an input from the transmission / reception unit 002, thereby determining the direction of the scanning line. The adder phasing-adds the signals of the respective reception channels delayed by the reception delay circuit to generate a single signal.

  The image generation unit 006 includes a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) or the like (not shown). The image generation unit 006 removes the high frequency component of the signal received from the transmission / reception unit 002, detects the envelope, obtains the envelope detection signal, and further performs logarithmic conversion on the envelope detection signal. By performing the processing as described above, the signal processing unit creates raster data from data based on ultrasonic echoes. Next, raster data created by DSC is converted into image data in an orthogonal coordinate system. The image generation unit 006 corresponds to the “image generation unit” in the present invention.

  The display control unit 009 displays the image data input from the image generation unit 006 on the display unit 012 included in the user interface 010. This display control unit 009 corresponds to “display control means” in the present invention.

  The cine memory 007 is composed of a high-speed storage medium such as a RAM. This cine memory 007 corresponds to the “first storage means” in the present invention. The cine memory 007 has a capacity for storing about 4000 ultrasonic images.

  The storage unit 008 is composed of a high-speed storage medium such as a RAM. The storage unit 008 corresponds to the “second storage unit” in the present invention.

  The system control unit 003 includes a storage management unit 004 and a mark addition unit 005. The system control unit 003 comprehensively controls the operations of the transmission / reception unit 002, the image generation unit 006, the display control unit 009, and the mark addition unit 005. The system control unit 003 transmits and receives scan information such as a region of interest input by a doctor or a laboratory technician (hereinafter simply referred to as “operator”) via the display unit 012 and the input unit 011 included in the user interface 010. To the unit 002.

  The mark adding unit 005 receives an instruction to add a mark to the ultrasonic image using the input unit 011 from the operator, and stores the displayed ultrasonic image in the cine memory 007. Mark the. Here, “marking” refers to an operation that combines “addition of identification information to an ultrasonic image” and “storage of a storage location of an ultrasonic image with identification information” described below. This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the marking on the ultrasonic image of the cine memory 007. The operator confirms the ultrasonic image transferred to the display unit 012 of the user interface 010, and when an ultrasonic image to be referred to later is displayed, the operator currently displays it using the input unit 011 such as a mark button. An instruction to add a mark to the ultrasonic image displayed on the unit 012 is input to the mark adding unit 005 included in the system control unit 003. In response to an instruction from the operator, the mark adding unit 005 adds identification information to the ultrasonic image displayed on the display unit 012. For the displayed ultrasonic image, the system control unit 003 issues an ultrasonic transmission / reception command to the transmission / reception unit 002, issues an image generation command to the image generation unit 006, and inputs a display command to the display control unit 009. It is an image. Therefore, the system control unit 003 has information on the ultrasound image currently displayed on the display unit 012, and the mark addition unit 005 has an identification code based on the information that the system control unit 003 has. Can be added. The mark adding unit 005 acquires the address at which the storage management unit 004 wrote the ultrasonic image to the cine memory 007, that is, the address of the ultrasonic image 201 stored in the cine memory 007 in FIG. The added identification information (for example, serial numbers such as “001”, “002”,... Are added in this embodiment) is stored. As a result, an ultrasonic image 201 with the mark 202 added thereto is generated as shown in FIG.

  When the storage management unit 004 writes (copies) the marked ultrasonic image stored in the cine memory 007 to the storage unit 008, the mark addition unit 005 writes the ultrasonic image to the storage management unit 004. The address on the storage unit 008 is stored in association with the identifier. This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the marked ultrasonic image stored in the cine memory 007 is written in the storage unit 008. When the storage management unit 004 copies the marked ultrasound image 301 and the 250 ultrasound images 304 before and after it from the cine memory 007 to the storage unit 008, the mark addition unit 005 stores the ultrasound image 302 stored in the storage unit 008. The address is stored together with the identification information of the ultrasonic image. Accordingly, the mark adding unit 005 can add the mark 305 to the ultrasonic image 302 stored in the storage unit 008. The mark adding unit 005 corresponds to “identification information adding means” in the present invention.

  The storage management unit 004 sequentially stores the same image as the ultrasonic image generated by the image generation unit 006 and output to the display control unit 009 in the cine memory 007. This cine memory 007 corresponds to the “first storage means” in the present invention.

  In addition, the storage management unit 004 stores the ultrasonic image in the cine memory 007 when the area for storing the ultrasonic image disappears, that is, until the capacity of the cine memory 007 is full while the ultrasonic image is stored in the cine memory 007. When stored, the ultrasonic image stored at the oldest time is discarded, and a new ultrasonic image is stored in the cine memory 007. I will explain a little more in detail. When storing the ultrasonic image in the cine memory 007, the storage management unit 004 stores the address and time on the cine memory 007 in which the ultrasonic image is written. When a new ultrasonic image is stored, the storage management unit 004 searches for the ultrasonic image written in the cine memory 007 at the oldest time, and stores it on the cine memory 007 in which the ultrasonic image is stored. Write a new ultrasound image to the address. As a result, the oldest ultrasonic wave among the ultrasonic images stored on the cine memory 007 is discarded and a new ultrasonic image is saved.

  Further, the storage management unit 004 sets the ultrasonic image 1000 times before the ultrasonic image to which the mark is added from the cine memory 007 by the mark adding unit 005 (that is, the ultrasonic image stored in the cine memory 007 Is deleted, that is, until the marked ultrasonic image 301 is deleted in the storage area of the cine memory 007 as shown in FIG. When the remaining capacity 303 becomes 1000 ultrasonic images, the ultrasonic image 302 is stored (copied) in the storage unit 008 with the marked ultrasonic image 301 and the 250 ultrasonic images 304 before and after the marked ultrasonic image 301. At this time, the storage management unit 004 outputs the address at which the ultrasonic image 302 is written in the storage unit 008 to the mark adding unit 005 in association with the identification information of the ultrasonic image 302. Here, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the load of writing to the storage unit 008 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, as much as possible, the ultrasonic image is not written to the storage unit 008 while the ultrasonic image remains in the cine memory 007. . In addition, since writing to the storage unit 008 at the time when the ultrasound image is erased from the cine memory 007 delays erasure from the cine memory 007, in the present embodiment, the timing at which the 1000-th previous ultrasound image to be erased is erased. Thus, the storage management unit 004 makes writing to the storage unit 008. However, it is preferable to determine the timing of writing to the storage unit 008 in consideration of the operating environment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. This 1,000-th previous ultrasonic image corresponds to a “predetermined number of ultrasonic images” in the present invention. Further, in this embodiment, assuming that there is a difference between the ultrasonic image actually marked and the ultrasonic image marked by the operator, 250 images before and after the ultrasonic image with the mark added. Is stored in the storage unit 008, but it is preferable to determine the number according to the operation status of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The front and rear 250 sheets correspond to the “predetermined number before and after” in the present invention. In addition, in a case where a shift is not considered between the ultrasonic image that is actually desired to be marked and the ultrasonic image that the operator has marked, the storage unit 008 may be configured to save only the marked ultrasonic image.

(Operation in reference mode)
The system control unit 003 receives an input of the display of the marked ultrasonic image using the user interface 010 and the input unit 011 by the operator, and adds the addresses where the marked ultrasonic images are stored in the order of the newest identifiers. Obtained from part 005. Then, the system control unit 003 causes the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008 to output the ultrasonic image and 250 ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image in order from the new one to the display control unit 009 based on the acquired address. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of marked ultrasound images 401 to 407 are stored in the cine memory 007 and the storage unit 008. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining display of an ultrasonic image in the reference mode. Here, as described above, when the address is a serial number, it can be determined that the larger number is a new ultrasonic image with a mark. In the case of FIG. 4, the marked ultrasonic image 401 is the newest and the marked ultrasonic image 407 is the oldest image. The system control unit 003 acquires the addresses in the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008 of the marked ultrasonic images 401 to 407 stored in the mark adding unit 005. First, the system control unit 003 searches the cine memory 007 based on the address of the ultrasonic image 401 with the mark, which is the newest acquired image, and finds the ultrasonic image 401 with the mark and 250 ultrasonic images before and after that. The oldest image is output to the display control unit 009 in order. Further, the system control unit 003 searches the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008, and from the marked ultrasonic image 402 and the 250 ultrasonic images before and after it, the oldest marked ultrasonic image 407 and the 250 ultrasonic images before and after that. The sound image is output to the display control unit 009 in order.

  The display control unit 009 causes the display unit 012 to sequentially display 250 ultrasonic images before and after the input ultrasonic image with a mark. Specifically, the display control unit 009 displays the oldest marked ultrasonic image 407 and the 250 preceding and succeeding ultrasonic images from the newest marked ultrasonic image 401 and 250 preceding and following ultrasonic images shown in FIG. The sound image is displayed on the display unit 012 in chronological order. Here, the ultrasonic images may be displayed in order by automatically displaying them at intervals of several seconds, or displaying the corresponding ultrasonic images according to the input from the operator using an encoder or the like. May be. When only the marked ultrasonic image is stored, only the ultrasonic image with the mark may be displayed.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the marked ultrasonic images are displayed in order from the newest one, but this is in response to the designation of the identification number from the operator, and the marked ultrasonic image having the identification number and its front and rear 250. The structure which displays the ultrasonic image of 1 sheet may be sufficient. In that case, the identification information of each ultrasonic image included in the mark adding unit 005 is transmitted to the operator in advance by the display control unit 009 displaying the identification information of each ultrasonic image on the display unit 012 or the like. It is necessary to keep.

  Next, image storing and marking operations in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of image storage and marking in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Step S001: Upon receiving an instruction to switch to the scan mode from the input unit 011, the mode switching unit 013 changes the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to the scan mode via the system control unit 003.

  Step S002: The transmission / reception unit 002 transmits / receives an ultrasonic wave to the subject via the ultrasonic probe 001, and an ultrasonic image is generated by the image generation unit 006 based on the received ultrasonic echo. The display control unit 009 causes the display unit 012 to display the generated ultrasonic image.

  Step S003: The system control unit 003 determines whether or not the capacity for storing the ultrasound image remains in the cine memory 007 (whether there is a remaining capacity). When the capacity for storing the ultrasound image remains in the capacity of the cine memory 007, the process proceeds to step S004, and when the capacity for storing the ultrasound image does not remain in the cine memory 007, the process proceeds to step S005.

  Step S004: The image generation unit 006 stores the ultrasonic image currently displayed on the display unit 012 in the cine memory 007.

  Step S005: The storage management unit 004 determines whether the ultrasonic image to be discarded is an ultrasonic image 1000 times before the oldest ultrasonic image with a mark stored in the cine memory 007 (that is, the storage unit 008 is marked). Is the timing for copying the ultrasonic image of?

  Step S006: The storage management unit 004 copies and stores the oldest ultrasonic image among the marked ultrasonic waves on the cine memory 007 to the storage unit 008.

  Step S007: The mark adding unit 005 acquires the address in the storage unit 008 of the marked ultrasound image copied to the storage unit 008 from the storage management unit 004 and stores it.

  Step S008: The storage management unit 004 discards the oldest ultrasonic image on the cine memory 007 and stores a new ultrasonic image in the cine memory 007.

  Step S009: The mark adding unit 005 determines whether an instruction to add a mark to the ultrasonic image is input from the input unit 011. If a mark addition instruction is input, the process proceeds to step S010. If a mark addition instruction is not input, the process proceeds to step S011.

  Step S010: The mark adding unit 005 acquires the specific information of the ultrasonic image currently displayed on the display unit 012 from the system control unit 003, and based on the specific information, the address of the ultrasonic image in the cine memory 007. And identification information is added to the ultrasonic image. This is the mark addition.

  Step S011: The system control unit 003 determines whether scanning of all regions of the region of interest has been completed or whether scanning has been completed by receiving an instruction to end scanning from the input unit 011. If the scan has not been completed, steps S002 to S010 are repeated. If the scan has been completed, the operations of generating an ultrasonic image, displaying the ultrasonic image, storing the ultrasonic image, and marking are performed. finish.

  Next, display in the reference mode in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of display in the image reference mode in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Step S101: Upon receiving an instruction to switch to the reference mode from the input unit 011, the mode switching unit 013 changes the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus to the reference mode via the system control unit 003.

  Step S102: The operator uses the user interface 010 to input an instruction to display a marked ultrasound image from the input unit 011.

  Step S103: The system control unit 003 receives an instruction to display the marked ultrasonic image from the input unit 011 and acquires the address of the marked ultrasonic image from the mark adding unit 005.

  Step S104: The system control unit 003 extracts the marked ultrasonic image and 250 ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image from the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008 based on the address of the marked ultrasonic image. Further, the system control unit 003 outputs the marked ultrasonic image and the 250 ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image to the display control unit 009 in chronological order.

  Step S105: The display control unit 009 causes the display unit 012 to display the input ultrasonic image.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment can add a mark to an ultrasonic image by an operator's input while generating an ultrasonic image while continuing the ultrasonic diagnosis, Further, before the ultrasonic image with a mark is discarded from the cine memory, the ultrasonic image with the mark and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after the mark are copied to another storage unit. A sound image and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after the sound image can be stored. This allows operators such as doctors and laboratory technicians to mark and save the ultrasound image that they want to refer to without stopping the scan and refer to the ultrasound image with the mark after the scan is completed. The diagnosis can be performed again. That is, since the scan can be completed and terminated without interruption, the examination time by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is shortened, and the burden on the patient due to the examination can be reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment is provided with a hard disk 014 that is a storage area that continues to hold data even when the power is turned off, and further stored in the hard disk 014. This is a configuration provided with a warning unit 015 that issues a warning when this is not performed properly. The ultrasonic apparatus according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the block diagram shown in FIG. 1, and a block portion indicated by a dotted line is a functional block added from the first embodiment in the present embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, the saving to the hard disk 014 and the operation of the warning unit 015 will be mainly described.

  The hard disk 014 is composed of a low-speed large-capacity storage medium such as a magnetic disk. This hard disk 014 corresponds to the “third storage means” in the present invention. The hard disk 014 can keep the stored data even when the power is turned off. On the other hand, since the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008 needs to store an ultrasonic image by the next inspection, all the ultrasonic images stored at the end of the inspection are discarded.

  After the scan is completed, the operator refers to the marked ultrasonic image and a predetermined number of images before and after the marked image by the user interface 010 in the reference mode, and the image to be stored (one or a plurality of images may be stored). If there is, the input unit 011 is used to send an instruction to save the image.

  In response to the save instruction, the save management unit 004 obtains one or more ultrasonic images to be saved from the cine memory 007 or the storage unit 008 and copies them to the hard disk 014.

  When the inspection by all the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses is completed, the operator inputs an instruction to end the inspection using the input unit 011 in the user interface 010. The system control unit 003 receives the inspection end input and sends a notification of the inspection end to the warning unit 015.

