JPH0489039A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow an operator to easily judge the possibility of restenosis without calculating the area ratio by providing an area ratio calculating means of areas of multiple regions of a ultrasonic tomographic image and an area ratio display means. CONSTITUTION:A ultrasonic observation device 15 with a B-mode ultrasonic diagnostic function, which is constituted of a transmitting/receiving circuit 12 having a transmitting circuit transmitting a signal exciting ultrasonic waves to a probe 1 and a receiving circuit amplifying the received signal, a DSC 13 converting the signal from it into an image signal for display, and a CRT 14 displaying the output signal, is provided. A region specifying means 16 consisting of a light pen or a track ball specifying optional multiple regions on the CRT 14, an intra-region area calculating means 17 counting the number of picture elements in the specified region and determining the area, an intra- region area ratio calculating means 18 calculating the ratio of multiple areas calculated by the intra-region area calculating means 17, and an area ratio display means 19 displaying the area ratio calculated by the intra-region area ratio calculating means 18 are provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with means for calculating the ratio of a plurality of cross-sectional areas of a tubular portion such as a blood vessel.

[Prior Art] In recent years, a device has been proposed that can obtain information on blood vessel walls and thrombus by inserting an ultrasound probe into a blood vessel and transmitting and receiving ultrasound from within the blood vessel to obtain ultrasound tomographic images. ing.

At this time, the ratio S2/S1 of the cross-sectional area within the thrombus wall (referred to as Sl) and the cross-sectional area of the thrombus portion (referred to as S2) is used to estimate the possibility that restenosis will occur after the laser treatment with the balloon dilator. This is an extremely important indicator for

For example, there is a clinical report that when the ratio S2/Sl falls below 25%, the restenosis (occurrence) rate after the above-mentioned therapeutic procedure becomes extremely high.

A conventional example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-699 proposes a system for measuring cross-sectional areas at multiple locations. In this conventional example, a plurality of cross-sectional areas can be obtained in order to determine the volume of the heart or the like.

Therefore, in order to obtain the ratio S 2 /S 1 , the user must perform calculations using the cross-sectional areas obtained individually.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the conventional example, the ratio S2/Sl cannot be found unless the user (such as a doctor) calculates the ratio.

If this calculation was done in the operating room, it would be very complicated.
There was a drawback that it hindered the smooth operation of the surgery.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can automatically calculate the ratios of a plurality of cross-sectional areas and notify a doctor of the results.

[Means and effects for solving the problem] In FIG. 1 showing the concept of the present invention, an ultrasonic echo signal obtained by a probe 1 is processed by a transfer circuit section of a wave transmitting/receiving circuit 2 and converted into a DSC (Digital SC).
anning Converter) 3 to CRT
The ultrasonic tomographic image is displayed on the display screen 4. This DSC
The signal No. 3 is input to the area detection means 5, which detects the closed areas on the ultrasonic tomographic image, and the cross-sectional area ratios of the plurality of closed areas are calculated by the area ratio calculation and display means 6.
The ratio between them is displayed.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

Figures 2 to 4 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention;
The figure shows the general configuration of the first embodiment, FIG. 3 shows an ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on a CRT, and FIG. 4 shows the processing contents of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 of the first embodiment includes an (ultrasonic) probe 11 that is installed in a probe (not shown) that can be inserted into a blood vessel and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. A wave transmitting/receiving circuit 12 includes a wave transmitting circuit that transmits a signal for exciting ultrasonic waves to the probe 11, and a transfer circuit that amplifies the signal received by the probe 11; D converting the signal from the wave transmitting/receiving circuit 12 into a video signal for display
SC1B and CR that displays the output signal of this DSClB
In addition to the ultrasonic observation device 15 equipped with a B-mode ultrasonic diagnostic function consisting of T4, an area specifying means 16 consisting of a light pen or a rack ball or the like for specifying any plurality of areas on the CRT 14; an area calculating means 17 for calculating the area by counting the number of pixels in the area specified by the area specifying means 16; and an area calculating means 17 for calculating the ratio of a plurality of areas calculated by the area calculating means 17; It is composed of an inner area ratio calculation means 18 and an area ratio display means 19 for displaying the area ratio calculated by the inner area ratio calculation means 18.

By inserting a probe into a blood vessel and transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves from the probe 11, an ultrasonic tomographic image of the blood vessel as shown in FIG. 3, for example, is displayed on the CRT 14.

In FIG. 3, the innermost area A2 represents a blood portion, and the outer area A1 represents a thrombus portion. show.

Therefore, when the doctor specifies the area for which the area ratio is to be calculated using a light ben or a trackball on the ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the CRT 14, the area ratio S2/ Sl can be displayed on the CRT 14.

For example, specify the area A1 along the blood vessel inner wall 21, then specify the boundary of the blood portion, and specify the area A1 of the blood portion.
Perform step stl to specify 2. Then, the internal area calculation means 17 calculates the area Al as shown in step st2.
The number of pixels inside is counted, and the count value S1 is stored in a memory (not shown). Also, as shown in step st3, the number of pixels in area A2 is counted, and the count value S2 is
is stored in a memory (not shown). After this step S73, the area ratio calculation means 18 calculates the ratio S2 of each value S1 and S2 stored in the memory as shown in step st4.
/Sl is calculated, and the value K of the ratio S2/S1 is calculated.

