JP3286948B2 - 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 a method of transmitting an ultrasonic wave into a subject, receiving a reflected echo from a diagnostic site, obtaining an ultrasonic image based on the echo signal, and displaying an electrocardiographic synchronized display. In particular, the operator can easily specify the transfer start point and the end point time phase frame on the electrocardiogram waveform when reading image data from the internal recording means and transferring the image data to the external storage means. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of transmitting data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this kind is shown in FIG.
As shown in (2), means (2, 3) for controlling the probe to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves into the subject 1 and amplify the received reflected echo signal, digitizing the received reflected echo signal, and Means for processing image data (4, 5)
A display unit (6, 7) for converting the image data into an analog and displaying the image as an ultrasonic image; and a recording unit (8) for temporarily recording and reproducing real-time image data obtained by digitizing the reflected echo signal. ), External storage means (9, 10) for transferring and storing the image data read from the recording means (8), and detecting an electrocardiographic waveform and an electrocardiographic R wave of the subject 1 to detect these electrocardiographic waveforms. A biological wave detecting means (11 to 14) for storing information; an external storage means (9, 10) for reproducing an ultrasonic image of a certain time phase from the recording means (8) using the electrocardiographic waveform information; Was configured to be transferable.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the image data of the heartbeat of the subject 1 is read out from the recording image memory 8 as the internal recording means and is read out as the external storage means. To transfer the data to the external storage device 10, the operator reads out the image data from the image memory 8 for recording, displays the image data on the television monitor 7, and looks at the displayed image to obtain the transfer start point of the R-wave time frame. When an image appears, a key switch of an operating device (not shown) is immediately operated to start the transfer, and then the transfer end point R
When the image of the wave time frame appeared, the user had to immediately stop the transfer by operating the corresponding key switch.
At this time, since the electrocardiogram waveform and the like displayed on the television monitor 7 were observed with the human eye and the key switch was operated at the required timing of the generation of the electrocardiogram R wave, it is necessary to wait until the processing is actually performed. Has a time lag, and the start and end of transfer of a required frame image may be delayed. Therefore, it has been difficult to transfer a desired frame image accurately.

In addition, the operator must monitor the transfer state of image data from time to time to transfer a desired frame image, so that the operator may not be able to concentrate on actual image diagnosis, and the efficiency of diagnosis may be reduced. There was something to do. Further, the transfer range of the image data transferred as described above cannot be confirmed.

Accordingly, the present invention addresses such a problem, and when an operator reads out image data from an internal recording unit and transfers the image data to an external storage unit, the operator is required to specify the transfer start and end points on the electrocardiogram waveform. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of easily designating and transferring a phase frame.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: means for controlling a probe to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves into a subject; Means for processing a signal, display means for displaying the processed image data as an ultrasonic image, and recording means for recording and reproducing the image data obtained by processing the reflected echo signal,
A biological wave detecting means for detecting and storing electrocardiographic waveform information of the subject, and the recording means using the electrocardiographic waveform information.
In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of reproducing an ultrasonic image from and transferring it to external storage means, an electrocardiographic waveform indicating a systole is used as a trigger for the electrocardiographic waveform information displayed on the display means.
Origin indicating the range to be transferred to external storage means on the electrocardiogram waveform
Means for automatically setting the time phase marker to each position and end position, and means for the image data of the time phase from the origin position corresponding to the phase marker when the set end point position is transferred to the external storage means It is provided.

