JP4808014B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates ultrasonic image data of a diagnostic target using an ultrasonic reflected wave from the diagnostic target.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an operation unit for inputting various data and command signals. The operation unit is generally realized by a large number of keys, paddle switches, a rotary encoder, a volume, and the like provided on an operation panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The operation unit includes, for example, a 2D key that is pressed to display an ultrasonic tomographic image, a gain rotary encoder that is used to operate a gain (Gain) of a received signal, and a body pattern that is pressed to display various body patterns. An activation key, a measurement key to be pressed to activate a measurement function, and the like are provided (for example, see Patent Document 1). When the operator operates these keys and switches, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus executes functions corresponding to each.

  However, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, since the operation flow is different for each user and for each diagnostic area, the arrangement of keys and switches on the operation panel is often different depending on the manufacturer and model of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. For a user who handles an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, particularly a beginner, it takes time to find a desired key and the like, and an efficient operation cannot be performed. In addition, when searching for keys on the operation panel, it is necessary to keep an eye on the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit, so it is difficult to fix the hand holding the ultrasound probe, and the ultrasound image being captured continues to be held. It is difficult.

  Patent Document 2 describes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an LCD display in which a touch area and a pointing area are set and a CRT display in which a pointing area is set. Since this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can perform both the touch panel operation and the pointing operation, the operability can be improved while increasing the operation items.

  However, also in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of Patent Document 2, the LCD display on which the touch area is set is provided on the operation panel, so that the touch panel operation can be performed without keeping an eye on the ultrasonic image displayed on the CRT display. Is difficult.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 09-108213 (FIG. 2) JP 2002-333953 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of performing an efficient operation without keeping an eye on a displayed ultrasonic image.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates ultrasonic image data of a diagnostic target using an ultrasonic reflected wave from the diagnostic target, and is an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic image data. A display unit for displaying an image including a first operation unit including a plurality of keys, a second operation unit including a touch panel disposed substantially integrally with a display surface of the display unit, and the first A data processing unit that performs various data processing including execution processing of various functions for performing ultrasonic diagnosis based on an operation of one operating unit or the second operating unit, and the second operating unit , An activation area for activating the function is set on the touch panel, and the display unit is an activation area image for identifying the activation area set in the second operation unit and the corresponding function. Can be displayed.

  According to the present invention, an efficient operation can be performed without keeping an eye on the displayed ultrasonic image. That is, even a beginner who is not familiar with key arrangement or the like can execute a predetermined function without taking his eyes off the ultrasonic image for searching for a key. In addition, since an operation unit including a plurality of keys such as an operation panel is also provided, an expert who is familiar with the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can perform an efficient operation with a small number of operations. Further, the visibility of the user can be improved by combining the display of information and the activation area.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the data processing unit performs an area setting process for setting the activation area on the touch panel based on a signal from the first operation unit or the second operation unit. including. According to the present invention, the activation area corresponding to the necessary function can be set as appropriate, so that the operability for the operator can be improved. In addition, since the activation area can be set at a position that does not cover the display range of the ultrasonic image, the display range of the ultrasonic image can be expanded.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the area setting process includes a change in the arrangement of the activation area. According to the present invention, since the activation area can be set at a position where each operator can easily operate, the operability of the operator can be improved.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the area setting process includes a change in the assignment of the function to the activation area. According to the present invention, the activation area corresponding to a necessary function can be set at a position where the operator can easily operate according to the purpose of diagnosis and the like, so that the operability of the operator can be improved. Further, by not assigning functions that are not used by the operator, erroneous operations can be prevented.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the display unit may perform a switching operation between displaying and not displaying the activation area image. According to the present invention, since only the activation area image corresponding to the necessary function can be displayed on the display unit each time, the display area of the ultrasonic image on the display unit can be expanded, and the diagnosis range can be expanded. it can. In other words, since only the activation area image corresponding to the function used by the operator is displayed and the activation area image corresponding to the function not used by the operator is not displayed, the display screen can be used efficiently. In addition, the operator can be prevented from touching the activation area by mistake.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the display unit performs an operation of switching the activation area image to a transmissive display with respect to the ultrasonic image. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the display area of the ultrasonic image in a display part can be expanded in the state which displayed the starting area image, and a diagnostic range can be expanded.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can be efficiently operated without taking an eye from the displayed ultrasonic image.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

   FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. 1 includes an ultrasonic probe 1 and a main body unit 10, and the main body unit 10 includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 2, a detection unit 3, an ultrasonic image processing unit 4, a display control unit 5, and a display. Unit 6, operation panel 7, touch panel 8, and data processing unit 9.

