JPH0315454A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a clear picture without deteriorating sensitivity due to possibility of adequately applying a focus to a desired diagnostic location, even when a direction of transceiving is changed, by dividing a mechanically scanning type ultrasonic probe into three or more parts. CONSTITUTION:An ultrasonic probe 1 is formed of ceramic 3A to 3D divided into four parts in the peripheral direction in surfaces of a vibrator 2, and contacts A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, D2 are provided. In the case of setting the ceramic 3A, 3B, for instance, in parallel to a blood vessel 5, the ceramic 3A, 3B are switch-selected by a switch circuit 10 to select the contacts A1, B1, A2, B2, and by feeding a wave to a detected body through the ceramic 3A while mechanically scanning the vibrator 2 in a direction of the blood vessel, a reflected ultrasonic wave is input to a transceiving circuit 12 through the ceramic 3B and the contacts B1, B2 in the switch circuit 10. Next, in the case of setting a blood vessel 8 orthogonally crossing the vibrator 2, for instance, the ceramic 3A, 3C are switched for selection. The ultrasonic wave is input to the transceiving circuit 12 similarly through the contacts C1, C2.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention transmits and receives continuous waves from a vibrator to a subject, and receives signals reflected from the subject. The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with a mechanical scanning ultrasound probe that obtains continuous wave Doppler information.

(Prior Art) A mechanical scanning type ultrasound probe 1a in a conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is configured as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

This mechanical scanning type ultrasonic probe la (hereinafter referred to as an ultrasonic probe) consists of a vibrator 2 that generates ultrasonic waves, and a ceramic 3a 3b made of a piezoelectric element provided on the surface of the vibrator 2 and divided into two in the circumferential direction. It is constructed with the following.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the ceramic 3a of the ultrasonic probe 1a is disposed on the right side, and the ceramic 3b is disposed on the left side. Then, by rotating the vibrator 2 in the left-right direction using the protrusion 4 as a pivot, that is, while mechanically scanning the vibrator 2, continuous waves C W are simultaneously generated from the ceramics 3a and 3b.
(ContinueWave) is transmitted to the subject. Then, the reflected ultrasound waves from the subject are simultaneously received by the ceramics 3a and 3b to obtain, for example, a tomographic image of the blood vessel 5 set substantially parallel to the rotating direction of the transducer 2.

Also, the direction in which continuous wave Doppler is obtained is set, and the transducer 2 is fixed in that direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the ultrasonic wave from the transducer 2 is transmitted through the ceramic 3a to the blood vessel 5 so as to generate a focal point F, and the reflected ultrasonic wave from the blood vessel 5 is generated at the focal point F. The wave is received by the ceramic 3a. In this way, CW Doppler information can be obtained by a subsequent processing system (not shown).

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, since different ceramics 2a and 2b are used to transmit and receive ultrasound from the transducer 2 to obtain CW Doppler, the width of the ultrasound beam is limited as shown in FIG. Although they match at the focal point F, the areas before and after the black point F are blurred. For this reason, for example, if the blood vessel 8 is set in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the vibrator 2 as shown in FIG. 7, it is difficult to appropriately focus on the blood vessel along the orthogonal direction. However, there was a problem in that sensitivity deteriorated. Furthermore, if the direction of the ultrasonic probe 1a is misaligned, the sensitivity will further deteriorate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can appropriately focus on a desired diagnostic region even when the direction of transmission and reception is changed, and that can obtain clear images without degrading sensitivity. .

[Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has taken the following measures in order to solve the above problems and achieve the objectives. That is, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe that mechanically scans ultrasonic waves transmitted and received from a transducer, in which the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe is divided into three or more parts. It is.

Further, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe that mechanically scans ultrasonic waves transmitted and received from a transducer, the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe is divided into at least three parts in the circumferential direction, and the divisions are fan-shaped. It is something that does.

Further, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe that mechanically scans ultrasonic waves transmitted and received from a transducer, the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe is arranged approximately concentrically in an annular manner and extends at least in the circumferential direction. It is divided into three parts.

(Effects) By taking such measures, the following effects are achieved. Among the probes divided into three or more parts, the divided probe corresponding to the position and direction of the diagnostic site, for example, a blood vessel, can be selected for ultrasonic transmission and reception, so that the desired diagnostic site can be appropriately focused. As a result, there is no difference in the transmission and reception of continuous waves depending on the relative position of blood vessels, so continuous waves can always be obtained in an ideal sound field without deterioration of sensitivity, and clear images can be obtained.

(Example) Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a fifth embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a divided schematic diagram showing an ultrasonic probe, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the ultrasonic probe. FIG. Note that the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 will be described with the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a cylindrical transducer 2 that generates ultrasonic waves, and the surface of the transducer 2 is divided into four parts in the circumferential direction, and each division is fan-shaped. Consisting of ceramics 3A to 3D, vibrator 2 to ceramic 3A
-Ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received to and from the subject via 3D. The switch circuit 10 has contacts AI-, Bl, and C corresponding to the ceramics 3A to 3D of the ultrasonic probe 1.
I, D1, and contacts A2, corresponding to the transmitting/receiving circuit 12.
It has B2, C2, and D2.

That is, each contact is switched in order to select two ceramics for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves from among the two adjacent ceramics 3A to 3D by a control signal from the switch control section 1l. The transmitting/receiving circuit 12 includes a pulser as a transmitting system and six preamplifiers as a receiving system. Received signal addition circuit 13
is for adding a plurality of received signals from the transmitter/receiver circuit 12. The transmission/reception control section 14 controls the transmission/reception circuit 12 and the received signal addition circuit 13.