[0007] In addition, the above-mentioned electrocardiographic waveform information corresponds to the systolic phase
External storage on the electrocardiogram waveform with the electrocardiogram waveform indicating
Start and end points indicating the range to be transferred to the means
It is means and the setting for automatically setting the time phase marker Les
Means for the image data of the time phase from the origin position corresponding to the time phase marker to the end point position is transferred to the external storage means is displayed on the electrocardiographic waveform and inputs the frame number of the image data to be reproduced from the recording unit A transfer operation input unit for inputting the position of the temporal phase bar, a transfer frame designation input unit for inputting the start and end points of the transfer frame, and R corresponding to the transfer start and end positions based on the input transfer information. A transfer R inter-wave image setting unit for automatically detecting a wave time phase frame, and a reproduced image selection unit for selecting image data of the detected time phase frame between the R waves for each frame and reading out and reproducing from the recording means. It consists of

[0008] Furthermore, cardiac contraction is performed on the electrocardiographic waveform information.
The external recording on the ECG waveform is triggered by the ECG waveform indicating the period.
Of the start position and end position indicating the range to be transferred to storage
Means for automatically setting a time marker for each
Means for forwarding to the external memory means image data of the time phase from the corresponding start position in the phase marker when end point positions, before the transfer of the image data, the electrocardiographic R-wave which corresponds to the transfer start position and end position The position is displayed as a marker on the electrocardiogram waveform, and the frame numbers of those R-wave time-phase frames can be displayed.

[0009]

[Action] Such ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus constructed as above, cardiac to electrocardiographic waveform information displayed on the display means of the ultrasound image
An electrocardiographic waveform indicating systole is triggered and the
Of the start and end points indicating the range to be transferred to the
Automatically set the time marker for each,
The image data of time phase from the origin position corresponding to the phase marker to the end point position operates to transfer to the external storage means. Thereby, when the operator reads out the image data from the internal recording means and transfers the image data to the external storage means, it is possible to easily designate and transfer the time phase frame of the transfer start position and the end point position on the electrocardiogram waveform. .

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an ultrasonic wave into a subject, receives a reflected echo from a diagnostic site, obtains an ultrasonic image based on the reflected echo signal, performs electrocardiographic synchronized display, and transfers the image to external storage means. As shown in the figure, a probe 2, a transmission / reception control unit 3, an A / D converter 4, and a display image memory 5 are available.
, A D / A converter 6, a television monitor 7, a recording image memory 8, an image data transfer unit 9, and an external storage device 10.
, A heart radio wave detecting unit 11, an R wave trigger detecting unit 12,
It has a wave trigger memory 13, a time phase input unit 14, and further includes an inter-R wave image data transfer unit 15.

The probe 2 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the subject 1, and includes therein a vibrator that is a source of ultrasonic waves and receives reflected waves and converts them into electric signals. Have been. In addition, the transmission / reception control unit 3 includes the probe 2
, Which transmits ultrasonic waves and amplifies the echo signals reflected and received from the inside of the subject 1. Although not shown, an ultrasonic launching circuit, a receiving amplifier circuit, and a control circuit therefor are provided therein. are doing. The probe 2 and the transmission / reception control unit 3 constitute means for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves into and from the subject and amplifying the reception signal.

The A / D converter 4 digitizes the reflected echo signal output from the transmission / reception control unit 3. The display image memory 5 temporarily stores image data output from the A / D converter 4 to display the image data. The display image memory 5 freezes (stops) an image and performs various image processing. Or so. And
The A / D converter 4 and the display image memory 5 constitute means for digitizing the received reflected echo signal and processing the image data.

The D / A converter 6 converts the image data read from the display image memory 5 into an analog signal for display. In addition, the television monitor 7
The output signal from the D / A converter 6 is displayed as an ultrasonic image. The D / A converter 6 and the television monitor 7 constitute image display means. Further, the recording image memory 8 serves as recording means for temporarily recording and reproducing the real-time image data output from the A / D converter 4, and stores images within a certain time or a certain number of images. It is composed of, for example, a plurality of memories so as to enable continuous recording.

The image data transfer section 9 receives the image data read from the display image memory 5 and transfers the image data to an external storage device 10 at a subsequent stage. The external storage device 10 receives and stores the image data sent from the image data transfer unit 9, and is composed of, for example, a magnetic tape device or a magnetic disk device. The image data transfer unit 9 and the external storage device 10 constitute an external storage unit that transfers and stores the image data read from the recording image memory 8 via the display image memory 5.

