JP2755668B2 - Ultrasound diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used for medical diagnosis.

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for cardiac diagnosis, a B-mode image is observed in real time by a real-time method, that is, a high-speed scanning method such as an electronic scanning method.
A technique of sampling data corresponding to a desired portion in a mode image to obtain an M-mode image is generally used.
The display of the B-mode image and the M-monitor image is individually performed using two types of XY monitors having different afterglow characteristics due to the difference in the afterglow characteristics required for the display based on the characteristics of each image. Display was performed. That is, a non-persistent X-Y monitor with a short afterglow time is used for real-time B-mode image display because the imaging scanning speed is high, and an image formation speed is low for M-mode image display. A long afterglow or storage type XY monitor having a long afterglow time has been used. FIG. 1 schematically shows the display unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus when the B-mode image and the M-mode image are displayed on different XY monitors as described above. In this case, as shown in FIG. The B mode image IB is displayed on a non-persistent XY monitor M1, and the M mode image IM is displayed on a long afterglow XY monitor M2.

By the way, considering the relative relationship between the B-mode image and the M-mode image, taking photographs of these screen images, and recording the images by a VTR (video tape recorder), the B-mode image and the M-mode image are considered It is much more preferable that they are displayed in parallel on the same screen instead of on separate screens. However, in order to display these B-mode images and M-mode images side by side on the same display screen on the same monitor, the above-mentioned differences in afterglow characteristics required for display and the respective images on the same display screen are required. Conventionally, it has been difficult to realize the above due to the complexity of display scanning for simultaneous display.

Against this background, the present applicant has previously proposed an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying ultrasonic images by different imaging methods in parallel on the same display screen (Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-46).
175). The features of this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are: an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving means for transmitting an ultrasonic beam toward a subject and receiving an echo of the ultrasonic beam; and a transmitting / receiving position of the ultrasonic beam. A B-mode scanning section for repeatedly scanning to obtain B-mode image data, and an M-mode for obtaining M-mode image data by performing M-mode scanning at a predetermined transmission / reception position of an ultrasonic beam at a predetermined period during the B-mode scanning (A) an A / D converter for converting the B-mode image data and the M-mode image data into digital signals; and (b) an A / D converter supplied from the A / D converter. For storing the B-mode image data and the M-mode image data separately.
1, a storage unit having a second storage area; (c) the B-mode image data and the M-mode image supplied from the A / D converter to the first and second storage areas of the storage unit And (d) reading control for reading out the B-mode image data and the M-mode image data respectively stored in the first and second storage areas of the storage means in a television format. (E) a D / A converter for converting the B-mode image data and the M-mode image data read by the read control means into an analog video signal; and a digital scan comprising (a) to (e). A converter and image display means for displaying an analog video signal supplied from the digital scan converter.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, according to the above apparatus, after the writing of the image data to the storage means in the digital scan converter is stopped and the so-called image freeze is performed, the current image is displayed on the image display means. A new drawback in that only the image being viewed can be viewed. That is, it is impossible to reproduce and observe the image from the present display image to the image several seconds before the image after the image freeze.

Further, it is not possible to change the time axis scale of the M mode image or the D mode image while watching the frozen B mode image.

Therefore, the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages. The object of the present invention is to be able to reproduce an image before a current display image after an image freeze, and to view an M-mode image or a D-mode image while viewing a B-mode image. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of changing a time axis scale of a mode image.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, the morphological mode image information and the function mode image of the subject are obtained from the reflection component of the ultrasonic wave transmitted toward the subject. It has a sampling system for sampling information, a display system for displaying the form mode image and the function mode image, and a digital scan converter having a frame memory and performing scan conversion between the sampling system and the display system. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a storage capacity capable of storing a morphological mode image obtained in a predetermined period, and erases the oldest stored information and stores new information every time new information is acquired. A first storage unit having a storage capacity capable of storing a machine mode image obtained in a predetermined period, and erasing the oldest information stored every time new information is taken in; A second storage unit for storing information on the data, and a first unit for controlling writing of the morphological mode image and the function mode image information to the first and second storage units in synchronization with the timing of the sampling system. Control means, and the digital data of image information in the first and second storage means.
And a second control means for controlling the transfer to the scan converter.

(Operation) In the above configuration, under the control of the first control means, a plurality of morphological mode images are written into the first storage means, and the function modes for a time corresponding to the plurality of morphological mode images are provided. The image is written to the second storage means. The transfer of the image information in the first and second storage units to the digital scan converter is controlled by the control of the second control unit. Therefore, even after the image freeze, the image before the current display image can be reproduced by using the image information in the first and second storage units. Similarly, the time axis scale of the M-mode image or the D-mode image as the function mode image can be changed by using the image information in the second storage unit.

(Examples) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described specifically with reference to examples.

 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the apparatus of this embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 1, a transmitting / receiving circuit 2, a switch circuit SW1, a digital scan converter (DSC) 3, a display circuit 6, a large-capacity memory circuit 7, and a control circuit 10. Having.

The ultrasonic probe 1 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and is connected to a transmission / reception circuit 2. The transmission / reception circuit 2 transmits / receives ultrasonic waves via the ultrasonic probe 1, and collects (samples) ultrasonic echo information of the subject.
The transmission / reception circuit 2 corresponds to a sampling system in the present invention. Here, the ultrasonic echo information includes morphological mode image information and functional mode image information of the subject. The morphological mode image information includes B-mode image information, and the functional mode image information includes D-mode image information, M
Mode image information.

The switch circuit SW1 switches transmission steps of ultrasonic image information, and the output of the transmission / reception circuit 2 is connected to the switch circuit SW1.
The signal is transmitted to the DSC 3 or the large-capacity memory circuit 7 via the first control circuit 1.

The DSC3 performs scan conversion between a sampling system and an image display system, and includes switch circuits SW2 and SW3 and first and second frame memories 4 and 5. The switch circuit SW2 is arranged on the input side of the first and second frame memories 4 and 5, and the switch circuit SW3 is arranged on the output side of the first and second frame memories 4 and 5.

The display circuit 6 performs an ultrasonic image display based on the output of the DSC 3, and the display circuit 6 corresponds to a display system in the present invention.

Further, the large-capacity memory circuit 7 includes switch circuits SW4 and SW5.
And first and second storage means 8 and 9. Here, the first storage means 8 has a storage capacity for a plurality of form mode images (for example, a B mode image), and the second storage means 9 has a storage capacity for a time corresponding to a plurality of form mode images. It has a function mode image (for example, M mode image) storage capacity. Although the first and second storage means 8 and 9 can be realized by dividing the storage area of the physically same memory into two, the first and second storage means 8 and 9 can be realized by physically different memories. May be realized.

The switch circuit SW4 is arranged on the input side of the first and second storage means 8, 9, and the switch circuit SW5 is arranged on the output side of the first and second storage means 8, 9.

The control circuit 10 controls the operation of the entire device of this embodiment, and is formed around a CPU (central processing unit). In particular, the control circuit 10 controls the writing of the morphological mode image and the function mode image into the first and second storage units in synchronization with the timing of the sampling system (transmitter / receiver circuit 2).
And the DSC of image information in the first and second storage means.
Thus, the first and second control means in the present invention are functionally realized by the control circuit 10.

Next, the operation of the embodiment apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the B-mode image information and M
Recording of mode image information is performed as follows.

The control circuit 10 determines whether or not reproduction is to be performed, that is, whether information is to be recorded in the large-capacity memory circuit 7,
Is determined (S1). If "No" is determined in this determination, it is determined whether or not the image is a B-mode image (S13). In this determination, “Y
es ", that is, when it is determined that the image is a B-mode image, the switch circuit SW under the control of the control circuit 10.
1, SW2, SW3, and SW4 are set to the states shown in FIG. 2 (S14 to S17). In this switch state, the output (B mode information) of the transmission / reception circuit 2 is transmitted to the display circuit 6 via SW1, SW2, the first frame memory 4 and SW3, and is displayed here. Then, the output of the transmission / reception circuit 2 is written to the first storage means 8 via SW1 to SW4. In this case, SW5 may be in any state.

