JP2015171476A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device and ultrasonic image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause a direction, etc. of a fetus in a mother's body to be automatically identified in ultrasonic inspection.SOLUTION: An abdomen reference point P11 is identified by the measurement for an abdomen of a fetus, and a direction vector 156 indicating the direction that the fetus faces is identified. A head reference point P22 is identified in the measurement of a head of the fetus. A body axis vector 154 is identified by the two reference points. A fetus model according to the size of the fetus is selected for the creation of a reference image, and rotation processing according to the body axis vector 154 and the direction vector 156 is applied to the fetus model. The fetus model after the rotation processing is composited with a model of a mother's body so that the reference image is created. A sensor unit is provided to a probe to identify a positional relationship between the mother's body and a scanning surface.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image processing method, and more particularly to fetal measurement based on an ultrasonic image.

  Ultrasonography is regularly performed for pregnant women. In each ultrasonic examination, generally, a plurality of tomographic images of a fetus are acquired by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to the fetus in the mother body (intrauterine). Various measurements are performed based on these tomographic images. For example, on the tomographic image showing the cross-section of the head, the examiner specifies the left and right end points of the head, and the distance between them is determined as the bi-parietal diameter (BPD). It is done. An abdominal circumference (AC) is obtained by approximating the abdominal outline with an ellipse on the tomographic image of the fetal abdomen. At that time, both end points of the long axis and both end points of the short axis are designated by the user. Further, by specifying both end points of the bone axis of the femur on the tomographic image representing the femur, the femur length (FL) is obtained.

  In the fetal ultrasonic examination, in addition to the above-described multiple measurements, visual diagnosis of an ultrasonic image is also performed. In that case, the posture of the fetus in the mother's body, that is, in the uterus (in which direction the fetal body is directed, etc.) is diagnosed. The diagnosis result is entered in a chart, a mother-child notebook, etc. in a handwritten illustration or other manner.

  Some conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses can display fetal body marks (simulated figures) on a screen. However, the content of the body mark is constant and its direction cannot be changed freely. Or conventionally, the contents of the body mark are determined independently of the actual posture of the fetus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying a fetal body mark. In this apparatus, the size of the fetus is measured by designating the coordinates of the head and the coordinates of the buttocks on the tomographic image. Thereby, a fetal body mark having a size corresponding to the size of the fetus is generated. It is also possible to rotate the fetal body mark by user operation. However, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 1 does not include means for specifying the spatial relationship between the ultrasonic image and the mother body. That is, the orientation of the fetus relative to the mother (that is, the uterus) cannot be specified.

JP 2010-187987 A

  It is desirable to specify the orientation of the fetus with respect to the mother (for example, the direction of the body axis, the direction of the body, the direction of the head) at the time of ultrasonic examination. It does not have a function to meet the requirements. The same applies to the position of the fetus in the mother's body.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to specify the spatial state of a fetus with respect to a mother during ultrasonic examination. Alternatively, the orientation of the fetus can be specified without significantly increasing the burden on the user as compared with the conventional case. Alternatively, a reference image in which the orientation of the fetus with respect to the mother is reflected is generated.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes a probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to a fetus in the mother body and outputs a received signal, and a measurement that measures probe coordinate information representing the position and posture of the probe with respect to the mother body Means, tomographic image forming means for forming a tomographic image of the fetus based on the received signal, measuring means for performing measurement based on designated coordinate information indicating coordinates designated by the user on the tomographic image, Determination means for determining a fetal spatial state relative to the mother based on the probe coordinate information and the designated coordinate information.

  At the time of fetal ultrasonography, first, by adjusting the position and posture of the probe with respect to the mother body, an appropriate tomographic image of the region of interest in the fetus is displayed. The position and orientation of the probe at that time are measured as probe coordinate information. For example, probe coordinate information is generated based on an output signal from a sensor unit provided in the probe. Normally, the position and orientation of the probe are adjusted so that a predetermined tomographic image can be obtained according to the ultrasonic inspection manual. In that case, it is possible to automatically discriminate up, down, left and right on the tomographic image.

  After an appropriate tomographic image is obtained, one or more coordinates are designated by the user on the tomographic image for fetal measurement. Usually, multiple coordinates are specified. These coordinates may be directly designated by the user, or only the distance measurement direction may be determined by the user, and the coordinates of both end points may be automatically calculated by applying edge detection or the like. The designated coordinate information is information representing one or a plurality of coordinates on the tomographic image.

  Based on the probe coordinate information and the designated coordinate information obtained as described above, the spatial state of the fetus body is determined. The concept of the spatial state includes, for example, the orientation of the front of the fetus with respect to the mother, the orientation of the body, and the orientation of the head. The concept also includes the orientation of the body axis corresponding to the spine direction, and also includes the position of the fetus relative to the mother. It is desirable to define the contents of the spatial state according to the purpose and situation.

  According to the above configuration, when measurement is performed at the time of fetal ultrasonic examination, information input in the process of measurement is used to identify the spatial state of the fetus. Therefore, no particular burden is imposed on the user at that time. However, the direction of the tomographic image or the like may be designated as an auxiliary by the user. The spatial relationship between the matrix and the probe is specified from the probe coordinate information. The spatial relationship between the probe and the tomographic image (and each position on the tomographic image) is known. Therefore, at the time of displaying the tomographic image, it is possible to easily specify which cross section of the matrix the tomographic image shows, and it is easy to determine to which position of the matrix the coordinates specified on the tomographic image correspond. Can be identified. According to the present invention, information input by a user can be utilized by fetal examination. The fetal spatial state with respect to the mother is preferably expressed by a schematic image, a numerical value (angle around each axis), or the like.

  Desirably, a plurality of measurements are performed on a plurality of sites in the fetus, and the determination means determines the spatial state of the fetus relative to the mother based on the probe coordinate information and the designated coordinate information at the time of measurement of each site. Determine. In general, at the time of an ultrasound examination of a fetus, for example, size measurement is performed on a plurality of parts of the fetus in order to examine a growth state or to estimate and calculate a body weight. According to the said structure, the coordinate information input at the time of those measurement can be utilized.

  Preferably, head measurement and abdominal measurement are performed on the head and abdomen of the fetus, and the determination means calculates a head reference point based on designated coordinate information at the time of the head measurement. A point calculation unit, an abdominal reference point calculation unit for calculating an abdominal reference point based on the designated coordinate information at the time of the abdominal measurement, and the direction of the body axis of the fetus based on the head reference point and the abdominal reference point A body axis calculation unit that calculates At the time of fetal ultrasonography, the head and abdomen are generally measured. Based on this premise, the above configuration automatically sets the head reference point and the abdominal reference point internally and specifies the body axis connecting (or passing) them. The body axis roughly corresponds to the direction in which the spine extends, or corresponds to the center line of the body. Since the head and abdomen can be spatially distinguished, it is possible to easily specify the positive and negative directions in addition to the direction of the body axis. That is, the body axis can be specified as a three-dimensional vector.

  Preferably, the determination means includes a head transverse line specified based on designated coordinate information at the time of head measurement, and an orthogonal coordinate system consisting of a major axis and a minor axis specified at the time of abdominal measurement. Direction calculation means for calculating the direction of the front side of the fetus based on at least one of the above. According to the body axis, the positional relationship between the head and the body can be specified, but the direction in which the body and face are facing cannot be specified. According to the above configuration, the direction of the front side of the fetus is specified from the coordinate information designated at the time of one or more measurements. For example, when a tomographic image is displayed according to the inspection manual, it can be easily specified that the designated coordinate on one side is the right side and the designated coordinate on the other side is the left side. Can be specified. If such identification cannot be performed, the right side or the like may be designated for the user.

  Preferably, the image includes a reference image generating unit that generates a reference image that is an image showing the spatial state and includes a maternal model and a fetal model, and the reference image generating unit includes the direction of the body axis and the front of the fetus. A posture of the fetal model with respect to the maternal model is determined based on a side direction. According to this configuration, when the fetal model (mark indicating fetus) is displayed in the maternal model (mark indicating maternal abdomen or maternal uterus), the actual spatial state of the fetus with respect to the maternal body is reflected in the display content. It is possible to make it. A plurality of matrix models having different orientations may be prepared and used selectively. For example, the orientation of the maternal model may be changed with reference to the fetal model so that the face of the fetus can be seen.

  Preferably, the determination means includes: a first direction calculation means for calculating a direction in which the fetal head is facing based on the transverse line of the head; and a body of the fetus based on an orthogonal coordinate system of the abdomen. Second direction calculating means for calculating a direction in which the head is facing. According to this configuration, it is possible to independently specify the body direction and the head direction and reflect them in the reference image. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the actual fetal situation on the reference image.

  Preferably, the image includes a reference image generation unit that generates a reference image including a maternal model and a fetal model that is an image showing a spatial state of the fetus, and the reference image generation unit includes the direction of the body axis and the fetus. Determining the orientation of the body in the fetal model relative to the maternal model based on the direction the body is facing, and the fetus relative to the maternal model based on the direction of the body axis and the direction of the head of the fetus Determine the orientation of the head in the model.

  In the ultrasonic image processing method according to the present invention, the calculation unit has a user on a tomographic image of a fetus formed on the basis of probe coordinate information indicating the position and posture of the probe with respect to the mother and a received signal obtained by the probe. A determination step of determining a spatial state of the fetus in the mother body based on the designated coordinate information indicating the coordinates designated by; and an image generation unit based on the spatial state of the fetus in the mother body, A generating step of generating an industrial image including the maternal model and the fetal model. This method is executed in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and is also executed on an information processing apparatus that processes ultrasonic data. The determination step and the generation step can be substantially realized as software functions. For example, the calculation unit is configured by an information processing processor, and the image generation unit is configured by an image processing processor. The software is installed in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or information processing apparatus via a portable storage medium or network.

  Preferably, the determination step includes a step in which the calculation unit calculates a head reference point based on user-specified coordinate information at the time of fetal head measurement; and the calculation unit at the time of fetal abdominal measurement. Calculating an abdominal coordinate point based on user-specified coordinate information; and calculating the fetal body axis based on the head reference point and the abdominal reference point. In the generating step, the orientation of the fetal model with respect to the maternal model is determined based on the body axis.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to specify the fetal spatial state relative to the mother during ultrasonic examination. Alternatively, the orientation of the fetus can be specified without significantly increasing the burden on the user compared to the conventional case. Alternatively, a reference image reflecting the orientation of the fetus with respect to the mother can be automatically generated.

1 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the multiple types of measurement with respect to the fetus. It is a figure for demonstrating the measurement of an infant head large horizontal diameter (head large horizontal diameter). It is a figure for demonstrating measurement of abdominal circumference length. It is a figure for demonstrating measurement of the femur length. It is a figure for demonstrating the automatic front-back, left-right determination in abdominal circumference measurement. It is a figure for demonstrating the front-back, right-and-left determination by manual specification in measurement of abdominal circumference. It is a figure which shows a body-axis vector and direction vector. It is a figure for demonstrating the production | generation method of the reference image which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of an inspection report. It is a figure which shows the modification of a reference image. It is a flowchart which shows the method which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the production | generation method of the reference image which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the reference image which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration thereof. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment is an apparatus that is installed in a medical institution such as a hospital and forms an ultrasonic image by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from a living body. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment particularly has a measurement function for a periodic ultrasonic examination of a pregnant woman.

  The probe 10 is an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. An array transducer composed of a plurality of transducer elements is provided in the distal end portion of the probe 10. The array transducer is, for example, a 1D array transducer. A 2D array transducer may be provided. An ultrasonic beam B is formed by the array transducer, and the scanning surface S is formed by electronically scanning the ultrasonic beam B. In FIG. 1, r indicates the depth direction, and θ indicates the electronic scanning direction. In the present embodiment, a plurality of vibration elements are arranged in an arc shape. Thus, a so-called convex type probe 10 is configured.

  In FIG. 1, the probe 10 is in contact with the abdominal surface of the mother body 12. The maternal body 12 has a uterus 14 in which a fetus 16 exists. There are various positions and postures of the fetus 16 in the mother body 12.

  The probe 10 is provided with a sensor unit 18 in this embodiment. Specifically, a sensor unit 18 is provided at a predetermined position in the probe head of the probe 10. In the present embodiment, the position and orientation of the probe 10 in the three-dimensional space are detected in real time using the sensor unit 18. Prior to such detection, a predetermined calibration is performed.

  The transmission unit 20 is a transmission beam former, and a plurality of transmission signals are supplied in parallel from the transmission unit 20 to the array transducer during transmission. As a result, a transmission beam is formed by the array transducer. At the time of reception, when a reflected wave from the living body is received by the array transducer, a plurality of reception signals are output in parallel from the array transducer to the receiving unit 22. The receiving unit 22 performs a phasing addition process on the plurality of reception signals, and thereby outputs a reception signal after phasing addition, that is, beam data. The probe 10 includes a probe head, a probe cable, and a probe connector. The probe head can freely move with respect to the apparatus main body, and the sensor unit 18 is provided for the probe head.

  The beam data output from the receiving unit 22 is sent to the image forming unit 24 via a signal processing module or the like. In this embodiment, the image forming unit 24 is configured by a digital scan converter (DSC). That is, the image forming unit 24 has a coordinate conversion function and an interpolation processing function. The image forming unit 24 forms a B-mode tomographic image based on the plurality of beam data. The image data is sent to the display processing unit 26. At the time of measurement on the fetus, the position and posture of the probe 10 on the body surface of the mother 12 are adjusted by the user (examiner) so that a tomographic image suitable for the purpose of the measurement is displayed. Incidentally, as an ultrasonic image, in addition to the B-mode tomographic image described above, a two-dimensional blood flow image, a three-dimensional image, an M-mode image, a Doppler waveform, and the like are known. Based on these, fetal measurements may be performed.

  The positioning unit 28 has a function of calculating the position and orientation of the probe 10 based on the detection signal from the sensor unit 18. That is, the positioning unit 28 and the sensor unit 18 constitute a positioning system. In the positioning unit 28, the coordinates on each axis and the angle around each axis in the three-dimensional space are calculated. Various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, an electromagnetic wave sensor, and a magnetic sensor can be used as the sensor constituting the sensor unit 18. When the electromagnetic wave method is employed, an electromagnetic wave generator that generates an electromagnetic wave for positioning is provided. When the magnetic method is employed, a magnetic field generator that generates a three-dimensional magnetic field is provided. It is also possible to adopt an infrared system, and in that case, a reflection member that reflects infrared rays to the probe 10 is provided, and from the irradiator and the reflection member that irradiates the reflection member with infrared rays. A light receiver (including an imager) that receives light is provided. It is desirable to adopt a positioning method that does not affect pregnant women and fetuses. In any case, it is desirable to provide a configuration for measuring the relative position and posture of the probe 10 with respect to the mother body 12. According to such a configuration, the positional relationship of the scanning surface S with respect to the mother body 12 is known, and when coordinates are specified on the tomographic image representing the scanning surface S, the relationship between the coordinates and the mother body 12 is known.

