JP2011194084A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, developed for computing three-dimensional coordinates of an ultrasonic probe using electromagnetic waves as a method for computing the three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe because it is necessary to compute the three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe to improve the accuracy in generating a three-dimensional image within a subject, wherein a magnetic field is easily affected by the ambience, wherein it is difficult to accurately compute the three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe and as a result, the accuracy in generating the three-dimensional image within the subject is impaired.SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe is photographed by an imaging device set in a known position to obtain a plurality of two-dimensional images. Two-dimensional coordinate information is extracted from the captured plurality of two-dimensional images, and the three-dimensional coordinates and angle of the ultrasonic probe are computed from the correlations with coordinates of positions where the respective imaging devices are set. In this way, a more accurate three-dimensional image inside the subject can be generated by using the three-dimensional image of the ultrasonic probe strong against the change of the ambience.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates a three-dimensional shape inside a subject.

  A technique for acquiring an ultrasonic tomographic image inside a subject such as a human using ultrasonic waves and generating a stereoscopic image by combining these two-dimensional images has been developed.

  However, when acquiring an ultrasonic tomographic image, it has been difficult to generate a stereoscopic image with stable accuracy due to camera shake caused by manual scanning of the ultrasonic probe or shaking of the subject itself.

  Therefore, a position sensor is attached to the ultrasonic probe, and the influence of displacement such as camera shake is removed from the correspondence between the three-dimensional position of the ultrasonic probe detected by the position sensor and the captured two-dimensional image information. There is a technique for generating a stereoscopic image inside a subject (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-279272 A

  However, these position detectors calculate their own three-dimensional coordinates by the generation of magnetism, and the magnetic field environment around the ultrasonic probe is likely to change, so that accurate three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe can be obtained. It was difficult to calculate. For this reason, it is difficult to generate an accurate stereoscopic image of the subject.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic generation direction (attitude) are determined without being affected by changes in the surrounding environment that cannot be seen with the naked eye such as a magnetic field. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that calculates and more accurately calculates a stereoscopic image inside a subject.

In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes:
An ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves from the subject;
A tomographic image generating means for generating a tomographic image inside the subject from a reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe;
Imaging means installed in a position where the ultrasonic probe is imaged and the ultrasonic probe can be imaged;
Coordinate / posture calculating means for calculating three-dimensional coordinates / posture of the ultrasonic probe from two or more images of the ultrasonic probe imaged by the imaging device;
The plurality of tomographic images generated by the tomographic image generating means are subjected to alignment processing from the three-dimensional coordinates and postures of the ultrasonic probe calculated by the coordinate / posture calculating means, and a three-dimensional image inside the subject is obtained. Stereoscopic image generating means for generating an image;
Display means for displaying a stereoscopic image inside the subject generated by the stereoscopic image generating means;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the present invention, the position / orientation of the ultrasonic probe at the time of ultrasonic tomographic image capturing can be detected regardless of changes in the surrounding environment that are difficult to see with the naked eye, such as a magnetic field. A high stereoscopic image can be generated.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement example of a plurality of imaging devices and ultrasonic probes according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a captured image of the ultrasonic probe by the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the some ultrasonic cross section image of the subject which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a conceptual diagram in which a plurality of ultrasonic cross-sectional images of a subject and a subject internal tissue according to the first embodiment of the present invention are superimposed. The figure which shows the test object produced | generated from the some ultrasonic tomogram which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and the stereo image inside a test object. The figure which shows the synthetic | combination image of the stereo image of the subject which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic tomogram. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the ultrasonic tomogram in which attention point (alpha) was displayed. The figure showing the concept of the scanning plane of the ultrasonic tomogram in which attention point (alpha) is displayed. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

(First embodiment)
The configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

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

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment includes imaging devices 20a and 20b, an imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21, an ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 22, and an ultrasonic probe position. From the attitude calculation unit 23, the system setting unit 30, the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31, the ultrasonic probe 40, the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41, the stereoscopic image generation unit 44, the display unit 45, etc. Composed.

The imaging devices 20a and 20b are devices that image the shape, pattern, color, and the like of the ultrasound probe 40. For example, there are digital and analog imaging devices. Among these plural imaging devices, at least two are arranged so as to simultaneously image the same ultrasonic probe 40 from different angles. As an arrangement example, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 40 is installed at a position where the ultrasonic probe 40 is imaged from the same height and an angle different by 90 degrees. Further, since it is sufficient that two or more captured images are obtained at the same time, when three or more imaging devices are used, if two of them can simultaneously image the ultrasound probe 40, the ultrasound probe 40 can be obtained. Three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R are calculated.

  Thus, the imaging devices 20a and 20b simultaneously capture images of the ultrasonic probe 40 from different angles. In the present embodiment, the fixed positions of the imaging devices 20a and 20b are fixed before acquisition of the ultrasonic tomographic image, and are not moved from the start to the end of the operation of generating a series of stereoscopic images. Although it is described as “fixed”, there is no problem as long as correspondence between the captured ultrasonic image and the position parameter of the imaging unit at that time can be achieved, and “fixed” for simplicity in this embodiment. It is described.

The imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21 stores parameters such as installation position coordinates and imaging direction of the imaging devices 20a and 20b. The acquired parameters are sent to the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23. The acquired parameters are used when the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R of the ultrasonic probe 40 are calculated from the two imaged ultrasonic probe images.

  The ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 22 acquires images captured by the imaging devices 20a and 20b. The acquired captured image is sent to the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23. Even if this ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 22 is provided with a display unit, the ultrasonic probe image displayed on the display unit can be used to adjust the initial installation position and orientation of the imaging devices 20a and 20b. Good.

The ultrasound probe position / orientation calculation unit 23 calculates the correlation between the captured images from the installation position parameters of the imaging devices 20a and 20b, and is sent from the ultrasound probe captured image acquisition unit 22 at the same time. The three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R of the ultrasonic probe 40 are calculated from the image of the ultrasonic probe 40 imaged in step (b). The three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) are the three-dimensional coordinates of the ultrasonic probe 40 based on the installation position coordinates of the imaging devices 20a and 20b. You may calculate on the basis of the set standard coordinate. The calculated three-dimensional coordinate / posture information of the ultrasound probe 40 is sent to the stereoscopic image generation unit 44. For calculation of the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R, feature points (for example, points a, b, and c in FIG. 2) extracted from the image of the ultrasonic probe 40 are extracted. And use it. Instead of the feature points, three or more colors or markers such as LEDs may be attached to the points a, b, and c, and used for the color image recognition method.

The system setting unit 30 sends standard coordinate reference point information (hereinafter, simply referred to as “standard coordinates”) (Coordinate _world ) to the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31. The standard coordinates may be set from the outside by installing an external IF in the system setting unit 30, or a fixed value set in advance may be used.

  The standard coordinates are coordinates used as a reference for the stereoscopic image displayed on the display unit 45 this time. The coordinate system may be the same as or different from the coordinate system representing the installation position parameters of the imaging devices 20a and 20b. For example, it may be an arbitrary point in a room where ultrasonic diagnosis is performed, or one point inside the subject may be used as a reference point of standard coordinates. When the bone inside the subject is used as a reference, information such as the distance from the coordinate information to the target point can be easily recognized by the measurer. These standard coordinates are used when it is desired to move the viewpoint when viewing a stereoscopic image, and these calculations are performed by the stereoscopic image generation unit 44 described later.

The standard coordinate setting storage unit 31 stores standard coordinates (Coordinate _world ) sent from the system setting unit 30. The sent standard coordinates are sent to the stereoscopic image generation unit 44.

  The ultrasonic probe 40 transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives reflected waves from the subject. The received reflected wave is sent to the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41. Note that the time from when the ultrasonic wave is sent to the subject until the reflected wave is acquired is sufficiently faster than the speed at which the ultrasonic probe 40 is moved. It is considered to be made at the same time.

  The ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41 generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image from the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe. The generated ultrasonic diagnostic image is sent to the stereoscopic image generation unit 44. The ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41 may not be a two-dimensional image but a stereoscopic image having a certain thickness. A thick stereoscopic image can be synthesized and used to create a stereoscopic image.

  The three-dimensional image generation unit 44 receives the ultrasonic probe position / posture information sent from the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23 and the ultrasonic tomographic image sent from the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41. A stereoscopic image is generated from Since each component is synchronized by a synchronization means (not shown), the synchronization information is used to correspond to the position / posture of the ultrasound probe at the time of imaging each ultrasound diagnostic image.

  At this time, a three-dimensional image is created from the position / posture information of the ultrasonic probe while performing processing for aligning the ultrasonic tomographic image to be synthesized. When moving the center position of the stereoscopic image to be used, the stereoscopic image may be created using the standard coordinates sent from the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31.

