JP4266523B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a subject, receiving an ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject, and performing a medical diagnosis based on an image obtained from information included in the received ultrasonic wave. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, factors that determine the image quality and quality of an ultrasound diagnostic image include ultrasound transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions. Ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions include ultrasonic transmission center frequency, transmission frequency band, transmission focus position, transmission power, reception sensitivity, and the like. The image processing conditions include brightness and contrast for displaying on the image display device. Under these conditions, it appears that there is an appropriate value for each part of the subject.
[0003]
Conventionally, parameters such as ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions are manually input from an operation panel mounted on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and are reset and optimized every time an image is acquired and displayed. Such adjustment for parameter optimization must be performed while scanning the ultrasonic probe, which is very troublesome and complicated for doctors and the like who operate the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
[0004]
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-212262 discloses a maximum value and a minimum value of an ultrasonic echo signal, and based on this detection value, an ultrasonic image of an arbitrary designated part is zero-ordered. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that automatically changes and displays from a tone to a maximum gradation is published. However, only by automatically changing the ultrasonic image from zero gradation to the maximum gradation, gradation processing suitable for each part cannot be performed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, in view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can easily set optimal transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions for each part of a subject.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject; An image analysis unit that calculates a normalization parameter by analyzing image data obtained based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit; For image data obtained based on the ultrasound received by the ultrasound transceiver, While performing the normalization process according to the normalization rule using the normalization parameter calculated by the image analysis unit, Used in an image processing unit that performs image processing using image processing condition parameters, a part information input unit that is used to input part information related to a part of a subject, and an image processing unit Standardization rules and A parameter storage unit that stores image processing condition parameters in association with the part information and a part information input using the part information input unit Standardization rules and A control unit that reads an image processing condition parameter from the parameter storage unit and supplies the image processing condition parameter to the image processing unit, and an image display unit that displays an image based on the image data image-processed by the image processing unit.
[0007]
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention transmits an ultrasonic wave to a subject and receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject according to an ultrasonic transmission / reception condition set based on the transmission / reception condition parameter. An ultrasonic transmission / reception unit, An image analysis unit that calculates a normalization parameter by analyzing image data obtained based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit; For image data obtained based on the ultrasound received by the ultrasound transceiver, While performing the normalization process according to the normalization rule using the normalization parameter calculated by the image analysis unit, Used in an image processing unit that performs image processing using image processing condition parameters, a part information input unit that is used to input part information related to a part of a subject, and an image processing unit Standardization rules and Image processing condition parameters When Transmission / reception condition parameters used in the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit When Corresponding to the part information input using the parameter storage part and the part information input part. Standardization rules and Image processing condition parameters With Image processing by reading at least one of the parameters from the parameter storage Part Supply At the same time, the transmission / reception condition parameter corresponding to the part information is read from the parameter storage unit and supplied to the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit. A control unit; and an image display unit that displays an image based on the image data image-processed by the image processing unit.
[0008]
According to the above configuration, A normalization parameter calculated by analyzing image data obtained based on the received ultrasound, Parameters relating to transmission / reception conditions or image processing conditions stored in advance in the parameter storage unit corresponding to the part of the subject When According to , Since transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves or image processing is performed, it is possible to easily set optimal transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions for the part by inputting part information, and an image suitable for diagnosis can be obtained efficiently.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a system control unit 10 that controls the entire system, and a transmission frequency that controls ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions in the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit under the control of the system control unit 10. A control circuit 11, a transmission delay control circuit 12, a transmission power control circuit 13, a reception sensitivity control circuit 14, and a reception delay control circuit 15 are included.
[0010]
The system control unit 10 is connected to a parameter storage unit 2 connected to the parameter setting unit 1 and a part information input unit 3. By using the parameter setting unit 1, parameters that determine ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions are set in advance corresponding to the region of the subject. Thereby, the parameter storage unit 2 stores an optimum parameter set for each part of the subject corresponding to the part information representing the part. In ultrasonic diagnosis, transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves and image processing are performed using an optimum parameter set set in advance for each part based on the part information input to the part information input unit 3.