  Note that calibration is generally performed prior to detection of the position and orientation of the probe. Various methods can be used for calibration. For example, calibration may be executed by adjusting the position and orientation of the probe so that a vertical cross section at the navel position is displayed on the screen. In that case, a reference tomographic image corresponding to a vertical section or a tomographic image acquired by another modality is displayed on the display unit 46, and in contrast thereto, the position and posture of the probe 10 are observed while observing the real-time tomographic image. It may be adjusted. Further, the calibration may be executed by marking the reference portion on the tomographic image so that the reference portion in the mother body 12 appears on the scanning plane S. Probe coordinate information representing the position and orientation of the probe is output from the positioning unit 28 to the calculation unit 32.

  The calculation unit 32 is configured as one function of the main control unit in the present embodiment, and the main control unit is configured by a CPU and an operation program. A plurality of functions of the calculation unit 32 are shown as a plurality of blocks in FIG. The calculation unit 32 includes a graphic image generation unit 34, a measurement calculation unit 36, a spatial state analysis unit 38, a reference image generation unit 40, and an inspection report generation unit 42.

  The graphic image generation unit 34 is a module that generates a plurality of markers, a plurality of lines, and the like displayed on the B-mode tomographic image when performing measurement. The measurement calculation unit 36 has a function of calculating the distance between two points designated by the user when performing measurement. In addition, it has a function of calculating area, weight, and the like.

  The spatial state analysis unit 38 is a module that analyzes the position and posture of the fetus 16 relative to the mother body 12. In particular, in this embodiment, the spatial state analysis unit 38 automatically specifies the orientation of the fetus 16 in the mother body 12. In that case, a plurality of coordinates designated by the user are referred to in a plurality of measurements for the fetus. This will be described in detail later.

  In the present embodiment, as in the past, when a plurality of measurements are performed on the fetus, information input by the user in the process is referred to in the spatial state analysis unit 38, thereby automatically determining the orientation of the fetus. Calculated.

  The reference image generation unit 40 is a module that generates a reference image (guidance image) including a maternal model and a fetal model. In the present embodiment, the orientation of the fetus is automatically specified as described above. When generating the reference image, the orientation of the fetus model is automatically set so that the actual orientation of the fetus is reflected in the maternal model. Has been adjusted. Thereby, it is possible to reproduce the posture of the fetus in the mother body. In addition, in that case, no special input by the user is basically required, and it is possible to obtain a reference image in which the orientation of the fetus is reflected as a result only by performing the same measurement as before. This will be described in detail later.

  The test report generation unit 42 is a module that generates a test report (electronic data) in which execution results of a plurality of measurements on the fetus are represented. The inspection report may include, for example, a plurality of tomographic images referred to in a plurality of measurements, and may include a reference image generated as described above. The reference image may be attached to the mother-child notebook or the like.

  In the above description, the orientation, that is, the posture of the fetus 16 with respect to the mother body 12 has been analyzed. According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is further possible to automatically specify up to the position of the fetus 16 with respect to the mother body 12, and to generate the reference image 40 reflecting such a position. Is also possible. That is, in the present embodiment, the probe 10 is provided with the sensor unit 18 and the position and orientation of the probe 10 are observed in real time. It is possible to automatically determine which position in the parent body 12 corresponds to the coordinate.

  The display processing unit 26 has an image composition function, a color calculation function, and the like. The display unit 46 displays an ultrasonic image such as the tomographic image described above. An inspection report is displayed if necessary. Further, the reference image may be displayed alone. The analysis result by the spatial state analysis unit 38 may be expressed not by the reference image but by, for example, a numerical value. In addition to being displayed on the display screen as described above, the inspection report may be printed.

  The input unit 44 is configured by an operation panel in the present embodiment. The operation panel includes a keyboard, a trackball, various switches, and the like. The user can use the input unit 44 to select an operation mode, move a measurement marker, and the like.

  FIG. 2 shows the contents of a plurality of measurements for the fetus. For the head 16A of the fetus 16, a large head diameter (BPD) is generally measured. In that case, the position and orientation of the probe are adjusted so that the horizontal section 48 of the head 16A is displayed in accordance with the inspection guideline that describes the recommended inspection method, and then the left and right sides on the tomographic image are displayed. A distance 50 corresponding to the large lateral diameter of the head is measured. The Japanese Society of Ultrasound Medicine has published “Standardization of Ultrasonic Fetal Measurements and Japanese Reference Values”, and an example of inspection guidelines is recognized there.