  The warning unit 015 searches for an ultrasound image stored in the hard disk 014 in response to the notification of the completion of the inspection. Further, the warning unit 015 acquires the address of the marked image from the mark adding unit 005, and each marked ultrasonic image stored in the cine memory 007 or the display control unit 009 and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image. It is determined whether at least one of the sonic images is stored in the hard disk 014. This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an ultrasound image stored in the hard disk 014 as an ultrasound image stored in the cine memory 007 and the storage unit 008. A thick line in FIG. 7 represents one or a plurality of ultrasonic images stored in the hard disk 014. When the ultrasonic image 711 to the ultrasonic image 715 are stored, the warning unit 015 searches the hard disk 014 and acquires information on the ultrasonic image 711 to the ultrasonic image 715. Then, based on the address of the marked ultrasonic image acquired from the mark adding unit 005, the marked ultrasonic image and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images including the same (hereinafter referred to as “marked image group”) 701 are included. Referring to the marked image group 707, it is confirmed whether at least one of the ultrasonic images included in the marked image groups 701 to 707 is stored in the hard disk 014. In FIG. 7, the ultrasonic image 711 is displayed in the marked image group 701, the ultrasonic image 712 is displayed in the marked image group 703, the ultrasonic image 713 is displayed in the marked image group 704, and the ultrasonic image 714 is displayed in the marked image group 706. In the marked image group 707, the warning unit 015 determines that the ultrasound image 715 is stored in the hard disk 014. Then, the warning unit 015 determines that no ultrasonic image included in the marked image group 702 and the marked image group 703 is stored in the hard disk 014. The warning unit 015 displays a warning that “the ultrasonic images of the marked image group 702 and the marked image group 703 are not stored in the hard disk 014” on the display unit 012 of the user interface 010 or the like. This warning unit 015 corresponds to “warning means” in the present invention.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the flow of storage and warning notification to the hard disk 014 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 8 is a flowchart of storage of an ultrasonic image on the hard disk 014 and notification of a warning in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Step S201: Upon receiving an instruction to switch to the reference mode from the input unit 011, the mode switching unit 013 changes the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to the reference mode via the system control unit 003.

  Step S202: The system control unit 003 and the display control unit 009 cause the display unit 012 to display a marked ultrasonic image and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after the marked ultrasonic image in order from the oldest.

  Step S203: The operator designates an ultrasonic image to be stored in the hard disk 014 using the user interface 010.

  Step S204: The storage management unit 004 stores the designated ultrasound image on the hard disk 014.

  Step S205: The operator uses the user interface 010 to input a test end instruction to the system control unit 003.

  Step S206: The warning unit 015 receives a notification of the end of the inspection from the system control unit 003, and searches the stored ultrasound image with reference to the hard disk 014. Next, the warning unit 015 refers to the cine memory 007 and the storage unit 008, and one of the ultrasonic images included in each marked ultrasonic image group is not stored in the hard disk 014. Determine whether or not. If there is no marked ultrasonic image group whose ultrasonic image is not stored in the hard disk 014, the process proceeds to step S209. If there is a marked ultrasonic image group whose ultrasonic image is not stored in the hard disk 014, step is performed. The process proceeds to S207.

  Step S207: The warning unit 015 notifies the operator of a warning through the user interface 010 such as the display unit 012.

  Step S208: The system control unit 003 determines whether or not an inspection end continuation command is input from the operator. If the inspection is to be continued, the process proceeds to step S209. If the inspection is not to be completed, the process proceeds to step S202.

  Step S209: The system control unit 003 controls each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus so as to end the examination.

  In the above description, when there is a marked image group in which no ultrasonic image is stored on the hard disk 014 by the operator among the marked image group, a warning is sent to the operator at the end of the examination. However, it is possible to operate with a configuration in which a warning is not sent to the hard disk 014 simply by receiving an instruction from the operator and storing the hard disk 014.

  In the present embodiment, the warning is notified only at the end of the examination. However, in order to further suppress the forgetting to save, the warning may be similarly notified at the end of the scan.

  As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment, one or more of the marked ultrasonic images stored in the cine memory 007 and the storage unit 008 and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after the marked ultrasonic image. Since the sheet can be transferred to the hard disk 014, a necessary image can be left even after the inspection is completed, and the ultrasonic image can be referred to after the inspection is completed. Also, if one of the ultrasonic images with each mark and a predetermined number of ultrasonic images before and after that is not stored in the hard disk 014, a warning is notified at the end of the inspection, so the necessary ultrasonic image It is possible to reduce forgetting to save.

1 is a block diagram showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. Conceptual diagram for explaining marking of ultrasonic images in cine memory The figure for demonstrating operation | movement at the time of writing the ultrasonic image with the mark preserve | saved at the cine memory to the memory | storage part The figure for demonstrating the display of the ultrasonic image in reference mode The figure of the flowchart of preservation | save and marking of the image in the ultrasound diagnosing device which concerns on 1st Embodiment The figure of the flowchart of the display in the reference mode of the image in the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the ultrasonic image preserve | saved in the hard disk by the ultrasonic image preserve | saved at the cine memory and the memory | storage part The figure of the flowchart of the preservation | save of the ultrasonic image to the hard disk in the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and the notification of a warning

Explanation of symbols

001 Ultrasonic probe 002 Transmission / reception unit 003 System control unit 004 Storage management unit 005 Mark addition unit 006 Image generation unit 007 Cine memory 008 Storage unit 009 Display control unit 010 User interface 011 Input unit 012 Display unit 013 Mode switching unit 014 Hard disk 015 Warning unit

Claims (9)

Transmitting and receiving means for scanning the subject by transmitting an ultrasonic beam to the subject via an ultrasonic probe and receiving an ultrasonic echo reflected from the subject via the ultrasonic probe;
Image generating means for generating an ultrasonic image based on the data based on the ultrasonic echo;
Display control means for displaying the ultrasonic images on the display means in the order of generation;
First storage means;
A second storage means;
When receiving an instruction to add identification information, identification information adding means for adding the identification information to the ultrasonic image displayed at that time and storing the storage location;
When the generated ultrasonic image including the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is sequentially stored in the first storage unit and the capacity of the first storage unit is exceeded, the first storage unit The oldest ultrasound image among the stored ultrasound images is discarded to store a new ultrasound image, and the identification information is added before the ultrasound image to which the identification information is added is discarded. Storage management means for storing the ultrasonic image to which the information is added in the second storage means,
After the scan is completed, the display control unit displays an ultrasonic image with the identification information on the display unit based on the identification information.   The storage management unit further stores, in the second storage unit, a predetermined number of the ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added when the ultrasonic image is stored in the second storage unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The before the ultrasonic image is discarded is a timing at which the ultrasonic image of a predetermined number of sheets before the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is discarded. Item 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Item 2. The identification information adding means outputs information on the storage location of the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added to the display control means based on the input of the identification information after the scan is completed,
4. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit reads out an ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added from the first storage unit or the second storage unit, and displays the ultrasonic image on the display unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described in any one.   The display control means reads out the ultrasonic images to which the identification information has been added from the first storage means and the second storage means in order from the oldest after the end of the scan, and displays them on the display means. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1.   The display control unit reads out and displays the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added and the ultrasonic images of a predetermined number of ultrasonic images from the first storage unit or the second storage unit in chronological order after the scan is completed. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is displayed on a means. Further comprising third storage means for continuing to hold the ultrasonic image even when the power is turned off,
The storage management means receives designation of one or a plurality of the ultrasonic images of the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added or the predetermined number of the ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image, The extracted ultrasonic image is extracted from the ultrasonic image stored in the first storage unit or the second storage unit, and is stored in the third storage unit. Item 7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Item 6. When receiving an instruction to end examination or scan, the third storage unit is referred to, and in each of the ultrasonic images to which the identification information is added, the predetermined number of the ultrasonic images before and after the ultrasonic image is included. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a warning unit that notifies a warning when at least one of the ultrasonic images is not stored in the third storage unit. Collecting ultrasonic echoes reflected from the subject based on the ultrasonic beam transmitted toward the subject;
An image generating step for generating an ultrasonic image by the scan based on the data based on the ultrasonic echo; and
A live image display stage for displaying on the display means the ultrasound image immediately after being generated;
An identification information adding step of adding identification information to the displayed ultrasonic image when there is an instruction to add identification information;
When the generated ultrasonic image including the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is sequentially stored in a first storage unit and the capacity of the first storage unit is exceeded, the first storage unit A first storage step of discarding the oldest ultrasound image among the stored ultrasound images and storing the new ultrasound image;
A first storage step of storing a storage location in the first storage means of the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added;
A second storage step of storing the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added in a second storage means at a timing before the ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added is discarded;
A second storage step of storing a storage location in the second storage means of the ultrasonic image stored in the second storage means;
A mark image display step of reading an ultrasonic image to which the identification information is added from the first storage unit or the second storage unit based on the input of the identification information after scanning is completed and displaying the ultrasonic image on the display unit;
An ultrasonic image display control method comprising:

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