JPH0489037A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To observe a blood flow image over a wide range by generating the three-dimensional blood flow image based on the blood flow image by the echo signal obtained at each phase at each beam angle, and displaying the three-dimensional blood flow image. CONSTITUTION:The beam direction of a probe 1 is switched synchronously with the pulsation of a heart, and the pulsation period is time-divided at a preset interval to obtain the blood flow image data at each phase. This echo signal is fed to an image generation section 4 to generate a ultrasonic image, ultrasonic image data are stored into a matrix shape in a serial memory 6 for each phase and for each beam direction, and three-dimensional image data are generated and stored in a three-dimensional memory 9 in sequence when interpolation processing is applied to individual image data by an interpolator 7. The three-dimensional image data are extracted in sequence and fed to a three-dimensional image reconfiguration unit 12, a three-dimensional blood flow image is re-configured from the three-dimensional image data, and it is converted into analog by a D/A converter 13 and displayed on a display 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates and displays blood flow images of a subject using the color Doppler method.

(Prior Art) In recent years, as the development of ultrasonic diagnostic devices has progressed, attempts have been made to image blood flow information using the color Doppler method. The color Doppler method uses the Doppler effect of ultrasound to emit an ultrasound beam into the blood flow, obtain blood flow information from the difference between the transmitting frequency and the receiving frequency, and thereby generate a blood flow image. .

Conventionally, when taking such blood images, it is difficult to take continuous blood vessel tomographic planes because the blood vessels move with the heartbeat. It was nothing more than

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such conventional methods, the effective field of view is narrow and blood flow cannot be observed over a wide range. For this reason, it becomes difficult to discover abnormal sites such as blood retention present in blood vessels, and there is a problem in that precise ultrasound diagnosis cannot be performed.

The present invention was made to solve such conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can observe blood flow images over a wide range.

[Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problem) To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates and displays a blood flow image of a subject using the color Doppler method. beam angle control means that switches the transmission angle of the ultrasound beam every time a pulsation pulse is given; an ultrasonic probe that receives the echo signals, an image generation means that generates a blood flow image from the echo signals, and a three-dimensional blood flow image based on the blood flow images from the echo signals obtained at each time phase of each beam angle. It is characterized by comprising an image processing means for generating the three-dimensional blood flow image, and an image display means for displaying the three-dimensional blood flow image.

(Function) With the configuration as described above, the transmission angle of the ultrasound beam transmitted from the ultrasound probe is switched every time the electrocardiogram oscillator provides a pulsation pulse of the subject. Furthermore, the period of the pulsating pulse is time-divided at predetermined time intervals to generate ultrasound images for each time phase.

Therefore, even when the blood vessels move with the heartbeat, the blood vessels remain in the same position at the same time phase in each beam direction, so continuous ultrasound images of the blood flow to be imaged can be obtained. I can do it.

Since three-dimensional image data is generated by applying interpolation processing to the ultrasound images obtained at each time phase, it is possible to display the blood flow image that is the object of photography in three dimensions. Become.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

The probe 1 shown in the figure transmits an ultrasonic beam from the body surface of the subject into the body and receives the echo signals. Ultrasonic beams are transmitted in each phase.

The beam direction controller 3 switches the transmission angle of the ultrasound beam transmitted from the probe 1 in synchronization with the electrocardiogram pulse given from the electrocardiogram oscillator 2.

The image generation unit 4 generates an ultrasound image from the echo signal obtained by the probe 1, and this image data is supplied to the serial memory 6 via the changeover switch 5.

The changeover switch 5 is configured to switch the storage area of the serial memory 6 in synchronization with electrocardiogram pulses from the electrocardiogram oscillator 2.

The serial memory 6 stores the image data generated by the image generator 4 in a matrix for each beam direction and for each time phase. The stored image data is supplied to the interpolator 7 via the changeover switch 15 and then to the three-dimensional memory 9 via the changeover switch 8.

The interpolator 7 performs interpolation processing on a plurality of two-dimensional image data to create three-dimensional image data.

The three-dimensional memory 9 stores the three-dimensional image data created by the interpolator 7 for each beam direction and for each time phase.

