JPH0280041A - Electronic scanning type ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove a sensitivity step difference between focus points on an image or a signal so as to obtain finer ultrasonic diagnostic image by providing the one more focus point between focuses before and after generation of noise, in the case of performing an echo sound receiving multi-step focus. CONSTITUTION:In a focus region of displayed image, a switching noise region, generated respectively between focus regions F0, F2, F4 obtaining the first time transmission and reception, is compensated in focus regions F1, F3 obtaining the second time transmission and reception. Needless to say, because the switching noise region between the focus regions F1, F3 corresponds to the first time focus region F2, not appearing in the image, but it displays a five-step focus to the focus regions F0 to F4 with no switching noise. By using a different focus from the first time echo sounder receiving focus for the focus used in echo sounder receiving for compensating a noise generation region in a multi-step focus, a number of (n) multi-step focus in the past is compensated by a number of (n-1) switching noise regions generated in the first time echo sounder receiving, so that a number of (2n-1) in total echo sounder receiving multi-step focus can be performed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic device, and in particular, to an ultrasonic diagnostic device that emits an ultrasonic pulse beam using an ultrasingle-wave probe in which a plurality of transducers are arranged in 7 lays. The echo signal that has been transmitted and reflected from the subject is received by the probe, and then the operation of shifting the transmission and reception direction of the ultrasound pulse beam and transmitting and receiving the ultrasound again is performed multiple times, and each of the received waves is The present invention relates to an electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that uses a reception multi-stage focusing method that focuses a signal and switches the focus according to the depth.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, an ultrasonic pulse beam is transmitted from an ultrasonic probe in which multiple transducers are arranged in an array, the echo signal reflected from the object is received by the probe, and then the ultrasonic wave is transmitted. An electronic scanning type ultrasonic wave system that uses a reception multi-stage focusing method that shifts the transmission and reception direction of the pulse beam and transmits and receives ultrasound again multiple times, focuses each of the received signals, and switches the focus according to the depth. Sonic diagnostic equipment.

For example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-4982, there are two wave receiving circuits, and the analog switch switching noise generated in the first wave receiving circuit is transferred to the focus and the focus used in the first wave receiving circuit. is the second one using different focus data.
It was filled with receiver circuit data.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with electronic scanning ultrasound diagnostic equipment.

When multi-stage focusing of received waves is performed, noise is generated when the analog switch is switched at the focus switching point.

Therefore, this method eliminates the influence of noise by shifting the position of the switching point and performing reception multi-stage focusing again, replacing the area where there is no noise with the area where the noise occurs, so there are two types of switching. Since only one type of focus was used for each point, differences in sensitivity occurred between focus points on the image or signal, posing problems in diagnosis.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate sensitivity differences between focus points on an image or signal in an electronic scanning ultrasound diagnostic apparatus using a reception multi-stage focusing method, and to obtain finer ultrasound diagnostic images. Our goal is to provide the technology that makes it possible.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention transmits an ultrasonic pulse beam from an ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of transducers are arranged in 7 lays, and detects the echo signals reflected from the object. Receiving the waves with the tentacles, then changing the direction of transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic pulse beam and transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic waves again several times.
In an electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that applies a reception multi-stage focusing method in which each reception signal is focused and the focus is switched according to depth, the data is used to fill in analog switch switching noise that occurs when switching the focus. The most important feature is that it includes means for setting a focus point near the switching depth of the analog switch, and means for transmitting and receiving waves again under the focus conditions determined by the means.

[Effect]

According to the above-mentioned means, the focus used as data to fill in the analog switch switching noise that occurs when performing multi-step focusing of the received waves is performed at a position that is approximately the same as the depth of the switching noise that occurs.

As a result, another focus point can be provided between the focus points before and after noise generation, so the sensitivity level difference between the focus points on the image or signal can be removed.
A more detailed ultrasound diagnostic image can be obtained.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described using the drawings.

Note that throughout the description of the embodiments, parts having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the wave reception multi-stage focusing method of the present invention is applied, and IA is an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe IA has a plurality of transducers arranged in an array.

The transducer selection circuit 1 is a circuit for selecting which transducer of the ultrasound probe IA is used for transmission and reception. The phasing circuit 2 includes a plurality of delay elements 3 and a selector 4. This phasing circuit 2 is provided with a delay amount corresponding to a focusing point by a delay element 3, which is added to form one ultrasonic beam.

The selection of the delay amount is performed by the selector 4, and the selector 4 is controlled by the first ROM (Read Only
Memory) 8.

The ultrasonic signal phased in the phasing circuit 2 is subjected to analog processing by an analog processing circuit 5, and this processed ultrasonic signal is sent to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 6.
The image data is converted into a digital signal and stored in the image memory 7.