[0011]
In order to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment includes a signal generator 20 that generates a signal used for transmission, and amplifies the signal and gives a necessary delay time as a drive signal. A plurality of transmission drive circuits 30 that output, a probe 40 that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject based on these drive signals, receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject, and outputs detection signals, and these A plurality of amplifiers 50 that amplify the detection signal, a reception delay circuit 60 that gives a desired delay to the detection signal, a log conversion circuit 61 that performs logarithmic conversion of the detection signal, and a detection circuit that detects the detection signal 62.
[0012]
The probe 40 includes a one-dimensional or two-dimensional ultrasonic transducer array including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. As the ultrasonic transducer, a piezoelectric element such as PZT or PVDF may be used, or a photodetection type two-dimensional sensor array may be used for reception. The light detection type two-dimensional sensor array will be described in detail later.
[0013]
In the transmission system circuit, the transmission frequency control circuit 11 controls the center frequency and frequency band of the signal output from the signal generator 20. The transmission delay control circuit 12 controls the delay time of the drive signal output from the plurality of transmission drive circuits 30. As a result, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers included in the probe 40 respectively transmit ultrasonic waves having a phase difference corresponding to the time difference of the drive signals toward the subject. By such wavefront synthesis of a plurality of ultrasonic waves, an ultrasonic beam having a specific transmission focus is formed. Further, the transmission power control circuit 13 controls the amplitude of the drive signals output from the plurality of transmission drive circuits 30, thereby controlling the transmission power of the ultrasonic waves.
[0014]
In the reception system circuit, the reception sensitivity is controlled by the reception sensitivity control circuit 14 controlling the gains of the plurality of amplifiers 50. The reception delay control circuit 15 controls the delay time of the detection signal in the reception delay circuit 60. The output signal of the reception delay circuit 60 is logarithmically converted by the log conversion circuit 61, detected by the detection circuit 62, converted to digital image data by the A / D conversion circuit 63, and stored in the image memory 64.
[0015]
The image processing unit 66 performs image processing on the image data obtained in this way. Image processing includes normalization processing, non-linear gradation processing, response enhancement processing, enlargement / reduction / interpolation processing, and the like. The system control unit 10 reads a parameter corresponding to the part of the subject represented by the part information input to the part information input unit 3 from the parameter storage unit 2, and based on the parameter, the image of the image processing unit 66 is read out. Control processing operations. Alternatively, the system control unit 10 performs the image processing operation of the image processing unit 66 and Send / receive operation You may make it control at least one of these. Furthermore, ultrasonic waves may be transmitted and received using a parameter set that has been set in advance for each region, and the acquired image data may be analyzed by the image analysis unit 65 to calculate a normalization parameter. In this case, the image processing unit 66 uses the calculated standardization parameters to perform standardization processing in accordance with the standardization rules previously determined for each part and stored in the parameter storage unit 2, and then stored in the parameter storage. Other image processing is performed using the parameter set stored in the unit 2. When displaying a three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image construction unit 67 generates voxel data that is data about a certain volume from a plurality of pieces of tomographic data stored in the image memory 64. .
[0016]
Further, in a DSC (digital scan converter) 68, image data obtained by various scanning methods such as sector scan and linear scan is converted into image data used for scanning of a TV (television) signal, and a general monitor is converted. To be able to observe. The DSC 68 also adjusts the frame rate. The image data converted by the DSC 68 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A conversion circuit 69 and displayed on the image display unit 70. The image display unit 70 is preferably capable of displaying a color image. In this embodiment, the image memory 64, the image analysis unit 65, and the image processing unit 66 are provided between the A / D conversion circuit 63 and the DSC 68 to reduce the data amount at the standardization stage. These may be provided between the DSC 68 and the D / A conversion circuit 69.
[0017]
Next, a first example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, when the operator inputs part information relating to the part of the subject to be diagnosed to the part information input unit 3, the image processing condition parameter stored in advance in the parameter storage unit 2 corresponding to the part information is changed to the system control unit 10. Read by.
[0018]
Next, in accordance with an instruction from the operator, an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception operation is started. The transmission drive circuit 30 generates a drive signal based on the signal generated by the signal generator 20, and supplies this to a transmission ultrasonic transducer included in the probe 40. The transmission ultrasonic transducer transmits ultrasonic waves toward the subject, and the ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject are received by the reception ultrasonic transducer included in the probe 40 and converted into detection signals. Is done. These detection signals are amplified by a plurality of amplifiers 50 and given a desired delay by a reception delay circuit 60. Further, the detection signal is logarithmically converted by the log conversion circuit 61, detected by the detection circuit 62, and then converted into digital image data by the A / D conversion circuit 63.