By operating the changeover switch 10, the display controller 11 controls the three-dimensional image data stored in the three-dimensional memory 9 to be sequentially read out, and gives a display output command to the D/A converter 13. It is something.

The three-dimensional image reconstructor 12 reconstructs the three-dimensional image data from the three-dimensional memory 9 and generates a blood flow image of the subject as a three-dimensional image.

Note that the reference numeral 14 is a display.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the electrocardiogram of the subject.

As shown in the figure, this electrocardiogram shows pulsating pulses (
The beam direction controller 3 shown in FIG. 1 switches the beam direction of the probe 1 every time this R wave is generated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the beam directions from the probe 1 attached to the body surface 20 are sequentially Bo, B, B2, . Switching to B3, the ultrasonic beam is transmitted.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the generation period of each R wave is divided into four time intervals, and each time phase is represented by the symbol SO1+
It is shown as S 021 S 03... The probe 1 transmits an ultrasonic beam to the subject at each time phase.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing movement of blood vessels due to heart beats and photographing points for each time phase. As shown in the figure, the position of the blood vessel 21 moves as the heart beats, and the beam direction from the probe 1 changes from BO to B3 every time an R wave occurs, so the time phase is S. The probe 1 receives an echo signal from a point C81 when the time phase is 1, and from a point C01 when the time phase S11 is present (hereinafter, time phases and photographing points with the same suffix correspond similarly).

After this echo signal is supplied to the image generation unit 4 and an ultrasound image is generated, it is led to the changeover switch 5, and since the changeover switch 5 is switched by the R wave given from the electrocardiogram oscillator 2, it is serially transmitted. In the memory 6, ultrasound image data is stored in a matrix for each beam direction and each time phase. Thereafter, each image data stored in the serial memory 6 is sequentially output by operating the changeover switch 15, and the interpolator 7 performs interpolation processing on each image data to generate three-dimensional image data. Then, this three-dimensional image data is sequentially stored in the three-dimensional memory 9.

Further, when a command to display an ultrasound image is given from the display controller 11, the changeover switch 10 is operated to sequentially take out the three-dimensional images stored in the three-dimensional memory, and the three-dimensional image reconstructor 12 supplied to Thereafter, the three-dimensional image reconstructor 12 reconstructs a three-dimensional blood flow image from each three-dimensional image data, converts it into an analog image using the D/A converter 13, and then displays the image on the display 14.

In this way, in this embodiment, the beam direction of the probe 1 is switched in synchronization with the heartbeat, and the pulsation cycle is time-divided at predetermined intervals to obtain blood flow image data for each time phase. ing. Therefore, even if the position of the blood vessel moves with the heartbeat, the blood vessel remains at the same position at the same time phase in each beam direction, so continuous blood flow images when the blood vessel is at the same position can be obtained. Obtainable.

Further, since the blood flow image data is subjected to interpolation processing to generate three-dimensional image data, the blood flow data to be photographed can be displayed as a three-dimensional image.

Although this embodiment shows an example in which the heart beat cycle is divided into four, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this and may be divided into a plurality of parts.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, an ultrasound image is created for each beam direction and each time phase, so even when blood vessels move with the heartbeat, Continuous blood flow images at the same location can be obtained.

As a result, the effective field of view is wider than in the past, and the state of blood flow can be observed over a wide range.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a time chart 1 showing an electrocardiogram of a subject, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing switching of the beam direction of the probe, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of a blood vessel. It is an explanatory diagram showing movement and photographing points of each time phase. 1. Probe 2. Electrocardiogram oscillator 3.
...Beam direction controller 4...Image generation section 6...Serial memory 7
...Interpolator 9...Three-dimensional memory 11.
... Display controller 12 ... Three-dimensional image reconstructor

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates and displays a blood flow image of a subject using a color Doppler method, comprising: a beam angle that switches the transmission angle of an ultrasound beam every time a pulsation pulse of the subject is given; a control means; an ultrasound probe that time-divides the period of the pulsating pulse, transmits an ultrasound beam for each time phase and receives the echo signals; and an image that generates a blood flow image from the echo signals. a generating means; an image processing means for generating a three-dimensional blood flow image based on a blood flow image based on an echo signal obtained at each time phase of each beam angle; and an image display means for displaying the three-dimensional blood flow image. An ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising: