JPH04108436A - Region of interest setting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute the plotting of various curves with satisfactory workability and with high accuracy by connecting a storage memory between a console and a DSC circuit, and interposing a system controller consisting of a graphics control circuit and a CPU. CONSTITUTION:First of all, when a worker requests a processing for setting a region of interest by a switch means, etc., in a console, a system controller 8 sets a procedure for controlling a procedure for setting a region of interest stored in a storage memory 9 so that it can be executed by a CPU 8a in the system controller 8. The system controller 8 recognizes a fact that a position of one point for showing the region of interest is fixed, generates a pattern of the fixed point, and outputs it to a DSC control circuit 7 together with position information of the present cursor. When plural fixed points for showing a boundary of the region of interest are designated, plotting and a correction of every fitting curve can be attained automatically by a prescribed algorithm.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from a living body to obtain tomographic images and blood flow information of the living body. The present invention relates to a region of interest setting device that sets a region of interest in an ultrasound image projected on an ultrasound image by drawing a curved line.

(Prior art) Conventionally, for ultrasound images obtained from ultrasound diagnostic equipment,
When measuring the area, etc. of the region of interest, it is necessary to set the region of interest on the display screen.

As shown in FIG. 4, this region of interest is set by an operator operating a pointing device such as a trackball or joystick, and using a cursor that moves in accordance with the trackball to draw a curve B to the boundary of the region of interest A. This was done by drawing the curve B in FIG. 4a) and surrounding the area of interest A (FIG. 4b).

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional region of interest setting described above, curves were drawn by the operator or by operating a trackpol, etc., which resulted in poor workability and the possibility of drawing errors. When this happens, all or part of the previously drawn curves must be erased and drawn again, which increases the burden on the operator and increases the working time.

Therefore, in order to reduce the burden on the worker, as shown in Figure 5, the closed curve C is shaped into a circle including an ellipse (Figure 5a) or a rectangle (Figure 5a).
There is a method of approximating as shown in Fig. 5 b), but this method causes an error in the shape of the region of interest A desired by the operator, lowering the accuracy, and requires curve drawing for Doppler signal analysis. There was a problem in that it was not possible to set anything other than closed curves such as .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a region of interest setting device that can draw various curves with good workability and high accuracy.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an operator console equipped with a pointing device such as a track hole for moving a switch means and a cursor, and the operator console. A graphics control circuit that is connected and outputs a display button image of the cursor, a pattern image of the fixed points, and a fitting curve image that passes through the fixed points and is generated by various algorithms, and a CPU that controls the procedure for setting the region of interest. a system controller comprising a system controller; a storage memory connected to the system controller and storing a procedure for controlling the procedure for setting the region of interest; an ultrasonic image, a pattern image indicating the cursor position, and A DSC circuit that superimposes the pattern image indicating the fixed point and the fitting curve image, and the superimposed ultrasonic image, the slam image at the cursor position, the pattern image of the fixed point, and the fitting curve image are the same. It is equipped with a display that shows images on the screen.

(Function) In the present invention, a storage memory is connected between the operation console and the DSC circuit, and the graphics control circuit and the CPU
By simply specifying multiple fixed points indicating the boundaries of the region of interest on the console, the system controller automatically draws and corrects all fitting curves that pass through these specified fixed points. This makes it easy and highly accurate.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the region of interest setting device of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 3. 1 is a block diagram of the apparatus, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a process diagram illustrating an example of drawing a curve.

That is, this region of interest setting device includes an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving circuit 2 to which a detection circuit 3 and a transmitting/receiving control circuit 6 are connected. An ultrasonic probe 1 consisting of a large number of ultrasonic transducers is sequentially connected to a DSC circuit 4 that performs superposition processing of an ultrasonic image, a cursor slam image, a fixed point pattern image, and a curve image;
A display 5 that is connected to the SC circuit 4 and displays the superimposed image, and a DSC control circuit 7 that controls the DSC circuit 4; and a DSC control circuit 7 that is connected to the DSC control circuit 7 and controls the procedure for setting the region of interest. A system controller 8 comprising a CPU 8a and a graphics control circuit 8b that outputs a display pattern image of a cursor, a pattern image of a fixed point, and a curved image, and an operation console connected to the system controller 8 and having switch means and a trackball (not shown). 10 and a storage memory 9 in which a procedure for controlling the procedure for setting a region of interest is stored (see FIG. 1).