[0019]
The image data obtained in this way is stored in the image memory 64 in units of frames. The stored image data is subjected to image processing for each frame in the image processing unit 66 in accordance with the image processing condition parameter read from the parameter storage unit 2 and then stored in the image memory 64 again.
[0020]
Here, the parameter storage unit 2 may store a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets (for example, image processing condition parameter sets A, B, and C) in association with one piece of part information. In this case, the operator not only inputs the part information to the part information input unit 3 but also selects one image processing condition parameter set from among a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets corresponding to the part information. For example, the operator inputs information for selecting the image processing condition parameter set B after inputting the part information for selecting “liver” as the part.
[0021]
Further, the image analysis unit 65 analyzes the accumulated image data to calculate a normalization parameter, and the image processing unit 66 uses the calculated normalization parameter to determine a parameter for each part in advance. The normalization process may be performed in accordance with the normalization rules stored in No. 2, and then other image processing may be performed. The analysis in the image analysis unit 65 is performed by extracting certain frame data from the data being scanned. For normalization processing in subsequent frames thereafter, the calculated normalization parameters may be used as they are.
[0022]
Here, the parameter storage unit 2 may store a plurality of standardization rules in association with one piece of part information. In this case, the operator selects one standardization rule from among a plurality of standardization rules corresponding to the part information input to the part information input unit 3.
[0023]
Next, a second example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
When the operator inputs part information relating to the part of the subject to be diagnosed to the part information input unit 3, the transmission / reception condition parameter and the image processing condition parameter stored in advance in the parameter storage unit 2 corresponding to the part information are controlled by the system control. Read by the unit 10.
[0024]
According to the read transmission / reception condition parameter, the transmission frequency control circuit 11 controls the center frequency and frequency band of the signal generated by the signal generator 20, and the transmission delay control circuit 12 delays the drive signal in the transmission drive circuit 30. The transmission power control circuit 13 controls the amplitude of the drive signal output from the transmission drive circuit 30 by controlling the time. The reception sensitivity control circuit 14 controls the gain of the amplifier 50, and the reception delay control circuit 15 controls the delay time of the detection signal in the reception delay circuit 60. Thus, according to the transmission / reception condition parameters, transmission / reception conditions such as the transmission center frequency, transmission frequency band, transmission focus position, transmission power, and reception sensitivity of the ultrasonic wave are set, and transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves is performed under the transmission / reception conditions. .
[0025]
Image data obtained by A / D converting the detection signal is stored in the image memory 64 in units of frames. The stored image data is subjected to image processing for each frame in the image processing unit 66 in accordance with the image processing condition parameter read from the parameter storage unit 2 and then stored in the image memory 64 again.
[0026]
Here, the parameter storage unit 2 associates one piece of part information with a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets (for example, image processing condition parameter sets A, B, C) and a plurality of transmission / reception condition parameter sets (for example, The transmission / reception condition parameter set X, Y, Z) may be stored. In this case, the operator not only inputs the part information to the part information input unit 3 but also selects one image processing condition parameter set from among a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets corresponding to the input part information. Further, one transmission / reception condition parameter set is selected from a plurality of transmission / reception condition parameter sets corresponding to the input part information. For example, after inputting the part information for selecting “liver” as the part, information for selecting the image processing condition parameter set B and information for selecting the transmission / reception condition parameter set Y are input.
[0027]
Further, as in the first example, the normalization process is performed in the image processing unit 66 according to the normalization rules stored in the parameter storage unit 2 using the normalization parameters calculated in the image analysis unit 65. May be.
[0028]
Next, conditions that can be set by various parameters will be described in detail. First, the transmission center frequency and the transmission frequency band will be described as ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions. When the site of the subject to be diagnosed is close to the subject surface, for example, even if an ultrasonic wave having a frequency of about 10 MHz is used, attenuation does not occur so much. On the other hand, when the part of the subject to be diagnosed is far from the subject surface, the ultrasonic wave having a frequency of about 10 MHz is significantly attenuated. For example, the transmission center frequency is about 3.5 MHz and the transmission frequency band is Set to about 5 to 6 MHz.