  For the abdomen 16B of the fetus 16, the circumference of the abdomen is measured. Also in this case, the predetermined cross section 52 in the abdomen is displayed on the screen in accordance with the inspection guidelines, and the user designates both ends of the long axis 54 and both ends of the short axis 56 there. Then, assuming that the abdominal contour is approximated by an ellipse, the abdominal position length is calculated from the length of the major axis 54 and the length of the minor axis 56. Further, if necessary, a cross section 58 representing the femur is displayed on the screen, and the femur length is measured as the distance 60 by designating both end points of the femur. These measurements are generally performed in regular ultrasound examinations of pregnant women, and are usually performed particularly when estimating the weight of a fetus.

  FIG. 3 specifically shows the measurement of the large head diameter (BPD). A cross section 66 of the head appears on the tomographic image 62. The cross section 66 is a predetermined cross section according to the inspection guideline. Incidentally, reference numeral 64 indicates a marker indicating the start point side of the electronic scanning, and the side where the marker 64 is present corresponds to the side where the first element of the array transducer is provided.

  On the cross section 66 of the head, the coordinates of the left end point 70 and the right end point 72 are designated by the user in a direction orthogonal to the midline. In that case, the coordinates of the outside of the skull are designated on one end side, and the inside of the skull is designated on the other end side. By specifying such two coordinates, a transverse line 100 is drawn, and the distance between two end points on the line is automatically measured. The distance is the large lateral diameter of the head.

  In the present embodiment, when the transverse line 100 is determined, an intermediate point between the two end points 70 and 72 is determined as the head reference point 102. As will be described later, this is a reference point on one side when defining the body axis. In FIG. 3, F indicates the front side when viewed from the fetus, R indicates the right side, L indicates the left side, and B indicates the rear side. . When the tomographic image is displayed along the inspection guideline, it is possible to specify the front, back, left and right on the tomographic image if the direction of electronic scanning is appropriate.

  FIG. 4 specifically shows the measurement of the abdominal circumference (AC). A fetal abdominal section 76 appears on the tomographic image 74. The cross section is a predetermined cross section according to the inspection guidelines. Four coordinates 80, 82, 86, and 88 are designated by the user to designate the major axis and the minor axis on the contour line in the cross section 76. A line segment connecting coordinates 80 and 82 is a short axis, and a line segment connecting coordinates 86 and 88 is a long axis 84. By specifying such four coordinates, the outline 90 of the abdominal section is approximated as an ellipse. Based on this assumption, the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis are automatically calculated, and the abdominal circumference length is automatically calculated according to these lengths. In the present embodiment, the intersection of the major axis 84 and the minor axis 78, that is, the center point is determined as the abdominal reference point 104. The abdominal reference point 104 forms a second reference point when defining the body axis.

  FIG. 5 shows the measurement of the femur length (FL). A cross section 94 of the femur appears on the tomographic image 92. When the left end and right end 96, 98 of the femur are designated by the user, the femoral length is automatically calculated as the distance 99 between them.

  When a plurality of measurements as described above, in particular, the measurement of the large horizontal diameter of the head and the measurement of the circumference of the abdomen are performed, the body axis (body axis vector) can be automatically specified as will be described later. If cross sections are represented in each measurement according to the inspection guidelines, it is possible to recognize front, rear, left and right in the fetus. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 6, an abdominal section 108 is represented on the tomographic image 106, and four coordinates 110, 112, 114, 116 are designated by the user on the contour, and the major axis 120 and the minor axis 118 are defined by them. Yes. Such a cross section follows the inspection guidelines. Under such a premise, as indicated by reference numeral 124, it is possible to identify the center point on the short axis, that is, the upper side of the abdominal reference point 122 as the left. Further, as indicated by reference numeral 126, it is possible to identify the left side of the abdomen reference point 122 as the rear in the long axis. Of course, instead of left and rear, right and front may be specified, or only one of front, rear, left and right may be specified.

  On the other hand, when it is difficult to draw a cross section recommended by the inspection guideline, a specific direction may be designated by the user as described below. For example, in FIG. 7, an abdominal section 130 is represented on the tomographic image 128, and four coordinates 132, 134, 136, and 138 are designated on the outline, and the major axis 142 and the minor axis 140 are specified by them. Yes. However, the content of the cross-section 130 is greatly deviated from the mode recommended by the inspection guidelines. In such a case, for example, for a specific coordinate 136, as indicated by reference numeral 146, for example, an orientation is manually input as an attribute so that the front, back, left and right of the fetus can be recognized on the device. May be. By the way, when such an input is performed, the front, rear, left and right in the fetus are specified in relation to the abdominal reference point 144.

  FIG. 8 shows the body axis vector and the orientation vector. In FIG. 8, the three-dimensional space is represented as an XYZ coordinate system. P0 represents the coordinate origin, and P1 represents the probe contact position when diagnosing the abdominal section. P2 indicates the position of the probe when diagnosing the head section. Specifically, they are specified by 6-dimensional coordinates.

