JP4496269B2 - 3D ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional ultrasonograph which can perform three-dimensional image analysis retrospectively. <P>SOLUTION: A volume data generation unit 4 generates three-dimensional collection image data (volume data) based on collection data collected by a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1. A writing/reading control part 6 writes the volume data in time series in order into a four-dimensional volume memory 5 and controls the written volume data. When reproduction is designated, the writing/reading control part 6 reads the designated volume data from the four-dimensional memory 5 and controls the designated volume data, and an image processing unit 7 reconstitutes the three-dimensional display image and displays it on a display part 8 on the basis of the volume data. Thereby various three-dimensional image analysis can be easily performed retrospectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

The present invention provides, for example, real-time 3D that displays a three-dimensional image (3D image) in real time.
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus suitable for being provided in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

A conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a system that displays a cross-sectional image by scanning an ultrasonic beam in one plane. In recent years, many attempts have been made to collect diagnostic images while moving an ultrasonic probe that is an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to obtain three-dimensional information, and display of a three-dimensional image in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. New diagnostic possibilities are expected. Actually, researches such as moving abdominal convex probe or linear array probe manually or mechanically or using a multi-plane probe for transesophagus having a mechanism for rotating an electronic sector probe are being conducted. Recently, research and development of a real-time three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs three-dimensional scanning of ultrasonic waves electronically at high speed and collects and displays three-dimensional information in real time has been performed.

However, the real-time three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is still in the research stage, and has not yet been established in basic parts such as the realization method and usage. The problem to which the present invention is focused is that the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, particularly the real-time ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, has three-dimensional image information collected by ultrasonic waves and a three-dimensional image to be displayed compared with the current ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The point is that there is no one-to-one correspondence.

Specifically, in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the image information collected by the ultrasound is information in the tomographic plane, and basically corresponds to the tomographic image to be displayed, and the collected image data If it was stored in memory, the ultrasonic image displayed in the past could be reproduced in the form of cine memory playback. That is, conventionally, the past image is image data itself collected in the past, and there are cases where a plurality of types of images such as a B-mode image, a Doppler image such as a CFM, and an M-mode image are separately stored. Each of these images is basically two-dimensional image information, and an image completely different from an image displayed in the past is not displayed.

However, in the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, if only the displayed three-dimensional image is a past image, there is a problem that only limited three-dimensional information can be seen. However, it has a problem that it is not sufficient as a three-dimensional ultrasonic system.

Further, in a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, in particular, a real-time three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs three-dimensional scanning of ultrasonic waves at a high speed as a single volume instead of a collection of cross-sectional images, it collects by ultrasonic waves. There is no one-to-one correspondence between the three-dimensional image information and the displayed three-dimensional image. In other words, there are theoretically infinite three-dimensional image display methods for displaying three-dimensional image information, and in order to realize a function for reproducing past images from the viewpoint of where and how the three-dimensional image is viewed. New technology is needed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can easily perform various three-dimensional image analysis retrospectively, and can perform three-dimensional image analysis at high speed and with high accuracy. An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can be used.

The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention uses a four-dimensional storage unit and stores three-dimensional image information in time series, thereby easily performing various three-dimensional image analysis retrospectively. Can be made possible.

  The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is based on three-dimensional scanning means for performing ultrasonic three-dimensional scanning and scanning information from the three-dimensional scanning means as means for solving the above-described problems. 3D image information forming means for forming 3D image information, 4D storage means for storing the 3D image information formed by the 3D image information forming means in time series, and the 3D image information A display image forming unit that forms a three-dimensional display image based on the display image, and displays the three-dimensional display image formed in real time by the display image forming unit in association with the three-dimensional image information. And a three-dimensional display image storage means.

1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the position correction operation | movement of the three-dimensional display image in the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the said 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 that performs a three-dimensional operation of an ultrasonic beam, and an ultrasonic beam received by the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1. Pulsar receiver 2 that captures the reflected waves of the laser beam, a beamformer 3 that forms the collected data by shaping the reflected waves captured by the pulsar receiver 2, and a three-dimensionally collected image based on the collected data formed by the beamformer 3 And a volume data generation unit 4 for generating data (volume data).

In addition, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a four-dimensional volume memory 5 that sequentially stores the volume data generated by the volume data generation unit 4 in time series, writing volume data to the four-dimensional volume memory 5, and A writing / reading control unit 6 that controls reading, an image processing unit 7 that forms a three-dimensional display image based on volume data read from the four-dimensional volume memory 5, and a three-dimensional image formed by the image processing unit 7 And a display unit 8 for displaying a display image.

