JP2777911B2 - Display method of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Overview] Regarding a display method for displaying an image at a predetermined time phase of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an image storage time phase of a second cine loop coincides with a first time phase, and a cardiac A first image memory for sequentially writing frames of an ultrasonic image generated at predetermined intervals and stopping new writing in response to a freeze instruction from an operator for the purpose of improving reliability such as shape grasping; A second image memory for writing a frame of an ultrasonic image corresponding to the time phase (time phase from the R wave of the electrocardiogram) of the frame number designated by the operator among the frames written in the first image memory; And the ultrasonic image written in the second image memory is displayed, or the ultrasonic image written in the first image memory is also displayed.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a display method for displaying an image at a predetermined time phase of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a so-called cine loop function of sequentially storing a plurality of images and displaying, as a moving image or a still image, an image preceding the freeze phase when the image is frozen by an operator's instruction.
With this cine loop function, it is possible to easily select and observe an image obtained at an optimal timing from continuously stored images without synchronizing with a biological signal such as an electrocardiogram. In particular, in a color Doppler displaying blood flow information in two dimensions, this function is indispensable for observing an event in which the blood flow state changes instantaneously. In addition, the apparatus has two or more cine loops and stores two cross sections, thereby facilitating grasping the three-dimensional shape of the heart and calculating the cross-sectional area of regurgitation necessary for obtaining the flow rate of valve regurgitation. However, when the first image was captured,
There is no guarantee that the time phase at which the second image was captured coincides with it, and the operator must rely on the operator's knowledge of the image to grasp the shape and the like, resulting in a problem of lack of reliability.

An object of the present invention is to make the image storage time phase of the second cine loop coincide with the first time phase and improve the reliability of grasping the shape of the heart and the like.

[Means to solve the problem]

 Means for solving the problem will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, a first image memory 1 is an image memory for sequentially writing frames of an ultrasonic image generated at predetermined intervals and stopping new writing in response to a freeze instruction from an operator.

The second image memory 2 stores the frame of the ultrasound image corresponding to the time phase (time phase from the R wave of the electrocardiogram) of the frame number designated by the operator among the frames written in the first image memory 1. An image memory to be written.

[Action]

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, sequentially writes frames of an ultrasonic image generated at a predetermined cycle, and stops a new writing in response to a freeze instruction from an operator; A second image memory 2 for writing an ultrasonic image frame corresponding to the time phase (time phase from the R wave of the electrocardiogram) of the frame number designated by the operator among the frames written in the first image memory 1 The ultrasonic image written in the second image memory 2 is displayed, or the ultrasonic image written in the first image memory 1 is also displayed.

Therefore, the time phase of the ultrasonic image of the second cine loop (the ultrasonic image written to the second image memory 2) is changed to the ultrasonic image of the first cine loop (the ultrasonic image written to the first image memory 1). (Sound image) of the ultrasonic image specified by the operator can be made to coincide with the time phase of the ultrasonic image.

〔Example〕

Next, the configuration and operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be sequentially described in detail with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, an electrocardiograph 3 detects an R wave of an electrocardiogram which is a biological signal.

The internal timing circuit 4 is a scan start signal (scan start signal) for starting a scan of a living body with an ultrasonic pulse.
To the ultrasonic transmission / reception circuit 7 and the time phase difference detection circuit 5. The internal timing circuit 4 can be synchronized by a reset signal from the delay circuit 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 (b) described later, a Reset signal is input to the internal timing circuit 4 at a time delayed from the R wave by a delay amount d12, and a scan start signal is transmitted in synchronization with the Reset signal. Can be synchronized.

When writing the ultrasonic image into the first image memory 1, the time phase difference detection circuit 5 calculates the delay amount (time phase difference) between the R wave and the first scan start signal after the R wave has passed. (For example, the delay amounts d11, d12, d1 in FIG. 2 (a)).
3). This delay amount is notified to the main CPU 11 and stored.

The delay circuit 6 generates a Reset signal when the signal is delayed from the R wave by a designated delay amount, and inputs the signal to the internal timing circuit 4. Thereby, for example, FIG. 2 (b)
A series of images including a frame number 9 having a cycle delayed by the number of frames (2 in the figure) multiplied by the delay amount d12 by one frame and an ultrasonic image of the simultaneous phase 9 'are written to the second image memory 2. It becomes possible.

The ultrasonic transmission / reception circuit 7 transmits an ultrasonic pulse in synchronization with a scan start signal, receives and amplifies a signal reflected from a living body, and transmits an ultrasonic image.

The ultrasonic probe 8 transmits and receives an ultrasonic pulse.