[0029]
Next, the transmission focus position will be described. Since the distance from the surface of the subject differs depending on the portion of the subject, it is necessary to change how deeply the transmission beam is focused in the vertical direction from the probe (probe). If a phased array transducer is used, the focus position can be set by controlling the number of elements to be transmitted and the delay time. The parameters may be divided into several stages such as shallow, medium, and deep, or may be specified by actual dimensions such as within 5 cm, 5 to 10 cm, and 10 to 20 cm.
[0030]
The transmission power can be set by the voltage value of the drive signal applied to the transducer. The parameter may be divided into several stages such as weak, medium, and strong, or may be divided into 10 stages, or may be specified by a standardized value of a voltage to be given as in% display.
[0031]
The reception sensitivity can be changed by controlling the gain of the amplifier of the reception system circuit. The gain of the amplifier can be set according to the distance from the subject surface to the site to be diagnosed. As a parameter, the part to be observed may be divided into several stages such as shallow, medium, and deep, or may be designated with actual dimensions such as within 5 cm, 5 to 10 cm, and 10 to 20 cm. Based on this, the gain when processing the detection signal corresponding to the designated area is increased.
[0032]
Next, gradation processing will be described first as an image processing condition. By performing data conversion using a look-up table (LUT) that defines the relationship between output data and input data, various gradation processes including nonlinear conversion can be performed. Also, by preparing various types of LUTs and using them according to the site, it is possible to provide an image effective for diagnosis.
[0033]
As the LUT, for example, a reference LUT as shown in FIG. 2 can be used. FIG. 2A shows a linear conversion in which input and output values are equal. FIG. 2B shows non-linear transformation that enhances the contrast in the intermediate luminance region. Here, the input / output contrast in the intermediate luminance region is enlarged about three times. FIG. 2 (c) shows non-linear transformation that enhances the contrast in the low luminance region.
[0034]
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a reference line in the reference LUT may be rotated or translated. FIG. 3A shows an example in which the reference line is rotated, and the conversion characteristic is determined by parameters of the gradation type (GT), the rotation center (GC), and the rotation amount (GA). FIG. 3B shows an example in which the reference line is translated, and the conversion characteristic is determined by the parameters of the gradation type (GT) and the gradation shift amount (GS).
[0035]
Next, response emphasis processing will be described. The response enhancement processing includes unsharp mask processing and differentiation processing. It is also possible to decompose the data into multiple resolutions and then process and re-synthesize the data, or perform processing that combines a non-linear table for each density.
[0036]
Non-sharp mask processing is expressed by the following equation.
QL (x, y) = Q (x, y) + K (Q (x, y)) × [Q (x, y) −Qus (x, y)]
Here, Q, Qus, and QL represent an original image, an unsharp image, and a processed image obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and K represents a weighting factor that determines the degree of enhancement.
[0037]
The frequency characteristics of these images are shown in FIG. Of the frequency components of the image, the frequency of the most emphasized component is determined by the size of the non-sharp mask. That is, if a large size mask is used, the response of the unsharp image becomes smaller from the lower frequency side, the response peaks of (Q-Qus) and QL move to the lower frequency side, and the low frequency is more emphasized. . On the other hand, if a small size mask is used, the high frequency is more emphasized. In this way, by changing the size of the unsharp mask, it is possible to emphasize the frequency band important for diagnosis and obtain an ultrasonic image suitable for the purpose of diagnosis. As shown in FIG. 4B, the weighting factor K may be a constant or a function of the original image Q. When the weighting coefficient K is a function of the original image Q, response enhancement processing depending on the data value can be performed, so that generation of false images and noise can be suppressed.
[0038]
Next, data analysis and standardization will be described. Since variation for each image due to differences in subjects cannot be specified only by the part information, using only preset parameters does not provide an optimal condition, and a desired image may not be obtained. Therefore, in order to define the visualization range of the acquired image data, it is efficient to standardize the data before the gradation processing and response enhancement processing. In order to perform normalization, the image analysis unit 65 shown in FIG. 1 analyzes image data obtained by transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves to calculate normalization parameters, and the image processing unit 66 calculates the standardization calculated. Linear normalization processing is performed based on the parameters and the normalization rules for each part.
[0039]
The area analyzed by the image analysis unit 65 is a predetermined area defined for each part in advance. An analysis region is set based on the part information input from the part information input unit 3. For example, the analysis result of the entire image, 10 cm square near the center of the image, 5 cm square area centered on the image depth of 5 cm, and 5 cm square area centered on the image depth of 15 cm may be combined. .
