JPH0355044A - Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an excellent real time characteristics and to make it possible to display whole the image by radiating an ultrasonic beam by a sector-like shape in a liquid-like medium, reflecting this ultrasonic beam by means of a curved reflecting face in the liquid-like medium and making it a vertically incident beam to an examined body. CONSTITUTION:When a part with a curved body surface such as the mammary gland and the thyroid gland is diagnosed, under such condition that an examined body 6 is brought into contact with a bottom face 2a of a water bag 2, an ultrasonic beam is radiated by a sector-like shape by controlling mechanically or electrically an ultrasonic probe 3. The ultrasonic beam radiated by a sector- like shape is reflected by a curved reflecting face 5a of an ultrasonic reflecting part 5 in a liquid medium 1 and it is incident vertically to a body surface 6a of the examined body 6. As the ultrasonic beam at any position of the sector- like shape is always incident vertically to the body surface 6a of the examined body 6, the ultrasonic beam reflected from the examined body 6 returns without fail to the ultrasonic probe 3 through a curved reflecting face 5. Therefore, as an image, a whole image is always displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Objective of the Invention 3 (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that emits an ultrasonic beam to a subject through a liquid medium.

(Prior art) In particular, when performing ultrasonic diagnosis on curved body surfaces such as mammary glands and thyroid glands, ultrasonic beams L are emitted to the subject through a liquid medium such as degassed water. things are being done. Figures 3 (a), (b) and 4 show conventional examples of ultrasound diagnostic equipment that performs such diagnosis.
Figures (a) and (b) show a system in which diagnosis is performed using the water invasion method, and Figure 4 shows a system in which diagnosis is performed in real time.

Of these, Figure 3(a) shows the linear scanning method.
The ultrasonic probe 3 is inserted from the surface 2b of the water bag 2 into a subject 6 having a curved body surface 6a placed in contact with the bottom surface 2a of the water bag 2 containing a liquid medium 1 such as water. The ultrasonic beam is configured to be emitted while moving in the horizontal direction X along the surface 2b. 11 is a guide member that supports the ultrasonic probe 3; 12 is a first motor that drives the ultrasonic probe 3 in the horizontal direction; and 13 is a second motor that drives the ultrasonic probe in the vertical direction Y. Further, FIG. 3(b) shows an arc scanning method, in which an arc-shaped (arc-shaped) guide member {4 is provided to guide the ultrasonic probe 3 along the curved body surface 6a of the subject 6. It is configured to emit an ultrasonic beam while moving in the horizontal direction X. Such a mechanical scanning method is shown in Fig. 3(a). (b) Approximately 2 to get 1 screen together
It requires a scanning time of about seconds. Therefore, it has the disadvantage of being inferior in real-time performance.

FIG. 4 shows a water bag made by using a simple water bag making machine 5, touching the surface of the ultrasonic probe 3, and controlling the ultrasonic probe 3 by mechanical or electrical means to emit an ultrasonic beam in a sector shape. The beam is configured to be incident on the subject 6 placed on the bottom surface 15a of the 15. Since this real-time method can generate an ultrasonic beam while the position of the ultrasonic probe 3 is fixed, high-speed scanning is possible and the drawbacks shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) can be eliminated.

However, since the curved body surface is the subject of diagnosis,
As shown in Figure 5, at the end of the sector scanning position, the ultrasound beams A and B reflected by the specimen do not return to the ultrasound probe 3, so when the image is displayed, both ends of the image are missing. The disadvantage is that it gets stored away. Furthermore, in this method, the operator is likely to get tired since the ultrasonic probe 3 is operated by hand.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, when performing ultrasound diagnosis by emitting an ultrasound beam to a subject through a liquid medium, conventional ultrasound diagnostic devices have problems with real-time performance or image quality. There is a problem that some parts are missing.

The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is excellent in real-time performance and can display the entire image.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that emits an ultrasound beam to a subject through a liquid medium. an ultrasonic generator that emits a beam in a sector shape using a mechanical or electrical control means; and an ultrasonic wave generator that is provided within the liquid medium and is placed in contact with the liquid medium to reflect the ultrasonic beam that has been emitted in a sector shape. The present invention is characterized by comprising an ultrasonic reflecting section having a curved reflecting surface that is incident perpendicularly on the specimen.

