JP2020124288A - Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve a luminance difference in an ultrasonic image.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic probe in an embodiment includes a first element group and a second element group. In the first element group, a plurality of first elements each having at least one center element and two edge elements in a first direction are arrayed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. In the second element group, a plurality of second elements each having a length of 50% or more of the length of the center element, and less than the length of the first element are arrayed in the second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

Conventionally, by inserting a puncture needle along the guide by providing a cutout portion in the ultrasonic probe and mounting a puncture guide adapter for guiding the insertion of the puncture needle into the cutout portion. An ultrasonic probe capable of performing the above is known. Such an ultrasonic probe is called, for example, a puncture ultrasonic probe. By using the puncture ultrasonic probe equipped with the puncture guide adapter, the doctor can insert the puncture needle into an appropriate site while checking the ultrasonic image.

The puncture ultrasonic probe has two types of elements. The two types of elements include an element at a portion where a cutout portion is provided (a cutout element) and an element at a portion other than that (a normal portion element). The notch element and the normal element are arranged one-dimensionally (one-dimensional array structure), and the length of the notch element is shorter than the length of the normal element. It is known that such a puncture ultrasonic probe having a one-dimensional array structure has a difference in luminance between a region near the cutout element and a region other than the cutout element in the obtained ultrasonic image. ..

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-116308

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the brightness difference in an ultrasonic image.

The ultrasonic probe according to the embodiment includes a first element group and a second element group. In the first element group, a plurality of first elements having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The second element group arranges a plurality of second elements having a length shorter than that of the first element in the second direction.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 2 viewed from the acoustic emission direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial area including a puncture groove on the contact surface of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 7 viewed from the acoustic emission direction. FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial area including the puncture groove on the contact surface of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial region including the puncture groove of the contact surface of FIG. 3 according to the first application example. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial region including the puncture groove of the contact surface of FIG. 3 according to the second application example. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an apparatus body 10 and an ultrasonic probe 20. The device body 10 is connected to the external device 30 via the network 100. The device body 10 is also connected to the display device 40 and the input device 50.

The ultrasonic probe 20 executes an ultrasonic scan on the scan area in the living body P, for example, under the control of the apparatus body 10. The ultrasonic probe 20 includes, for example, an acoustic lens, a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators, a matching layer provided on the piezoelectric vibrator, and a backing material that prevents ultrasonic waves from propagating backward from the piezoelectric vibrator. The ultrasonic probe 20 in the present embodiment is, for example, an ultrasonic probe for puncture provided with a cutout portion for mounting a puncture guide adapter. Note that, hereinafter, the “piezoelectric vibrator” is simply referred to as “element”.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the present embodiment includes the first element having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction (slice direction) as the second element orthogonal to the first direction. A plurality of first elements arranged in the direction (scanning direction) and a second element having a length of 50% or more of the length of the central element and less than the length of the first element in the second direction. And a second element group in which a plurality of elements are arranged. Alternatively, the second element group may have a length that is greater than or equal to the length of each of the two end elements and less than the length of the first element. That is, the first element group has a so-called 1.5-dimensional (Dimension: D) array structure, and the ultrasonic probe 20 controls not only the opening in the second direction but also the opening in the first direction. be able to. With this 1.5D array structure, the ultrasonic probe 20 can improve the image resolution in the first direction.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe 20 is detachably connected to the apparatus body 10. The ultrasonic probe 20 may be provided with a button that is pressed during offset processing, ultrasonic image freeze, and the like. The specific configuration of the ultrasonic probe 20 will be described later.

The plurality of elements generate ultrasonic waves based on the drive signal supplied from the ultrasonic wave transmission circuit 11 of the apparatus body 10. Thereby, ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 20 to the living body P. When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 20 to the living body P, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are successively reflected by the discontinuity surface of the acoustic impedance in the internal tissues of the living body P, and are reflected by a plurality of elements as reflected wave signals. Be received. The amplitude of the received reflected wave signal depends on the difference in acoustic impedance at the discontinuous surface on which the ultrasonic waves are reflected. In addition, the reflected wave signal when the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is reflected by the moving blood flow or the surface such as the heart wall depends on the velocity component of the moving body in the ultrasonic transmitting direction due to the Doppler effect. Receive a frequency shift. The ultrasonic probe 20 receives the reflected wave signal from the living body P and converts it into an electric signal.

Note that FIG. 1 illustrates only the connection relationship between the ultrasonic probe 20 used for imaging and the apparatus body 10. However, it is possible to connect a plurality of ultrasonic probes to the device body 10. Which of a plurality of connected ultrasonic probes is to be used for imaging can be arbitrarily selected by a switching operation.

The device body 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that generates an ultrasonic image based on a reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 10 includes an ultrasonic wave transmission circuit 11, an ultrasonic wave reception circuit 12, an internal storage circuit 13, an image memory 14 (cine memory), an input interface 15, a communication interface 16, and a processing circuit 17. Have.

The ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 is a processor that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 20. The ultrasonic wave transmission circuit 11 is realized by, for example, a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, a pulser circuit, and the like. The trigger generation circuit repeatedly generates a rate pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave at a predetermined rate frequency. The delay circuit gives a delay time for each element necessary for focusing the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic probe 20 into a beam shape and determining the transmission directivity for each rate pulse generated by the trigger generation circuit. .. The pulsar circuit applies a drive signal (drive pulse) to a plurality of ultrasonic transducers provided in the ultrasonic probe 20 at a timing based on the rate pulse. By changing the delay time given to each rate pulse by the delay circuit, the transmission direction from the element surface can be arbitrarily adjusted.

The ultrasonic receiving circuit 12 is a processor that performs various processes on the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 20 to generate a received signal. The ultrasonic wave reception circuit 12 is realized by, for example, an amplifier circuit, an A/D converter, a reception delay circuit, and an adder. The amplifier circuit amplifies the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 20 for each channel and performs gain correction processing. The A/D converter converts the gain-corrected reflected wave signal into a digital signal. The reception delay circuit gives a delay time necessary for determining the reception directivity to the digital signal. The adder adds a plurality of digital signals given a delay time. By the addition processing of the adder, a reception signal in which the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the reception directivity is emphasized is generated.

The internal storage circuit 13 has, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, a recording medium readable by a processor such as a semiconductor memory, or the like. The internal storage circuit 13 stores a program for realizing ultrasonic transmission/reception, a program for supporting puncture, and the like. In addition, the internal storage circuit 13 includes diagnostic information (for example, patient ID, doctor's findings, etc.), diagnostic protocol, transmission condition, reception condition, signal processing condition, image generation condition, image processing condition, body mark generation program, display condition. , And various data such as a conversion table for presetting the range of color data used for visualization for each diagnostic region. The program and various data may be stored in advance in the internal storage circuit 13, for example. Further, for example, it may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium and distributed, read from the non-transitory storage medium, and installed in the internal storage circuit 13.

Further, the internal storage circuit 13 stores the two-dimensional B-mode image data generated by the processing circuit 17, the two-dimensional Doppler image data, and the like according to the storage operation input via the input interface 15. The internal storage circuit 13 can also transfer the stored data to the external device 30 via the communication interface 16.

The internal storage circuit 13 may be a drive device or the like that reads/writes various information from/to a portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, and a flash memory. The internal storage circuit 13 can also write the stored data in a portable storage medium and store the data in the external device 30 via the portable storage medium.

The image memory 14 has, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, a recording medium readable by a processor such as a semiconductor memory, or the like. The image memory 14 stores image data input via the input interface 15 and corresponding to a plurality of frames immediately before the freeze operation. The image data stored in the image memory 14 is continuously displayed (cine display), for example.

The internal storage circuit 13 and the image memory 14 are not necessarily realized by independent storage devices. The internal storage circuit 13 and the image memory 14 may be realized by a single storage device. Further, each of the internal storage circuit 13 and the image memory 14 may be realized by a plurality of storage devices.

The input interface 15 receives various instructions from the operator via the input device 50. The input device 50 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a panel switch, a slider switch, a trackball, a rotary encoder, an operation panel, and a touch command screen (Touch Command Screen: TCS). The input interface 15 is connected to the processing circuit 17 via, for example, a bus, converts an operation instruction input by an operator into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the processing circuit 17. In the present embodiment, the input interface 15 is not limited to the one that is connected to a physical operation component such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, a circuit that receives an electric signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and outputs the electric signal to the processing circuit 17 is also an example of the input interface 15. include.

The communication interface 16 is connected to the external device 30 via the network 100 or the like, and performs data communication with the external device 30. The external device 30 is, for example, a database such as a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) that is a system that manages various types of medical image data, an electronic medical chart system that manages an electronic medical chart to which medical images are attached, and the like. The standard for communication with the external device 30 may be any standard, and examples thereof include DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine).

The processing circuit 17 is, for example, a processor that functions as the center of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The processing circuit 17 implements the function corresponding to the program by executing the program stored in the internal storage circuit 13. The processing circuit 17 has, for example, a B-mode processing function 171, a Doppler processing function 172, an image generation function 173, an image processing function 174, an aperture control function 175, a delay control function 176, a display control function 177, and a system control function 178. ..

The B-mode processing function 171 is a function of generating B-mode data based on the reception signal received from the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12. Specifically, in the B-mode processing function 171, the processing circuit 17 performs, for example, envelope detection processing, logarithmic amplification processing, and the like on the received signal received from the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12, and the signal strength is brightness and brightness. Data (B mode data) represented by The generated B-mode data is stored in a RAW data memory (not shown) as B-mode RAW data on a two-dimensional ultrasonic scanning line (raster).