  In addition, when creating a stereoscopic image, it is possible to reduce processing time and calculation cost by selecting an ultrasonic tomographic image to be used for some stereoscopic images from a plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images. it can. For example, a lot of images are synthesized at a place having high importance, and a number of images to be synthesized is reduced at a place having low importance.

  Further, the position of the standard coordinates is changed, and three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the standard coordinates are obtained by calculation.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, based on the calculated position information of the ultrasound probe 40, an image of the ultrasound probe is created according to the stereoscopic image of the subject and displayed on the display unit 45. By doing so, it may be used as an auxiliary material for determining the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe 40 and the like.

  The display unit 45 displays the stereoscopic image of the subject generated by the stereoscopic image generation unit 44.

  The operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  The imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21 stores parameters such as fixed installation position coordinates and imaging directions of the imaging devices 20a and 20b. The imaging devices 20a and 20b do not move once fixed positions during the operation of the present embodiment. The imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21 sends the acquired parameters to the ultrasound probe position / posture calculation unit 23. (Step 701).

  Next, the imaging devices 20a and 20b image the ultrasonic probe 40 from a fixed installation position. The ultrasonic probe imaging screen acquisition unit 22 acquires a two-dimensional imaging screen of the imaged ultrasonic probe 40. The acquired captured image of the ultrasound probe 40 is sent to the ultrasound probe position / orientation calculation unit 23 (step 702).

  The ultrasonic probe position / orientation calculation unit 23 receives the installation positions of the imaging devices 20a and 20b sent from the imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21 and two or more ultrasonic waves of the imaged ultrasonic probe 40. Three-dimensional coordinates based on the installation position coordinates of the imaging devices 20a and 20b of the ultrasonic probe 40 are calculated from the imaging screen of the probe 40 (step 703).

  Hereinafter, the calculation of the three-dimensional coordinate system of the ultrasonic probe 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 (steps 701, 702, and 703).

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement example of a plurality of imaging devices and ultrasonic probes according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a captured image of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The imaging angle of view of the imaging devices 20a and 20b is determined from the installation positions and focal lengths of the imaging devices 20a and 20b, and the correspondence relationship of the XYZ coordinate values in each captured image is determined.

  Here, for the sake of simplicity, description will be made with the imaging devices 20a and 20b arranged so that the imaging surface is parallel to the XZ plane and parallel to the YZ plane on the Cartesian coordinate system as shown in FIG. In the imaging devices 20a and 20b, the (X, Y, Z) coordinate values in each captured image are arranged by adjusting the height and inclination of the installation so that the respective values correspond one-to-one. That is, for example, if the Z value of point b extracted from the image captured by the imaging device 20a (for example, the left diagram in FIG. 3) is “3”, the image captured by the imaging device 20b (for example, the right diagram in FIG. 3). The Z value of point b extracted from) is also “3”. The ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23 detects information about the imaging apparatus necessary for calculating the position of the ultrasonic probe 40 from the image.

  Here, a case will be described in which the three points of the ultrasonic probe 40 as a subject are detected and the three-dimensional coordinates and orientation of the ultrasonic probe 40 are calculated.

  From the captured image of the imaging device 20a, the (X, Z) coordinates of each feature point or the markers a, b, and c of the ultrasonic probe 40 are detected (the left diagram in FIG. 3). In addition, the (Y, Z) coordinates of the points a, b, and c are detected from the captured image from the imaging device 20b that has been imaged simultaneously (the right diagram in FIG. 3). Since the values of these (X, Z) coordinates and (Y, Z) coordinates correspond to each other, each (X, Y, Z) of points a, b, and c is calculated from each value as it is. Can do. For example, if the (X, Z) coordinate of point a is (0, 3) and the (Y, Z) coordinate is (2, 3), the three-dimensional coordinate of point a is (X, Y, Z ) = (0, 2, 3). Similarly, the three-dimensional coordinates of point b and point c can also be obtained.

These (X, Y, Z) coordinates of the points a, b, and c of the ultrasonic probe 40 are compared with the definition of the center coordinates of the scan plane, the past inclination image of the ultrasonic probe 40, and the like. Thus, the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R of the ultrasonic probe 40 can be obtained. For example, the center coordinate of the scan plane is defined as the midpoint of points a, b, and c.

  In the above description, the two imaging devices 20a and 20b are used. However, three-dimensional positions and orientations are calculated by performing various calculations even from three or more images acquired from n imaging devices. Can be calculated.