[0040]
The image analysis unit 65 detects peaks and calculates standardized parameters such as the maximum value, minimum value, and average value of luminance by histogram analysis. In FIG. 5, two types of maximum values max1 and max2 used for standardization and two types of minimum values min1 and min2 are shown. In accordance with the normalization rules for each part, for example, for the liver image data, linear conversion is performed so that the region between the maximum value max1 and the minimum value min2 fills the output range, and the heart image data is converted into the heart image data. On the other hand, linear conversion is performed so that the region between the maximum value max2 and the minimum value min2 fills the output range. Here, max1, max2, etc. may be values obtained by shifting only a certain amount of data from the maximum value of the histogram. The shape of the histogram is analyzed, and the second peak from the maximum value toward the minimum value side is analyzed. It can also be determined by setting the position value or the like.
[0041]
In selecting a frame to be used for image analysis, for example, the following three methods are conceivable.
(1) Regardless of the position where the probe (probe) is placed, the operation of periodically analyzing frames obtained at predetermined time intervals and performing normalization processing is repeated. In this case, a trigger signal generator is required.
(2) Recognize that the data acquisition scan is for analysis. The signal for that is input from a panel or a probe. In this case, a signal input device is required.
(3) The movement of the probe is detected, and the scan data when the probe is stopped is analyzed as image analysis data. The signal for that is input from a panel or a probe. In this case, a sensor for detecting the movement of the probe is required.
[0042]
Next, an example of parameter setting for each non-sample part will be described.
The liver is a part existing at a depth of 2 to 3 cm to 15 cm, and the transmission focus position and reception sensitivity of the ultrasonic wave are adjusted to the middle depth region. Since a lot of image data of a substantial region of the liver exists in the low luminance region, the gradation of the low luminance region is increased. Since the information of the shallow area where the level of the ultrasonic echo signal is large is unnecessary, it is better to lay down the gradation characteristics of the high luminance area. In the ultrasound diagnosis of the liver, the state of a thick blood vessel and the presence or absence of a tumor are mainly determined, so that high frequency enhancement is not required in the response enhancement process. Therefore, the parameters are set as follows. The transmission focus position is medium depth, the transmission power is medium, the reception sensitivity is medium gain, and the gain is increased. The gradation process has a gradation characteristic in the low-brightness area and the gradation characteristic in the high-brightness area is laid down. Emphasizes only the low frequency region.
[0043]
On the other hand, the limb blood vessels are in a very shallow place, and it is necessary to observe the running of thin blood vessels. That is, it is necessary to pay attention to a high-frequency signal in a shallow region. Therefore, the parameters are set as follows. The gain of the transmission focus position is shallow, the transmission power is small, the reception sensitivity is shallow, the tone processing is laid down overall, and the response enhancement processing is emphasized from low frequency to high frequency.
[0044]
Next, a configuration in the case of using a light detection type two-dimensional sensor array for reception of ultrasonic waves will be described. Four examples of the photodetection type two-dimensional sensor array will be described below.
(1) Example using optical fiber array
FIG. 6 shows in principle a part of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a two-dimensional sensor array using an optical fiber array in which an ultrasonic detection element is provided at the tip. In FIG. 6, an optical fiber array 113 is obtained by arranging fine optical fibers 113a, 113b, 113c... In a two-dimensional matrix. The ultrasonic detection element 114 provided at the tip is constituted by, for example, a Fabry-Perot resonator (abbreviated as FPR) 114a, 114b, 114c... Or a fiber Bragg grating formed at the tip of each optical fiber. The
[0045]
Light generated from the light source 111 passes through the spectroscope 112 and enters the optical fiber array 113. Light incident on each optical fiber is reflected by a half mirror (right end in the figure) and a total reflection mirror (left end in the figure) formed at both ends of the FPR. Since this total reflection surface is subjected to geometric displacement by the ultrasonic wave applied to the ultrasonic detection element 114, the reflected light is modulated by this and enters the spectroscope 112 again. The reflected light incident on the spectroscope 112 forms an image on the photodetector 116 directly or through an optical fiber or the like, or via an imaging system 115 such as a lens.
[0046]
(2) Example using optical heterodyne interference optical system
FIG. 7 shows in principle a part of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a two-dimensional sensor array using an optical heterodyne interference optical system having an optical path difference length. When the ultrasonic wave is incident, the total reflection mirror 151 of the laser resonator 150 is displaced, and the distance between the total reflection mirror 151 and the transmission mirror 153 changes. At this time, the frequency of the standing wave generated between the two mirrors installed on both sides of the laser active substance 152, that is, the resonance frequency changes, and the oscillation frequency of the laser also shifts. When this laser light is incident on the interference optical system 160, the light beam L 2 that passes through the spectroscope 161, is reflected by the partial reflection mirror 162 and the spectroscope 161, and enters the photodetector 166 through the lens 165, and the partial reflection mirror 162, passes through the frequency shifter 163 and the prism 164, passes through the partial reflection mirror 162 again, is reflected by the spectroscope 161, and passes through the lens 165 to the optical beam L 3 entering the photodetector 166. A difference length occurs.
[0047]
Here, when a light beam whose oscillation frequency shifts with time enters an optical heterodyne interference optical system having an optical path difference length, the oscillation frequency corresponding to the time delay is centered on the frequency of the original optical heterodyne interference signal. A beat signal having a frequency shifted by the change amount is generated. The frequency-modulated beat signal is amplified by the amplifier 171, demodulated by the demodulator 172, and the obtained demodulated signal is integrated by the integration processor 173, so that the change in frequency, that is, the waveform of the ultrasonic wave can be reproduced. This waveform is displayed on the waveform display unit 174 and simultaneously stored in the waveform storage unit 175.
[0048]
(3) Example using an evanescent field
FIG. 8 shows the principle of a part of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic transducer that utilizes the fact that an object existing in an evanescent field near the reflection interface receives ultrasonic waves and vibrates to change the amount of evanescent light. Expressed in In FIG. 8, the ultrasonic transducer includes a prism 133, a gap 134, an optical flat 135, and a spacer 136 for creating a gap. When ultrasonic waves are incident from the lower surface of the optical flat, the amount of total reflected light on the bottom surface of the prism changes depending on the sound pressure intensity of the ultrasonic waves. Therefore, by irradiating the prism bottom surface with the enlarged laser beam emitted from the light source 130 composed of the laser resonator 131 and the beam expander 132, and reading the total reflected light intensity distribution with the photodetector 140, Measure the spatial distribution and temporal change of ultrasound.
[0049]
(4) Example in which a two-dimensional sensor array of an optical detection method and an ultrasonic transmission unit are integrated
Since the light detection type two-dimensional sensor array does not have a function of transmitting ultrasonic waves, it is integrated with an ultrasonic transmission unit using a piezoelectric element or the like, so that an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit in one probe (probe). Can also be considered. FIG. 9 shows an example of such a probe. In FIG. 9, an ultrasonic transducer utilizing the fact that the amount of evanescent light in the vicinity of the reflective interface changes when an object existing in the evanescent field receives ultrasonic waves and vibrates is used as a piezoelectric element (PZT) as an ultrasonic transmitter. ) Is attached. A piezoelectric element (PZT) 141 is attached to the optical flat 135 via a sound absorbing layer 142, and a focused beam is formed by the acoustic lens 143.
[0050]
Referring to FIG. 1 again, the system control unit 10 performs control so that a detection signal is captured after a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the ultrasonic wave. By repeating this process while shifting the data acquisition start time and acquiring the data a plurality of times, a plurality of two-dimensional frame data (surface data) can be acquired. The plurality of acquired two-dimensional frame data is accumulated in the image memory 64, and three-dimensional data is constructed in the 3D image construction unit 90 based on these data.
[0051]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves according to transmission / reception conditions or parameters relating to image processing conditions stored in advance in the parameter storage unit corresponding to the region of the subject or the like. Since image processing is performed, it is possible to easily set optimal transmission / reception conditions and image processing conditions for the part by inputting the part information, and an image suitable for diagnosis can be obtained efficiently.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a reference lookup table used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating rotation and translation of a reference line in a reference lookup table.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an unsharp mask process used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a normalization process used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of a light detection method that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of a light detection method that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third example of a light detection method that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a light detection method that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Parameter setting section
2 Parameter storage
3 part information input part
10 System controller
11 Transmission frequency control circuit
12 Transmission delay control circuit
13 Transmission power control circuit
14 Receive sensitivity control circuit
15 Reception delay control circuit
20 Signal generator
30 Transmission drive circuit
40 Probe
50 amplifiers
60 Reception delay circuit
61 Log conversion circuit
62 Detection circuit
63 A / D conversion circuit
64 image memory
65 Image analysis unit
66 Image processing unit
67 3D image composition part
68 DSC
69 D / A converter circuit
70 Image display section
111, 130 Light source
112, 161 Spectrometer
113 Optical fiber array
113a, 113b, 113c,...