The second ROM 9 stores an image select pulse that masks the first switching noise.

10 is a video circuit, 11 is a CRT display, and 12 is a counter.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part of the electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG.
Signals) and (b) are ultrasound image (US) frame signals. The sign of the US frame signal (b) is inverted every time Y-SYNC (a) falls. (c) is a US clock signal, and (d) is a counter output signal, which is an output signal obtained by counting the US clock. (e) is the first ROM
(Read 0nly Memory) 8 output signal, (f) is switching noise, (g) is image select pulse,
(h) is the output signal of the second ROM.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of focus and switching noise for each transmission and reception in the electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG.
b) is the first switching noise, (c) is the first 1RO
Output signal of M, (d) is second focus signal, (e)
is the second switching noise, and (f) is the second ROM output signal.

(g) shows the first and second focus signals for one beam.

Next, the operation of the electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment will be explained.

In FIG. 1, an ultrasonic signal passes through a transducer selection circuit 1 and is input to a phasing circuit 2 consisting of a plurality of delay elements 3 and a selector 4, and is given a delay amount according to the focusing point by the delay element 3. They are added together to form one ultrasound beam. The selection of the delay amount is performed by the selector 4.

While receiving ultrasonic waves, the counter 12 counts the US clock (c) and sends the output signal (d) to the first ROM 8.
and outputs two types of select 4 control signals (e) every time the US frame is switched.

When the output signal (e) of the first R2OMB changes, switching noise (e) occurs in the ultrasonic signal.

The ultrasonic signal phased by the phasing circuit 2 is subjected to analog processing by the analog processing circuit 5, converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 6, and stored in the image memory 7. At this time, an image select pulse (
) is stored in the second ROM9, and the second ROM
The output of 9 is when the US frame signal (B) is low level (L
), the image select pulse (G) is output as is, and when the US frame signal (B) is high level (H),
Inverts and outputs the image select pulse (g). The image memory is an elliptic one that is written only when the output of the second ROM 9 is at a low level (L), and is stored in the image memory 7 as one screen worth of images by the second transmission and reception. At that time, the switching noise (to) corresponds to the high level (H) on the output of the second ROM 9, so the switching noise (to)
is not stored on the image memory 7. Image memory 7
The information read out passes through the video circuit 10 and is sent to the CR
displayed on the T-display 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the focus areas of the displayed image are focus areas FO, F where the first transmission/reception is obtained.
2. The switching noise area that occurs between each F4 is compensated for by the focus areas Fl and F3 obtained in the second transmission and reception. Of course, the switching noise area between focus areas Fl and F3 corresponds to the first focus area F2, so it does not appear on the image, so the image shows the 5-step four-step force from focus areas FO to F4 without switching noise. be done.

As can be seen from the above description, according to this embodiment, by using a focus different from the first wave reception focus for the focus used for wave reception to fill in the noise generation area in the multi-stage focus, conventionally, When there are n multi-step focusing, this occurs on the first reception (n-1
) switching noise regions, total (2n-1)
It is possible to perform multi-stage focusing of multiple reception waves.

As a result, another focus point can be provided between the focus points before and after noise generation, so the sensitivity level difference between the focus points on the image or signal can be removed.
A more detailed ultrasound diagnostic image can be obtained.

The present invention has been specifically described above based on examples, but 1.
It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when performing multi-stage focusing of received waves, it is possible to provide another focus point between the focuses before and after noise generation.
Sensitivity differences between focus points on an image or signal can be removed, and a more detailed ultrasound diagnostic image can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the wave receiving multi-stage focusing method of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part of the electronic scanning ultrasound diagnostic device shown in FIG. 2 is a timing chart of focus and switching noise. In the figure, IA... Ultrasonic contactor, 1... Vibrator selection circuit, 2... Phaser circuit, 3... Delay element, 4...
・Selector, 5...Analog processing circuit, 6...A/
D converter, 7... image memory, 8... first ROM
, 9... second ROM, 10... video circuit, 11
...CRT display, 12...counter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An ultrasonic pulse beam is transmitted from an ultrasonic probe with multiple transducers arranged in an array, the echo signal reflected from the object is received by the probe, and then An electronic scanning type ultrasound system that uses a reception multi-stage focusing method that shifts the transmission/reception direction of the sonic pulse beam and transmits/receives the ultrasound again multiple times, focuses each of the received signals, and switches the focus according to the depth. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, means for determining a focus point near the analog switch switching depth as data to fill in analog switch switching noise generated when switching the focus, and means for transmitting and receiving waves again under the focus condition determined by the means. An electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic device characterized by: