JP5292959B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining an enlarged three-dimensional image in the visual field enlarging process with a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: Movement of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe is estimated and forecasted using data on adjacent B image data by the same oscillation angle by moving the ultrasonic probe in the longitudinal direction while oscillating the ultrasonic probe, and enlarged visual-field images can be obtained at respective oscillation angles by estimating or forecasting the movement of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe. By performing the three-dimensional display using the obtained image data in the enlarged visual field, the three-dimensional image in the enlarged visual field can be obtained. In this way, such a large subject as not to be captured in one image can be captured in one image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that has a digital image signal processing unit and performs a field-of-view display function display and a three-dimensional image display.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, with regard to the visual field expansion function of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an apparatus for generating an ultrasonic image with a combined and expanded visual field is known (see Patent Document 1 below).

  In a conventional apparatus having a field-of-view enlargement display function, an ultrasonic transducer body in which ultrasonic transducers for scanning with an ultrasonic beam are arranged in an array is arranged in the beam scanning direction (ultrasonic vibration). The movement vector amount of the ultrasonic probe is predicted and estimated from the obtained continuous B images, and the continuous B images are connected and enlarged using the result. One two-dimensional ultrasonic image is reconstructed and an image with an enlarged field of view is displayed.

On the other hand, an ultrasonic probe for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving the echoes to acquire ultrasonic data in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that three-dimensionally displays tissue forms in a living body. As described above, an ultrasonic transducer body in which ultrasonic transducers for scanning with an ultrasonic beam are arranged in an array is mechanically scanned in a direction crossing the beam scanning direction. There are known ones (hereinafter referred to as three-dimensional ultrasonic probes) (see Patent Documents 2 and 3 below). In such an ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic beam scanning (hereinafter referred to as main cross-section scanning) and swing scanning are simultaneously performed, so that a raw line corresponding to the intersecting line of both scanning surfaces that move moment by moment is obtained. It is possible to acquire eco-data from the body tissue, that is, eco-data in a three-dimensional space. The acquired three-dimensional echo data is subjected to a display method as if there is a depth in a plane after a construction process of a three-dimensional image is performed so as to be converted into image data from a virtual viewpoint. For example, display is performed or an arbitrary cross section is displayed.
JP-A-8-280688 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-184532 JP 2001-70301 A

  However, in the conventional apparatus having the three-dimensional display function, the size of the display image is limited by the size of the probe, so that it does not fit into a single image for a subject larger than the probe size. There was a problem.

  On the other hand, in an apparatus equipped with a test width enlargement display function, it is possible to display a test width larger than the size in the long axis length direction of the probe by moving it in the long axis direction of the probe. There is a problem that it cannot be displayed in three dimensions.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide an excellent ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can obtain a three-dimensional image that is enlarged by using the visual field enlargement function for each swing angle and enlarged. To do.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe that includes a probe that swings, transmits and receives ultrasonic waves from the probe, and outputs information on a swing angle in the swing, and the probe. A transmission unit that outputs a transmission signal, a reception unit that outputs an ultrasonic signal received by the probe as a reception signal, and an ultrasonic image that processes the reception signal output from the reception unit and outputs B image data A processing unit, a memory that stores the B image data output from the ultrasonic image processing unit in association with the swing angle at which the B image data was acquired, and the memory was read from the memory as the probe moved a field expansion processing unit that performs field expansion process of outputting an enlarged by synthesizing the B image data in the moving direction of the probe for each of the rocking angle, based on the information of the oscillation angle, A configuration in which a three-dimensional display processing unit generates three-dimensional image from the enlarged B images KiYurado angle per a and the moving direction the three-dimensional display processing to output.

  With this configuration, the transmitting unit, the receiving unit, the swing angle control unit that obtains the swing angle information of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic control unit that includes the image processing unit including the scan converter, and the plurality of frames -A memory that can store the image, a three-dimensional processing unit, an image processing unit comprising a visual field expansion processing unit, and a display unit, and the operator swings in the minor axis direction using a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe. The probe is moved in the long axis direction, and the obtained 2D B image is subjected to a visual field expansion process for each swing angle, and a 3D display process is performed using the 2D B image expanded for each swing angle. This is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can obtain a three-dimensional image with an enlarged field of view, and the image size of the three-dimensional image that has been limited by the probe size up to now can be obtained using the field of view enlargement function. Using enlarged 2D images It is possible to obtain three-dimensional images that are more field expansion.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the field expansion processing unit, operator ultrasonic pro - the swing angle is the same angle with respect to the B picture blanking was obtained Nagarae moved longitudinally Ru can retrieve a two-dimensional image field expansion each separately for each of the swing angle.

  With this configuration, it is possible to perform a 3D display process using a 2D B image whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle, and even if the object is larger than the probe size, the image is not lost. It has the effect that it can be subsided.