The Doppler processing function 172 frequency-analyzes the received signal received from the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12 to obtain motion information based on the Doppler effect of the moving object within the region of interest (ROI) set in the scan region. Is a function to generate data (Doppler data) extracted from. Specifically, the processing circuit 17 in the Doppler processing function 172 generates Doppler data in which the average velocity, the average variance value, the average power value, and the like are estimated at each of a plurality of sample points as the motion information of the moving body, for example. .. Here, the moving body is, for example, a blood flow, a tissue such as a heart wall, a contrast medium, or the like. In the present embodiment, the processing circuit 17 uses, as the blood flow motion information (blood flow information), an average blood flow velocity, an average blood flow variance value, an average blood flow power value, and the like at each of a plurality of sample points. Generate estimated Doppler data. The generated Doppler data is stored in a RAW data memory (not shown) as Doppler RAW data on a two-dimensional ultrasonic scanning line.

The processing circuit 17 uses the Doppler processing function 172 and can execute a color Doppler method called a color flow mapping (CFM) method. In the CFM method, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received a plurality of times on a plurality of scanning lines. In the Doppler processing function 172, the processing circuit 17 applies a MTI (Moving Target Indicator) filter to the data string at the same position to obtain a signal (clutter signal) derived from a stationary tissue or a slow moving tissue. Suppress and extract signals originating from the bloodstream. Then, the processing circuit 17 estimates blood flow information such as blood flow velocity, blood flow dispersion, and blood flow power from the extracted blood flow signal.

The image generation function 173 is a function of generating image data based on the data generated by the B-mode processing function 171 and the Doppler processing function 172. For example, in the image generation function 173, the processing circuit 17 converts the scanning line signal sequence of ultrasonic scanning into a scanning line signal sequence of a video format typified by a television (scan conversion) and generates image data for display. To do. Specifically, the processing circuit 17 performs RAW-pixel conversion on the B-mode RAW data stored in the RAW data memory, for example, coordinate conversion according to the scanning form of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic probe 20. Then, two-dimensional B-mode image data composed of pixels is generated.

The processing circuit 17 also performs RAW-pixel conversion on the Doppler RAW data stored in the RAW data memory to generate two-dimensional Doppler image data in which blood flow information is visualized. The two-dimensional Doppler image data includes velocity image data, dispersed image data, power image data, or image data obtained by combining these.

Further, the processing circuit 17 may combine the generated two-dimensional B-mode image data and two-dimensional Doppler image data with character information of various parameters, scales, body marks, and the like.

The image processing function 174 is a function of performing predetermined image processing on the two-dimensional B-mode image data and the two-dimensional Doppler image data. Specifically, the processing circuit 17 in the image processing function 174 uses, for example, the two-dimensional B-mode image data generated by the image generation function 173 or a plurality of image frames in the two-dimensional Doppler image data to calculate an average value of luminance. Image processing for regenerating an image (smoothing processing), image processing using a differential filter in an image (edge emphasis processing), and the like are performed.

The aperture control function 175 is a function of performing aperture control for controlling the aperture of the element relating to ultrasonic transmission/reception. Specifically, the processing circuit 17 in the aperture control function 175 sets, for example, the number of a plurality of elements (the number of simultaneously driven elements) used when generating the transmission ultrasonic wave and the plurality of elements to be actually driven. , And controls the drive signal of the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11. Further, the processing circuit 17 controls the ultrasonic wave reception circuit 12 so that, for example, a plurality of elements corresponding to the plurality of elements used when generating the transmitted ultrasonic waves receive the reflected wave signal.

The opening control includes, for example, control of the opening position and control of the opening width. In controlling the opening position, for example, the position of the center of the opening is controlled in the X-axis direction. In controlling the opening area, for example, the number of simultaneous driving elements is controlled in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In other words, in delay control, for example, a certain element group and another element group are synchronized to control the aperture area.

The delay control function 176 is a function for executing delay control for controlling the delay time of the element relating to ultrasonic transmission/reception. Specifically, in the delay control function 176, the processing circuit 17 sets the delay time for each of the plurality of elements based on, for example, the plurality of elements used when generating the transmitted ultrasonic wave, Control the drive signal. Further, the processing circuit 17 controls the ultrasonic receiving circuit 12 so that, for example, the same delay time as the delay time for each of the plurality of elements set when generating the transmission ultrasonic wave is applied to the reception signal.

In the delay control, for example, a delay time is controlled by synchronizing a certain element group with another element group. In the delay control, for example, the delay time may be controlled in each of the certain element group and the other element group with reference to the center position of the element of each element group. In the delay control, for example, the delay time of both a certain element group and another element group may be controlled with reference to the center position of the element of the certain element group. The center position of the element means the center of the element in the Y-axis direction.

Briefly, the processing circuit 17 controls a plurality of element groups by the aperture control function 175 and the delay control function 176 to form a transmission beam and a reception beam. The processing circuit 17 that realizes the aperture control function 175 and the delay control function 176 may be called a control unit.

The display control function 177 is a function of controlling the display on the display device 40 of the two-dimensional B-mode image data generated and processed by the image processing function 174 and the two-dimensional Doppler image data. Specifically, in the display control function 177, the processing circuit 17 combines, for example, the two-dimensional B-mode image data with a display representing an ROI for collecting Doppler data. The processing circuit 17 synthesizes the two-dimensional Doppler image data with the corresponding part in the two-dimensional B-mode image data according to the instruction from the operator input from the input device 50. At this time, the processing circuit 17 may adjust the opacity of the two-dimensional Doppler image data to be combined in accordance with the instruction from the operator.

Further, the processing circuit 17 combines the measurement line and the measurement value with the two-dimensional B-mode image data obtained by combining the two-dimensional Doppler image data. The measurement line represents a line from the surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 to the center of the blood vessel in the scan line located in the central portion of the scan area. The measurement value represents the distance from the surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 to the center of the blood vessel in the measurement line. The processing circuit 17 may combine the measurement line and the measurement value with the two-dimensional B-mode image data.

The processing circuit 17 also applies dynamic range, brightness (brightness), contrast, γ curve correction, and RGB conversion to the two-dimensional B-mode image data or the two-dimensional B-mode image data in which the two-dimensional Doppler image data is combined. Image data is converted into a video signal by executing various processes such as. The processing circuit 17 causes the display device 40 to display the video signal. The processing circuit 17 may generate a user interface (Graphical User Interface: GUI) for the operator to input various instructions using the input device 50, and display the GUI on the display device 40. As the display device 40, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display, or any other display known in the art can be appropriately used.

The system control function 178 is a function of controlling the entire processing of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. Specifically, in the system control function 178, the processing circuit 17, based on various setting requests input from the operator via the input device 50, various control programs read from the internal storage circuit 13, and various data, It controls the functions of the ultrasonic wave transmission circuit 11, the ultrasonic wave reception circuit 12, and the processing circuit 17.

For example, the processing circuit 17 controls the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 and the ultrasonic reception circuit 12 to cause the ultrasonic probe 20 to execute an ultrasonic scan. Specifically, the processing circuit 17 sets an ROI for collecting Doppler data based on an instruction from the operator, for example, to execute the CFM method. The processing circuit 17 controls the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 and the ultrasonic reception circuit 12 to cause the ultrasonic probe 20 to execute an ultrasonic scan for collecting Doppler data in the ROI. Further, the processing circuit 17 controls the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 and the ultrasonic reception circuit 12 to cause the ultrasonic probe 20 to execute an ultrasonic scan for collecting B-mode data in a region other than the ROI.

Next, the ultrasonic probe 20 used by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 configured as described above will be specifically described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 20 corresponds to a convex type ultrasonic probe for puncture. A contact surface 201 is provided on the head of the ultrasonic probe 20. The contact surface 201 is a surface that contacts the body surface of the living body P. A cutout portion is provided at the end of the head of the ultrasonic probe 20. Similarly, a cutout portion is also provided at the end of the contact surface 201.

The ultrasonic probe 20 is equipped with a puncture guide adapter 21 for guiding the insertion of a puncture needle into the cutout portion. By using the ultrasonic probe 20 to which the puncture guide adapter 21 is attached, the doctor can insert the puncture needle into an appropriate site in the body of the subject P while checking the ultrasonic image.

Note that, hereinafter, the X axis is set in the azimuth direction that is the scanning direction, the Y axis is set in the elevation direction that is the slice direction, and the Z axis is set in the acoustic emission direction that radiates ultrasonic waves. Further, since the puncture guide adapter is attached to the cutout portion, the cutout portion may be referred to as a puncture groove.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 2 viewed from the acoustic emission direction. The contact surface 201 shown in FIG. 3 originally has a convex shape in the Z-axis direction, but for convenience of explanation, the contact surface 201 will be described as a flat surface in the X-axis direction. This also applies to the following.

The contact surface 201 is a surface from which ultrasonic waves are emitted. The contact surface 201 is provided with a puncture groove 202 at the end in the X-axis direction. In the X-axis direction of the contact surface 201, a range in which the puncture groove 202 is not provided is defined as a first range 201a, and a range in which the puncture groove 202 is provided is defined as a second range 201b.

A plurality of elements are arranged on a plane parallel to the contact surface 201. Specifically, the plurality of elements are arranged along the X-axis direction with the Y-axis direction of the elements as the major axis. Here, it is assumed that the surface on which the plurality of elements are arranged has an area substantially similar to the area of the contact surface 201. Therefore, depending on the presence or absence of the puncture groove 202, the plurality of elements arranged in the first range 201a and the plurality of elements arranged in the second range 201b have different lengths in the Y-axis direction. There is. Specifically, the length of the plurality of elements arranged in the second range 201b is shorter than the length of the plurality of elements arranged in the first range 201a.

Next, the specific arrangement of the elements will be described with respect to the partial region 210 which is a region including the portion of the contact surface 201 where the puncture groove 202 is provided.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial area including a puncture groove on the contact surface of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, in the X-axis direction, a plurality of first elements 211 are arranged in the first range 201a, and a plurality of second elements 212 are arranged in the second range 201b. .. The first element 211 is divided in the Y-axis direction into three parts, an end element 211a, a central element 211b, and an end element 211c. Note that, in FIG. 4, the number of elements arranged in the X-axis direction is not limited to the number shown.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. Hereinafter, the length of the element is assumed to be the length in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the length of the first element 211 is L1 and the length of the second element 212 is L2 shorter than L1. The length of the end element 211a is L1a, the length of the central element 211b is L1b, and the length of the end element 211c is L1c.

There is a gap d1 between the end element 211a and the central element 211b, for example, as a gap formed when the element is divided. Similarly, there is a distance d2 between the central element 211b and the end element 211c. Therefore, the length (L1) of the first element 211 is the sum of L1a, d1, L1b, d2, and L1c.

In the present embodiment, the length (L2) of the second element 212 is 50% or more of the length (L1b) of the central element 211b, and the length (L2) of the second element 212 is the first length. The length is less than the length (L1) of the element 211. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 212 may be equal to or longer than the length (L1a) of the end element 211a and the length (L1c) of the end element 211c, and the length (L2) of the second element 212 ( L2) may be less than or equal to the length (L1b) of central element 211b.

Alternatively, in the present embodiment, the length (L2) of the second element 212 is equal to or greater than the length (L1a) of the end element 211a and the length (L1c) of the end element 211c, and the second element 212 is (L2) is less than the length (L1) of the first element 211. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 212 may be less than or equal to the length (L1b) of the central element 211b.

In this embodiment, the length (L1a) of the end element 211a and the length (L1c) of the end element 211c are substantially the same.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. Control of a plurality of elements includes aperture control and delay control, as described above. Hereinafter, such control will be described in units of element groups in which elements having the same length are grouped. The element group is, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, an end element group 221 in which a plurality of end elements 211a are grouped, a central element group 222 in which a plurality of center elements 211b are grouped, and a plurality of end elements 211c are grouped. And a second element group 224 in which a plurality of second elements 212 are grouped.

The processing circuit 17 may control the aperture area by synchronizing the central element group 222 and the second element group 224 with the aperture control function 175.

The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time by synchronizing the end element group 223 and the second element group 224 with the delay control function 176. The processing circuit 17 controls the delay time by the delay control function 176 with reference to the center position of the end element 211c in the end element group 223, and the center position of the second element 212 in the second element group 224. The delay time may be controlled with reference to. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time of each of the end element group 223 and the second element group 224 by the delay control function 176 with reference to the center position of the end element 211c. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time by synchronizing the central element group 222 and the second element group 224 with the delay control function 176.

Therefore, the processing circuit 17 can form a transmission beam and a reception beam by variously controlling the plurality of element groups.

As described above, in the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, the first element having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction is orthogonal to the first direction. A plurality of first elements arranged in the second direction and a plurality of second elements having a length of 50% or more of the length of the central element and less than the length of the first element are arranged in the second direction. And a second element group that operates.

Alternatively, in the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, the first element having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction is arranged in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A plurality of first element groups and a plurality of second elements each having a length equal to or more than the length of each of the two end elements and less than the length of the first element are arranged in the second direction. 2 element groups.

The conventional ultrasonic probe has a large difference in transmission and reception sensitivity between the cutout element and the normal element. The difference in transmission/reception sensitivity correlates with the difference in luminance value, and in particular, the area in which the puncture needle is inserted becomes relatively dark, so the blind spot area in that area was large. However, as described above, by using the puncture ultrasonic probe having the 1.5D array structure, and further by setting the lengths of the second element, the central element and the end element, respectively, The difference in transmission/reception sensitivity between the two elements can be reduced. Therefore, in the ultrasonic image acquired using the present ultrasonic probe, the brightness difference in the display image can be reduced, and the blind spot region can also be reduced. In addition, the present ultrasonic probe can form a uniform sound field from a shallow portion to a deep portion, and can improve image resolution and visibility of the puncture needle.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe can form a transmission beam and a reception beam by variously controlling a plurality of element groups, and the ultrasonic beam obtained by the conventional ultrasonic probe for puncture is used. It is possible to generate an ultrasonic image having a smaller difference in luminance than an ultrasonic image.

In the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, since the spread of the transmitted/received sound field in the elevation direction can be suppressed, the ultrasonic image acquired by the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment is the same as the conventional ultrasonic probe for puncture. The image quality such as contrast resolution is improved as compared with the ultrasonic image acquired by the acoustic probe.

(Second embodiment)
In the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, the puncture groove was provided at the end of the probe head. On the other hand, in the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment, a puncture groove is provided between the end portion and the center of the probe head.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the ultrasonic probe 20A corresponds to a linear puncture ultrasonic probe. A contact surface 301 is provided on the head of the ultrasonic probe 20A. The contact surface 301 is a surface that contacts the body surface of the living body P. A puncture groove is provided between the end and the center of the head of the ultrasonic probe 20A. Similarly, a puncture groove is also provided between the end and the center of the contact surface 301.

A puncture guide adapter 21A for guiding insertion of a puncture needle into the puncture groove is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20A. By using the ultrasonic probe 20A equipped with the puncture guide adapter 21A, the doctor can insert the puncture needle into an appropriate site in the body of the subject P while checking the ultrasonic image.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 7 viewed from the acoustic emission direction. The contact surface 301 shown in FIG. 8 is a surface from which ultrasonic waves are radiated. A puncture groove 302 is provided on the contact surface 301 between the end and the center in the X-axis direction. In the X-axis direction of the contact surface 301, a range where the puncture groove 302 is not provided is defined as a first range 301a and a third range 301c, and a range where the puncture groove 302 is provided is referred to as a second range 301b. Define.

A plurality of elements are arranged on a surface parallel to the contact surface 301. Specifically, the plurality of elements are arranged in a strip shape along the X-axis direction with the Y-axis direction of the elements as the major axis. Here, the surface on which the plurality of elements are arranged has an area substantially similar to the area of the contact surface 301. Therefore, depending on the presence or absence of the puncture groove 302, the plurality of elements arranged in the first range 301a and the third range 301c and the plurality of elements arranged in the second range 301b are arranged in the Y-axis direction. The lengths are different from each other. Specifically, the lengths of the plurality of elements arranged in the second range 301b are shorter than the lengths of the plurality of elements arranged in the first range 301a and the third range 301c. ..

Next, the specific arrangement of the elements will be described with respect to the partial area 310 that is an area including the portion of the contact surface 301 where the puncture groove 302 is provided.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial area including the puncture groove on the contact surface of FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9, in the X-axis direction, a plurality of first elements 311 are arranged in the first range 301a, and a plurality of second elements 312 are arranged in the second range 301b. A plurality of third elements 313 are arranged in the third range 301c. The first element 311 is divided in the Y-axis direction into three parts, an end element 311a, a central element 311b, and an end element 311c. The third element 313 is divided in the Y-axis direction into three parts, an end element 313a, a central element 313b, and an end element 313c. Note that, in FIG. 9, the number of elements arranged in the X-axis direction is not limited to the illustrated number. Since the first element 311 and the third element 313 are similar elements, the first element 311 will be described below.

The first element 311 has substantially the same length condition as the first element 211 of FIG. 4 and the element of FIG. The second element 312 has substantially the same length conditions as those of the second element 212 of FIG. 4 and the element of FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the length of the second element 312 is 50% or more of the length of the central element 311b. Further, the length of the second element 312 may be longer than the length of the end element 311a and the length of the end element 311c. Typically, the length of the end element 311a and the end element 311c are substantially the same. Further, the length of the central element 311b is longer than the length of the end element 311a and the length of the end element 311c.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. In FIG. 10, an end element group 321, a central element group 322, an end element group 323, a second element group 324, an end element group 325, a central element group 326 and an end element group 327 are shown. Since the end element group 321 and the end element group 325 are located in the same X-axis direction, the processing circuit 17 performs the same control. Further, since the central element group 322 and the central element group 326 are located in the same X-axis direction, the processing circuit 17 performs similar control. Since the end element group 325 and the end element group 327 are located in the same X-axis direction, the processing circuit 17 performs the same control.

In this embodiment, the specific control in the processing circuit 17 is the same as the control described in the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, the end element group 321 is replaced with the end element group 221, the central element group 322 is replaced with the central element group 222, the end element group 323 is replaced with the end element group 223, and the second element group 223 is read. By replacing the element group 324 with the second element group 224, the same control as described above can be performed.

As described above, the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment improves the brightness difference in the ultrasonic image acquired by using the ultrasonic probe, similarly to the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. can do.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe can generate an ultrasonic image with a small brightness difference.

(First application example)
The ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment has a single element that is not divided in the Y-axis direction as the second element. On the other hand, the ultrasonic probe according to the first application example of the present embodiment has a second element that is divided into two in the Y-axis direction.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial region including the puncture groove of the contact surface of FIG. 3 according to the first application example. As shown in FIG. 11, in the X-axis direction, a plurality of first elements 411 are arranged in the first range 201a, and a plurality of second elements 412 are arranged in the second range 201b. .. The first element 411 is divided in the Y-axis direction into three parts, an end element 411a, a central element 411b, and an end element 411c. The second element 412 is divided in the Y-axis direction into a puncture groove side element 412a and an end element 412b. In addition, in FIG. 11, the number of elements arranged in the X-axis direction is not limited to the illustrated number.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 12, the length of the first element 411 is L1 and the length of the second element 412 is L2 shorter than L1. The end element 411a has a length of L1a, the central element 411b has a length of L1b, and the end element 411c has a length of L1c. The puncture groove side element 412a has a length of L2a, and the end element 412b has a length of L2b. Note that the first element 411 is substantially the same as the first element 211 in FIG. 5, so description thereof will be omitted.

There is a gap of d2 between the puncture groove side element 412a and the end element 412b, for example, as a gap formed when the element is divided. Therefore, the length (L2) of the second element 412 is the sum of L2a, d2, and L2b.