Next, the operation of the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment having such a configuration will be described. First, the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 has a two-dimensional array shape in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements are arranged in a matrix. For example, it is possible to scan ultrasonic waves in a box at a time. ing. The pulsar receiver 2 takes in the reflected wave of each ultrasonic beam obtained by scanning the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 and supplies it to the beam former 3. The beamformer 3 shapes the reflected wave captured by the pulsar receiver 2 to form collected data, and supplies the collected data to the volume data generation unit 4. The volume data generation unit 4
Based on the collected data, three-dimensional collected image data (volume data) is generated and supplied to the four-dimensional volume memory 5 and the image processing unit 7.

The volume data may be, for example, a box shape or various other types. Basically, data to which the position of the scanable range of the voxel of the image data can be specified is added.

When the volume data is supplied from the volume data generation unit 4, the image processing unit 7 reconstructs a three-dimensional display image based on the volume data, and displays it on the display unit 8.
To display. Thereby, a three-dimensional display image can be displayed in real time.

On the other hand, when the volume data from the volume data generation unit 4 is supplied to the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the write / read control unit 6 generates volume data (first data generated in time series in the volume data generation unit 4). , Second volume data... Nth volume data: n is a natural number) is sequentially written in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 as shown in FIG.

In addition, the write / read control unit 6 performs sequential write control of each volume data as described above, so that when the storage area of the four-dimensional volume memory 5 runs out (when the memory area is saturated), the oldest data is stored. The four-dimensional volume memory 5 is controlled to be written so that the latest volume data is written in an overwritten manner. The write / read control unit 6 performs the write control in association with the overwriting so that the latest data is known.

That is, the write / read control unit 6 controls writing of each volume data to the four-dimensional volume memory 5 in time series in the order of first volume data, second volume data,..., Nth volume data. When the memory area of the four-dimensional volume memory 5 is saturated by controlling the writing of n volume data to the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the first volume data is written to the next n + 1 volume data. Write control is performed on the memory area, and n + 2 volume data is controlled to be written to the memory area in which the second volume data is written. In other words, the write / read controller 6 performs write control using the four-dimensional volume memory 5 as a so-called loop memory.

Next, the writing / reading control unit 6 reads and controls the latest volume data among the volume data written in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 and supplies this to the image processing unit 7. Alternatively, the writing / reading control unit 6 reads and controls the volume data designated by the operator among the volume data written in the four-dimensional volume memory 5, and supplies this to the image processing unit 7. The image processing unit 7 performs predetermined three-dimensional image processing on the volume data read from the four-dimensional volume memory 5 to form a three-dimensional display image, which is supplied to the display unit 8. indicate. As a result, the past three-dimensional display image can be easily reconstructed and displayed on the display unit 8 based on the past volume data from the four-dimensional volume memory 5.

As is clear from the above description, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment forms three-dimensionally collected image data (volume data) by the volume data generation unit 4,
This is sequentially stored in the 4D volume memory 5 in time series, and at the time of reproduction, a 3D display image is reconstructed and displayed based on the volume data stored in the 4D volume memory 5. Thus, various three-dimensional display images viewed from a desired direction can be reconstructed, and can greatly contribute to diversification of three-dimensional image analysis that has been strongly desired than before.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The 3D ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment stores information indicating from what direction the 3D display image displayed on the display unit 8 is displayed along with the volume data. By doing so, the same 3D display image as the 3D display image displayed in the past can be displayed at any time. The second embodiment and the first embodiment described above are different only in this point. Therefore, only the difference will be described below, and redundant description will be omitted.

That is, the 3D ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment has a display image setting unit 11 that forms display setting information indicating display settings of a 3D display image displayed on the display unit 8 as shown in FIG. And a display setting information memory 10 for storing each display setting information formed by the display image setting unit 11 in correspondence with each volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5.

In the 3D ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment as described above, when the 3D display image of the latest volume data is formed by the image processing unit 7 and displayed on the display unit 8 as described above, the display image is displayed. The setting unit 11 displays setting information (first display setting information, second display setting information) indicating from what direction the three-dimensional display image displayed on the display unit 8 is displayed. ... (Nth display setting information) are formed and supplied to the write / read controller 6. The writing / reading control unit 6 controls writing of the display setting information in the display setting information memory 10 in association with each volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5.

