JPH05228139A - Ultrasonic diagnostic system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To satisfactorily execute an access to an examinee, and to enhance the diagnostic efficiency by separating a main body and an operating part, and providing an operating panel for inputting an ultrasonic diagnostic condition to the operation part, an ultrasonic blow part and a monitor. CONSTITUTION:This ultrasonic diagnostic system is separated into a main body 1 in which a power source circuit and a CPU, etc., are contained and an operating part 2, and both of them are connected electrically by a connecting cable 6 being a signal transfer means 10. In the main body 1 and the operating part 2, wheels 7, 8 are provided so that they can move independently, respectively, and also, connecting parts 9a, 9b are provided so that both of them are connected mutually and can be moved integrally. Also, the operating part 2 is constituted by providing an ultrasonic probe 3 for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave, an operating panel 4 provided with a condition setting key for setting ultrasonic diagnostic conditions such as a display mode, an image condition or the kind of the ultrasonic probe, etc., and an operating key for executing an operation such as picture recording, etc., and a monitor 5 for displaying an obtained ultrasonic image.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus with improved access to a subject.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is widely used for diagnosing a heart, a fetus, etc. because it can safely obtain a tomographic image of a soft tissue of a living body by using an ultrasonic pulse reflection method.

The tomographic image display using such an ultrasonic pulse reflection method is a so-called B-mode display method, which is the main display method in the current ultrasonic diagnosis.

Further, the M-mode display in which a temporal change in the position of a reflection source in the direction of an ultrasonic beam is regarded as a temporal change in a reflected wave and is displayed as a motion curve is also widely used for diagnosis of the heart and the like.

Recently, a color Doppler tomography method has also been used in which blood flow information is two-dimensionally displayed in real time.

As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has dramatically improved its function, but on the other hand, the scale of the apparatus has become larger and larger.

[0007]

On the other hand, if various medical devices are already provided around the bed of the subject or the space between adjacent beds is narrow, a large ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is installed in the subject. It may be difficult to get close to your bed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which access to a subject is improved.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has an ultrasonic tomographic image, a color Doppler tomographic image, etc. by scanning ultrasonic waves as described in claim 1. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining an ultrasonic image of the above, while the main body and the operating section are separated and connected to each other by a signal transmitting means, an operating panel for inputting ultrasonic diagnostic conditions to the operating section and an ultrasonic wave It is provided with at least an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave and a monitor for displaying an ultrasonic image.

[0010]

[Operation] While the main body and the operating section are separated and connected to each other by the signal transmitting means, an operating panel for inputting ultrasonic diagnostic conditions to the operating section, an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and an ultrasonic image are displayed. It is possible to improve access to the subject by including at least the monitor.

[0011]

Embodiments of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment separates the main body 1 and the operating portion 2 from each other so that they can be operated with a predetermined distance therebetween. It is electrically connected by a connection cable 6 as a transmission means 10.

The main body 1 and the operating portion 2 are provided with wheels 7 and 8 so that they can move independently of each other, and a connecting portion 9 that can be connected to each other so that both can move integrally.
The main body 1 and the operation unit 2 are provided with a and 9b, respectively.

The connecting portion 9a is a connecting portion 9 provided on the operating portion 2.
It is preferable to provide the height position corresponding to b.

The operation unit 2 is connected to the ultrasonic probe 3.

Further, the operation unit 2 is provided with an operation panel 4 having condition setting keys for setting ultrasonic diagnostic conditions such as a display mode, image conditions or ultrasonic probe types, and operation keys for performing operations such as recording. There is.

The above-mentioned display modes include B mode, M mode, Doppler, color Doppler, etc., image conditions include sensitivity and depth, and the type of ultrasonic probe depends on resolution or inspection depth. There are various types due to the difference in frequency and the difference in scanning method such as linear scanning, sector scanning and convex scanning.