  In this embodiment, the method for estimating the three-dimensional position of the target object using two or more imaging devices is shown. However, using a time difference or a motion vector, two or more images are captured by a primary imaging device. Therefore, it can be replaced with a three-dimensional position estimation method. Further, the standard coordinates may be transmitted to all coordinate systems, and the position coordinates may be calculated in the standard coordinate system.

  This is the end of the description of the calculation example of the three-dimensional coordinate system of the ultrasonic probe 40.

  Next, the ultrasonic probe 40 transmits an ultrasonic wave to the subject and acquires a reflected wave. The acquired reflected wave is sent to the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41. Note that the time from when the ultrasonic wave is sent to the subject until the reflected wave is acquired is sufficiently faster than the speed at which the ultrasonic probe 40 is moved. It is considered to be made at the same time.

  The ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41 generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image from the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe. The generated ultrasonic diagnostic image is sent to the stereoscopic image generating unit 44 (step 704).

  The three-dimensional image generation unit 44 transmits from the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41 captured at the same time as the acquisition timing of the position / posture information of the ultrasonic probe sent from the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23. A three-dimensional image is generated from the obtained ultrasonic tomographic image (step 705).

  Hereinafter, the generation of the subject and the stereoscopic image inside the subject in step 705 of the ultrasonic probe 40 illustrated in FIG. 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a plurality of ultrasonic cross-sectional images of the subject according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram in which a plurality of ultrasonic cross-sectional images of a subject according to the first embodiment of the present invention are superimposed.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a stereoscopic image of a subject generated from a plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  For example, the ultrasonic probe 40 is moved against the subject and the ultrasonic tomographic images 1 to 6 shown in FIG. 4 are created by the ultrasonic probe imaging screen acquisition unit 22. The created ultrasonic tomographic images 1 to 6 are sent to the stereoscopic image generation unit 44.

  The stereoscopic image generation unit 44 receives ultrasonic probe position / posture information from the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23 at the time of imaging the ultrasonic tomographic images 1 to 6. Here, the ultrasonic tomographic images 1 to 6 are arranged in correspondence with the ultrasonic probe position / posture information. A three-dimensional image of the subject is generated from the arranged ultrasonic tomographic images 1 to 6 while taking an interpolation method such as cubic convolution interpolation (step 705).

  The stereoscopic image generation unit 44 sends the generated stereoscopic image of the subject to the display unit 45, and the display unit 45 displays the stereoscopic image of the subject (step 706).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to calculate the position of the ultrasonic probe 40 at the time of acquiring an ultrasonic tomographic image at the time of generating a stereoscopic image without affecting the change of the magnetic field. Therefore, it is possible to generate an ultrasonic stereoscopic image with high accuracy inside the subject.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic tomographic image when the ultrasonic probe 40 detects the point of interest α.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram in which coordinates on an ultrasonic tomographic image are converted into scan coordinate plane coordinates.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment includes imaging devices 20a and 20b, an imaging device parameter acquisition unit 21, an ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 22, and an ultrasonic probe position. Attitude calculation unit 23, system setting unit 30, ultrasonic device internal parameter setting storage unit 32, standard coordinate setting storage unit 31, ultrasonic probe 40, ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41, attention A point scan plane coordinate calculation unit 42, a target point three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit 43, a stereoscopic image generation unit 44, a calculation unit 45, a display unit 45, and the like are included.

  Hereinafter, components that perform different operations even if they are different components or the same components from the first embodiment are described, and others are omitted.

The ultrasonic probe position / orientation calculation unit 23 is configured to calculate the superposition from the installation position parameters of the imaging devices 20a and 20b and the image captured at the same time sent from the ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 22. The three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R of the acoustic probe 40 are calculated. The calculated 3D coordinate / posture information of the ultrasound probe 40 is sent to the attention point 3D coordinate calculation unit 43 and the 3D image generation unit 44.

The system setting unit 30 sends the ultrasonic device internal parameters to the ultrasonic device internal parameter setting storage unit 32 and the standard coordinates (Coordinate _world ) to the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31. These ultrasonic device internal parameters and standard coordinates may be input by installing an external IF in the system setting unit 30 or may be set in advance.