The electrocardiogram detecting section 11 detects an electrocardiographic waveform using an electrocardiograph attached to, for example, a hand and a foot of the subject 1. The R-wave trigger detection unit 12 generates a phase (generally referred to as “R-wave”) indicating the start of cardiac contraction in the electrocardiographic waveform detected by the heart-wave detection unit 11 (generally “R-wave time”). Phase) is detected. Further, the R-wave trigger memory 13 stores the data of the electrocardiographic waveform output from the heart radio wave detecting unit 11 and the data of the R-wave trigger signal output from the R-wave trigger detecting unit 12, and stores these data. This is to send out the electrocardiographic waveform information to the read-out R inter-wave image setting unit 18 described later. Further, the time phase input unit 14 inputs a time phase signal for synchronizing the detected electrocardiographic waveform information with an ultrasonic image obtained by the system of the probe 2 and the transmission / reception control unit 3. is there. Then, the above-mentioned heart radio wave detector 11
A biological wave detecting means for detecting an electrocardiographic waveform and an electrocardiographic R wave of the subject 1 and storing the electrocardiographic waveform information with the R-wave trigger detecting unit 12, the R-wave trigger memory 13, and the time-phase input unit 14. Is composed.

Here, in the present invention, the inter-R-wave image data transfer means 1 is used for the R-wave trigger memory 13 of the biological wave detection means and the recording image memory 8 as the recording means.
5 is connected. This R inter-wave image data transfer means 1
5 is for inputting the phase of the electrocardiographic R-wave from the R-wave trigger memory 13 and for recording the heartbeat image data from the time of one electrocardiographic R-wave to the time of another electrocardiographic R-wave for the recording. It is read out from the image memory 8 and is continuously transferred to the external storage device 10 for each frame, and an electrocardiographic waveform indicating a systole is used as a trigger for the electrocardiographic waveform information displayed on the television monitor 7.
Indicates the range to be transferred to the external storage device 10 on the electrocardiogram waveform.
Means for automatically setting a time marker at each of the start position and the end position , and image data of the time phase from the start position to the end position corresponding to the set time marker. and a means for transferring to the outer <br/> unit storage device 10. Concrete
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a reproduction operation input section 16 for inputting a frame number of image data to be reproduced from the recording image memory 8 and for inputting a position of a time phase bar displayed on an electrocardiogram waveform. A transfer frame designation input unit 17 for inputting a start point and an end point of a transfer frame; and a transfer R inter-wave image setting for automatically detecting an R wave time phase frame corresponding to the transfer start and end points based on the input transfer information. Part 18
And a reproduction image selection unit 19 for selecting image data of a time phase frame between the detected R waves for each frame, reading the image data from the recording image memory 8 and reproducing the image data. Further, the transfer R-wave inter-image setting unit 18 displays the positions of the electrocardiogram R waves corresponding to the transfer start point position and the end point position on the electrocardiogram waveform before the transfer of the image data, and displays the R and R positions thereof.
The frame number of the wave time frame is configured to be displayed.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus thus configured will be described. First, the reflected echo signal collected from the subject 1 by the ultrasonic wave transmitted and received from the probe 2 is converted into digital ultrasonic image data via the transmission / reception control unit 3 and the A / D converter 4 to record the image. Recorded in the memory 8. At the same time, the electrocardiographic information detected from the subject 1 is synchronized with the data of the ultrasonic image by the time phase input unit 14 and is transmitted through the heart wave detecting unit 11 and the R-wave trigger detecting unit 12. It is stored in the wave trigger memory 13. At this time, at the end of recording, the R-wave time-phase frame at the timing at which the R-wave is generated on the electrocardiographic waveform is obtained, and the frame number is sent to the transfer R-wave image setting unit 18 and stored.

