JP3190724B2 - Ultrasound 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 for transmitting an ultrasonic wave into a subject and obtaining an ultrasonic image from an echo signal from a diagnostic site, and more particularly to an M-mode image and a Doppler mode image. It relates to a display method of a cine scroll.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a B-mode function for imaging an internal structure of a subject and an M-mode for imaging a reflected echo signal from a specific ultrasonic probe in a specific direction by luminance modulation.
It has a mode function and a Doppler function that visualizes information about movement such as blood flow.

The B-mode function scans a subject with a narrowly focused ultrasonic beam, modulates the luminance of the reflected signal, and obtains a two-dimensional tomographic image. Displayed on the monitor.

The M mode function converts the echo signal in the specific beam direction into a digital signal, and sequentially stores the echo signal in the M mode ultrasonic line buffer composed of 800 lines for each transmitted beam. This is a function of scrolling in the horizontal direction by repeatedly moving the read address of the ultrasonic line buffer sequentially and storing and displaying it in the television display memory in frame units.

On the other hand, the Doppler function utilizes the principle that a reflected signal from a moving reflecting / scattering body such as a blood flow shifts in frequency by the Doppler effect, and analyzes the shift amount to visualize the dynamics.

The Doppler function includes pulse Doppler (PW).
D) and a function called color flow mapping (CFM). The pulse Doppler (PWD)
Attention is paid to the dynamics of an arbitrary point (sample volume) in the B-mode tomographic image, and its frequency shift is obtained as a spectrum by a frequency analysis method such as fast Fourier transform (FFT). The time-varying spectrum is sequentially stored in a pulse Doppler (PWD) mode line buffer.
The data is read out and displayed in frame units on the television display memory, and is also scroll-displayed.

In this case, since the number of lines in the ultrasonic line buffer is generally larger than the number of lines in the television display memory, such an ultrasonic image scroll-displayed in the horizontal direction is frozen. In this case, a part of the ultrasonic data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer is displayed (cine-scroll), but the operator changes the read address from the ultrasonic line buffer once. In such a case, it is difficult to know where the ultrasonic line buffer is being displayed, which causes a bottleneck in diagnostic accuracy, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of effective cine scroll display is required. .

[0008]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. FIG. 4A shows a configuration example, and FIG. 4B shows a display example of an M-mode image or the like.

First, an ultrasonic pulse is projected from a specific ultrasonic probe 1 to a subject in a predetermined direction, and the echo is received by a receiving circuit 2 and converted into an electric signal.
The digital signal is converted by a digital converter (A / D converter) 3 into a digital signal. For example, the number of lines (for example, 800) is larger than the number of lines (for example, 400 lines) of the television display memory 5.
Line), the M-mode ultrasonic image data stored in the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is read out in units of a frame cycle, and stored in the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4. Repeat to store in memory 5.

By performing such display control, the movement of the living tissue in the beam direction at each sampling point on a specific ultrasonic scanning line can be scroll-displayed in the horizontal direction. << Refer to the M-mode image in FIG. 4 (b) >> The scrolled real-time M-mode image is frozen according to an instruction from the operation panel 7, and the ultrasonic line buffer is displayed until the scrolled display image is immediately frozen. The user designates an arbitrary area of the ultrasonic data taken in by the display address of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 from the operation panel 7 and performs cine scroll display.

Many recent ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have a cine memory (the ultrasonic line buffer) 4 for such a scroll image (M mode / Doppler mode). Thus, by redisplaying the image data before the currently displayed image after the freeze, the diagnostic accuracy of the ultrasonic diagnosis can be improved.

[0012]

However, when the operator performs a proper cine scroll, which area (address range) in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 corresponds to the currently displayed portion. There is a disadvantage that is unknown.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional disadvantages, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of explicitly displaying which area in an ultrasonic line buffer an image displayed during cine scrolling corresponds to. It is intended to provide.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a configuration example, (b) and (c) show display examples, 2 and 3 are views showing another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a configuration example, and (b), (c)
Shows a display example. The above problem is solved by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described below.