Further, the operation unit 2 includes a monitor 5 for displaying the obtained ultrasonic image.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, in order to make the operating section 2 small and lightweight, a relatively heavy power supply circuit 11 is provided in the main body 1, and a predetermined electric power is supplied to the operating section 2 via the power supply cable 12. It is supposed to be supplied.

Further, the main body 1 is provided with a reference signal generator 13, and the operation unit 2 is provided via a reference signal supply cable 14.
A reference clock pulse is sent to.

The power supply circuit 11 and the reference signal generator 13 are also provided.
Supplies electric power and a reference clock pulse to each circuit constituting the main body 1, but in FIG. 2, the supply destination is omitted for convenience.

The ultrasonic probe 3 provided in the operating section 2 is composed of N piezoelectric elements, and other kinds of ultrasonic probes 3a can be connected instead.

For the ultrasonic probe, for example, when diagnosing the heart or the like, a sector scanning type which looks into the intercostal space is selected,
When diagnosing the abdomen, a linear scanning type having a large visual field near the body surface or a sector scanning type having a wide long-distance visual field may be selected.

As described above, the desired ultrasonic probe can be input as a control signal from the operation panel 4, and the input control signal is transmitted through the switch 15 and the control circuit 16 to the probe switch. Then, the probe switch 17 is switched to the ultrasonic probe corresponding to the received control signal.

The ultrasonic probe 3 or 3a is adapted to sequentially oscillate ultrasonic waves from N piezoelectric elements in response to a high voltage pulse sent from the transmitter 18 through the probe switch 17. The transmitter 18 is configured to generate a high voltage pulse to each piezoelectric element.

That is, the transmitting section 18 is provided with N transmitting circuits.

The control circuit 16 drives and controls the transmitter 18 so that the transmitter 18 generates a high voltage pulse according to a predetermined delay time.

The operation unit 2 further amplifies each reception signal received by the N piezoelectric elements built in the ultrasonic probe 3 or 3a by the preamplifier 19, and the amplified reception signal is received by the reception delay unit 20 to form a single signal. It is designed to be put together into a signal.

That is, the reception delay unit 20 includes the control circuit 1
According to the delay time received from 6, each of the N received signals from the preamplifier 19 is added to one received signal.

The reception delay section 20 sends the reception signal added according to the delay time to the main body 1.

As described above, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment, the reception delay unit 20 in which the number of lines is changed from N to 1 in order to minimize the number of lines that must be connected by the signal transmission means 10. The main body 1 and the operating portion 2 are separated on the downstream side of the.

The main body 1 uses the reception signal received from the reception delay unit 20 through the reception signal cable 21 to transmit the signal B
B-mode signal processing unit 22 for creating a mode tomographic image
And a Doppler unit 23 that creates color Doppler information.

The color Doppler tomographic method two-dimensionally displays blood flow information in real time, and at a glance, the direction of blood flow and the state of abnormal blood flow such as backflow can be known.

The Doppler unit 23 carries out frequency analysis of the blood flow Doppler signal in the ultrasonic beam direction, and the MTI operation for removing unnecessary fixed reflection signals such as the heart wall in order to efficiently detect the blood flow Doppler signal. And a section.

The main body 1 further includes a B mode signal processing section 2
2. A digital scan converter 24 (hereinafter referred to as DSC 24) that receives B-mode information and color Doppler information from the Doppler unit 23, synthesizes the received information, and converts the scanning method from ultrasonic scanning to television scanning is provided.

The DSC 24 sends the converted received signal to the monitor 5 provided in the operation section 2 via the monitor cable 25.

The main body 1 also includes a Doppler 23 and a DSC 24.
The CPU 26 is provided with the arithmetic processing required for the above.

The CPU 26 also receives the above-mentioned control signal sent from the operation panel 4 via the switch 15, the control signal cable 27, and the switch 28, and calculates the delay time and the like in accordance with this control signal. The calculated result is sent as a control signal to the control circuit 16 via the switch 28, the control signal cable 27, and the switch 15.