Next, image data is reproduced from the recording image memory 8 in order to set a range for transferring digital ultrasonic image data to the external storage device 10. In order to reproduce this image, the user inputs the number of the frame to be reproduced from the reproduction operation input section 16 so that the reproduced image selection section 19 determines from which frame image address the image data is read from the frame number. Control. The image data read from the corresponding address in the recording image memory 8 is stored in the display image memory 5 and the D / A converter 6.
Is sent to the television monitor 7 via the PC and displayed on the screen.

At this time, the input of the start point and the end point of the frame of the image data to be transferred to the external storage device 10 is performed by operating the transfer frame designation input unit 17 (for example, a specific key switch on an operation unit not shown). Do it. Then, the input information is sent to the transfer R inter-wave image setting unit 18, and the transfer R inter-wave image setting unit 18 automatically detects the R-wave time phase frame corresponding to the start point and the end point of the transfer frame from the input information, The signal of the detected R-wave time-phase frame is sent to the recording image memory 8 via the reproduced image selection unit 19, and the image data of the frame between the R waves corresponding to the transfer start point position and the end point position is transferred frame by frame. Then, the data is read out from the recording image memory 8 and transmitted to the display image memory 5. Thereafter, the image data read from the display image memory 5 is transmitted to the television monitor 7 via the D / A converter 6.
Is transferred to the external storage device 10 via the image data transfer unit 9 and stored.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a display screen of the television monitor 7 when setting the transfer range of the image data to the external storage device 10 described above. Hereinafter, an operation example of the transfer operation of the R-wave image data performed by the operator and an operation example of the apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. First, on the screen of the television monitor 7, an electrocardiogram waveform 21 displayed based on the ultrasonic image 20 reproduced from the recording image memory 8 shown in FIG. B
₁ and B ₂ are displayed. At this time, the positions of the time phase bars B ₁ and B ₂ displayed on the electrocardiogram waveform 21 and the ultrasonic image 20 are synchronized, and the reproduction input to the reproduction operation input unit 16 shown in FIG. Based on the information indicating the frame number of the image data and the position of the time phase bar, the position of the ultrasonic image 20 and the position of the time phase bars B ₁ and B ₂ are updated. In addition, the operation of the playback image selection unit 19 causes the playback frame number 22 indicating the image currently being played back to be displayed at the corner of the screen of the television monitor 7. Further, in order to confirm the setting state of the R-wave temporal frame indicating the starting point and the ending point of the transfer frame, the starting point R is displayed at another corner of the screen of the television monitor 7.
The wave time phase frame number 23 and the end point R wave time frame number 24 are displayed.

In such a state, the operator sets the transfer range of the image by updating the positions of the time phase bars B ₁ and B ₂ displayed on the electrocardiogram waveform 21 shown in FIG. For example,
Assuming that there are four R-waves Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd on the electrocardiogram waveform 21, when transferring inter-R-wave image data between the second Rb and the third Rc, the starting R-wave phase In order to set a frame, the transfer frame designation input unit 17 shown in FIG. 1 is operated to update one of the time phase bars B ₁ to a position near Rb on the electrocardiographic waveform 21, for example. to set the time phase frame, also updates the phase bar B ₂ when the other by operating the transfer frame designation input unit 17 to a position, for example in the vicinity of Rc on the electrocardiogram type 21. Accordingly, the operation of the transfer R inter-wave image setting unit 18 causes the start R wave time frame corresponding to Rb and the end R wave time frame corresponding to Rc to be shifted from the positions of the two time bars B ₁ and B _2. Automatically detected. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the transfer R inter-wave image setting unit 18 displays the start R wave time phase marker M ₁ at the position of Rb on the electrocardiogram waveform 21 and the end R wave at the position of Rc. to display the time phase marker M _2. Further, similarly, the transfer R inter-wave image setting unit 18 sets the start R wave time frame number 23 and the end R wave time frame number 24 at the corners of the screen of the television monitor 7 in the columns.
Each frame number is displayed. Therefore, in the above case, the operator sets Rb and Rc on the electrocardiogram waveform 21.
It is not necessary to accurately align the time phase bars B ₁ and B ₂ with the positions of the respective phase bars.

