JPH057591A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the performing of an STC adjusting operation simply even when the direction of displaying a display image is altered. CONSTITUTION:This apparatus includes a plurality of STC switches 11, 12, 13 and 14 for which correction levels are set in correspondence to a plurality of propagation distances to correct a drip in brightness in a monitor 28 for an ultrasonic image associated with attenuation corresponding to the propagation distance of an ultrasonic wave, a vertical inversion switch 21 to alter the direction of displaying the ultrasonic image in the monitor 28 and a means to change the propagation distance corresponding to the correction levels which are set for the STC switches 11, 12, 13 and 14 according to the alteration of the display direction.

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 for displaying a B-mode image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for displaying a B-mode image, ultrasonic waves emitted from a probe equipped with a probe having a plurality of transducers in accordance with an electrical excitation signal generate an acoustic impedance in a subject. This is a device for visualizing the morphology of an organ by brightness-modulating the reflected wave by utilizing the property that the reflected wave is reflected by the boundary surface having a difference between the two and the reflected wave returns to the vibrator again.

Here, the ultrasonic waves emitted from the probe gradually spread as they pass through the inside of the subject (in the medium), and the strength of the ultrasonic waves weakens in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the probe, that is, attenuation. It has the property. Therefore, if the electric signal converted according to the intensity of the reflected wave returning to the probe is displayed on the monitor as it is, the brightness decreases as the distance from the probe increases, and the image is very difficult to see. there were.

Therefore, an STC adjustment function is provided to correct the electric signal according to the distance from the probe and display the brightness of the same tissue with uniform brightness regardless of the distance from the probe. This STC (Sensitivity TimeCo
The adjustment is performed by individually adjusting a plurality of STC switches that are normally set according to the distance from the probe. For example, the STC adjustment value of the STC switch for the portion 5 cm away from the probe is adjusted to 30 levels, and the STC adjustment value of the STC switch for the portion 10 cm away from the probe is adjusted to 60 levels. Here, the STC switch related to the part separated by 5 cm from the probe is referred to as the first STC switch, and 5 cm or less.
A second STC switch, a third STC switch, and an STC switch for each part apart from the probe,
It will be referred to as a fourth STC switch. 1st to 4th
STC switches are arranged on the console, and are arranged in order from the top of the console in ascending order according to the distance between the portion of the tomographic image adjusted by them and the probe.
That is, the first to fourth STC switches are arranged in this order on the console. This is because the B-mode image displayed on the monitor is usually oriented so that the image near the probe is located above the screen, so the position on the screen corresponds to the position adjusted by each STC switch. This is to facilitate the adjustment operation.

However, for example, when the probe is brought into contact with the back of the subject and an image is taken from the back of the subject, it is easier to see the portion near the probe below the monitor, and therefore the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used. The function to display the image upside down is added. However, even when the display is reversed upside down, the first STC switch is
The STC switch remains for the part separated by cm. The same applies to the other second to fourth STC switches. For this reason, when performing STC adjustment on the portion displayed below the monitor (portion close to the probe) during vertical upside-down display, it is arranged in the vertical direction according to the normal display direction before vertical upside-down display. Of the 1st to 4th STC switches, the 1st STC switch related to the STC adjustment of the portion displayed above the monitor during the non-reverse display has to be operated, which is very inconvenient.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which can easily perform STC adjustment operation even when the display direction of a display image is changed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of resetting the set value of each STC switch after the vertical reverse display based on the set value of each STC switch set before the vertical reverse display.

[0008]

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention propagates a plurality of correction levels for correcting a decrease in brightness of an ultrasonic image on a display monitor due to attenuation according to the propagation distance of ultrasonic waves. A plurality of setting means for setting corresponding to the distance, a display direction changing means for changing the display direction of the ultrasonic image on the display monitor, and a plurality of setting means for each of the plurality of setting means according to the change of the display direction. Means for changing the propagation distance corresponding to the correction level.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of STC switches for correcting the decrease in the brightness of the display monitor of the ultrasonic image due to the attenuation according to the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave is a correction target. The propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave to be generated can be changed according to the change of the display direction of the ultrasonic image on the image display monitor.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of settings are made after the display direction is changed based on the set values of the plurality of setting means set before the display direction changing means changes the display direction of the ultrasonic image. The correction level set by the means can be changed.

[0011]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a monitor and a console of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus capable of displaying a B-mode image which is a tomographic image of a subject, and its scanning method is any one of a linear scanning method, a convex scanning method, a sector scanning method and the like. It may be a system.

As shown in FIG. 2, normally, the monitor 28 and the console 30 are arranged at positions close to each other, and the operator sees the display image of the monitor 28 and the console 3
Operate various switches on 0. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus captures an ultrasonic wave transmitted and received from a probe (not shown) abutting on the body surface of the subject as an electric signal, visualizes the electric signal, and then displays an ultrasonic tomographic image on the monitor 28. To do. The display direction of the ultrasonic tomographic image on the monitor 28 is usually determined so that the portion close to the probe is displayed upward. The console 30 includes various switches 31 such as an initial condition setting switch, a display mode selection switch, and a measurement-related switch, a trackball 32 for moving a display cursor for measurement, and an ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the monitor 28. Upside down switch 21 to specify the display direction
And an STC switch group 10 for adjusting the STC of the ultrasonic tomographic image. The STC switch group 10 has a plurality of STC switches, and here, four STC switches are provided.
Switches, namely the first STC switch 11 and the second S
TC switch 12, third STC switch 13, and fourth
It has an STC switch 14. These STC switches 11, 12, 13, and 14 are slide-type switches that can be moved in the direction of arrow P. When they are moved to the right on the paper surface, their adjustment levels are high, and when they are moved to the left, their adjustment levels are low. It is provided in. Of course, the adjustment level may be reversed. The first STC switch 11 is an S part of the portion that is separated from the probe by, for example, 5 cm.
A switch for TC adjustment, a second STC switch 12 is a switch for STC adjustment of a portion separated from the probe by, for example, 10 cm, and a third STC switch 13 is a switch for STC adjustment of a portion separated by, for example, 15 cm from the probe. The fourth STC switch 14 is a switch related to STC adjustment of a portion apart from the probe by a distance of, for example, 20 cm. These 1S
The vertical relationship of the arrangement of the TC switch 11 to the fourth STC switch 14 and the vertical relationship of the monitor 28 are the same, and the first STC switch 11 to the fourth STC switch 14 are arranged in this order from the upper side to the lower side of the console 30. There is. This is because a portion close to the probe is usually displayed above the monitor 28, and accordingly, the STC switch group 10 is also arranged in order from the STC switch relating to the portion close to the probe.

The upside down switch 21 is a switch for designating the display direction of the ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the monitor 28. Normally, a portion close to the probe is displayed above the monitor 28, but it may be easier to make a diagnosis by displaying it upside down depending on the contact direction of the probe with respect to the subject. FIG. 3 is an ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the monitor 28 when the upside down switch 21 is operated to vertically invert the ultrasonic tomographic image and a portion near the probe is displayed below the monitor 28. . Conventionally, the first STC switch 11 is a switch related to STC adjustment of a portion apart from the probe by, for example, 5 cm even when the display is reversed upside down, and the other STC switches 12, 13, 14 are used.
However, the target part does not change. Therefore, the vertical relationship of the monitor 28 and the vertical relationship of the arrangement of the STC switches 11, 12, 13, and 14 are reversed, which is very inconvenient.

1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The control circuit 22 receives a signal for instructing normal display or vertical inversion display from the vertical inversion switch 21, supplies the normal display signal or the vertical inversion display signal to the STC reading circuit 23 and the motor control circuit 24, and at the same time, stores the video RAM 25. The image data and STC waveform data in the STC waveform memory 26 are read out. Further, it has a memory (not shown), which stores the set value read by the STC reading circuit 23, and outputs a control signal to the motor control circuit 24 in accordance with the stored set value when vertically inverted.