Thereafter, the area ratio display means 19 displays this value K on the CRT 14 as shown in step st5.

According to this first embodiment, when the operator manually sets and inputs the boundaries of the regions for which the area ratio is desired, the cross-sectional area of each region is calculated, and the area ratio of each region is calculated. The results will be displayed. Therefore, the operator does not need to calculate the area ratio.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a mechanical radial scanning type device for obtaining a B-mode image.

In the first embodiment, the area range was manually specified, but in the second embodiment, the area of each area is automatically calculated, and the area ratio is calculated automatically. It is displayed as follows.

The (ultrasonic) transducer 31 has an encoder 32 attached thereto, is rotationally driven by a scanner 33, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves each time it is rotated, for example, once.

The output signal (ultrasonic echo signal) of the transducer 31 is input to the timer 34, and as shown in FIG.
Echo return time t2. tl are measured and these times t2. tl is input to the calculator 35, and the time ratio t2/ll
The square value (t2/11)2 is calculated at each rotation angle, and the average value thereof is displayed on the CRT 36.

The encoder 32, scanner 33, timer 34, etc. operate under the control of the controller 37.

The operation of this second embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIG.

An ultra-thin diameter ultrasound probe is inserted into the blood vessel.

FIG. 6(a) shows the position of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe at the origin 0. A closed loop around this indicates the boundary BO between the blood vessel and the thrombus, and a closed loop outside of this indicates the inner wall 21 of the blood vessel.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the ultrasonic transducer is rotated by a minute angle Δθ6 around the origin 0 while transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

The distance from the origin 0 to the blood vessel inner wall 21 is 11, and the distance to the boundary BO between blood and thrombus is 12. After transmitting the ultrasound, it hits the blood vessel inner wall 21 and is reflected as shown in FIG. 6(b). Time for echo to return tl, boundary BO between blood and thrombus
If the time it takes for the reflected echo to return after being hit is t2, then j! 2/11=t2/11. Area Al and A2 area △S within minute angle Δθ
The ratio of l and △S2 is △S2/△S1-△θ(j!2)2/△θ(fl)2-
(j!2/11)2, and the area ratio S2/Sl for 360° is 32/
l's1= f'' (p, 2/fl) 2aθ.If the small angle △θ is, for example, 1 degree, then S2/Sl-
Σ(t2/11) 2/360. Therefore, while rotating once with the scanner 33, (t2/ll)2
By adding the value K and dividing by 360 to obtain the average value, the ratio between the area of the blood vessel inner wall 21 and the area of the blood portion can be obtained.

FIG. 7 shows the process of calculating the area ratio and displaying it on the CRT 36.

When the area ratio display operation starts, the area ratio parameter S is reset to 0 in step st1.

Next, as shown in step st2, after transmitting the ultrasound, the timer 34 measures the time tl and t2 for the ultrasound echo signal to return from the blood vessel inner wall 21 and the boundary BO between the blood vessel and the thrombus.
Next, the time tl measured as shown in step st3,
The square of the ratio of t2 is calculated by the calculator 35, and S
(in this case, 0), and let that value be S. After completing this accumulation, the scanner 33 determines whether or not it has rotated by one degree (5t4), and has rotated 360° St5.
Therefore, the process returns to step st2 and the value of S is determined. Repeat this until the rotation is 36°. After finding the value of S at an angle of 36o°, step st6
The average value K is obtained by dividing S by 360 as shown in , and this value K is displayed on the CRT 36 as shown in step st7, and the process ends.

According to this second embodiment, the minute area ratio of each area is automatically calculated every time the area is rotated by a minute angle, and then when the area is rotated by 360 degrees, the area ratio of both areas is calculated and displayed on the CRT 36. .

Therefore, the operator can know the result of the area ratio from the CRT 36 without having to manually set the boundaries of each area.

In this second embodiment, once the scanner 33 has made one revolution, the operation for determining the area ratio value K may be finished; however, if the scanner 33 continues to rotate, the above operation is repeated for each revolution. It is clear that you can do this as well.

Further, the operator may be notified of the judgment result as to whether the value of K is greater than or equal to a certain value.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since a means for calculating the ratio of cross-sectional areas and a display means for displaying the value are provided,
The operator does not have to calculate the ratio, making it easier to determine the possibility of restenosis.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 4 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional area of a blood vessel displayed on a CRT, FIG. 4 is a flowchart diagram showing the processing contents of the first embodiment, and FIGS. 5 to 7 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of the second embodiment, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for determining the area ratio, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the second embodiment. 1... Probe 2... Transmission/reception circuit 3.
・・DSC 4 ・CRT 5 ・ Area detection means 6 ・ Area ratio display means

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that displays an ultrasonic tomographic image, comprising: an area ratio calculation unit that calculates a ratio of areas of a plurality of regions in an ultrasonic tomographic image; and an area ratio display that displays the area ratio. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by comprising: means.