In the first application example, the length (L2) of the second element 412 is 50% or more of the length (L1b) of the central element 411b, and the length (L2) of the second element 412 is The length is less than the length (L1) of the element 411 of No. 1. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 412 may be equal to or greater than the length (L1a) of the end element 411a and the length (L1c) of the end element 411c, and the length (L2) of the second element 412 ( L2) may be less than or equal to the length (L1b) of central element 411b. The second element 412 includes a puncture groove side element 412a and an end element 412b corresponding to two partial elements, respectively, and the length (L2b) of the end element 412b is the length of the adjacent end element 411c. (L1c).

Alternatively, in the first application example, the length (L2) of the second element 412 is greater than or equal to the length (L1a) of the end element 411a and the length (L1c) of the end element 411c, and The length (L2) of the element 412 is less than the length (L1) of the first element 411. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 412 may be less than or equal to the length (L1b) of the central element 411b. The second element 412 includes a puncture groove side element 412a and an end element 412b corresponding to two partial elements, respectively, and the length (L2b) of the end element 412b is the length of the adjacent end element 411c. (L1c).

In addition, in the first application example, the length (L1a) of the end element 411a and the length (L1c) of the end element 411c are assumed to be substantially the same.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. In FIG. 13, an end element group 421, a central element group 422, an end element group 423, a puncture groove side element group 424 and an end element group 425 are shown. In the first application example, the puncture groove side element group 424 and the end element group 425 are controlled simultaneously. That is, in the first application example, by replacing the puncture groove side element group 424 and the end element group 425 with the second element group 224, the same control as described above can be performed. From this, it can be understood that the puncture groove side element group 424 and the end element group 425 are mechanically divided but are not electrically divided. Furthermore, in the first application example, the end element group 421 is replaced with the end element group 221, the central element group 422 is replaced with the central element group 222, and the end element group 423 is replaced with the end element group 223. The same control as described above can be performed.

As described above, in the ultrasonic probe according to the first application example, in the configuration of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, the second element has at least two partial elements in the first direction. One of the two partial elements and the end element adjacent to the partial element have the same length.

Therefore, the ultrasonic probe according to the first application example can improve the brightness difference in the ultrasonic image acquired by using the present ultrasonic probe, like the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. ..

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe can generate an ultrasonic image with a small brightness difference.

In the ultrasonic probe according to the second application example, the second element is divided into a puncture groove side element and an end element. The end element belonging to the second element has substantially the same length as the end element belonging to the first element. For example, in FIG. 13, the boundary between the puncture groove side element group 424 and the end element group 425 and the boundary between the central element group 422 and the end element group 423 are located on a straight line along the X axis. This can facilitate the manufacturing process of the device.

(Second application example)
The ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment has the first element divided into three parts. On the other hand, the ultrasonic probe according to the second application example of the first embodiment has the first element divided into five in the Y-axis direction.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a plurality of elements arranged in a partial region including the puncture groove of the contact surface of FIG. 3 according to the second application example. As shown in FIG. 14, in the X-axis direction, a plurality of first elements 511 are arranged in the first range 201a, and a plurality of second elements 512 are arranged in the second range 201b. .. The first element 511 is divided in the Y-axis direction into five parts, an end element 511a, an intermediate element 511b, a central element 511c, an intermediate element 511d, and an end element 511e. Note that, in FIG. 14, the number of elements arranged in the X-axis direction is not limited to the illustrated number.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining the length of each of the plurality of elements in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the length of the first element 511 is L1 and the length of the second element 512 is L2 shorter than L1. The length of the end element 511a is L11a, the length of the intermediate element 511b is L11b, the length of the central element 511c is L11c, the length of the intermediate element 511d is L11d, and the length of the end element 511e is The length is L11e. The second element 512 is substantially the same as the second element 212 in FIG.

There is a gap d11 between the end element 511a and the intermediate element 511b, for example, as a gap formed when the element is divided. Similarly, there is a distance d12 between the intermediate element 511b and the central element 511c, and a distance d13 between the central element 511c and the intermediate element 511d. There is a gap of d14 between them. Therefore, the length (L1) of the first element 511 is the sum of L11a, d11, L11b, d12, L11c, d13, L11d, d14, and L11e.

In the second application example, the length (L2) of the second element 512 is 50% or more of the length (L11c) of the central element 511c, and the length (L2) of the second element 512 is The length is less than the length (L1) of the first element 511. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 512 is the length including the intermediate element 511d and the end element 511e corresponding to the two partial elements (the sum of L11d, d14, and L11e) or The length (L11a, d11, and L11b) including the end element 511a and the intermediate element 511b respectively corresponding to the two partial elements may be equal to or more than the length, and the length (L2) of the second element 512 is It may be equal to or less than the length (L11c) of the central element 511c.

Alternatively, in the second application example, the length (L2) of the second element 512 includes the length (L11d, d14, and L11d, d14, which includes the intermediate element 511d and the end element 511e respectively corresponding to the two partial elements. L11e) or the length including the end element 511a and the intermediate element 511b corresponding to two partial elements (the sum of L11a, d11, and L11b) or more, and the length of the second element 512. The length (L2) is less than the length (L1) of the first element 511. In this case, the length (L2) of the second element 512 may be less than or equal to the length (L11c) of the central element 511c.