The STC reading circuit 23 is the STC switch 1
Each set value of 1, 12, 13, and 14 is read, and the set value data is output to the control circuit 22 and the STC waveform memory 26. When a vertically inverted display signal is input from the control circuit 22, the STC reading circuit 23 causes the STC switch 1
The STC adjustment parts 1, 12, 13, and 14 are recognized in the opposite way to the normal display. That is, the first STC switch 11 related to the position closest to the probe is a switch related to STC adjustment of the part farthest away from the probe at a distance of 20 cm, and the second STC switch 12 is related to STC adjustment at a part separated from the probe by 15 cm. The third STC switch 13 is a switch for STC adjustment of a portion 10 cm away from the probe, and the fourth STC switch 14 is a switch 20 from the probe.
Recognized as a switch for STC adjustment of the part separated by a distance of cm. As a result, the STC of the portion close to the probe displayed below the monitor 28 during the upside down display.
The STC switch for adjustment is the fourth lowest switch.
It becomes the STC switch 14, and the positional relationship of each STC switch and the vertical relationship of the monitor 28 can be matched.

The motor control circuit 24 receives the control signal from the control circuit 22 and displays the step motor 11 at the time of upside down display.
1, 121, 131, 141 are driven to change the adjustment values of the STC switches 11, 12, 13, 14.

The STC waveform memory 26 has several STs in advance.
The C waveform is stored and the STC waveform corresponding to the set value data input from the STC reading circuit 23 is selectively read. The horizontal axis of this STC waveform is the distance from the probe, and the vertical axis is the STC adjustment value. STC switch 11,
The STC adjustment values that can be set for each of 12, 13, and 14 are targeted at the portion at intervals of 5 cm from the probe, so the adjustment values that are not set for the portions other than the distance from the probe are set by the STC waveform. Complement.

The video RAM 25 stores the ultrasonic image data obtained by the B-mode processing unit 41 based on the reflected echo signal obtained by the probe 40, and the ultrasonic image is obtained according to the read signal input from the control circuit 22. Output the data. The ultrasonic image data output from the video RAM 25 is read out in the order corresponding to the vertically inverted display or the non-inverted display.

The adder circuit 27 stores the brightness value of the ultrasonic image data supplied from the video RAM 25 and the STC waveform memory 2
The adjustment value supplied from 6 is added, and the ultrasonic image data after the addition is output to the monitor 28. Monitor 28
Displays the ultrasonic image data.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus constructed as above will be described. FIG. 4 shows each STC switch 11, 12, 13, which is set when a certain image is not reversed.
14 shows the set positions of the STC switches 14, and FIG. 5 shows the STC switches 11, 12, 13, 1 when the same image is displayed upside down.
4 shows the set position.

The operator operates each STC switch 11, 12, 13, and 14 while observing the ultrasonic image in the non-reverse display to correct the decrease in the brightness of the ultrasonic image caused by the attenuation of the ultrasonic wave. Here, the STC switch 11 is 30
The level is set, and the STC switches 12, 13, and 14 are also set to 60 level, 90 level, and 0 level, respectively. Each set value data of the STC switches 11, 12, 13, and 14 is read by the STC reading circuit 23 and supplied to a memory (not shown) of the control circuit 22 and the STC waveform memory 26. In the STC waveform memory 26, when the set value data is input from the STC reading circuit 23, the STC waveform corresponding to the set value data is selected. And video R
The ultrasonic image data stored in the AM 25 and the STC waveform selected by the STC waveform memory 26 are controlled by the control circuit 22.
Is output to the addition circuit 27 under the control of the above, and after the addition processing, the ultrasonic image data is sent to the monitor 28, and the ultrasonic image in which the influence of the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves is corrected is displayed.