The ultrasonic device internal parameter is a change parameter for converting the ultrasonic tomographic image coordinate to the scan plane coordinate. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, when the attention point α is present in the ultrasonic tomographic image acquired by the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41, the coordinates of the attention point α are set on the ultrasonic probe 40. The coordinates are converted into a scan plane coordinate system shown in FIG. 11 with the center of the ultrasonic oscillation surface as the origin. For example, if the origin of the scan plane coordinate system is at (3, 10) when viewed from the origin (0, 0) point of the ultrasound probe image coordinate system, the (x _m , y _m ) point of the ultrasound coordinate system Are (x _m −3, y _m −10) points in the scan plane coordinate system. The attention point α is a point having one piece of luminance information in a B-mode image, for example. The ultrasonic device internal change parameter is changed depending on the coordinate point at the center and the image display method.

  The ultrasonic device internal parameter setting storage unit 32 stores the ultrasonic device internal parameters sent from the system setting unit 30. When the point-of-interest scan plane coordinate calculation unit 42 converts the ultrasonic tomographic image from the ultrasonic tomogram coordinate system to the scan plane coordinate, the ultrasonic device internal parameters are sent to the point-of-interest scan plane coordinate calculation unit 42.

The standard coordinate setting storage unit 31 stores standard coordinates (Coordinate _world ) sent from the system setting unit 30. When generating a three-dimensional image or calculating three-dimensional coordinates of the attention point α in the standard coordinate system, the three-dimensional image generation unit 44 and the standard coordinates are sent to the attention point three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit 43.

The point-of-interest scan plane coordinate calculation unit 42 scans two-dimensional coordinates (x _m , y _m ) from the ultrasonic tomogram coordinate system of the point of interest α in the ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic tomogram acquisition unit 41. Conversion into two-dimensional coordinates (x _{m — 2D} , y _{m — 2D} ) in the plane coordinate system. The scan plane is an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface of the ultrasonic probe 40.

  The scan plane coordinate system is a coordinate system having one point on the scan plane as an origin (0, 0).

  The conversion of the two-dimensional coordinates of the target point α from the ultrasonic tomographic image coordinate system into the two-dimensional coordinates of the scan plane coordinate system will be described using (Equation 1).

  For the coordinate conversion from the ultrasonic tomographic image coordinate system to the scan plane coordinate system, the conversion coefficient A set in advance in the ultrasonic device internal parameter setting storage unit 32 is used.

At this time, the scan coordinate coordinates (x _{m — 2D} , y _{m — 2D} ) are _{derived from the} ultrasonic tomographic image coordinates (x _m , y _m ),

Can be obtained.

First, the attention point three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit 43 calculates the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) and posture R of the ultrasonic probe 40 calculated by the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23. Then, the coordinate (Coordinate _probe ) of the ultrasonic probe 40 is obtained from the standard coordinate (Coordinate _world ) sent from the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31 (Formula 2).

Next, as in (Equation 2), if the coordinates of the _target point α from the reference point to be obtained are (x _{m — 3D} , y _{m — 3D} , z _{m — 3D} ), the scan coordinate coordinates (x _{m — 2D} , y obtained in (Equation 1) _{m_2D} )

It becomes. Therefore,

Thus, the coordinates (x _{m — 3D} , y _{m — 3D} , z _{m — 3D} ) of the attention point α from the reference coordinates can be obtained from the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / attitude R of the ultrasonic probe 40. .

  The three-dimensional image generation unit 44 generates a three-dimensional image from the luminance information of a plurality of points of interest in which the three-dimensional coordinates in the ultrasonic tomographic image sent from the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41 are calculated. Since each component is synchronized by a synchronization means (not shown), the synchronization information is used to correspond to the position / posture of the ultrasound probe at the time of imaging each ultrasound diagnostic image.

  At this time, a stereoscopic image is created from the position / posture information of the ultrasonic probe while performing the alignment processing of the target points to be combined. When moving the center position of the stereoscopic image to be used, the stereoscopic image may be created using the standard coordinates sent from the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31.

  In addition, when creating a stereoscopic image, it is possible to reduce processing time and calculation cost by selecting an ultrasonic tomographic image to be used for some stereoscopic images from a plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images. it can. For example, a lot of images are synthesized at a place having high importance, and a number of images to be synthesized is reduced at a place having low importance.

  The display unit 45 includes a stereoscopic image of the subject generated by the stereoscopic image generation unit 44, an ultrasonic diagnostic image of the subject acquired by the ultrasonic tomographic image acquisition unit 41, and an ultrasonic wave generated by the calculation unit 45. A stereoscopic image of the subject combined with the diagnostic image is displayed.