114 Ultrasonic detection element
114a, 114b, 114c, ... Fabry-Perot resonator (FPR)
115 Imaging system
116, 140, 166 photodetector
131, 150 Laser resonator
132 Beam expander
133, 164 prism
134 Gap
135 optical flat
136 Spacer
141 Piezoelectric element
142 Sound absorbing layer
143 Acoustic lens
151 Total reflection mirror
152 Laser active material
153 Transmission mirror
160 Interference optics
162 Partial reflection mirror
163 Frequency shifter
165 lens
171 amplifier
172 Demodulation means
173 Integration processing means
174 Waveform display
175 Waveform memory

Claims (8)

An ultrasonic transmission / reception unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject; and
An image analysis unit that calculates a normalization parameter by analyzing image data obtained based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit;
The image data obtained based on the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit is subjected to normalization processing according to a normalization rule using the normalization parameters calculated by the image analysis unit, and image processing condition parameters An image processing unit that performs image processing using
A part information input unit used to input part information related to the part of the subject;
A parameter storage unit for storing standardization rules and image processing condition parameters used in the image processing unit in association with the part information;
A control unit that reads out a normalization rule and an image processing condition parameter corresponding to part information input using the part information input unit from the parameter storage unit and supplies the parameter processing unit to the image processing unit;
An image display unit that displays an image based on the image data image-processed by the image processing unit;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: In accordance with an ultrasonic transmission / reception condition set based on the transmission / reception condition parameter, an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject and receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject;
An image analysis unit that calculates a normalization parameter by analyzing image data obtained based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit;
The image data obtained based on the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit is subjected to normalization processing according to a normalization rule using the normalization parameters calculated by the image analysis unit, and image processing condition parameters An image processing unit that performs image processing using
A part information input unit used to input part information related to the part of the subject;
A parameter storage unit that stores a normalization rule and an image processing condition parameter used in the image processing unit and a transmission / reception condition parameter used in the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit in association with part information;
At least one of a normalization rule corresponding to part information input using the part information input unit and an image processing condition parameter is read from the parameter storage unit and supplied to the image processing unit, and the part information A control unit that reads out the transmission / reception condition parameter corresponding to the parameter storage unit and supplies the parameter to the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit
An image display unit that displays an image based on the image data image-processed by the image processing unit;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The parameter storage unit stores a plurality of standardization rules and a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets in association with one part information,
The part information input unit inputs part information, selects one normalization rule from a plurality of standardization rules corresponding to the part information, and sets a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets corresponding to the part information The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used to select one image processing condition parameter set from among the parameters. The parameter storage unit stores a plurality of standardization rules, a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets, and a plurality of transmission / reception condition parameter sets in association with one part information,
The part information input unit inputs part information, selects one normalization rule from a plurality of standardization rules corresponding to the part information, and sets a plurality of image processing condition parameter sets corresponding to the part information claim 2 selects one of the image processing condition parameter set from among, characterized in that it is used to select one of the transmit and receive condition parameters set from among a plurality of transmission and reception conditions parameter set corresponding to the site information The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described. The image processing condition used in the image processing unit defines at least one control among gradation processing of image data, response enhancement processing, enlargement / reduction processing, and interpolation processing. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of 1 to 4 . The ultrasonic transmission / reception condition used in the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit defines at least one control among a transmission center frequency, a transmission frequency band, an ultrasonic transmission focus position, transmission power, and reception sensitivity. the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 or 4 Symbol mounting features. Of any one of claims 1-6, further comprising a three-dimensional image constructing unit that forms a three-dimensional image data to output to the image display unit based on the processed image data in the image processing unit Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit, based on the ultrasonic wave applied, claims 1-7, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements which are two-dimensionally arranged to modulate the incident light from the light source The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of the above.

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