  The ultrasonic probe 1 transmits an ultrasonic beam to a diagnosis target, detects an ultrasonic reflected wave from the diagnosis target, and includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 2 outputs a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic probe 1 to generate an ultrasonic beam and receives an ultrasonic reflected wave from the ultrasonic probe. The detector 3 detects the ultrasonic reflection received by the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 2 and converts it into echo data. The ultrasonic image processing unit 4 generates ultrasonic image data such as B-mode image data based on the echo data from the detection unit 3.

  The display control unit 5 controls the display unit 6 to display various images on the display unit 6. The image to be displayed on the display unit 6 includes an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic image data, an activation area, and an image indicating the contents (details will be described later). The display unit 6 is configured by a CRT display, an LCD display, or the like, and displays an ultrasonic image or the like based on image data from the display control unit 5. A touch panel 8 is disposed on the display surface of the display unit 6 so as to be substantially integrated with the display surface.

  The operation panel 7 has operation members such as a large number of keys, paddle switches, a rotary encoder, and a volume, and whether or not each operation member is operated is input to the data processing unit 9. As described in Patent Document 1, the operation panel 7 includes a 2D key that is pressed to display an ultrasonic tomographic image, a gain rotary encoder for operating a gain of a received signal, and various body patterns. A body pattern activation key that is pressed to display, a measurement key that is pressed to activate a measurement function, and the like may be provided. In addition, an operation member for performing an area setting process for setting an activation area of the touch panel 6 is also provided. The area setting process will be described later.

  The touch panel 8 detects that a finger or the like has been touched, and inputs operation information corresponding to the touched position. The touch panel 8 is disposed substantially integrally with the display surface of the display unit 6. For example, in the case of a transparent screen, the display unit 6 is disposed so as to cover the front surface of the display unit. The input using the touch panel 8 is linked with the display on the normal display unit 6. That is, an image indicating the content of the operation information (such as the operation of the data processing unit 9) is displayed in an area (activation area) where operation information is input by touching the touch panel 8. The activation area includes an area for activating various function execution processes for performing ultrasonic diagnosis.

  The data processing unit 9 controls the entire ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including processing of input signals from the operation panel 7 and the touch panel 8 and execution processing of various functions for performing ultrasonic diagnosis. The generation of the ultrasonic image is performed by controlling the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 2, the detection unit 3, the ultrasonic image processing unit 4, and the display control unit 5. Since the ultrasonic image generation process itself is the same as the conventional one, the description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the display unit 6 displays an ultrasonic image and an image indicating an activation area in which various functions are activated. FIG. 2 shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 6. FIG. 2 shows an ultrasonic image 100 based on the ultrasonic image data and an image showing a plurality of activation areas around it. The activation area includes an ultrasound probe switching area 200, an image quality parameter setting area 201, a patient information setting area 202, an image display depth setting area 203, a date / time setting area 204, a post process setting area 205, a body mark setting area. 206, a phrase library setting area 207, a special measurement setting area 208, a measurement function activation area 209, and a test width setting function activation area 210 are shown.

  The ultrasonic probe switching area 200 is an area for switching the ultrasonic probe. When this area is selected on the touch panel 8, the data processing unit 9 switches the ultrasonic probe 1. . The image quality parameter setting area 201 is an area for setting the value of the image quality parameter, and also serves as a parameter display area for displaying setting information of the ultrasonic image. When this area is selected on the touch panel 8, the image quality parameter can be set to a desired value. Then, based on the set value, the data processing unit 9 controls the ultrasonic image processing unit 4 and the like to set the ultrasonic image to an image of a desired parameter.

  The patient information setting area 202 is an area for setting patient information and an area where the set patient name is displayed. When this area is selected on the touch panel 8, patient information can be set.

  The image display depth setting area 203 is an area for changing the display depth of the ultrasonic image 100. When this area is selected on the touch panel 8, the ultrasonic image is set to an image having a desired depth.

  The date / time setting area 204 is an area for changing the date / time. The post process setting area 205 is an area for changing the post process for adjusting the gradation of the ultrasonic image.

  The body mark setting area 206 is for calling a body mark function indicating which diagnostic region has been scanned. The phrase library setting area 207 is used to call a phrase library function for recording a diagnostic part, a diagnostic result, and the like on the ultrasonic image as character information.

  The special measurement setting area 208 is used for reading out a special measurement function. For example, a special measurement for estimating the number of gestation weeks such as the fetal head circumference (HC), the eastern great transverse (BPD), and the cardiac output (CO) measurement is executed. When this area is selected on the touch panel 8, one or a plurality of special measurement functions are executed. Note that registration and deletion of special measurements to be executed are arbitrary, and new registration, registration change, deletion, and the like are possible by input from the operation panel 7 or other operation members (not shown).

  The measurement function activation area 209 is an area for executing the function of operating the ultrasonic probe 1 to generate an ultrasonic image, and the test width setting function activation area 210 is an ultrasonic image display angle, Or it is an area for changing the display width.

  Each function corresponding to the activation area displayed in FIG. 2 may be added with another function instead of all the functions operated when performing the ultrasonic diagnosis. It is not always necessary to set all functions as executable functions, and it is preferable to set only necessary functions.

  In setting the activation area, the area of the function name displayed in the setting may be set as the activation area, or a plurality of activation areas may be combined into one activation area. Furthermore, the frame of the activation area may be clearly displayed like a button, may be displayed as a broken line, or may be omitted.

  As described above, since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. 1 can be operated based on the input from the operation panel 7 and the touch panel 8, it is possible to perform the operation with the most efficient interface for the operator. .

  Next, an area setting process for setting an activation area on the touch panel 8 will be described. The area setting process is performed by the data processing device 9 by operating an operation member (for example, an area setting key for starting the area setting process) for instructing the area setting provided on the operation panel 7. FIG. 3 shows an example of a procedure for moving the activation area.

  In step S301, an instruction to change the layout of the activation area is given using a predetermined operation member (such as a specific key) on the operation panel 7. Next, in step S302, the touch panel 8 is touched to select an activation area whose arrangement is to be changed. In this case, by selecting, the selected activation area can be identified by reverse display of the activation area image or the like. Next, in step S303, the movement destination position of the selected activation area is selected by the touch panel 8. The selected position can be distinguished from other parts by frame display or the like.

  At this point, since the change can be confirmed, the operator gives an instruction to execute the change using the operation member (enter key or the like) of the operation panel 7, and sets the activation area at the change position (step S304). In step S305, the display image is changed, and the activation area image is displayed at the changed activation position. Note that step S304 and step S305 may be performed in a different order and step S305 may be performed first. Further, related activation areas to be moved may be selected at the same time.

  When changing a plurality of activation areas, the above procedure is performed a plurality of times for each activation area to be changed. In order to perform the operation easily, after step S302 and step S304 are performed by the number of activation areas, step S304 is performed.

  The body mark setting area 206, phrase library setting area 207, special measurement setting area 208, measurement function activation area 209, and test width setting function activation area 210 shown in FIG. 2 are moved to the left of the display screen of the display unit 6. The change of the display screen in this case is shown in FIG. As is apparent from the figure, when the respective movement destination positions are selected and execution of the change is instructed, the display position of the activation area image changes according to the thick arrow in FIG.

  The procedure in FIG. 3 is a procedure for moving a set activation area, but a similar procedure can be used for setting an activation area for activating a new function. In this case, a new activation position setting instruction is performed using the operation member of the operation panel 7, a position to be set is then performed using the touch panel 8, and a function to be set is performed using the operation member of the operation panel 7. In addition, by selecting a target activation area on the touch panel 8 by deleting or replacing the set activation area (assigning the activation area of another function to the area allocated as the activation area of a specific function), The same can be done.

  As the setting position (or change position) of the activation area, a settable area may be fixed in advance, and an area closest to the position selected on the touch panel 8 may be selected, or the position selected on the touch panel 8 may be selected. You may make it set the area | region of the predetermined range as a starting area on the basis.

  Next, the display switching process of the activation area image corresponding to the activation area set on the touch panel 8 will be described. The display switching process is performed by the data processing device 9 by operating an operation member (for example, a display switching process key for starting the display switching process) provided on the operation panel 7 to instruct the display switching process. FIG. 5 shows an example of a procedure for switching the display.

  In step S501, an instruction to switch the display of the activation zone image is given using a predetermined operation member (specific key or the like) on the operation panel 7. In step S502, the touch panel 8 is touched to select an activation area (display switching area) whose display method is to be changed. In this case, by selecting, the selected activation area can be identified by reverse display of the activation area image or the like. Here, the selection includes selection of an activation area in which the activation area image is not displayed.

  Next, in step S503, the change contents of the selected activation area are instructed by a predetermined operation member (a specific key or the like) on the operation panel 7. If there are three types of display of the start-up area image: display (non-excess display), non-display, and transparent display, the change contents include change to non-display, change to display (non-transparent display), and transparent display Changes to are included. If there are two types of display methods, this step can be omitted. Here, the non-transparent display means a display method in which the activation area image is displayed in the foreground, and the transparent display means a display method in which the image on the back of the activation area image is transparently displayed. .

  At this point, since the change can be confirmed, the operator gives an instruction to perform display switching using the operation member (enter key or the like) of the operation panel 7 (step S504). In step S505, the display image is changed, and the display method of the changed activation position is changed.

  When changing the display method of a plurality of activation areas, the above procedure is performed a plurality of times for each activation area to be changed. In order to perform the operation easily, after step S502 and step S504 are performed for the number of activation zones, step S504 is performed.

  As described above, it is possible to perform an efficient operation by changing the display method of the activation area image. That is, by displaying only the activation area image of the function used by the operator and not displaying the activation area image of the function not used by the operator, the screen can be used efficiently, and the operator It is possible to prevent mistaken selection of multiple activation areas. In addition, even when an activation area is set at a position that covers the ultrasound image, the activation area image can be temporarily hidden or transmitted to widen the display range of the ultrasound image. Image diagnosis is possible.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is useful as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the like that can be efficiently operated without keeping an eye on the displayed ultrasonic image.

Functional block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display part of the ultrasound diagnosing device of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the procedure which moves the starting area in the ultrasound diagnosing device of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display part of the ultrasound diagnosing device of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the procedure which performs display switching of the starting area image in the ultrasound diagnosing device of embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic probe 2 Ultrasonic transmission / reception part 3 Detection part 4 Ultrasonic image processing part 5 Display control part 6 Display part 7 Operation panel 8 Touch panel 9 Data processing part 10 Main body part 200 Ultrasonic probe switching area 201 Image quality parameter Setting area 202 Patient information setting area 203 Image display depth setting area 204 Date / time setting area 205 Post process setting area 206 Body mark setting area 207 Phrase library setting area 208 Special measurement setting area 209 Measurement function start area 210 Test width setting function Boot area

Claims (5)

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates ultrasonic image data of a diagnostic target using an ultrasonic reflected wave from the diagnostic target,
A display unit for displaying an image including an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic image data;
A first operation unit including a plurality of keys;
A second operation unit including a touch panel disposed substantially integrally with the display surface of the display unit;
A data processing unit that performs various data processing including execution processing of various functions for performing ultrasonic diagnosis based on the operation of the first operation unit or the second operation unit,
The second operation unit, the activation areas for activating the function to the touch panel are respectively set,
Wherein the display unit, Ri display can der launch area images to identify the second operating portion configured the activation area and the corresponding functions,
The data processing unit performs an area setting process for setting the activation area on the touch panel based on a signal from the first operation unit or the second operation unit.
The said area setting process is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which performs the process which sets arrangement | positioning of the said starting area in the said touch panel to a desired position . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The area setting process is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a change in arrangement of the activation area. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the area setting process includes a change in assignment of the function to the activation area. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The display unit is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs a switching operation between display and non-display of the activation area image. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the display unit performs an operation of switching the activation area image to transmissive display with respect to the ultrasonic image.

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