The control circuit 16 uses the CPU 2 as described above.
The transmission unit 18 is driven and controlled according to the delay time as the control signal received from the control unit 6, and this delay time is also sent to the reception delay unit 20.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment is configured to send and receive control signals between the main body 1 and the operating section 2 via the control signal cable 27 during so-called blanking time.

The blanking time is the time during which the ultrasonic image is not displayed on the monitor 5.

When transmitting and receiving the control signal, noise is generated from a cable or the like through which the control signal passes, and when this noise is received by the ultrasonic probe, the quality of the obtained ultrasonic image deteriorates.

Since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment is divided into the main body 1 and the operating section 2, the control signal cable 27 connecting them becomes long, and as a result, the generated noise becomes large.

Therefore, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment is
The switches 15 and 28 are configured to be freely switchable between a control signal transmission / reception mode and a control signal cutoff mode, and are switched to the control signal cutoff mode while the ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 5. Then, the control signal is prevented from flowing through the control signal cable 27, and the switching devices 15 and 28 are switched to the control signal transmission / reception mode during the blanking time during which the ultrasonic image is not displayed on the monitor 5. A control signal is sent to the cable 27.

With this configuration, while the ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 5, the ultrasonic probe 3 or 3 is displayed.
There is no possibility that a picks up noise due to the control signal.

The reference signal cable 14, the monitor cable 25, the received signal cable 21 and the control signal cable 27 are preferably combined in the connection cable 6 of FIG. 1 as the signal transmission means 10.

In order to carry out ultrasonic diagnosis of a predetermined part using the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus of this embodiment, first, the main body 1 and the operating portion 2
And the connection cable 6 are connected to each other, and the operation unit 2 is arranged near the bed of the subject.

Since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment is divided into the main body 1 and the operating section 2, the operating section 2 can be made compact and lightweight.

Therefore, the operation unit 2 is excellent in portability, the bed is already provided with other facilities and equipment, or the space between adjacent beds is narrow, so that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be installed in a small space. Also, the operation unit 2 can be easily brought to the bed of the subject.

The operation unit 2 can be designed with emphasis on the operation.

When the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment is moved, if the connecting portion 9a provided on the main body 1 and the connecting portion 9b provided on the operating portion 2 are connected to each other and integrated, It can be moved easily.

After the operation unit 2 is brought close to the bed of the subject, the examiner uses the operation panel 4 to display in the B mode, the M mode, the color Doppler display mode or the scanning method such as the linear scanning or the sector scanning. Select or enter the type of ultrasonic probe to use.

Information on the model of the selected ultrasonic probe is sent to the probe switch 17 via the switch 15 and the control circuit 16 as a control signal.
The selected ultrasonic probe 3 is connected to the transmitter 18 and the preamplifier 19, for example.

The selected display mode or scanning method is sent as a control signal to the CPU 26 via the switch 15, the control signal cable 27 and the switch 28.

At this time, the switch 15 and the switch 28
Has been switched to the control signal transmission / reception mode.

After such initial setting by the operation panel 4 is completed, the CPU 26 calculates the delay time and the like based on the above-mentioned control signal, and outputs the calculation result as the switch 28, the control signal cable 27 and the switch. It is sent to the control circuit 16 via the device 15.

The control circuit 16 drives and controls the transmitter 18 according to the received delay time.

The transmitter 18 sends a high-voltage pulse to the ultrasonic probe 3 via the probe switch 17, and the ultrasonic probe 3 oscillates ultrasonic waves from N built-in piezoelectric elements.

The oscillated ultrasonic waves are transmitted in the living body of the subject, are reflected by the boundaries having different acoustic impedances, and return to the ultrasonic probe 3 again.

The ultrasonic probe 3 sends the N received signals received from the body of the subject to the preamplifier 19 via the probe switching device 17, and the preamplifier 19 amplifies them and sends them to the reception delay unit 20.

The reception delay unit 20 receives the delay time when the ultrasonic wave is oscillated from the control circuit 16, adds N reception signals in accordance with the delay time, and adds the received signals to the reception signal. It is sent to the B-mode signal processing unit 22 and the Doppler unit 23 via the cable 21 for use.

At this time, if the selected display mode is the B mode, the received signal is sent only to the B mode signal processing section 22.

B-mode signal processing section 22 and Doppler section 23
B mode information and Doppler information created in
4, the DSC 24 converts the received signal received into a digital signal by the built-in A / D converter, and stores the converted digital signal in the built-in memory.

The DSC 24 reads the received signal stored at the timing of the television scanning which is completely different from the timing of the ultrasonic scanning, and displays the read received signal on the monitor 5.

On the other hand, the delay time used for ultrasonic oscillation is calculated in real time by the CPU 26, but while the ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 5, the switch 1
5 and the switch 28 are in the control signal cutoff mode, the control signal is not output from the CPU 26 and does not flow through the control signal cable 27.

Therefore, there is no possibility that noise will be generated from the control signal cable 27 and the ultrasonic probe 3 will pick up this noise.

During the vertical or horizontal blanking time when the ultrasonic image is not displayed on the monitor 5, the switching device 1
5 and the switch 28 are in the control signal transmission / reception mode, and the calculated delay time is used as the control signal for the control circuit 1.
Sent to 6.

After sending the control signal to the control circuit 16, the switch 15 and the switch 28 return to the control signal cutoff mode again.

The control circuit 16 drives and controls the transmitter 18 based on the received delay time, and thereafter repeats the above-described operation.

In this embodiment, the main body is provided with the B-mode signal processing section and the Doppler section, but the present invention is not limited to this, and A-mode display, B-mode display, M-mode display, Doppler display or color Doppler display is provided. The signal processing unit for display may be provided in any combination.

Alternatively, a signal processing unit corresponding to all the above-mentioned display methods is provided in the main body which is allowed to be enlarged to some extent, and the operation unit is of the optimum type for each specialized department such as obstetrics and gynecology and internal medicine. With this configuration, it is possible to replace the operation unit with a dedicated one while using the main body in common in each department, which is very convenient for ultrasonic diagnosis.

Further, in the present embodiment, the switching device is provided on both the operation section and the main body, but it may be provided on only one of them depending on circumstances.

Further, although the reception delay section of the present embodiment is described as an analog circuit, it is not limited to this and a digital circuit may be used.

In this case, the reception signal cable is a data bus corresponding to the number of bits.

Further, in this embodiment, the electric connection cable is used as the signal transmitting means between the main body and the operating portion, but an optical fiber may be used instead.

With such a configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus with less noise.

[0079]

As described above, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the main body and the operating section are separated and connected to each other by the signal transmitting means, while the ultrasonic diagnostic conditions are input to the operating section. By providing at least the operation panel, the ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and the monitor for displaying ultrasonic images, access to the subject can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Operation part 3 Ultrasonic probe 4 Operation panel 5 Monitor 6 Connection cable 9a Connection part 9b Connection part 10 Signal transmission means 15 Switching device 28 Switching device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining an ultrasonic image such as an ultrasonic tomographic image or a color Doppler tomographic image by scanning an ultrasonic wave, a main body and an operating section are separated from each other by a signal transmission means. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including at least an operation panel that is connected to each other and that inputs ultrasonic diagnostic conditions to the operation unit, an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and a monitor that displays an ultrasonic image. .. 2. The super according to claim 1, wherein a switch is provided in at least one of the main body and the operation unit, and the switch is configured to be switchable between a control signal cutoff mode and a control signal transmission / reception mode. Sound wave diagnostic device. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connecting portion that is connectable to each other is provided on the operating portion and the main body so that the main body and the operating portion can move integrally. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitting means is an optical fiber.