(Function) In addition to emitting an ultrasonic beam into the liquid medium in a sector-like manner,
This ultrasonic beam is reflected by a curved reflecting surface within the liquid body and is incident perpendicularly on the subject.

This enables high-speed scanning, which improves real-time performance, and also allows the reflected waves to be reliably returned to the ultrasound probe, allowing the entire image to be displayed.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, in which 1 is a liquid medium such as degassed water, and 2 is an ice bag containing this liquid medium I. In FIG. Inside the liquid medium 1 is an ultrasonic probe 3.
is arranged, and this ultrasonic probe 3 emits an ultrasonic beam in a sector shape by performing a rocking motion under mechanical control by the control means 4 or by electrically controlling by the control means 4. It is designed to do so.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an ultrasonic reflecting section, which is made up of a mirror, etc., and is provided at a position facing the ultrasonic probe 3 in the liquid medium 1, and reflects the ultrasonic beam emitted in a sector shape by the ultrasonic probe 3 to the subject 6. The beam is arranged so that the beam is incident perpendicularly to the beam. The ultrasonic reflecting section 5 has a curved reflecting surface 5a for reflecting the ultrasonic beam. Subject 6
has a curved body surface 6a and is placed in contact with the bottom surface 2a of the water bag 2, and this curved body surface 6a and the curved reflective surface 5a have substantially similar shapes.

FIG. 2(a) shows an example of a configuration in which the ultrasonic probe 3 is mechanically controlled. By driving the motor 8 by the motor control circuit 7 and making the ultrasonic probe 3 oscillate, the ultrasonic probe 3 is moved in a sector-like manner. It is designed to emit a sound wave beam. FIG. 2(b) shows an example of a configuration in which the ultrasonic probe 3 is electrically controlled. The ultrasonic beams are emitted in a sector shape by changing the ultrasonic emission direction of each of the transducers a, b, c, . . . forming the sonic probe 3. In this way, the ultrasonic beam can be emitted in sectors from the ultrasonic probe 3 by either mechanical or electrical means.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When diagnosing areas with curved body surfaces such as mammary glands and thyroid glands, the ultrasound probe 3 may be mechanically or electrically controlled while the subject 6 is in contact with the bottom surface 2a of the water bag 2. The ultrasonic beam is emitted in a sector shape. The ultrasonic beam emitted in a sector shape is reflected by the curved reflecting surface 5a of the ultrasonic reflecting section 5 within the liquid medium 1, and is perpendicularly incident on the body surface 6a of the subject 6.

As a result, the ultrasonic beam at any sector-like position is always perpendicularly incident on the body surface 6a of the subject 6.
The ultrasonic beam reflected from the ultrasonic probe 3 always returns to the ultrasonic probe 3 via the curved reflecting surface 5a. Therefore, the entire image is always displayed, and no part of it is missing. Furthermore, since the ultrasonic probe 3 generates an ultrasonic beam in a fixed position without moving, high-speed scanning is possible, so diagnosis can be performed in real time. Furthermore, since the ultrasonic probe 3 does not need to be held in hand for scanning, the operator will not get tired.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the ultrasonic beam emitted in a sector shape is always perpendicularly incident on the subject via the curved reflecting surface within the liquid medium, so that real-time It has excellent performance and can display the entire image.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, FIG. (b) and Fig. 4 are block diagrams showing the conventional device, and Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram explaining the drawbacks of the device shown in Fig. 4. 1...Liquid medium, 2...Ice bag, 3. ...Ultrasonic probe, 5...Ultrasonic reflection section, 5a
... Curved reflective surface, 6... Subject, 6a... Curved body surface. 5 Retrospective evidence or assault Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that emits an ultrasound beam to a subject through a liquid medium includes an ultrasound generator that emits an ultrasound beam into the liquid medium in a sector shape by a mechanical or electrical control means; and an ultrasonic reflecting section having a curved reflecting surface that reflects an ultrasonic beam emitted in a sector shape and makes the ultrasonic beam perpendicularly enter a subject placed in contact with a liquid medium. Ultrasound diagnostic equipment.