  In the measurement of the abdomen, the position and posture of the probe are adjusted so that the predetermined abdominal section 150 is included in the scanning plane S1. The coordinate after the adjustment is P1. A long axis and a short axis are specified on the abdominal section 150, and an abdominal reference point P11 is specified as an intersection thereof. In addition, as described above, the front / rear / left / right direction of the fetus is automatically specified by displaying the tomographic image in accordance with the inspection guideline or by manual auxiliary input, and as a result, the front direction of the fetus, that is, the orientation vector 156 is determined. Is automatically identified. Here, the length is not particularly important, and the direction vector 156 may be a unit vector. The orientation vector 156 is included on the scanning plane S1 including the abdominal section 150 in the present embodiment.

  On the other hand, in the measurement of the head, the scanning plane S2 is determined so that a predetermined head section 152 is included. Specifically, the position and posture of the probe are adjusted. The position of the probe after the adjustment is represented by P2. Specifically, the position and orientation of the probe are specified as six-dimensional coordinate values. In the measurement of the head, the large head lateral diameter is calculated, and the head reference point P22 is specified as the midpoint at that time.

  In the present embodiment, the body axis vector 154 is automatically specified as the direction connecting the abdominal reference point P11 and the head reference point P22. In the body axis vector 154, the length may be associated with the length of the fetus. Then, the size of the fetal model described later may be adjusted according to the length of the body axis vector 154.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the orientation vector 156 is obtained as representative of the orientation of the fetus, but an orientation vector representing the orientation of the fetal face may be further specified. If the front, back, left and right can be specified on the cross section of the head, it is easy to specify the direction in which the fetal head is facing. According to such two independent orientation measurements, there is an advantage that the orientation of the body and the orientation of the head can be set independently in generating the fetal model. Therefore, it is possible to generate a fetal model that is more faithful to the actual fetal state.

  In the present embodiment, assuming that calibration is executed, the position and orientation of the probe are observed, that is, the position and orientation of the probe in relation to the parent body, and coordinates are designated on the tomographic image. Then, it is possible to recognize it as coordinates for the mother body. Therefore, in generating the reference image, the actual positional relationship between the mother and the fetus can be reproduced as the positional relationship between the mother model and the fetus model. In that case, since the user only needs to perform ultrasonic measurement as in the conventional case, there is no particular burden on the user.

    FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a reference image generation method according to the first embodiment.

  In the three-dimensional fetal model database 158, a plurality of three-dimensional fetal models having various sizes are stored. 3D conforming to the size of the fetus being measured, from multiple 3D fetal models, according to the measured large head diameter, abdominal circumference, number of weeks input, or calculated fetal weight A fetal model is selected. The selected fetal model is indicated at 160. In this case, a three-dimensional fetal model may be selected according to the length of the body axis vector.

  In the arithmetic module 162, a rotation process for the selected fetal model is executed. In that case, rotation processing for each of the three axes is executed. That is, the rotation process for the fetus model is executed so that the orientation of the fetus with respect to the mother is reproduced on the reference image. In that case, the body axis vector and the orientation vector described above are referred to. That is, individual rotation processing is performed according to these vectors.

  A matrix model is stored on the memory 164. The maternal model read out therefrom and the fetal model after the rotation process are synthesized on the module 166. Accordingly, the fetal model is synthesized on the maternal model so that the actual positional relationship between the maternal body and the fetus is reproduced, and as a result, a reference image is generated. The generated reference image is displayed on the screen and incorporated in the inspection report, or is output to the outside as necessary.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of an inspection report. In this example, the inspection report 168 includes a column 170 including items such as the subject name. The inspection report 168 includes a column 172 that includes a plurality of pieces of numerical information representing a plurality of measurement results. The inspection report 168 includes a plurality of tomographic images 174, 176, and 178 acquired in a plurality of measurements. A graphic plane including a plurality of markers is synthesized with these images 174, 176 and 178. Further, in the present embodiment, a reference image 180 is included in the inspection report 168. The reference image is composed of a maternal model 182 and a fetal model 184. As the parent model 182, one type of image is stored in the present embodiment. Of course, a plurality of mother models are prepared, and an appropriate mother model is selected according to the size and form of the mother body. It may be.

  In the present embodiment, a fetus model 184 is displayed in the maternal model 182. In this case, the fetal model 184 is rotated so that the orientation of the fetal model 184 reproduces the actual orientation of the fetus. That is, the rotation angle around each axis is determined by the body axis vector and the orientation vector. In that case, the fetal model 184 may be represented in the maternal model 182 so that the three-dimensional position of the fetus in the maternal body is further reflected. In the present embodiment, the size of the fetus model 184 is variably set so as to match the actual size of the fetus. Reference numeral 186 indicates the rotation angle around each axis in the fetal model 184 as a numerical value. If necessary, such numerical information is entered in the screen report.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the fetal model is synthesized with the maternal model so that the actual positional relationship between the maternal body and the fetus is reflected on the reference image. Therefore, the reference image itself is very useful as a diagnostic record. In particular, the doctor can identify the orientation of the fetus based on the ultrasound diagnostic image and eliminate the trouble of manually inputting the orientation of the fetus. The advantage is that it is possible to provide useful information.

  In this embodiment, the maternal model is a stationary model, and rotation processing is applied to the fetal model. However, the fetal model is expressed so that the fetal face appears in front, and Necessary rotation processing may be performed on the matrix model so that the positional relationship is correctly expressed. Moreover, you may make it display both the reference image seen from the front, and the reference image seen from the side.

  FIG. 11 shows a modification of the reference image. The reference image 188 has a maternal model 190 and a fetus model 192. The fetal model 192 includes a plurality of parts, and specifically includes a head 196, a body 194, and legs 198. And the cross-section which measured with respect to them is expressed by the graphic etc., for example. Such a representation makes it possible to clearly recognize a site where measurement has been performed.

  FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of the reference image generation method according to the first embodiment described above. Note that the start and end processes are not shown for the sake of simplicity. The same applies to FIG. 15 described later.

  In S100, calibration for matching the position and orientation of the probe with respect to the mother body is executed. In addition, in the illustrated example, abdominal measurement and head measurement are performed. More specifically, in S102, a tomographic image for abdominal measurement is displayed on the screen. That is, the position and posture of the probe are adjusted so that such an appropriate tomographic image is displayed. In step S104, the major axis and the minor axis are designated by the user in order to approximate the abdominal outline with an ellipse on the tomographic image. Specifically, four coordinates defining these axes are designated by the user. In step S106, the abdominal circumference is automatically calculated.

  On the other hand, in S108, a tomographic image for head measurement is displayed on the screen. That is, the position and orientation of the probe are adjusted by the user so that such an appropriate tomographic image is displayed. In S110, the right end and the left end are designated on the tomographic image of the head, and thereby the baby head large lateral diameter is calculated in S112.

  In S114, the front, back, left and right of the fetus are specified using one or both of the abdominal tomographic image and the head tomographic image. In this case, the user may specify the direction as necessary.

  In S116, an abdominal reference position (reference point) is specified based on a plurality of coordinates input at the time of abdominal measurement, and its three-dimensional coordinates are calculated. In this case, the position and orientation of the probe and a plurality of coordinates designated on the cross section are referred to. On the other hand, in S118, the head reference position (reference point) is automatically specified based on a plurality of coordinates designated on the head tomographic image, and the three-dimensional coordinates are further calculated. Also in this case, the posture representing the position and posture of the probe and a plurality of coordinates on the cross section are referred to. In S120, a body axis vector representing the fetal posture is calculated based on the abdominal reference position and the head reference position. The body axis vector is a vector extending from the abdominal reference position to the head reference position, for example. In S120, the direction vector is also calculated. In that case, the front, rear, left, and right specified in S114 are referred to. Of course, the orientation vector may be calculated in advance in S114.

  When the fetal posture is calculated as described above, a fetal model representing the fetal posture is generated in S122. That is, a rotation process is applied to the fetal model selected according to the actual size of the fetus. In S124, the fetal model after the rotation processing is synthesized with the maternal model, thereby generating a reference image. In S126, the reference image is recorded or displayed as necessary. Further, an inspection report including a reference image is generated.

  Next, a reference image generation method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 13, a three-dimensional fetal model database 200 is the same as the three-dimensional model database shown in FIG. A three-dimensional fetal model that matches the actual fetal size is selected from a plurality of three-dimensional fetal models according to the input information. In the second embodiment, the body and the head can be independently rotated in the three-dimensional fetal model.

  In the computing unit 202, the entire rotation process for the fetal model is performed. That is, the entire rotation process for the fetal model is performed in accordance with the body orientation vector, that is, information indicating the fetal posture outside the head. In the illustrated example, the head portion is also rotated at this stage.

  In addition, in the computing unit 204, partial rotation processing is applied to the head portion in the fetal model according to the head orientation vector, that is, according to the head posture. In other words, only that part is rotated so that the orientation of the head is correct. Thereafter, the arithmetic unit 208 synthesizes the fetal model that has been subjected to the above-described rotation processing with respect to the maternal model 206 read from the memory 26. Even in that case, if necessary, the position of the fetus in the mother is referred to, and the synthesis process is executed so that the actual position of the fetus is reflected.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of a reference image according to the second embodiment. The reference image 210 includes a maternal model 212 and a fetal model 214. The fetal model 214 has a body 116 and a head 218, and the orientation can be set independently for each. In the illustrated example, a body axis vector 220 is represented, and accordingly, a body orientation vector 222 and a head orientation vector 224 are represented. That is, the body 116 and the head 218 can be independently oriented. According to the generation of such a reference image, there is an advantage that a fetal model that more accurately reflects the actual state of the fetus can be displayed.

  FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of the reference image generation method according to the second embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same process shown in FIG. 12, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In FIG. 15, abdominal measurement is performed in S102 to S106, and then, in S130, the front, rear, left, and right are specified in order to specify the body orientation vector. On the other hand, head measurement is performed in S108 to S112, and then, in order to specify the head orientation vector in S132, the front, rear, left and right are specified.

  In S134, the fetal posture is calculated. In this case, in addition to the body axis vector, two direction vectors of the body direction vector and the head direction vector are calculated. In S136, a fetal model representing the fetal posture specified as described above is generated. In that case, the rotation process for the entire fetal model is executed in accordance with the body orientation vector. Then, in S138, only the head portion in the fetal model is rotated according to the head orientation vector. That is, the head orientation is corrected. As a result, when the reference image is generated in S124, as described above, there is an advantage that the orientation of the body and the orientation of the head can be expressed independently in the fetal model.

  In the above-described embodiment, the body axis vector or the like is specified by using the measurement of the abdomen and the measurement of the head, but the body axis vector or the like may be specified by using the measurement for another part. In the case of a fetus, measurement is performed for each individual fetus, and as a result, a body axis vector or the like is automatically specified for each individual fetus. In this case, when generating the verification image, a reference image may be generated for each individual fetus, but a reference image in which a plurality of fetal models are expressed in a single maternal model may be generated. Good.

10 probe, 12 mother body, 16 fetus, 18 sensor unit, 28 positioning unit, 38 spatial state analysis unit, 40 reference image generation unit, 42 examination report generation unit.

Claims (9)

A probe that transmits and receives ultrasound to the fetus in the mother's body and outputs a received signal;
Measuring means for measuring probe coordinate information representing the position and orientation of the probe with respect to the mother body;
A tomographic image forming means for forming a tomographic image of the fetus based on the received signal;
Measuring means for performing measurement based on designated coordinate information indicating coordinates designated by the user on the tomographic image;
Based on the probe coordinate information and the designated coordinate information, determination means for determining a fetal spatial state with respect to the mother,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
Multiple measurements are performed on multiple sites in the fetus,
The determination means determines the fetal spatial state relative to the mother based on the probe coordinate information and the designated coordinate information at the time of measurement of each part,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The apparatus of claim 2.
Head measurement and abdominal measurement are performed on the head and abdomen in the fetus,
The determination means includes
A head reference point calculation unit that calculates a head reference point based on the designated coordinate information at the time of the head measurement;
An abdominal reference point calculation unit for calculating an abdominal reference point based on the designated coordinate information at the time of the abdominal measurement;
Based on the head reference point and the abdominal reference point, as the spatial state, a body axis calculation unit that calculates the direction of the body axis of the fetus,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 3.
The determination means is at least one of a transverse line identified on the basis of designated coordinate information at the time of the head measurement, and an orthogonal coordinate system comprising a major axis and a minor axis identified at the time of the abdominal measurement. On the basis of, as the spatial state, including a direction calculation means for calculating the direction of the front side of the fetus,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The apparatus of claim 4.
A reference image generating means for generating a reference image including a maternal model and a fetal model, the image showing a spatial state of the fetus;
The reference image generation means determines the posture of the fetal model with respect to the maternal model based on the direction of the body axis and the direction of the front side of the fetus.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The apparatus of claim 4.
The determination means includes
First direction calculating means for calculating a direction in which the head of the fetus is facing based on the transverse line of the head;
Second direction calculation means for calculating a direction in which the body of the fetus is facing based on an orthogonal coordinate system of the abdomen,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 6.
A reference image generating means for generating a reference image including a maternal model and a fetal model;
The reference image generation means includes
An image showing the fetal spatial state, the direction of the body in the fetal model relative to the maternal model is determined based on the direction of the body axis and the direction of the body of the fetus,
The orientation of the head in the fetal model relative to the maternal model is determined based on the body axis and the direction in which the fetal head is facing,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The calculation unit includes probe coordinate information indicating the position and orientation of the probe with respect to the mother body, and designated coordinate information indicating coordinates designated by the user on the tomographic image of the fetus formed based on the received signal obtained by the probe; , Based on the determination step of determining the fetal spatial state in the mother body,
An image generating unit generates a reference image including the maternal model and the fetal model based on a fetal spatial state in the maternal body;
An ultrasonic image processing method comprising: The method of claim 8, wherein
The determination step includes
The calculating unit calculates a head reference point based on user-specified coordinate information at the time of fetal head measurement;
The calculation unit calculates abdominal coordinate points based on user-specified coordinate information during fetal abdominal measurement;
The calculating unit calculating the body axis of the fetus based on the head reference point and the abdominal reference point;
Including
In the generating step, the orientation of the fetal model relative to the maternal model is determined based on the body axis.
An ultrasonic image processing method.

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