Next, the operation of the region of interest setting device having such a configuration is as follows.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, when an operator requests processing for setting a region of interest using a switch means or the like in the operation console 10, the system controller 8
The CPU 8 in the system controller 8 executes the procedure for controlling the region of interest setting procedure stored in the storage memory 9.
Set it so that it can be executed by a. Next, the system controller 8 outputs data on the display pattern and display position of the cursor from the graphics control circuit 8b in the system controller 8 to the DSC control circuit 7, and initializes the cursor for setting the region of interest. display at the position (step Sl). The DSC control circuit 7 controls the DSC 56 circuit to perform superimposition processing on the ultrasonic image so that the input display pattern or the manually input display position is displayed. The images that have undergone the superimposition process are then displayed on the display 5,
The operator recognizes the position of the cursor that moves in response to trackball operations. When the operator operates the trackball on the console 10, the system controller 8 inputs the amount of change from the console 10 and calculates the updated position of the cursor. The updated position is outputted to the DSC control circuit 7 again to erase the current cursor.
A cursor is displayed at the updated position through the same procedure as described above. By performing this process, the operator can move the cursor on the ultrasound image (step S2).
. When the operator moves the cursor to the position of the point on the curve indicating the region of interest, the operator presses a specific switch on the operation panel 10 (step S3).

The system controller 8 inputs the information, recognizes that the position of a point indicating the region of interest is fixed, generates a turn around the fixed point, and places it at the current cursor. It is output to the DSC control circuit 7 together with the position information. The above-mentioned process is executed, and the display 5 shows
The ultrasonic image, the pattern image indicating the cursor, and the pattern image indicating the fixed point are displayed in a superimposed manner (step S4).
). The operator repeats the above operations to set a plurality of fixed point pattern images indicating the region of interest (step 85).
(See Figure 3C). When the setting work is completed, the operator presses a specific switch on the operation console 10 to give an instruction to complete the setting work. The system controller 8 inputs this information from the console 10. Then, a curve passing through the fixed point pattern image set so far is generated (step S6). This method uses algorithms studied in the field of mathematics.

For example, this is an algorithm that fits curves such as spiral curves. In order to display the fitted curve on the display 5, the system controller 8 outputs the coordinates of consecutive points on the curve from the graphics control circuit 8b to the DSC control circuit 7. The DSC control circuit 7 displays buoys 1 . The curved image E and the ultrasonic image are superimposed and displayed (see Figure 3). If the operator desires the displayed fitting curve, he or she presses a specific switch on the console 10 to execute the next process (for example, measurement process) (step S7). The system controller 8 calls a procedure from the storage memory 9 to execute the designated processing function, and executes the designated processing based on the information on the fitting curve (step S8). If the fitting curve is not as desired, the operator
Press the specific switch on 0 and use the trackball to add, delete, and move the fixed point pattern image (step S9, see FIG. 3C). Then, the fitting curve image E is generated and displayed again (see FIG. 3C). This operation and processing are repeated until the desired fitting curve image E is obtained.

Further, in this case, a plurality of fitting curve generation algorithms are prepared so that the operator can arbitrarily select one.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, since the system controller is interposed between the operation console and the DSC circuit, all kinds of fitting can be performed by specifying a plurality of fixed points indicating the boundaries of the region of interest. The drawing and modification of the curve is automatically performed using a predetermined algorithm. Therefore, it becomes easy to set the region of interest, and its accuracy can be improved. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems can be solved by improving workability and shortening working time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is a flowchart, FIG. 3 is a process diagram showing a curve drawing method, and FIG. and fifth
The figure is a diagram showing an example of drawing a curve in a conventional example. 4...DSC circuit, 5...Display, 7...D
SC control circuit, 8... system controller, 8a.-CPU. 8b--Graphics control circuit, 9... Storage memory, 10... Operation console, D... Fixed point pattern image, E... Fitting curve image.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A control console equipped with a switching means and a pointing device such as a trackball for moving a cursor is connected to the control console, and a display pattern image of the cursor, a pattern image of a fixed point, and a display pattern image of a fixed point are passed through the fixed point, and various algorithms are used. A system controller comprising a graphics control circuit that outputs a generated fitting curve image and a CPU that controls the procedure for setting the region of interest; and a system controller that is connected to the system controller and stores the procedure for controlling the procedure for setting the region of interest. D, which is connected to a storage memory and the system controller, and performs superposition processing of the ultrasound image, the pattern image indicating the cursor position, the pattern image indicating the fixed point, and the fitting curve image;
A region of interest setting characterized by comprising an SC circuit, and a display that displays the superimposed ultrasound image, the pattern image at the cursor position, the pattern image at the fixed point, and the fitting curve image on the same screen. Device.