Furthermore, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the visual field expansion processing unit performs the visual field expansion processing for each cycle of the swing, and performs the three-dimensional display process twice for one cycle of the swing. To obtain a two-dimensional B image for each swing angle, a two-dimensional image enlarged by the visual field enlargement function, and perform a three-dimensional process in real time with the obtained image, A three-dimensional image can be displayed in real time.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the operator ultrasonic pro - specifies the range of the swing angle of performing three-dimensional processing with respect to the B picture which is Nagarae move the blanking longitudinally It has a range specifying means.

  With this configuration, when the visual field enlargement function is executed, even when an error occurs in the movement estimation, the error image is removed from the target data of the three-dimensional construction, so that the visual field with high reliability can be expanded. Dimensional processing can be performed and the desired image can be easily obtained.

  In the present invention, the probe is moved in the major axis direction while oscillating in the minor axis direction of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe, so that the field-of-view enlarged image is estimated by the movement estimation and the movement prediction for each neighboring angle. Can be obtained for each rocking angle, and by performing a three-dimensional display process using the obtained image with an enlarged field of view, a three-dimensional image with an enlarged field of view can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an effect that even a large subject that does not fit in the image can be contained in one image.

  Hereinafter, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, an ultrasonic control unit 1 obtains swing angle information from a probe (not shown), and controls a swing angle control unit 13 that controls the timing to start transmission according to the angle, and a swing angle. The transmission unit 11 that emits an ultrasonic transmission signal based on the timing signal that is the output of the control unit 13, the reception unit 12 that receives the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave, and the output of the reception unit 12 is imaged by a scan converter unit or the like. The ultrasonic image processing unit 14 is configured to perform processing and obtain a B image.

  Further, the image processing unit 2 includes a three-dimensional display processing unit 21, a memory 22, and a visual field enlargement processing unit 23, and stores image data output from the ultrasonic image processing unit 14 of the ultrasonic control unit 1. And the image after image processing is also stored. The three-dimensional display processing unit 21 and the visual field enlargement processing unit 23 receive the image data via the memory 22 and return it to the memory after processing. The processed image is output to the display unit 3 and displayed as an image.

  The operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.

  In FIG. 2, a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe (not shown) has a probe portion of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe in the short axis direction ("oscillation direction" in FIG. 2) of the ultrasonic transducer body. Since the swing angle, which is the angle at that time, is output from the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe to the main body swing angle control unit 13, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is synchronized with the swing angle. Thus, a B image can be obtained.

  If the operator moves the probe in the long axis direction (“probe moving direction” in FIG. 2) while swinging the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe, the operator swings at a constant speed in the short axis direction. Therefore, as a whole, the locus moves like a sine wave. In order to obtain a B image, scanning is performed by scanning ultrasonic waves in the longitudinal direction of the ultrasonic transducer in a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe. -It will be captured together.

  For example, if the center of the swing angle is +0, the upward movement direction in the figure is +, the downward movement direction is-, and an image is captured at the swing angles a, b, c, d. Image scanning captures image data at each swing angle of +0, + a, + b, + c, + d, + c, + b, + a, +0, -a, -b, -c, -d, -c ... To do. Scanning of the B image is started and ended at the swing angle +0, and scanning of the next B image is stopped until the swing angle becomes + a. When the swing angle reaches + a, the swing angle control unit 13 outputs a signal to the transmission unit 11, receives the echo data of the B image by the reception unit 12, and passes through the ultrasonic image processing unit 14 to store the memory. The data is stored in 22 and scanning is finished. The scanning is stopped while the swing angle becomes + B. When + B is reached, transmission for the next B image is started, and image data is captured by the receiving unit.

  By repeating this operation, B image data can be captured for each of the swing angles + d, + c, + b, + a, +0, -a, -b, -c, -d. The B image data taken in this way is stored in a memory as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The numbers written in the memory for one frame indicate the order in which the B images are captured.

  At this time, No.1, No.2, No.3, etc. are set for each cycle of the swinging operation. The B image of the same rocking angle, for example, rocking angle + a, and the adjacent images on the memory are used. For example, the B image data of frame numbers 2 and 9 are used to generate ultrasonic waves in the visual field expansion function processing unit. The probe movement amount and direction are predicted and estimated, and the result is used to synthesize an image using the image data of frame number 2 and frame number 9. An image whose field of view is enlarged can be obtained by repeating this for the number of captured B images, and further, when the field of view enlargement function is executed for the adjacent B images for each swing angle, the field of view is displayed for each swing angle. An enlarged image can be obtained. Then, a three-dimensional image with an enlarged field of view can be obtained by executing a three-dimensional process using the B image with an enlarged field of view for each swing angle. The generated three-dimensional image whose field of view is enlarged is stored in the memory 21, and the image is displayed on the display unit 3 therefrom.

The above is the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
At this time, in the memory 22, since the image whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle is processed, the image whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle can be taken out.

  Here, if the processing load is heavy in the visual field expansion processing and the three-dimensional display processing and cannot be processed in real time, all B image data obtained for each swing is captured, and the image processing Depending on the situation, the data can be thinned and processed as 2: 1, 4: 1, and the display in real time becomes possible. As the processing for real-time display, the same swing angle is used for the latest image obtained by swinging every swing cycle and the image whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle accumulated before. The visual field expansion process is performed every time, and the three-dimensional display process is performed twice for one oscillation period.

  Usually, the visual field enlargement processing unit 23 and the three-dimensional display processing 21 are executed by the CPU. Here, the visual field enlargement processing unit 23 and the three-dimensional display processing 21 are separated, but can be realized by a single CPU.

  In addition, when visual field expansion processing is performed using an image obtained by moving a three-dimensional ultrasonic probe, the movement prediction of image synthesis is affected by the influence of strong reflectors such as bones that are the cause of errors. An error may occur in the movement estimation process. Also, when moving in the long axis direction, if the moving speed is too fast, the rocking angle that is farthest from the center is long because the time between the frames of the B image is large, so that it is not possible to combine the images. The possibility comes out. In such a case, by preparing an interface (range designation unit: not shown) that allows the operator to exclude an image whose field of view has been enlarged or an error has occurred from the 3D display processing target. -A highly reliable image can be obtained by performing a three-dimensional process using an image with little or no generation.

  Further, when the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe is moved in the major axis direction, the angle detection sensor detects the angle between the non-analyte surface and the ultrasonic probe, and corrects the image based on the information. Further, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional ultrasonic image with improved correlation between frames.

  As described above, the B image obtained by moving the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe in the long axis direction by the operator is subjected to movement prediction and estimation processing for the B image collected for each swing angle. Thus, a B image with an enlarged field of view is obtained, and a three-dimensional display process is performed using the obtained B image with an enlarged field of view, thereby obtaining a 3D image having a wider display area than a conventional probe. it can.

  Further, the operator moves the probe in the major axis direction while oscillating in the minor axis direction using an ultrasonic probe, and performs a field expansion process for the obtained two-dimensional B image for each oscillation angle. This is a visual field enlargement function that can obtain a B image whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle, and even when an object such as a fetus moves, a plurality of two-dimensional images whose field of view is enlarged for each swing angle. Can be obtained.

  As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is adjacent to each other at each swing angle by moving the probe in the long axis direction while swinging in the short axis direction of the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe. A field-of-view enlarged image can be obtained for each swing angle by movement estimation and movement prediction with the image, and the field-of-view expanded three-dimensional by performing a three-dimensional display process using the obtained field-enlarged image. An image can be obtained, so that even a large subject that does not fit in a single image can be accommodated in a single image. This is useful for function display and three-dimensional image display.

1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe moving direction and rocking | fluctuation direction in the ultrasonic diagnosing device of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the positional relationship of B image obtained by the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe movement in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the positional relationship in the memory of B image obtained by the three-dimensional ultrasonic probe movement in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic control part 2 Image processing part 3 Display part 11 Transmission part 12 Reception part 13 Oscillation angle control part 14 Ultrasonic image processing part 21 Three-dimensional display processing part 22 Memory 23 View expansion processing part

Claims (4)

A three-dimensional ultrasonic probe comprising a probe that oscillates, transmits and receives ultrasonic waves from the probe, and outputs information of the oscillating angle in the oscillation;
A transmitter for outputting a transmission signal to the probe;
A receiver that outputs an ultrasonic signal received by the probe as a received signal;
An ultrasonic image processing unit that processes the reception signal output from the reception unit and outputs B image data;
A memory for storing the B image data output from the ultrasonic image processing unit in association with the swing angle at which the B image data was acquired;
A visual field expansion processing unit that performs a visual field expansion process for enlarging and outputting the B image data read from the memory in the movement direction of the probe for each swing angle as the probe moves,
A superstructure including a three-dimensional display processing unit that performs a three-dimensional display process for generating and outputting a three- dimensional image from a B image enlarged for each of the swing angles and in the moving direction based on the swing angle information. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The field expansion processing unit operator the ultrasound pro - said two-dimensional image the swinging angle to the B picture and blanking obtained while moving in the longitudinal direction is field expansion for each same angle the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 請 Motomeko 1, wherein that can be taken out separately for each oscillation angle. The said visual field expansion process part performs the said visual field expansion process for every period of the said rocking | fluctuation, and implements the said three-dimensional display process twice with respect to one period of the said rocking | fluctuation. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. Operator said ultrasound pro - claims 1 having a range specifying unit that specifies the range of the swing angle of performing three-dimensional processing with respect to the B picture which is Nagarae moved longitudinally a blanking 3 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of the above.

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