JPH02203847A - Ultrasonic wave diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the compatible connection of a plural-section image pick-up probe, a minor axis variable aperture prove, a minor axis focus probe and a two-dimensional array probe by making a plurality of connectors correspond to one probe arranged in plural lines. CONSTITUTION:As a probe 10, vibrator groups of plural lines are used as shown by 10a, 10b, with the vibrator group of each line being connected to an image pick-up device 2 by different connectors 3a, 3b, respectively, and in each vibrator line, beams are scanned in the major axial direction. At a result, the image of a fault plane 11B slightly shifted in the minor axial direction from a fault plane 11A can be picked up, and when two images are displayed, only one fault image is displayed at real time, and the other is made into the freeze state. In a device capable of switchingly displaying two probes at real time, fault planes 10A, 10B are displayed at real time, which is useful for image construction in the depth direction. The faults 10A and 10B may be successively displayed by one image display. Thus, when two-dimensional arranged probes, particularly, minor axis variable aperture and variable focus, are conducted, they can be realized at low cost and with satisfactory compatibility.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a scanning and imaging method of a two-dimensional probe in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Conventional technology]

The conventional device connects a plurality of probes and can display a plurality of cross sections as shown in FIG. 2, but either probe A or B is imaged in real time, and the rest are frozen. Also,
A pipe lane probe was announced in the Proceedings of the Japanese Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine published in November 1987, but the two fault lines are perpendicular to each other. Regarding short axis variable aperture and variable focus νA, there are those using cross electrodes as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-15864El, and those using a cross electrode as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-498
As described in No. 8, delay lines for controlling the beam of a vibrator are divided into groups.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned prior art does not touch on the connection with the conventional device, or only connects between the probe and the probe, or connects two layers in orthogonal planes. Limited to imaging,
There was a problem with the connection between the multiple probe connector and the two-dimensional array transducer.

The present invention is compatible with a multi-section imaging probe, a short-axis variable aperture probe, a short-axis focusing probe, a two-dimensional array probe, etc. in a conventional diagnostic device that can connect multiple probes. The purpose is to provide a connection method.

Another object of the present invention is to switch the probe in real time and image a plurality of cross sections.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, a plurality of connectors are arranged in a plurality of rows to correspond to one probe.

In addition, in order to perform real-time multi-sectional imaging and to switch the array for each beam and perform imaging, it is equipped with a transmitting/receiving circuit that can be switched at high speed.

Furthermore, for short-axis variable aperture and short-axis variable focus short-axis direction sector scanning, a plurality of arrayed transducer groups are used as one probe, which is divided into short axes.

[Effect]

Since the connectors of multiple probes correspond to one two-dimensionally arrayed probe, the connectors can be shared. In addition, the transmitter/receiver circuit can be switched at high speed, allowing multiple cross-sections to be displayed in real time.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The conventional ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, as shown in Fig. 2(a),
Connect multiple probes A and B to separate connectors 3a and 3 at the same time.
It is connected to the imaging device main body 2 at b, and one of the probes is operated to obtain an image. Even when two screens are displayed simultaneously, either the image of probe A or the image of probe B freezes on screen 4 shown in FIG. 2(b).

In this embodiment, the probe shown at 10 in FIG. 1 connects the transducer groups in each row to the imaging device through separate connectors 3a and 3b, respectively. In each transducer row, the beam is scanned in the long axis direction (element arrangement direction).

Although the short axis lengths of the vibrator rows are usually the same, the short axis lengths may be changed.

According to this, it is possible to image the tomographic plane 11B slightly shifted from the tomographic plane 11A in the short axis direction, and when displaying two sides, only one tomographic image is displayed in real time, and the others are in a frozen state. In addition, in a device that can switch and display two probes in real time, the tomographic plane 10A.

10B is displayed in real time, which is useful for constructing images in the depth direction. Alternatively, the tomography 10A and the tomography 10B may be sequentially displayed in -image display.

In addition, when displaying multiple cross-sectional images simultaneously in real time, the scanning order of the ultrasonic beam is such that the transducer arrays 10a and 10b are used alternately to form one beam at a time, as shown numerically in FIG. , 2n-th beam formation is completed, one scan of the cross section by each transducer row is completed. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3(b), after beam scanning from 1 to n by the transducer array 10a is completed.

Beam scanning from n+1 to 2n may be performed by the transducer array 10b.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment. In this example, three transducer rows 1
A probe 10' having 0a, 10b, and 10c is used. The inner transducer row 10b is connected to the imaging device main body 2 via the connector 3b, and the outer transducer rows 10a and 10c have elements in the same position commonly connected to each other, and are connected to the imaging device main body 2 via the connector 3a. be done. This embodiment realizes a short-axis variable aperture, in which only the central transducer row 10b operates at short distances, and the transducer array 10a operates at long distances.