(1) An ultrasonic pulse is projected on the subject, the echo is received and converted into an electric signal, and the movement of the beam direction of the living tissue at each sampling point on a specific ultrasonic scanning line is used as diagnostic information. Sequentially, ultrasonic line buffer 4
And a scroll display function such as M mode or Doppler mode for sequentially moving the read start address of the stored data and scrolling in the horizontal direction to display an image. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of cine-scrolling and displaying an arbitrary position of the ultrasonic data taken in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 in advance after the image display freeze, An arbitrary position of the ultrasonic data in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 is normally displayed, and all the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 is reduced outside the normal display area on the monitor 8. Display and the ultrasonic line buffer
In the reduced display image 4, the luminance of the reduced display position corresponding to the position of the ultrasonic line buffer 4 that is normally displayed and the luminance of a position outside the range are changed and displayed.

(2) An ultrasonic pulse is projected onto the subject, the echo is received and converted into an electrical signal, and the movement of the beam direction of the living tissue at each sampling point on a specific ultrasonic scanning line is used as diagnostic information. Sequentially, ultrasonic line buffer 4
And a scroll display function such as M mode or Doppler mode for sequentially moving the read start address of the stored data and scrolling in the horizontal direction to display an image. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of cine-scrolling and displaying an arbitrary position of the ultrasonic data taken in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 in advance after the image display freeze, When all the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 are reduced and displayed, the M mode, which is normally displayed,
Apart from the Doppler mode freeze image,
Open a predetermined window, and within the window,
It is configured to display the area that is currently normally displayed by displaying brightness, color, and graphic.

(3) In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a reduced display position corresponding to the position of the ultrasonic line buffer 4 normally displayed is displayed in color. (4) In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a portion corresponding to the position of the ultrasonic line buffer 4 normally displayed is represented by a graphic.
(For example, the display range is indicated by an arrow).

[0018]

Conventionally, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a cine memory (ultrasonic line buffer) for the M mode and the Doppler mode, the M mode image and the Doppler image which are scrolled and displayed in real time are frozen. By changing the read address from the ultrasonic line buffer to an area before the image displayed when the image is frozen, the M-mode image stored in the ultrasonic line buffer can be obtained.
The Doppler image can be displayed again (cine scroll display).

At this time, according to the present invention, after the contents of the ultrasonic line buffer are reduced and displayed outside the area of the M-mode image and the Doppler mode image, the re-display area designated by the operator is reduced. By explicitly displaying on the display image a different brightness from that of the other area that is not redisplayed, in color, or by using a specific graphic, the currently displayed freeze is displayed. It is possible to easily recognize which part of the ultrasonic line buffer the M-mode image and Doppler image correspond to.

At this time, the normally displayed area is
If the number of lines is smaller than the number of lines in the television display memory, the display is enlarged, so that, for example,
The enlarged M-mode image and Doppler image can be obtained by displaying a plurality of lines of image data or displaying the image data while interpolating between the lines.

In order to reduce and display the image data in the ultrasonic line buffer, instead of displaying the image data in an area outside the normal M mode image and the Doppler mode image as described above,
Using a known window display technique, for example, a window is opened in the M-mode image or the Doppler mode image, a reduced image of the ultrasonic line buffer is displayed in the opened window, and the displayed image is displayed. During the reduced image, the range of the normally displayed M-mode image or Doppler image that is normally displayed may be displayed by changing the luminance, by color display, or by a predetermined graphic display.

By performing such display, at the time of cine scrolling, it is possible to explicitly display to which position in the ultrasonic line buffer the displayed image corresponds, and to display the M mode image and the Doppler mode. There is an effect that diagnostic accuracy by ultrasonic diagnosis using an image can be improved.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 3 are views showing another embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows a configuration example. , (B) and (c) show display examples.

According to the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic line buffer 4 having a number of lines larger than the number of image lines displayed on the monitor 8 and having a cine scroll display function such as an M mode or a Doppler mode. After the image display is frozen, normal cine scroll display such as M mode and Doppler mode of the ultrasonic data taken into the ultrasonic line buffer 4 is performed, and the image stored in the ultrasonic line buffer 4 is displayed. The data is reduced and displayed outside the cine scroll display or, for example, a new window is opened on the cine scroll display, and the range of the ultrasonic line buffer normally displayed is reduced and displayed. Display in the ultrasonic line buffer image that is different from the luminance of the area outside the normally displayed range Or color display, the means 9, 10, 11, and 12 for displaying graphics, a means necessary for implementing the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same object throughout the drawings.

The configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention and the cine scroll display means will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, in FIGS. 1 to 4, the scroll display function in the M mode and the Doppler mode, and after the image displayed in the scroll display is frozen, the image data before the currently displayed image is redisplayed. Since the configuration and operation of the cine scroll display means are not particularly different from those of the related art, only a brief description will be given here.

That is, in FIG. 1A, the ultrasonic probe 1
After receiving and transmitting an ultrasonic wave from the receiver and performing signal processing in the receiving circuit 2, the signal is converted into digital data by the A / D converter 3 and stored in the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4.

The stored ultrasonic data is read out under the control of the control unit 6, stored in a television (hereinafter referred to as a TV) display memory 5 as TV image data, and stored in a monitor 8.
Next, the M mode image is displayed.

As described above, at the time of real time, the control unit 6 converts the scanning line data in the predetermined beam direction stored in the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 based on the M-mode image display start position data. The above scroll display can be performed by repeating reading from the address in units of frames and writing to the TV display memory 5.

At the time of cine scrolling after the freeze, the M-mode image display start position data is changed to a desired address in accordance with an instruction from the operation panel 7, and the control unit
M-mode image data corresponding to the instruction from 6
The M-mode image is transferred to the TV display memory 5 and displayed.

On the other hand, the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer
As shown in FIG. 1 (b), all of the ultrasonic data captured in 4 is subjected to a reduction process, for example, a thinning process, outside the display region of the M-mode image, as shown in FIG. Is transferred so as to be displayed as a reduced image (indicated by).

The brightness adjusting section 9 displays the reduced image in accordance with the cine scroll display area in the reduced image display area of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 specified by the operation panel 7 and the specified brightness. In order to change the brightness of the indicated portion in the area, the TV display memory 5 is instructed to add an offset to the image data of the specific portion of the TV display memory 5.

The portion to which the offset is added is arbitrarily moved right and left in response to an instruction from the control unit 6 which has received an instruction from the operation panel 7. FIG. 1 (b)
4 shows an example of a display image according to the present embodiment. The hatched portion in the reduced image indicates the cine scroll area indicated by the operation panel 7 and displayed at a different luminance from other portions. By looking at the luminance part different from the other parts,
The operator can easily recognize which part of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is displayed in the area of the M-mode image.

In this example, since an area in the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 which has a smaller number of lines than the TV display memory 5 is indicated, the cine scroll display becomes an enlarged display. The display is performed, for example, by writing the same line in the designated area to the TV display memory 5 a plurality of times, or by interpolating between the designated lines,
The enlarged display is performed by writing to the V display memory 5 or the like.

FIG. 2 shows a case where the cine scroll area designated by the operation panel 7 is displayed in color in the image of the M mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 displayed in a reduced size.

In the configuration example shown in FIG. 2A, the parts different from FIG. 1A are a color memory 10 and an adder (addition) 11. Therefore, in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 1, after the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is displayed in a reduced size, based on the information indicating the display area specified on the operation panel 7 and the color information, The designated color information is assigned to the pixel of the portion indicating the cine scroll area in the reduced image,
It is read from the color memory 10 and added to the corresponding pixel information from the TV display memory 5 by the adder 11 (specifically,
Overwriting) and sending it to monitor 8
As shown in (b), the area of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 displayed in the M-mode image can be displayed in color (shown by vertical lines).

FIG. 3 shows a case where the cine scroll area designated by the operation panel 7 is displayed as a line image in the image of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 displayed in a reduced size.

As in the case of FIG. 2, the image of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4, which is displayed in a reduced size,
The line drawing designated by the operation panel 7 is read from the line drawing memory 12 into the display area designated by the operation panel 7 in the reduced image, and the TV display memory 5
3 is added to the pixel of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer image displayed in a reduced scale, specifically, overwritten, and the
As shown in (b), the cine scroll area is displayed with a line drawing designated by the operator.

FIG. 3C shows another example of the area designation based on the line drawing. In this display example, the reduced display of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is also displayed as a line drawing of an image different from the reduced display, and the portion of the M-mode image that is cine-scrolled is also different. This is an example in which a line drawing (for example, a double arrow) is displayed. The display using the line drawing is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the display may be performed using another line drawing.