The display circuit 9 reads an ultrasonic image from the first image memory 1 and the second image memory 2 and displays the image on the CRT 10.

 The CRT 10 displays an ultrasonic image.

The main CPU 11 performs various controls based on a program (not shown). The Frz instruction is a freeze instruction, and is a signal for stopping writing to the first image memory 1 as shown by the FRZ signal in FIG.

 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 (a) shows how an ultrasonic image is written into the first image memory 1. In the figure, "FRZ instruction" indicates the time when the operator issues a freeze instruction from the keyboard. 24 frames (corresponding to almost two frames) consisting of frame numbers 1 to 24, which are reversed from the FRZ instruction, are written and stored in the first image memory 1 asynchronously with the R wave. At the time of this writing, the delay amounts of the R wave and the first scan signal transmitted next to the R wave are represented by d11, d12, and d13.
It is made to memorize as. The hatched frame number 9 in the figure is the frame of the time phase specified by the operator to be displayed from the frame numbers 1 to 24 stored in the first image memory 1.

FIG. 2B shows a state in which an ultrasonic image of a time phase designated by the operator is written in the second image memory 2. In the figure, "d12" represents the amount of delay between the R wave having the cycle of frame number 9 designated to be displayed in FIG. 2A and the first scan signal transmitted after the R wave. The hatched portion indicates that an ultrasonic image whose time phase coincides with the frame number 9 in FIG. 2A is written in the second image memory 2.

Next, in the order shown in the flowchart of FIG.
The operation of the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, real-time display is performed. This displays an ultrasonic image generated in real time on the CRT 10 as shown in FIG.

Gives a freeze instruction. This means that the Frz instruction is notified to the main CPU 11 from a keyboard or the like, and the writing to the first image memory 1 is stopped at the time of the FRZ instruction as shown in FIG.

Specifies a cine frame (for example, frame number 9). This is because, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), when the FRZ instruction is given and writing to the first image memory 1 is stopped, the operator, for example, converts the ultrasonic image of the time phase of frame number 9 to the second image. Indicates that writing to the memory 2 is specified.

Reads the ninth Delay amount specified. This means that the delay amount d12 of the R wave having the cycle of the frame number 9 in FIG. 2A and the first scan signal transmitted next to the R wave is read.

Specifies the delay amount to the delay circuit 6. this is,
Only the Delay amount d12 of the cycle of frame number 9 read in
Indicates that a reset signal is to be transmitted at a point in time delayed from the R wave.

Outputs a Reset signal. This means that the delay circuit 6 outputs the Reset signal to the internal timing circuit 4 when the delay is delayed by the Delay amount d12 specified by.

Starts scanning in synchronization with the output of the Reset signal from the internal timing circuit 4.

Writes an ultrasonic image in the second image memory 2 (see FIG. 2 (b)).

To display. This is because, as shown on the right side, the ultrasonic image (the ultrasonic image of the frame number 9 in FIG. 2 (b)) written in the second image memory 2 is displayed on the CRT 10 or the ultrasonic image For example, a real-time ultrasonic image is simultaneously displayed as an image 1 and an image 2.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, an ultrasonic image that matches the time phase of a designated one of the ultrasonic images written in the first image memory 1 is written in the second image memory 2, 2 to display the ultrasonic image written in the image memory 2 and the ultrasonic image written in the first image memory 1 at the same time. The operator of the ultrasound image of the first cine loop (the ultrasound image written to the first image memory 1) sets the time phase of the ultrasound image (the ultrasound image written to the second image memory 2). It is possible to match the time phase of the designated ultrasonic image, and it is possible to improve reliability such as grasping the shape of the heart.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a first image memory, 2 is a second image memory,
3 is an electrocardiograph, 4 is an internal timing circuit, 5 is a time phase difference detection circuit, 6 is a delay circuit, 7 is an ultrasonic transmission / reception circuit, 8 is an ultrasonic probe, 9 is a display circuit, 10 is a CRT, and 11 is a main CPU. Represents

Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A61B 8/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a display system for displaying an image at a predetermined time phase of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, frames of an ultrasonic image generated at predetermined intervals are sequentially written, and new writing is performed in response to a freeze instruction from an operator. The first image memory (1) to be stopped, and the time phase (time phase from the R wave of the electrocardiogram) corresponding to the frame number designated by the operator among the frames written in the first image memory (1) A second image memory (2) for writing a frame of an ultrasonic image to be written, wherein the ultrasonic image written in the second image memory (2) is displayed or further written in the first image memory (1). A display method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein an ultrasonic image and the like are displayed together.