Next, when the operator displays the ultrasonic image displayed on the monitor 28 upside down, the operator operates the upside down switch 21. When the control circuit 22 receives an instruction for up / down reversal display from the up / down reversing switch 21, it instructs the STC reading circuit 23 to recognize each STC adjustment part of the STC switches 11, 12, 13, and 14 in the opposite manner to the case of the normal display. give. That is, the STC switch 11 is a switch for STC adjustment in a portion 20 cm away from the probe, the second STC switch 12 is a switch for STC adjustment in a portion 15 cm away from the probe, and the third STC switch 13 is 10 cm from the probe.
Is defined as a switch related to STC adjustment of a portion apart from the probe, and the fourth STC switch 14 is defined to be recognized as a switch related to STC adjustment of a portion separated from the probe by 5 cm. It also sends a control signal to the motor control circuit 24 to instruct the amount of movement of each step motor 111, 121, 131, 141. This control signal is adjusted at the time of non-inverted display, and the set value of the STC switch 11 stored in the memory (not shown) of the control circuit 22 is used as the set value of the STC switch 14 to move the slide position of the STC switch 14 and the STC switch. A signal for moving the slide position of the STC switch 13 using the set value of 12 as the set value of the STC switch 13, and a signal for moving the slide position of the STC switch 12 with the set value of the STC switch 13 as the set value of the STC switch 12, The set value of the STC switch 14 is set as the set value of the STC switch 11 by S
And a signal for moving the slide position of the TC switch 11. The motor control circuit 24 outputs a drive signal corresponding to the control signal to each step motor switch 111, 121, 1
31 and 141 are supplied. Step motor switch 11
1, 121, 131, 141 are driven by the drive signals, and as shown in FIG. 5, STC switches 11, 12, 1,
Set 3 and 14. That is, set the STC switch 11 to 0
To the level, the STC switches 12, 13 and 14 are moved to 90 level, 60 level and 30 level, respectively. That is, it is set exactly opposite to the set value at the time of non-inversion. Then, the set value is read by the STC reading circuit 23, the STC waveform is selected by the STC waveform memory 26, the brightness of the ultrasonic image data in the video RAM 25 is corrected, and the result is displayed on the monitor 28 as in the non-inversion mode. Here, when operating the STC switches 11, 12, 13, and 14 after turning upside down, the STC switch corresponding to the portion displayed on the lower side of the monitor 28 is the STC switch 14 arranged at the bottom even after turning upside down. In other STC switches as well, the display relationship of the monitor 28 and the arrangement relationship of the STC switches match, which makes it very easy to operate.

As described above, according to the present invention, the STC level set during the non-reverse display can be reset according to the display direction during the reverse display, and further, the display direction during the reverse display and the arrangement direction of the STC switches. Can be matched with.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, although the STC switch of the above embodiment is a slide type switch, the current set value of the STC level is indicated by the display position of the light emitting element such as a light emitting diode,
Even in the case where the level is adjusted by the up / down switch, the display position of the luminous body is changed instead of moving the slide position of the STC switch in the reverse display, and the STC level set in the non-reverse display is displayed in the reverse display. You may make it reset according to the display direction of.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, each of the plurality of STC switches for correcting the decrease in the brightness of the display monitor of the ultrasonic image due to the attenuation according to the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave is an object of correction. Provided is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of changing the propagation distance of an ultrasonic wave according to a change in the display direction of the ultrasonic image on the image display monitor, and as a result, performing STC adjustment operation easily. be able to.

Further, according to the present invention, the correction set by the plurality of setting means after the display direction is changed based on the set values of the plurality of setting means set before the display direction changing means changes the display direction of the ultrasonic image. It is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which the level can be changed, and as a result, the setting value of each STC switch can be reset after the upside down display based on the setting value of each STC switch set before the upside down display. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a monitor and a console of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display direction of a monitor image during reverse display.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a set position of an STC switch group in a non-reverse display.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the setting positions of the STC switch group during reverse display.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... STC switch group, 11 ... first STC switch,
12 ... 2nd STC switch, 13 ... 3rd STC switch, 14 ... 4th STC switch, 21 ... Vertical inversion switch, 22 ... Control circuit, 23 ... STC reading circuit, 24 ... Motor control circuit, 25 ... Video RAM, 26 ... STC waveform Memory, 27 ... Adder circuit, 28 ... Monitor.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of setting means for setting a correction level corresponding to a plurality of propagation distances for correcting a decrease in brightness of an ultrasonic image on a display monitor due to attenuation according to the propagation distance of the ultrasonic waves, Display direction changing means for changing the display direction of the ultrasonic image on the display monitor, and means for changing the propagation distance corresponding to the correction level set by each of the plurality of setting means according to the change of the display direction. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: 2. A correction set by the plurality of setting means after changing the display direction based on a set value of the plurality of setting means set before changing the display direction of the ultrasonic image by the display direction changing means. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for changing a level.