  By selecting one attention point of the displayed stereoscopic image, an ultrasonic tomographic image used for calculating the tertiary coordinates of the attention point can be separately displayed to assist diagnosis.

  The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  The ultrasonic probe 40 is imaged by the imaging devices 20a and 20b installed at fixed positions, and ultrasonic probe position / posture information is calculated from the captured image (steps 1201, 1202, and 1203).

  Further, the ultrasonic probe 40 transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives reflected ultrasonic waves. An ultrasonic tomogram is acquired from the received reflected ultrasonic wave (steps 1204 and 1205).

  The point-of-interest scan plane coordinate calculation unit 42 converts the two-dimensional coordinates from the ultrasonic tomogram coordinate system of the point of interest α in the ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic tomogram acquisition unit 41 into the two-dimensional coordinates of the scan plane coordinate system. (Step 1206).

The attention point three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit 43 includes the three-dimensional coordinates (x _P , y _P , z _P ) / posture R of the ultrasonic probe 40 calculated by the ultrasonic probe position / posture calculation unit 23, and From the standard coordinates (Coordinate _world ) sent from the standard coordinate setting storage unit 31, the coordinates of the attention point α from the standard coordinate system are obtained. At this time, the ultrasonic tomographic image and the position / posture information of the ultrasonic probe 40 at the time of imaging the ultrasonic tomographic image are synchronized by synchronization means (not shown) and information acquired at the same time is provided (step 1207). .

  Although the attention points α have been described, three-dimensional positions are calculated in the same manner for a sufficient number of attention points for generating a stereoscopic image.

  A three-dimensional image is generated by combining the obtained three-dimensional coordinate information of the plurality of attention points and the luminance information of the plurality of attention points (step 1208), and displayed on the display unit 45 (step 1209).

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the three-dimensional position of one point on the scan plane can be calculated as coordinates from an arbitrary standard coordinate system. Thus, a more accurate stereoscopic image can be generated by combining the luminance information of each point of interest for which the three-dimensional position information constituting the stereoscopic image is calculated.

  In the present invention, the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed in design without departing from the gist of the invention, and the embodiments may be appropriately combined as necessary.

20a, 20b ... Imaging device 21 ... Imaging device parameter acquisition unit 22 ... Ultrasonic probe captured image acquisition unit 23 ... Ultrasonic probe position / orientation calculation unit 30 ... System setting unit 31 ... Ultrasonic device internal parameter setting storage Unit 32 ... standard coordinate setting storage unit 40 ... ultrasonic probe 41 ... ultrasonic tomographic image two-dimensional coordinate acquisition unit 42 ... attention point scan plane coordinate calculation unit 43 ... attention point three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit 44 ... three-dimensional image generation unit 45 ... Display section

Claims (2)

An ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves from the subject;
A tomographic image generating means for generating a tomographic image inside the subject from a reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe;
Imaging means installed in a position where the ultrasonic probe is imaged and the ultrasonic probe can be imaged;
Coordinate / posture calculating means for calculating three-dimensional coordinates / posture of the ultrasonic probe from two or more images of the ultrasonic probe imaged by the imaging device;
The plurality of tomographic images generated by the tomographic image generating means are subjected to alignment processing from the three-dimensional coordinates and postures of the ultrasonic probe calculated by the coordinate / posture calculating means, and a three-dimensional image inside the subject is obtained. Stereoscopic image generating means for generating an image;
Display means for displaying a stereoscopic image inside the subject generated by the stereoscopic image generating means;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: An ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves from the subject;
A tomographic image generating means for generating a tomographic image inside the subject from a reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe;
Imaging means installed in a position where the ultrasonic probe is imaged and the ultrasonic probe can be imaged;
Coordinate / posture calculating means for calculating three-dimensional coordinates / posture of the ultrasonic probe from two or more images of the ultrasonic probe imaged by the imaging device;
A calculation means for extracting a point of interest having at least one luminance information from the tomographic image, and calculating a two-dimensional coordinate having an origin at one point of a scan plane of the ultrasonic probe of the point of interest;
3D to calculate the 3D coordinates of the attention point from the 3D coordinates and orientation of the ultrasound probe and the 2D coordinates of the attention point on the scanning plane of the ultrasound probe as the origin. Coordinate calculation means;
Stereoscopic image generating means for generating a three-dimensional stereoscopic image by combining the luminance information of a plurality of points of interest whose three-dimensional coordinates are calculated by the coordinate calculating means;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

Images