The detection circuit 15 extracts necessary ultrasonic information from the signal from the received signal addition circuit 13 according to a control signal from the system controller 19, performs quadrature phase detection during CW Doppler, and outputs it to the FFT 16, or outputs B-mode image information. When obtaining the signal, amplitude detection is performed and output to the DSC 17. The FFT 16 performs frequency analysis using fast Fourier transform and outputs FFT data to the DSC 17.

The DSC 17 scan-converts an ultrasonic sampling system and a display system, and is equipped with a plurality of frame memories, and outputs signals of necessary information in the frame memories to a display 18 under the control of a single system controller. One system controller includes the switch control section 11, the transmission/reception control section 14, the detection circuit 15, and the DSC1.
7.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be explained with reference to the drawings. First, it is assumed that the ceramics 3A and 3B of the ultrasound probe 1 are set parallel to the blood vessel 5 as shown in FIG. 5, for example. When the transmitter/receiver circuit 12 transmits and drives the ultrasonic probe 1 via the switch circuit 10, the switch circuit 10 switches and selects the ceramics 3A and 3B.

That is, when a control signal from the system controller 19' is input to the switch control unit 11, the switch control unit 11 controls the contacts AI, Bl, A2, and
B2 is selected. Then, while mechanically scanning the vibrator 2 in the blood vessel direction as shown in FIG. 5, the ceramic 3A
Ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the subject via the . The reflected ultrasonic waves from the blood vessel are received by the transducer 2 and input to the transmitter/receiver circuit 12 via the ceramic 3B and the contacts B1 and B2 of the switch circuit 10. Further, the received signal is preamplified by a transmitting/receiving circuit 12, and a plurality of received signals from the transmitting/receiving circuit 12 are added by a received signal adding circuit 13. Then, the necessary ultrasonic information is extracted from the signal from the received signal addition circuit 13 by the detection circuit 15, and the CW
During Doppler, quadrature phase detection is performed and output to the FFT 16.

Furthermore, the signal is frequency-analyzed by fast Fourier transform in the FFT 16, the FFT data is output to the DSC 17, and the signal is output to the display 18.

Next, it is assumed that the ceramics 3A and 3B of the ultrasonic probe 1 are set for a blood vessel 8 as shown in FIG. 7, for example. In this case, since the blood vessel 8 is set in a direction perpendicular to the vibrator 2, in order to accommodate this, the switch circuit 10
, 3C are selected.

That is, when a control signal from the system controller 9 is input to the switch control section 11, this switch control section 1
1, the contacts AI, CI, A2 . C
2 is selected. Then, while the transducer 2 is mechanically scanned in a direction perpendicular to the blood vessel direction as shown in FIG. 7, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the subject via the ceramic 3A. Then, the reflected ultrasound from the blood vessel is received by the transducer 2, and the ceramic 3
C, the contact Cl of the switch circuit 10, . The transmitter/receiver circuit 12 is manually powered via C2. The subsequent processing is as described above.

As described above, according to this embodiment, among the four divided ceramics 3A to 3D, the ceramics 3A to 3D corresponding to the position and direction of the diagnostic site, for example, a blood vessel, can be selected for ultrasonic transmission and reception. It is possible to appropriately focus along the blood vessel direction. As a result, there is no difference in the transmission and reception of continuous waves depending on the relative position of blood vessels, so continuous waves can always be obtained in an ideal sound field without deterioration of sensitivity, and clear images can be obtained. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the embodiments described above, a mechanical scanning type ultrasound probe has been described, but an annular probe may also be used, for example. This annular probe is arranged approximately concentrically in an annular manner and divided into at least three parts in the circumferential direction, and can also be applied to such an annular probe. Furthermore, it may also be applied to pencil probes, electronic scan probes, etc. It goes without saying that various other modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, among the probes divided into three or more,
Since a segmented probe corresponding to the position and direction of a diagnostic site, such as a blood vessel, can be selected for transmitting and receiving ultrasound, a desired diagnostic site can be appropriately focused. This eliminates the difference in the transmission and reception of continuous waves depending on the relative position of the blood vessels, so it is possible to always obtain continuous waves in an ideal sound field without degrading sensitivity, making it possible to create an ultrasound diagnostic device that can obtain clear images. Can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the ceramic of the ultrasonic probe, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the ultrasonic probe. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a black spot is placed on a blood vessel using a conventional ultrasound prolobe, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a focus is focused by ultrasound Doppler transmission and reception, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the focus is shifted. FIG. 1, 1a... Ultrasonic probe, 2... Vibrator, 3a
~3b, 3A~3D... Ceramic, 4... Protrusion, 5.8... Blood vessel, 10... Changeover switch, 11...
-Switch control unit, 12...transmission/reception circuit, 13...
Received signal addition circuit, 14... Transmission/reception control section, 15...
・Detection circuit, 16...FFT, 17...DSC, 1
8...TV monitor, 19...system controller.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with a mechanical scanning ultrasound probe that mechanically scans ultrasound transmitted and received from a transducer, the mechanical scanning ultrasound probe is divided into three or more parts. Features of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. (2) In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe that mechanically scans ultrasonic waves transmitted and received from a transducer, the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe is divided into at least three parts in the circumferential direction. An ultrasonic diagnostic device characterized by divisions that are fan-shaped. (3) In an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with a mechanical scanning ultrasound probe that mechanically scans ultrasound transmitted and received from a transducer, the mechanical scanning ultrasound probe is arranged approximately concentrically in an annular manner, and An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by being divided into at least three parts in a direction.