10b and 10c operate simultaneously. By changing the aperture in accordance with the distance of the object from the vibrator surface in this way, it is possible to improve the beam characteristics in the short axis direction. Furthermore, by adding a short-axis variable focus, a better short-axis beam can be obtained. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment for implementing this.

In this example, transducer arrays 10a, 10b, and 10c each having three long-axis elements and three short-axis elements are used.

The number of transmitting/receiving circuits in the imaging device may be the number of long axis apertures or the number of long axis elements. However, when the diameter of the major axis is several minutes,
A changeover switch is added to the vibrator.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which the imaging device main body 2 includes a plurality of connector division/transmission circuits. The transmission rate pulse generators 5a and 5b generate transmission signals having a delay distribution for focusing the transmission beam in the long axis direction, and input the signals to the driver 6a. The output of the driver 6a is applied to the outer transducer arrays 10a and 10c via the connector 3a. In addition, the transmission rate pulse generator 5b has a delay distribution for focusing in the long axis direction like the output of 5a, and the transmission signal is delayed overall by the amount of the short axis transmission focus than the output of 5a. emits,
input to the driver 6b. The generated driver pulse drives the probe array 10b connected to the connector 3b. This generates a beam that is focused on both the long and short axes. Also, the received signal is sent to the transmission/reception separation circuit 9a.
, 9b to the receiving circuit. The variable delay line 12 performs reception focusing in the short axis direction by giving different delays to the signal from 9a and the signal from 9b. Further, the signal passed through the switches SWI to SW6 and amplified by the amplifier 7 is subjected to delay distribution by the variable delay line 8, and reception focusing in the long axis direction is performed. After phasing, the signal processing circuit captures an image on the display. With the short axis variable aperture, wave transmission is realized by turning on and off the rate pulse generator 5a. The variable aperture of the receiving wave is set by switch SW1.
, SW3. This is realized by turning SW5 on and off. The configuration of the receiving system is not limited to this, and the amplifier 7 is connected to the variable delay line 12.
The same effect can be obtained even if the variable delay lines 12 and 8 are placed on the vibrator side of the oscillator, and the variable delay lines 12 and 8 are combined into one.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the imaging device main body 2 includes a wave transmitting/receiving circuit for one probe. The variable diameter is realized by turning on and off the switch SWI, 3°5, which selects the connector 3a for both transmission and reception. switch SW2 for selecting connector 3b;
4.6 is always on. Other symbols indicate the same parts as in FIG. However, in this embodiment, in order to achieve short-axis focusing, high voltage delay lines 11. It is necessary to insert lla and llb. That is, the delay time of the delay line 11b is lla
By making the delay time longer than , both transmission and reception are focused in the short axis direction. Note that the delay line 11 of the outer transducer row
a can be omitted. Further, at least one of lla and llb can be used as a variable delay line to provide variable focus.

Sector scanning in the short axis direction is realized by making each delay a sector delay control in the example of FIGS. 5 and 6.

Regarding the connector, as shown in Figure 7(a),
The probe side connector 12 may be separated from the main body connectors 3a, 3b and integrated with a cable, or as shown in (b), the probe side connector 12 may be separated from the main body connectors 3a, 3b.
There is a method of combining them into one so that they can be connected at the same time. vice versa,
The main body side connector 3 may be combined into one and a plurality of conventional probes A and B may be connected.

In addition, the driver circuit for high-speed switching is a totem-pole type or a push-pull type driver as shown in Fig. 8, which has a wave transmitting/receiving switch function, which we have already described in our patented Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-223609. This is achieved by having each item separately.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, when using a two-dimensional array probe, especially when performing short-axis variable aperture, variable focus, etc., improvements to conventional equipment can be minimized, and moreover, it can be realized at low cost and with good compatibility. It is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a conventional example, Fig. 3 shows an example of a scanning method in real-time multiple tomographic imaging of the present invention, and Fig. 4 shows an example of the present invention with variable short axis. 5 and 6 are simplified configuration diagrams of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a connector connection example, and FIG. 8 is an example of a driver circuit. 2...Ultrasonic imaging device main body, 3a, 3b...Connector, 4...Display, 5...Transmission rate pulse generator, 6...Driver circuit, 7...Amplifier, 8...
- Variable delay amount path, 9... Transmission/reception separation circuit, 10... Variable delay line, 10a. 10b. 10c... Ultrasonic vibration train. [Kayamu map number 1] Flash (a) (shi) Kaya 2i

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which a plurality of probes each having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in a rectangular shape can be connected, An ultrasound system comprising a probe in which a plurality of the transducers are arranged in the axial direction, and a group of the plurality of arranged transducers is connected as a plurality of probes of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Diagnostic equipment. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of tomographic planes according to each arrangement of the probes are displayed in real time. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each arrangement of the probes is switched for each beam formation. 4. Claim 1, characterized in that an ultrasonic beam is formed by varying the short axis aperture by arranging the probes in the short axis direction.
The ultrasonic diagnostic device described in . 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic beam is formed by using an arrangement of the probes in the short axis direction and varying the focus in the short axis direction.