If “No” is determined in step S13, it is determined whether the image is an M-mode image (S1).
8). If "Yes" is determined in this determination,
Under the control of the control circuit 10, the switch circuits SW1, SW2, SW3, and SW4 are set to the states shown in FIG. 3 (S19 to S22). In this switch state, the output of the transmission / reception circuit 2 (M mode information)
Is transmitted to the display circuit 6 via SW1, SW2, the second frame memory 5, and SW3, where it is displayed. Then, the output of the transmission / reception circuit 2 is written to the second storage means 9 via SW1 and SW4. In this case, SW5 may be in any state.

Here, in the storage of the B-mode image and the M-mode image information, information of a plurality of B-mode images is stored in the first storage unit 8 and the plurality of B-mode images are stored in the second storage unit 9. M mode image information for a time corresponding to the time for a sheet is recorded. The contents stored in the first and second storage means 8, 9 are as follows.
The oldest information is deleted each time new information is taken.

Next, reproduction of the recorded contents of the large capacity memory circuit 7 is performed as follows.

If "Yes" is determined in the determination in step S1, it is determined whether or not the B-mode image is to be reproduced (S2).
If the determination is “Yes” in this determination, the switch circuits SW1, SW2, SW3, and SW5 are set to the states shown in FIG. 4 under the control of the control circuit 10 (S3 to S6). In this switch state, the output of the first storage means 8 (B-mode image information)
Is transmitted to the first frame memory 4 via SW5, SW1, and SW2. And the contents of this first frame memory 4 are
It is transmitted to the display circuit 6 via SW3, and is displayed here. In this case, SW4 may be in any state.

If “No” is determined in the determination in step 2, it is determined whether the image is an M mode image (S
7). If "Yes" is determined in this determination,
Under the control of the control circuit 10, the switch circuits SW1, SW2, SW3, and SW5 are set to the states shown in FIG. 5 (S8 to S11). In this switch state, the output (M mode image information) of the second storage means 9 is transferred to the second frame memory 5 via SW5, SW1, and SW2.
Is transmitted to Then, the contents of the second frame memory 5 are transmitted to the display circuit 6 via SW3, and are displayed here. In this case, SW4 may be in any state.

Further, when it is determined as “No” in the determination in the step S18, an error is displayed (S23).

As described above, the apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the first and second storage units 8 and 9, and the plurality of B-mode image information and the corresponding B-mode image information are stored in the first and second storage units 8 and 9. Since the M-mode image information for the time required for storing is stored, the first and second storage means 8 and 9 can be used even after a still image is displayed by image freeze.
By reading out the stored contents of (1), images (B-mode image and M-mode image) before the current freeze image can be displayed. That is, even after the image freeze, the image several seconds before the currently displayed image can be displayed and observed. Further, since the M-mode image information for a predetermined time is stored in the second storage means 9, the time axis scale of the M-mode image can be changed as needed while viewing the B-mode image.

 The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the M-mode image information is written in the second storage means 9, but the D-mode image information may be written, or both the M-mode image information and the D-mode image information may be written. It may be inserted. Further, even when SW1 to SW5 are omitted, the first and second frame memories 4, 5 and 5
1, information can be written to and read from the second storage means 8, 9.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to reproduce a morphological mode image or a function mode image obtained up to a predetermined period before a current display image.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 5 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment. 2 ... transmission / reception circuit (sampling system), 3 ... DSC (digital scan converter), 6 ... display circuit (display system), 8 ... first storage means, 9 ... second storage means, 10 Control circuit (first control means, second control means).

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sampling system for sampling form mode image information and function mode image information of a subject from a reflection component of an ultrasonic wave transmitted toward the subject, and displaying the form mode image and the function mode image. Storage system capable of storing a morphological mode image obtained in a predetermined period in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a display system for performing a scan conversion and a digital scan converter having a frame memory and performing scan conversion between the sampling system and the display system A first storage means for erasing the oldest information stored every time new information is taken in and storing new information, and a storage capable of storing a function mode image obtained in a predetermined period A second storage unit having a capacity and erasing the oldest information stored every time new information is taken in and storing new information; A first control unit for controlling writing of the morphological mode image and the function mode image information to the first and second storage units in synchronism with the imaging; and a control unit for storing the image information in the first and second storage units. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: second control means for controlling transfer to the digital scan converter.