The length of the end element 511a (L11a) and the length of the end element 511e (L11e) are substantially the same, and the length of the intermediate element 511b (L11b) and the length of the intermediate element 511d (L11d) are , And are almost the same. Further, the intermediate element 511d and the end element 511e may be collectively referred to as an “end element”, and the end element 511a and the intermediate element 511b may be collectively referred to as an “end element”.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram for explaining control of the plurality of elements in FIG. In FIG. 16, an end element group 521, an intermediate element group 522, a central element group 523, an intermediate element group 524, an end element group 525 and a second element group 526 are shown.

The processing circuit 17 may control the aperture area by synchronizing the central element group 523 and the second element group 526 with the aperture control function 175. The processing circuit 17 may control the aperture area by synchronizing the intermediate element group 522, the central element group 523 and the intermediate element group 524 with the second element group 526 by the aperture control function 175.

The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time by synchronizing the intermediate element group 524 and the second element group 526 with the delay control function 176. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time by synchronizing the end element group 525 and the second element group 526 with the delay control function 176. With the delay control function 176, the processing circuit 17 controls the delay time with the center position of the intermediate element 511d as the reference in the intermediate element group 524, and the center position of the second element 512 as the reference in the second element group 526. The delay time may be controlled as The processing circuit 17 controls the delay time by the delay control function 176 with reference to the center position of the end element 511e in the end element group 525, and the center position of the second element 512 in the second element group 526. The delay time may be controlled with reference to. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time of each of the intermediate element group 524 and the second element group 526 by using the delay control function 176 with the center position of the intermediate element 511d as a reference. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time of each of the end element group 525 and the second element group 526 by using the delay control function 176 with reference to the center position of the end element 511e. The processing circuit 17 may control the delay time by synchronizing the central element group 523 and the second element group 526 with the delay control function 176.

Therefore, the processing circuit 17 can form a transmission beam and a reception beam by variously controlling the plurality of element groups.

As described above, the ultrasonic probe according to the second application example improves the brightness difference in the ultrasonic image acquired by using the present ultrasonic probe, like the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. can do.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe can generate an ultrasonic image with a small brightness difference.

According to at least one embodiment described above, it is possible to improve the brightness difference in the ultrasonic image.

The word "processor" used in the description of the embodiments is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) programmable. For example, it includes a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which means a circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor realizes the function by reading and executing the program stored in the memory circuit. Instead of storing the program in the memory circuit, the program may be directly incorporated in the circuit of the processor. In this case, the processor realizes the function by reading and executing the program incorporated in the circuit. It should be noted that each processor of each of the above-described embodiments is not limited to a case where each processor is configured as a single circuit, and a plurality of independent circuits are combined to configure one processor to realize its function. Good. Further, a plurality of constituent elements in each of the above-described embodiments may be integrated into one processor to realize its function.

While some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and the scope thereof, as well as in the invention described in the claims and the scope of equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 20, 20A... Ultrasonic probe 21,21A... Puncture guide adapter 201, 301... Contact surface 201a, 301a... 1st range 201b, 301b... 2nd range 301c... 3rd range 202, 302... Puncture groove 210, 310... Partial region 211, 311, 411, 511... 1st element 313... 3rd element 211a, 211c, 311a, 311c, 313a, 313c, 411a, 411c, 412b, 511a, 511e... End element 211b, 311b, 313b, 411b... Central element 511b, 511d... Intermediate element 212, 312, 412, 512... Second element 412a... Puncture groove side element 221, 223, 321, 323, 325, 327, 421 , 423, 425, 521, 525... End element group 222, 322, 326, 422, 523... Central element group 522, 524... Intermediate element group 224, 324, 526... Second element group 424... Puncture groove side element group

Claims (12)

A first element group in which a plurality of first elements having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A second element group in which a plurality of second elements having a length of 50% or more of the length of the central element and less than the length of the first element are arranged in the second direction. Ultrasonic probe. The second element is greater than or equal to the length of each of the two end elements,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1. A first element group in which a plurality of first elements having at least one central element and two end elements in the first direction are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A second element group in which a plurality of second elements each having a length equal to or greater than the length of each of the two end elements and less than the length of the first element are arranged in the second direction. Ultrasonic probe. The second element is less than or equal to the length of the central element,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The second element has at least two subelements in the first direction,
One subelement of the two subelements and the end element adjacent to the subelement have the same length,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Each of the two end elements has at least two subelements in the first direction,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the first element group and the second element group to form a transmission beam and a reception beam. The control unit controls the opening area by synchronizing the central element group in which the central elements are arranged in a plurality in the first direction with the second element group.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7. The control unit controls a delay time by synchronizing an end element group in which a plurality of end elements adjacent to the second element are arranged in the first direction with the second element group. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8. The control unit controls the delay time in the end element group with reference to the center position of the end element, and controls the delay time in the second element group with reference to the center position of the second element. Control,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9. In the end element group and the second element group, the control unit controls each delay time with reference to the center position of the end element.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9. The control unit controls a delay time by synchronizing a central element group in which a plurality of central elements are arranged in the first direction and the second element group.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8.