With the above operation, the setting of the image transfer range is completed, and by pressing a specific key of the transfer frame designation input section 17 shown in FIG. 1, required image data is read from the recording image memory 8. The inter-R wave image data is continuously transferred to the external storage device 10 for each frame.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the time relationship between the second R wave Rb and the third R wave Rc on the electrocardiographic waveform 21 and the two time phase bars B ₁ and B ₂ in the above description. It is.
Rb indicates an older R wave in time and Rc indicates a new R wave for _one temporal phase bar B1.
Also, Rc indicates that temporally the old R-wave relative to the phase bar B ₂ when the other. The operation of automatically detecting the starting and ending R-wave time-phase frames by the transfer R-wave inter-image setting unit 18 shown in FIG. 1 using the R-wave and the time phase bar in such a time relationship is shown in FIG. It looks like the algorithm in the figure. Here, reference numerals Rb, Rc, B ₁ and B ₂ in FIGS. 3 and 4 correspond to each other.

[0024]

The present invention has been configured as described above.
To electrocardiographic waveform information displayed on the display means of the ultrasound image
Triggered by an electrocardiographic waveform indicating systole,
Start and end points indicating the range to be transferred to external storage means
Automatically sets the time phase marker to each location, is the set
The image data of time phase from the corresponding start position to the end point position in the phase marker when he can be transferred to the external storage means. Thereby, when the operator reads out the image data from the internal recording means and transfers the image data to the external storage means, it is possible to easily designate and transfer the time phase frame of the transfer start position and the end point position on the electrocardiogram waveform. . Therefore, a frame image of a desired time phase can be accurately and easily transferred to the external storage means. Further, since the operator does not need to constantly monitor the transfer state of the image data, the operator can concentrate on the actual image diagnosis and improve the efficiency of the diagnosis. Further, the transfer range of the image data transferred as described above can be confirmed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a display screen of a television monitor when setting a transfer range of image data to an external storage device;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged time relationship between some R waves on an electrocardiographic waveform and a phase bar,

FIG. 4 is a PAD diagram showing an operation of automatically detecting a starting and ending R-wave time-phase frame using the R-wave and the time-phase bar in the above-described time relationship;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Subject, 2 ... Probe, 3 ... Transmission / reception control part, 4
... A / D converter, 5 ... Display image memory, 6 ... D / A
Converter 7 TV monitor 8 Image memory for recording 9 Image data transfer unit 10 External storage device
11: heart radio wave detector, 12: R wave trigger detector,
13: R-wave trigger memory, 14: Time phase input unit, 15
... R inter-wave image data transfer means 16... Reproduction operation input unit 17. Transfer frame designation input unit 18. Transfer R
Inter-wave image setting unit, 19: playback image selection unit, 20: ultrasonic image, 21: electrocardiographic waveform, Ra to Rd: R wave,
B ₁ , B ₂ ... time bar, M ₁ ... start point R wave time marker,
M ₂ … end point R wave phase marker.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-61-213041 (JP, A) JP-A-4-30841 (JP, A) JP-A-4-158852 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 8/00-8/15

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A means for controlling a probe to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave into a subject, a means for processing the received reflected echo signal, and a display means for displaying the processed image data as an ultrasonic image If, comprising a recording means for recording and reproducing image data obtained by processing the above reflection echo signal, and a bio-wave detecting means for detecting storing the electrocardiogram information of the subject, the electrocardiographic
The ultrasonic image is reproduced from the recording means using the waveform information.
In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which can be transferred to an external storage means, a cardiac contraction is performed on the electrocardiographic waveform information displayed on the display means.
The external recording on the ECG waveform is triggered by the ECG waveform indicating the period.
Of the start position and end position indicating the range to be transferred to storage
And means for automatically setting the time phase markers, respectively, is the setting
Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by the image data of the time phase and means for transferring to the external memory from the origin position to the end position corresponding to the phase marker when the.