In the above embodiment, the reduced image of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is displayed in an area different from that of the M-mode image. By activating the window control unit 60 shown in (a), for example, a window is opened in an arbitrary area in the M-mode image, and the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer is set in the opened window. 4, for example, displaying a reduced image, and displaying the cine scroll area in the displayed reduced image, such as the brightness display, the color display,
It goes without saying that line drawing display may be performed. FIG. 1 (c) shows that a window is opened in the M-mode image, a reduced image of the M-mode ultrasonic line buffer 4 is displayed in the window, and the reduced image is displayed in the displayed reduced image. Cine scroll area, for example,
An example of luminance display is shown.

In the above description, the cine-scroll display of an M-mode image has been described as an example. However, a Doppler mode image provided in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a so-called pulsed Doppler (P
WD) Since the image ス ク ロ ー ル is also scroll-displayed, PWD
By applying the same means to the mode line buffer 40 (see FIG. 1), the same operation and effect can be obtained.

As described above, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic line buffer for holding an image having a larger number of lines than the number of display image lines and having a scroll display function such as an M mode or a Doppler mode. In the above, after the image display is frozen, the normal scroll display such as the M mode or the Doppler mode of the ultrasonic data taken in the ultrasonic line buffer is performed, and the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer is displayed. , A new window is opened outside the scroll display or, for example, on the scroll display and displayed in a reduced size, and the range of the ultrasonic line buffer normally displayed is changed to the ultrasonic line displayed in the reduced size. In the image of buffer 4, display may be performed at a brightness different from the brightness of the area outside the above-mentioned normal display range, or color display may be performed. Luke, is characterized in that so as to display graphics.

[0042]

As described in detail above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes an ultrasonic line buffer for holding an image having a larger number of lines than the number of display image lines.
In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a cine scroll display function such as a mode and a Doppler mode, after an image display is frozen, a normal scroll display such as an M mode or a Doppler mode of the ultrasonic data taken into the ultrasonic line buffer is performed. At the same time, the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer is reduced and displayed outside the scroll display or, for example, a new window is opened on the scroll display, and the normal display is performed. The range of the ultrasonic line buffer is displayed in the reduced-size image of the ultrasonic line buffer at a luminance different from the luminance of a region outside the normally displayed range, is displayed in color, or is displayed as a graphic. Because it is intended to be displayed,
There is an effect that the display image position at the time of cine scroll can be clarified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention (part 1).

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention (part 2).

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Ultrasonic probe 2 Receiving circuit 3 Analog / digital (A / D) converter 4 Ultrasonic line buffer for M mode 40 Line buffer for PWD mode 5 TV display memory 6 Control unit 7 Operation panel 8 Monitor 9 Brightness adjustment unit 10 Color memory 11 Adder (addition) 12 Line drawing memory 60 Window controller M mode, Doppler mode image Reduced image of ultrasonic line buffer for M mode Window

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 8/00-8/15

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ultrasonic pulse is projected onto a subject, the echo is received and converted into an electric signal, and the movement of the biological tissue in the beam direction at each sampling point on a specific ultrasonic scan line is sequentially used as diagnostic information. A scroll display function such as M mode, Doppler mode, etc., which stores the data in the ultrasonic line buffer (4), sequentially shifts the read start address of the stored data, and displays the image while scrolling in the horizontal direction; The above-mentioned ultrasonic line buffer (4) for storing more line data than the number of display image lines, and an arbitrary place of the ultrasonic data previously taken into the ultrasonic line buffer (4) after the image display freeze. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of cine-scroll display, wherein an arbitrary position of ultrasonic data in the ultrasonic line buffer (4) is transmitted. And displays all the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer (4), to collapse onto the monitor (8), the reduced display the image of the ultrasonic line buffer (4), the An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in that luminance is displayed at a reduced display position corresponding to the position of the ultrasonic line buffer (4) which is normally displayed, and at different positions outside the range. Wherein when displaying reduced all the image data stored in the ultrasonic line buffer (4), M-mode being the normal display, separately from the frozen image of the Doppler mode, an arbitrary position 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a predetermined window is opened and displayed. 3. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, instead of displaying a reduced display location corresponding to a normally displayed location of the ultrasound line buffer (4) with different brightness,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the location is displayed in color. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reduced display location corresponding to a location of the normally displayed ultrasound line buffer (4) is displayed by changing luminance.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the location is displayed using a graphic.