JPH02243136A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the color reproducibility of a diagnostic image by using a color bar as a color characteristic change detection means and comparing the color bar in an input image with that in a reproduced recording on a image signal level and correcting the image signal of the reproduced recording by the difference between them. CONSTITUTION:When the real time display of a diagnostic image is performed, an input image signal, a color bar original image signal and an input character signal are selected at a predetermined display position in an SW 3 to be converted to an RGB system by an LUT 1 and converted to an analogue signal by a D/A converter 2 to be outputted to and displayed on a CRT 8. When a display image is recorded, the output signal of the D/A converter 2 is encoded by an encoder 6 to be inputted to a recording apparatus 9 as a signal of a video form and the signal of the video form reproduced and outputted is converted to the RGB system by a decoder and synchronous separation circuit 7 to be supplied to a color bar detection circuit 11 and an image correction circuit 13. The obtained corrected reproduced image signal is selected by the SW 3 to be displayed on the CRT 8. As a result, the color reproducibility of a reproduced image can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with means for automatically correcting degraded color characteristics by recording and reproducing color image diagnostic image signals.

The present invention aims to improve the color reproducibility of diagnostic images when using a recording device.

In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of recording and reproducing color diagnostic images including color bars, a color bar detection circuit that detects an image signal corresponding to the color bar in the reproduced diagnostic image signal, and a color bar detection circuit that detects an image signal corresponding to the detected color bar. An attenuation detection circuit that compares the level of the image signal with the original level of the image signal corresponding to the color bar in the recorded original image signal and detects the amount of attenuation of the reproduced image signal corresponding to the color bar, and the detected attenuation. The configuration includes an image correction circuit that corrects the level of the reproduced diagnostic image signal based on the amount.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of recording and reproducing diagnostic image signals of color images, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with means for automatically correcting color characteristics degraded by recording and reproducing.

[Conventional technology]

A normal ultrasound diagnostic device is equipped with an input terminal and an output terminal for 1 diagnostic image signal, and by connecting an external recording device (VTR) to these terminals, you can record and record 2 diagnostic images.
It is possible to play.

Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment is also equipped with a color Doppler function that displays blood flow in color.

FIG. 3 is an example of a diagnostic image displayed using the color Doppler function. 21 is a B-mode image, 22 is a color display area of blood flow, and the color indicates the direction of blood flow and the magnitude of blood flow velocity. It can be changed depending on the size etc.

23 is a color bar displayed for this color identification.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a display control circuit in a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is capable of recording and reproducing such color diagnostic images in a recording device.

The illustrated circuit captures a human input image signal in digital video format representing a real-time diagnostic image and an input character signal together with an input synchronization signal and displays them on a CRT in combination, or records the real-time diagnostic image displayed on the CRT using a recording device. Or control playback and display.

In the figure, the input image signal is converted from a digital video format to an ROB format by a look amplifier table LUTI, and then first converted into an analog signal by a D/A converter 2.

The switch circuit SW3 selects either the input image signal or the reproduced image signal from the recording device 9 and supplies it to the CRT 8 and the encoder 6. Further, the input character signal is multiplexed at a predetermined display position on the input image signal and displayed or recorded in one.

The switch circuit SW4 selects the input synchronization signal and the reproduction synchronization signal separated from the video signal reproduced from the recording device 9 in synchronization with SW3, and supplies them to the CRT8.

These SW3 and SW4 are switched and controlled by the SW control circuit 5.

In order to re-record the image displayed on the CRT 8 using the recording device 9 and to reproduce and display it, the analog RGB format image signal is converted to a video format using the encoder 6 and inputted to the recording device 9. The video format reproduced image signal output from the decoder and synchronization separation circuit 7
It converts into a signal format and separates the playback synchronization signal.

[Problems that shouting attempts to solve]

With conventional ultrasound diagnostic equipment, when the diagnostic images displayed in real time are recorded on a recording device and played back,
Since the band is limited by the characteristics of the encoder, decoder, and recording device, there is a problem in that the reproduced image signal deteriorates compared to the image signal of the original diagnostic image displayed in real time, and the two-color characteristics change.

The present invention aims to improve the color reproducibility of diagnostic images when using a recording device.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention uses a color bar as a means for detecting a change in color characteristics when a recording device records and reproduces a color image including a color bar having predetermined color characteristics, such as a color Doppler diagnostic image.

The color bar in the input image and the color bar being reproduced and recorded are compared in image signal level, and the image signal of the reproduced and recorded image is corrected by the difference, thereby improving the color reproducibility of the reproduced image.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, 3 is a switch circuit SW that switches and selects the input image signal, the color bar original image signal, and the corrected reproduced image signal.
It is.

4 is a switch circuit SW for switching and selecting an input synchronizing signal and a reproduction synchronizing signal.

6 is an encoder that converts the RGB signal into a video signal.

7 is a decoder and synchronization signal separation circuit that converts a video signal into an RGB signal and separates a synchronization signal.

8 is an RGB format image signal sent from SW3;
This is a CRT that displays a screen according to the synchronization signal sent from SW4.

9, for example, V for recording and reproducing video format image signals.
This is an H3 format recording device.

The circuits <10 to 13 are circuits added based on the present invention.

10 is a color bar output circuit that generates a color bar original image signal.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a color bar detection circuit that gates and detects the color bar reproduced image signal in the reproduced image signal output from the decoder and synchronization signal separation circuit 7.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an attenuation detection circuit that compares the color bar original image signal and the color bar reproduced image signal and detects the attenuation amount of the two image symbols.

Reference numeral 13 denotes an image correction circuit that corrects the level of the reproduced image signal according to the detected attenuation amount.

[Effect]

The amount of attenuation of the image signal that occurs during recording and playback of color images such as color Doppler diagnostic images corresponds to the amount of signal attenuation in the color bar image signal, so if the amount of attenuation of the color bar image signal is known.

The amount of correction of the reproduced image signal is determined.

To extract the color bar image signal from the input image signal,
This can be easily detected by timing the display period of the color bar.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are used for requirements common to the conventional circuit shown in FIG. 4 and the circuit of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 described above.

In FIG. 2, ■ is a look amplifier table LUT, 2
is a D/A converter, 3 and 4 are switch circuits SW,
5 is an SW control circuit, 6 is an encoder, 7 is a decoder and sync separation circuit, 8 is a CRT, 9 is a recording device, and 10 is a color bar output circuit.

11 is a color bar detection circuit, 12 is an attenuation amount detection circuit, 1
3 is an image correction circuit.

When displaying a diagnostic image in real time, the input image signal, color bar original image signal, and input character signal are
is selected at a predetermined display position in , and RGB is selected in LUTI.
format, converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter 2, and output and displayed on the CRT 8.

When recording a display image, the output signal of the D/A converter 2 is encoded by the encoder 6, converted into a video format signal, and inputted to the recording device 9.

The video format signal reproduced and output from the recording device 9 is converted into RGB format by the decoder and synchronization separation circuit 7.
The signal is supplied to a color bar detection circuit 11 and an image correction circuit 13.

The operations of the color bar output circuit 10, the color bar detection circuit 11, the attenuation amount detection circuit 12, and the 1-image correction circuit 13 are as follows.
As explained in FIG. 1, the obtained corrected reproduced image signal is selected by SW3 and displayed on the CRT 8 in the same manner as the input image signal.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the reproduced image when using the recording device is
Since the color characteristics are automatically corrected to match the real-time original image, the reliability of diagnostic image data stored in ij images is improved, and it is also possible to use relatively low-cost recording devices with insufficient band characteristics. 9. Deterioration of image quality can also be suppressed to a considerable extent when using .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram of the principle of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the circuit of the present invention, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a color Doppler image, and Fig. 4 is an illustration of a color Doppler image.
The figure is a configuration diagram of a display control circuit of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. 3.4 in Figure 1: Swiss circuit SW 6: Encoder 7: Decoder and synchronization signal separation circuit 8: CRT 9: Recording device IO: Color bar output circuit 11: Color bar side output circuit 12: @i decay detection circuit 13: Image correction circuit

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of recording and reproducing color diagnostic images including color bars, comprising: a color bar detection circuit that detects an image signal corresponding to the color bar in a reproduced diagnostic image signal; Attenuation amount detection that compares the level of the detected image signal corresponding to the color bar with the original level of the image signal corresponding to the color bar in the recorded original image signal and detects the amount of attenuation of the reproduced image signal corresponding to the color bar. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a circuit; and an image correction circuit that corrects the level of a reproduced diagnostic image signal based on the detected attenuation amount.