JP2719706B2 - Ultrasonic Doppler analyzer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic Doppler analyzer for measuring blood flow, and more particularly to a system for Doppler analysis and blood flow imaging analysis.

[Prior Art] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a Doppler analysis function and a blood flow imaging function. In the figure, (1) is a probe that emits an ultrasonic pulse at a constant cycle and receives a signal (echo signal) reflected from a living tissue, and (2) performs B-mode processing of the transmitted / received ultrasonic wave and the echo signal. A transmission / reception circuit and a signal processing unit for B mode,
(3) is a quadrature detection unit that performs quadrature detection on the received signal and passes only low-frequency components. (4) is a CW & pulse Doppler analysis unit that performs CW Doppler analysis or pulse Doppler analysis based on a signal input from the quadrature detection unit (3), and (5) is a blood based on a signal input from the quadrature detection unit (3). This is a color imaging analysis unit that performs analysis for color imaging of a flow or the like. (6) is a digital scan converter (DSC) for storing image information and D / A converting and outputting,
(7) is a color converter, (8) is a D / A converter, and (9) is a display unit.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the above-described Doppler analysis function and blood flow imaging function, the CW & pulse Doppler analysis unit (4) and the color imaging analysis unit (5)
It is very similar, and in the end both are simply calculating the Doppler frequency (phase amount) based on the bipolar video signal obtained by quadrature detection. However, in the conventional device, the CW & Doppler analyzer (4) after the quadrature detection
And the color imaging analysis unit (5) are separately provided, so that the amount of hardware is increased.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain an ultrasonic Doppler analyzer that uses a common Doppler analyzer and a blood flow imaging analyzer to reduce the amount of hardware. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] An ultrasonic Doppler analyzer according to the present invention performs quadrature detection of a Doppler deviation frequency component obtained from the Doppler effect of an ultrasonic echo signal, passes through a low-pass filter, and performs A / D conversion. After the conversion, in an apparatus for measuring the blood flow by performing the ultrasonic Doppler analysis and the blood flow imaging analysis, the first arithmetic means for performing the ultrasonic Doppler analysis and the second arithmetic means for performing the blood flow imaging analysis are commonly used. Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
This is characterized in that the system is operated by switching between a Doppler analysis system and a blood flow imaging analysis system.

[Operation] In the present invention, Doppler analysis processing and blood flow imaging analysis processing are performed by switching the operation mode of the common DSP.

[Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an entire system showing an embodiment of the present invention. An ultrasonic probe (10) transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal, and a transmitting / receiving unit (11) transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal. It has the function of transmitting and receiving echo signals. A quadrature detector (12) detects the echo signal component into two signal components orthogonal to each other, and removes a harmonic component by a low-pass filter (13).
A / D conversion is performed by the A / D converter (14). The B-mode signal processing section (15) performs B-mode processing of the echo signal. The configuration and functions up to this point are the same as those of the conventional ultrasonic probe (1), transmission / reception circuit, B-mode signal processor (2), and quadrature detector (3) in FIG. (16
1) is a Doppler signal processing unit having a DSP (16) and a memory (17).

The DSP (16) processes output data of the A / D converter (14) based on a program in the memory (17) based on the control circuit (18). The memory (17) stores a program for CW & pulse Doppler analysis processing and a program for color imaging analysis processing, and one of these programs is activated by a command from the control circuit (18).

DSC (19) (digital scan converter) is B
The output signal of the mode signal processing unit (15) and the output signal of the Doppler signal processing unit (161) are stored as image information. DSC (1
The image information stored in 9) is repeatedly read at a predetermined timing, and the read image information is subjected to color processing by a color converter (20) and D / A converted by a D / A converter (21). Is displayed on the monitor (22).

The operation of the Doppler signal processing unit (161) in the device configured as described above is as follows.

When a program for CW & pulse Doppler analysis processing is started by a command of the control circuit (18), a functional block diagram of the Doppler signal processing unit (161) operated by the program is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 (A). Range gate means for each of two orthogonal signals I and Q (41)
And wall filter means (42) are formed, and a complex FF is provided for two output signals of the wall filter means (42).
Complex FFT means for performing T (fast Fourier transform) is formed.

The Doppler signal processing unit (161) having such a functional block operates as a CW & pulse Doppler analysis processing device, performs spectrum analysis of the Doppler frequency of the echo signal, and inputs the output signal to the DSC (19). A technique other than FFT can be used for spectral analysis of Doppler frequency.

When a program for color imaging analysis processing is started by a command from the control circuit (18), a functional block diagram of the Doppler signal processing unit (161) operated by the program is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 (B). MTI (moving target indication) filter means (51) for each of the two orthogonal signals I and Q, and a phase difference, amplitude, etc. for color imaging analysis based on the output signal of the MTI filter means (51) The detection means (52) for detecting the phase difference, the amplitude, etc., for performing the detection is formed.

For example, complex autocorrelation is used for detecting the phase difference, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other methods can be used. Doppler signal processing unit having such a functional block (161)
Operates as a color imaging analysis processor, obtains data representing the average velocity, variance, power, etc. for color imaging of blood flow and the like for the Doppler component of the echo signal, and inputs these to the DSC (19). .

In this way, the Doppler signal spectrum analysis processing and the blood flow imaging analysis processing are executed by the common Doppler signal processing unit (161) by switching the programs. In order to further increase the function or speed of the Doppler signal processing unit (161), a plurality of DSPs may be used to operate them in parallel or in a pipeline.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, Doppler analysis processing,
Since the blood flow imaging analysis processing can be realized only by switching software with a common hardware configuration, the effect of reducing the amount of hardware of the entire system is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the entire system showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the entire system of the prior art. In the figure, (10) is an ultrasonic probe, (11) is transmission / reception, (12) is quadrature detection, (13) is a low-pass filter, (14)
Is an A / D converter, (15) is a B mode signal processing unit, and (16) is a D
SP (Digital Signal Processor), (17) Memory, (18) Control Circuit, (19) DSC (Digital Scan Converter), (20) Color Converter,
(21) is a D / A converter, (22) is a monitor, (41) is a range gate, (42) is a wall filter, and (43) is a complex FF.
T, (51) is an MTI filter, and (52) is a phase difference, amplitude, etc. detecting means.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A Doppler deviation frequency component obtained from a Doppler effect of an ultrasonic echo signal is subjected to quadrature detection, passed through a low-pass filter, subjected to A / D conversion, and subjected to ultrasonic Doppler analysis and blood flow imaging analysis. In the apparatus for measuring blood flow, the first arithmetic means for performing the ultrasonic Doppler analysis and the second arithmetic means for performing the blood flow imaging analysis include a common digital signal
An ultrasonic Doppler analyzer characterized by comprising a processor and operating by switching between a Doppler analysis system and a blood flow imaging analysis system.