When the display of the three-dimensional display image of the volume data is designated, the writing / reading control unit 6 converts the corresponding volume data into the four-dimensional data based on the display setting information stored in the display setting information memory 10. The data is read from the volume memory 5 and supplied to the image processing unit 7. The image processing unit 7 forms a three-dimensional display image based on the volume data and displays it on the display unit 8. Thereby, even when the display setting of the three-dimensional display image changes from moment to moment, based on this display image information and the corresponding volume data,
A three-dimensional display image displayed in the past can be easily reproduced and displayed.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the 3D ultrasound apparatus of the second embodiment described above, the “display image information indicating the display setting” of the 3D display image displayed on the display unit 8 is associated with each volume data, and the 4D volume memory 5. However, the 3D ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment stores the 3D display image itself displayed on the display unit 8 in correspondence with each volume data. It is a thing. Note that the third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments described above only in this point. Therefore, only the difference will be described below, and redundant description will be omitted.

That is, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the third embodiment converts the three-dimensional display image displayed on the display unit 8 into each volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 as shown in FIG. It has a display image memory (cine memory) 15 for storing it in association with it.

In FIG. 3, when a three-dimensional display image is formed by the image processing unit 7 based on the latest volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the writing / reading control unit 6 displays the three-dimensional display image. Are associated with the volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 and controlled to be written to the display image memory 15. Even when the writing / reading control unit 6 performs the writing control on the display image memory 15, as in the case of the writing control on the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the oldest when the memory area of the display image memory 15 is saturated. Write control is performed so that the three-dimensional display image is overwritten, and write control is performed so that the latest three-dimensional display image is known.

The 3D display image written in the display image memory 15 in this way is read by the writing / reading control unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 8 when the display of the past 3D display image is designated. As a result, when a three-dimensional display image displayed in real time in the past is reproduced, the corresponding three-dimensional display image can be read out from the display image memory 15 and displayed on the display unit 8. Can be reproduced at high speed. When displaying a three-dimensional display image different from the three-dimensional display image displayed in the past, volume data is stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5, so that a three-dimensional display image is formed based on the volume data. do it.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the second embodiment and the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the third embodiment are as follows.
Either the display setting information memory 10 for storing display setting information indicating the display setting of the three-dimensional display image displayed on the display unit 8 or the display image memory 15 for storing the three-dimensional display image itself displayed on the display unit 8 However, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the fourth embodiment has both the display setting information memory 10 and the display image memory 15. The fourth embodiment and the first to third embodiments described above are different only in this point. Therefore, only the difference will be described below, and redundant description will be omitted.

That is, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment has a four-dimensional volume memory 5 for storing volume data formed by the volume data generation unit 4 and a display unit 8 as shown in FIG. The display setting information memory 10 for storing the display setting information indicating the display setting of the three-dimensional display image, the display image memory 15 for storing the three-dimensional display image itself displayed on the display unit 8, and the display setting information are formed. And a display image setting unit 11.

In FIG. 4, when a three-dimensional display image of the latest volume data is formed by the image processing unit 7 and displayed on the display unit 8 as described above, the display image setting unit 11 is displayed on the display unit 8. Display setting information (first display setting information, second display setting information..., Nth display setting information) indicating how the image is displayed from which direction corresponding to the three-dimensional display image is formed. This is supplied to the write / read controller 6. The writing / reading control unit 6 controls writing of the display setting information in the display setting information memory 10 in association with each volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5.

When the display of the three-dimensional display image of the volume data is designated, the writing / reading control unit 6 converts the corresponding volume data into the four-dimensional data based on the display setting information stored in the display setting information memory 10. The data is read from the volume memory 5 and supplied to the image processing unit 7. The image processing unit 7 forms a three-dimensional display image based on the volume data and displays it on the display unit 8. Thereby, even when the display setting of the three-dimensional display image changes from moment to moment, based on this display image information and the corresponding volume data,
A three-dimensional display image displayed in the past can be easily reproduced and displayed.

When a three-dimensional display image is formed by the image processing unit 7 based on the latest volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the write / read control unit 6
The three-dimensional display image is associated with the volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 and is written into the display image memory 15. Even when the writing / reading control unit 6 performs the writing control on the display image memory 15, as in the case of the writing control on the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the oldest when the memory area of the display image memory 15 is saturated. Write control is performed so that the three-dimensional display image is overwritten, and write control is performed so that the latest three-dimensional display image is known.

The 3D display image written in the display image memory 15 in this way is read by the writing / reading control unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 8 when the display of the past 3D display image is designated. As a result, when a three-dimensional display image displayed in real time in the past is reproduced, the corresponding three-dimensional display image can be read out from the display image memory 15 and displayed on the display unit 8. Can be reproduced at high speed.

As described above, in the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, display setting information for storing display setting information indicating the display setting of the three-dimensional display image displayed on the display unit 8 together with the four-dimensional volume memory 5. By combining the memory 10 and the display image memory 15 for storing the 3D display image itself displayed on the display unit 8, a complicated 3D image that is difficult to display in real time, for example, a volume rendering image or a surface rendering subjected to shading processing, is provided. Advanced three-dimensional images such as images, wire frame images, and fly-through images can also be easily reproduced as continuous images from continuous three-dimensional collection data (display setting information or three-dimensional display images). Of course, as described in the second and third embodiments, it is possible to easily reproduce an image displayed in real time retrospectively.

Here, the three-dimensional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus continuously reproduces images thus reproduced,
For example, recording is performed on a recording system such as the magnetic recording medium 20. This makes it possible to easily record and reproduce 3D moving image data.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, a position detector for detecting the position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 is provided, and the position detector 3 is formed based on the position detection output from the position detector. The positional relationship of the three-dimensional display image is corrected. The fifth embodiment is different from the first to fourth embodiments described above only in this point. Therefore, only the difference will be described below, and redundant description will be omitted.

That is, the three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the fifth embodiment includes a position sensor 30 that detects the position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 and position information from the position sensor 30 as shown in FIG. The position detection unit 31 to collect and the position information (first position information, second position information... Nth position information) collected by the position detection unit 31 are stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5 A position information memory 32 that stores the volume data in association with each other.

In such a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the fifth embodiment, the position sensor 30 is
The position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 is detected, and this position information is supplied to the position detection unit 31. The position detection unit 31 collects position information from the position sensor 30 and supplies it to the position information memory 32. The writing / reading control unit 6 controls the writing of the position information collected by the position detecting unit 31 in association with each volume memory 5 stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5.

Here, when a new three-dimensional display image is formed from each volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume memory 5, the writing / reading control unit 6 obtains position information corresponding to the newly formed three-dimensional display image. The data is read from the position information memory 32 and supplied to the image processing unit 7. The image processing unit 7 detects the mutual positional relationship between the volume data based on the position information read from the position information memory 32, and performs “display correction” as shown in FIG. 6A or FIG. A three-dimensional display image in which the three-dimensional positional relationship is corrected is formed as in “extended display” as shown in FIG. As a result, correction of the three-dimensional moving image when the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 is shaken due to camera shake or the movement of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 to display a wide range of three-dimensional display images. In such a case, a more accurate three-dimensional display image can be displayed.

In the above description of the fifth embodiment, correction based on position information is performed on the collected data. However, this may be corrected and displayed in real time if the hardware performance permits. Good. Further, the position sensor is used as the position detection means of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1, but this is not particularly limited as long as the required accuracy is obtained. In both cases, if the scanning position can be detected, the position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe 1 may be detected by image processing.

Finally, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments described as examples, and various modifications can be made depending on the design or the like as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention. Of course.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Three-dimensional ultrasonic probe, 2 ... Pulser receiver, 3 ... Beam former, 4 ... Volume data generation unit, 5 ... Four-dimensional volume memory, 6 ... Write / read control part, 7
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Image processing unit, 8 ... Display part, 10 ... Display setting information memory, 11 ... Display image setting unit, 15 ... Display image memory (cine memory), 20 ... Recording medium, 30 ... Position sensor,
31: Position detection unit, 32: Position information memory

Claims (1)

Three-dimensional scanning means for performing three-dimensional scanning of ultrasonic waves;
Three-dimensional image information forming means for forming three-dimensional image information based on scanning information from the three-dimensional scanning means;
4D storage means for storing the 3D image information formed by the 3D image information forming means in a time series;
Display image forming means for forming a three-dimensional display image based on the three-dimensional image information and displaying it on a display means;
Three-dimensional display image storage means for storing the three-dimensional display image formed in real time by the display image forming means in association with the three-dimensional image information in time series;
A three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

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