JP2526529B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when an ultrasonic wave is radiated to a subject, ultrasonic echoes reflected from within the subject are strongly influenced by absorption and attenuation within a subject at a short distance. Also, those from a long distance become weak due to absorption attenuation along the way. Therefore, if an ultrasonic echo having such characteristics in the depth direction is detected and the received signal obtained from this is output to the image display as it is, the effect of the depth of the subject appears in the displayed image, and a clear image is obtained. No image can be obtained. Therefore, in order to correct this, the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus uses an STC (Sensitivity Time Contr) that temporally controls the gain of an echo signal based on an ultrasonic echo.
ol) Some have a control circuit.

In such a device, the absorption and attenuation of ultrasonic echoes differ depending on the frequency of the ultrasonic waves and the acoustic characteristics of the diagnostic region.
Set the STC curve by operating the TC volume etc.,
It is adjusted so that a uniform image can be obtained from the shallow part to the deep part.

By the way, some ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses of recent years are configured so that various types of probes can be exchanged according to the purpose. For example, in the electronic linear scanning type, probes having different diameters and frequency bands can be appropriately selected. In such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, if the diameter and frequency band of the probe are different, the absorption and attenuation characteristics of the ultrasonic wave are also different. Therefore, the STC curve must be reset every time the probe is replaced. I won't. For this reason, the STC curve setting operation becomes extremely complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to always be able to automatically set an appropriate STC curve even when the probe is replaced.

[0006]

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes a code generation circuit for generating a code corresponding to the type of the probe and an S suitable for the probe to be selectively used.
Storage means for storing TC curve data and STC corresponding to code data given from the code generation circuit
A control means for reading curve data is provided, and the gain of the echo signal output from the probe is time-controlled based on the STC curve data read by the control means.

[0007]

In this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, when a probe is selected, code data corresponding to the selected probe is generated from the code generating circuit in accordance with this, and this code data is given to the control means. The control means reads the STC curve data from the storage means based on the code data provided from the code generation circuit. Then, the gain of the echo signal output from the probe is automatically time-controlled based on the read STC curve data.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 2 denotes a probe 2 which transmits and receives an ultrasonic beam, and 4 outputs a drive signal to the probe 2 and is received by the probe 2. The transmission / reception control circuit 4 detects an echo signal output corresponding to an ultrasonic echo. Also, 6
Is an STC amplifier circuit for time-controlling the gain of the echo signal passing through the transmission / reception control circuit 4 corresponding to the depth direction with respect to the subject, and 8 is a display for displaying the echo signal amplified by the STC amplifier circuit 6 as a diagnostic image. Is.

Reference numeral 10 is a code generation circuit for generating a code corresponding to the type of the probe 2. This code generator 1
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, when the connector to which the probe 2 is connected has 35 pins, 0 indicates that 4 of the pins are set for code numbers. There is. On the other hand, when setting the code number of the probe 2 connected to this connector to 9, for example,
E2 and E3 in the female connector of the probe 2 connected to the four pins are grounded in advance. According to this structure, when the female connector of the probe 2 is connected to the pin of the connector, the code generating circuit 10 automatically generates a code corresponding to the type of the probe 2. Become.

Reference numerals 12a to 12n are STC volumes for manually adjusting the gain of the echo signal output from the probe 2 to the depth of the subject. 14 is an S for reading each value set in the STC volumes 12a to 12n.
It is a TC volume reading circuit. The STC volume reading circuit 14 includes STC volumes 12a to 12a.
Volume selection circuit 16 for sequentially switching connection with 2n
And an A / D converter 18 for digitizing the values of the volumes sequentially selected and read by the volume selection circuit 16.

Reference numeral 20 is an STC curve creating circuit for creating an STC curve based on the code data supplied from the code generating circuit 10 and the STC volume data supplied from the STC volume reading circuit 14. The STC curve creation circuit 20 is a data memory in which STC data of a plurality of points located on recommended STC curves C _{1 to} Cm suitable for the probe 2 to be selectively used as shown in FIG. 4 are stored in advance. 22 and an STC curve data created by interpolating the STC data read from the data memory 22, and an arithmetic control circuit 24 for correcting the STC curve data based on the STC volume data given from the STC volume reading circuit 14.
And an STC curve storage circuit 26 for storing the STC curve data corrected by the arithmetic control circuit 24, a write address counter 28 for controlling a write address of the STC curve storage circuit 26, and an STC curve storage circuit 26.
Read address counter 30 for controlling the read address of the STC curve, a switching circuit 32 for switching the both address counters 28 and 30, and a D / A for analogizing the STC curve data read from the STC curve storage circuit 26.
And a converter 34.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, the operation of each part when the gain of the echo signal output from the probe 2 is time-controlled will be described.

First, when the female connector of the probe 2 is connected to the pins of the connector, code data corresponding to the type of the probe 2 is generated from the code generation circuit 10, and the code data is calculated and calculated. Given to. The arithmetic control circuit 24 operates the data memory 22 based on the code data.
The data of a plurality of points corresponding to the code data is read from and the recommended STC curve data suitable for the probe is created based on the read data. And in this case,
If all the STC volumes 12a to 12n are set to the central position, for example, the arithmetic control circuit 24 sends the created recommended STC curve data to the STC curve storage circuit 26 without correction. Further, the arithmetic control circuit 24 operates the write address counter 28 at the timing of sending the STC curve data to the STC curve storage circuit 26, and connects the switching circuit 32 to the write address counter 28 side. As a result, the ST created in the STC curve storage circuit 26
C-curve data is stored. On the other hand, when the transmission / reception control circuit 4 outputs a transmission synchronization signal to the probe 2, the probe 2 is driven and an ultrasonic beam is emitted into the subject.
The echo of the ultrasonic beam reflected from each part in the subject is again received by the probe 2, and the probe 2 outputs an echo signal corresponding to the received echo of the ultrasonic wave. The echo signal output from the probe 2 is detected by the transmission / reception control circuit 4 and then sent to the STC amplification circuit 6 at the next stage.

The transmission / reception synchronization signal output from the transmission / reception control circuit 4 is also applied to the arithmetic control circuit 24 at the same time.
The arithmetic control circuit 24 operates the read address counter 30 in response to the transmission synchronization signal, and connects the switching circuit 32 to the read address counter 30 side. Therefore, the STC curve data already stored in the STC curve storage circuit 26 is sequentially read, and the read STC curve data is analogized by the D / A converter 34. Then, the analogized STC curve data is given to the STC amplifier circuit 6 as a gain control signal. As a result, the gain of the echo signal is time-controlled. Next, the echo signal whose gain has been adjusted in the depth direction of the subject by the STC amplifier circuit 6 is sent to the display unit at the next stage. As a result, the display 8 automatically displays a diagnostic image based on the echo signal whose gain is controlled so as to match the type of the probe 2. Usually, a sufficiently clear diagnostic image is obtained by this, but when finely adjusting the STC curve, the STC volumes 12a to 12n are operated while observing the diagnostic image displayed on the display 8. ST
When the C volumes 12a to 12n are slid and set to predetermined positions, the volume selection circuit 16 sequentially switches the connection with the STC volumes 12a to 12n, so that the values set by the STC volumes 12a to 12n are sequentially read, This STC volume data is A / D
After being digitalized by the converter 18, it is supplied to the arithmetic control circuit 24. The arithmetic control circuit 24 creates STC curve data corrected based on the STC volume data and the STC data read from the data memory 22. Then, the corrected STC curve data is stored in the STC curve storage circuit 26 in the same manner as described above. Therefore, the gain of the echo signal is controlled based on the corrected STC curve data read from the STC curve storage circuit 26.

In the above embodiment, the STC curve creating circuit 2
Although 0 is composed of a digital circuit, it is not limited to this and may be composed of, for example, an analog circuit as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, 40a to 40n are STC volumes for manually adjusting the gain of the echo signal output from the probe, and 42 is an STC volume 40a to 40a.
40n is a volume selection circuit that sequentially switches, and 44 is a differential amplifier that amplifies the volume difference before and after selected by the volume selection circuit 42 and outputs it as an STC curve correction signal. Further, 46a to 46m are amplifiers provided in conformity with various probes 2, and 48 is the amplifier 4 based on code data given corresponding to the type of the probe 2.
It is a first selection circuit that selects one of 6a to 46m. Reference numerals 50a to 50m denote STC curve generation circuits configured to generate recommended STC curves suitable for various types of probe 2, 52 denotes STC curve generation based on code data corresponding to the type of probe 2. Circuits 50a-50m
A second selection circuit for selecting one of the above, 54 is a multiplier for multiplying the STC curve generation signal provided through the second selection circuit 52 and the STC curve correction signal provided through the first selection circuit 48. Is. In this STC curve creation circuit, when code data corresponding to the probe is sent from a code generation circuit (not shown), the first and second selection circuits 4
An amplifier, for example, 46a, and a STC curve generating circuit, for example, 50a, which are switched to correspond to the probe 8 and 52
Is selected. Next, when the transmission synchronization signal for driving the probe is applied to the selected STC curve generation circuit 50a, the STC curve generation circuit 50a outputs the STC curve generation signal, and the output signal is the second selection circuit. It is sent to the multiplier 54 via 52. In this case, all S
When the TC volumes 40a to 40n are set to the central position, for example, the STC curve generation signal is sent to the STC amplification circuit (not shown) as it is without being corrected by the multiplier 54. The gain of the echo signal is automatically time controlled.

When it is desired to finely adjust the STC curve while looking at the diagnostic image, the set levels of the STC volume before and after are sequentially applied to the differential amplifier 44 via the volume selection circuit 42. Therefore, the differential amplifier 44 sequentially outputs a signal corresponding to the volume difference, and this signal is already selected as the STC curve correction signal by the amplifier 46.
sent to a. Then, the S amplified by the amplifier 46a
The TC curve correction signal is given to the multiplier 54 via the first selection circuit 48. Therefore, the multiplier 54 is
The STC curve generation signal generated by the STC curve generation circuit 50a and the STC supplied through the first selection circuit 48
Multiply with the curve correction signal. As a result, the STC curve is corrected, and the corrected signal is sent to the STC amplifier circuit (not shown).

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, a proper STC curve is immediately and automatically set even when the probe is replaced. After that, it is only necessary to make fine adjustments while looking at the displayed diagnostic image. Therefore, the setting of the STC curve becomes extremely easy, and the trouble of having to reset the STC curve from the beginning each time the probe is replaced is eliminated as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a connector to which a probe is connected.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a code generation circuit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of STC curves suitable for various types of probes stored in a data memory.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an STC curve creation circuit showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device 10 Code Generation Circuit 22 Storage Means 24 Arithmetic Control Means 20 STC Curve Creation Circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A code generation circuit for generating a code corresponding to a type of a probe, a storage means for storing STC curve data suitable for a probe to be selectively used, and a code generation circuit provided from the code generation circuit. ST corresponding to code data
And a control means for reading the data of the C curve, wherein the gain of the echo signal output from the probe is time-controlled based on the STC curve data read by the control means. Diagnostic device.