JPH06343634A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve a high speed data transmission between an ultrasonic diagnostic device and an external device in connection therewith. CONSTITUTION:In an ultrasonic diagnostic device 10, a tomographic image signal 102 is diverged and supplied to an external interface 36. In the same manner, a Doppler image signal 104 is also supplied to the same interface 36, and through it an external device 12 is connected. Two signals are transmitted in parallel at a high speed to allow increase in the data processing speed.

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 connected to an image processing apparatus or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus captures echo data by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from a living body, and based on the echo data, a tomographic image and a blood flow image (Doppler image) in the living body.
Is displayed. In recent years, three-dimensional image display devices and various image processing devices (for example, computer systems) have been proposed in response to requests for three-dimensional tissue image display and special image processing.

These image processing apparatuses are incorporated in the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and are connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as external devices. Conventionally, when an external device related to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is connected, an indicator (C
The video signal supplied to (RT) was used. That is, the video signal from the video signal output terminal is branched and supplied to the external device.

[0004]

However, regarding the processing of ultrasonic images, it is strongly desired to transmit a large amount of data to an external processing device at a high speed. However, conventional echo signals are transmitted to the external device. However, such a request cannot be met and high-speed transmission of a large amount of data cannot be realized. Further, since the tomographic image information and the Doppler image information overlap with each other in the video signal, it is difficult to separate these signals and process them individually, which imposes restrictions on the image processing.

Therefore, the conventional system cannot meet the demand for the image processing by the high-speed processing type computer device whose performance is remarkably improved.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a dedicated port for continuously transmitting high-speed tomographic image information and Doppler image information without affecting the apparatus main body. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including the.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first processing unit for inputting a received signal and outputting a tomographic image signal, and a Doppler image signal for receiving the received signal. A second processing unit for outputting, an image combining unit for inputting the tomographic image signal and the Doppler image signal to form an ultrasonic image in which the tomographic image and the Doppler image are combined, and a signal from the image combining unit. Receiving means for displaying the ultrasonic image, and means for outputting the tomographic image signal and the Doppler image signal in parallel in synchronization with each other,
An external interface including a tomographic image signal output port connected to the output terminal of the first processing unit and a Doppler image signal output port connected to the output terminal of the second processing unit. And

[0008]

According to the above construction, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is equipped with the external interface, and the external device is connected using the signal output port thereof. In that case, since the tomographic image information and the Doppler image information can be separated and transmitted at the same time, high-speed transmission can be realized.

On the other hand, in the external device, for example, after performing A / D conversion on the two input signals,
Data is stored in the memory using the data bus, and then image processing is executed. Also, by providing an A / D converter in the external interface of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is possible to store the digital signal directly in the memory via the data bus of the external apparatus.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the present invention.
Is shown, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is connected to an external device 12 that performs image processing, and these two devices constitute an ultrasonic measurement system.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10, the three-dimensional probe 14 is used, for example, in contact with the surface of a living body, and transmits ultrasonic waves to a three-dimensional area in the living body, The echo data obtained from is acquired.

The timing signal generator 16 generates a transmission timing signal 100, and the signal 100 is input to the ultrasonic trigger generator 18 and the ultrasonic trigger generator 1 is supplied.
An ultrasonic trigger signal is supplied from 8 to the three-dimensional probe 14.

On the other hand, the reception signal output from the three-dimensional probe 14 is amplified by the amplifier 20, and then the first processing section 22.
And the second processing unit 24.

The first processing section 22 processes a signal relating to the formation of a tomographic image, and is composed of a detection section 26 in this embodiment.

On the other hand, the second processing section 24 is for processing the Doppler signal to form a Doppler image signal, and comprises a quadrature detection section 28 for performing quadrature detection and a color calculation section 30 for performing autocorrelation calculation. Has been done. The tomographic image signal 102 output from the first processing unit 22 is supplied to a digital scan converter (hereinafter referred to as DSC) 32, and the tomographic image and the Doppler image are combined by the DSC to be an ultrasonic image and displayed on a display device. Sent to 34.

The above configuration is almost the same as that of the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the characteristic configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.

The tomographic image signal 102 output from the first processing unit 22 is branched and supplied to the external interface 36. The Doppler image signal 104 output from the second processing unit 24 is also branched and supplied to the external interface 36. Furthermore, the timing signal generator 1
A predetermined timing signal 106 is sent from 6 to the external interface 36.

The external interface 36 includes an output terminal 200 provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and a drive circuit and the like are provided inside thereof.

The signals 102, 104 and 106 output from the external interface 36 are transmitted to the external device 12 by the cable 40. As shown in the figure, the tomographic image signal 102 and the Doppler image signal 104 are simultaneously transmitted by analog signals, and high-speed transmission can be achieved as compared with conventional transmission. Further, even if such transmission is performed, there is no influence on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 as shown in the figure, and each signal can be output separately from the processing of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

A tomographic image signal 1 input to the external device 12
02 and the Doppler image signal 104 are converted into digital signals by the A / D converters 44 and 42, respectively, and then input to the data buffer unit 46. Then, DMA transfer is executed, and each data is stored in the three-dimensional data memory unit 52 via the bus 50.

The CPU 48 executes image processing. After reading and processing the data stored in the three-dimensional data memory unit 52, the CPU 48 supplies the image information to the frame buffer memory 53, whereby the display 54 displays. For example, an ultrasonic three-dimensional image will be displayed.

A storage device 56 for storing a large amount of image data is connected to the external device 12 via a control unit 58.

The probe control unit 60 controls the mechanical operation of the three-dimensional probe 14, and is connected to the three-dimensional probe 14 by a cable 70. Further, a three-dimensional address signal is supplied from the three-dimensional probe 14 to the probe control unit 60, and the CPU 48 executes data storage in the three-dimensional data memory unit 52 based on the supplied address signal.

As described above, according to this ultrasonic measuring system, the external interface 3 is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10.
6, the ultrasonic image signal and the Doppler image signal can be transmitted at the same time, so that the image signal can be transmitted at high speed to the external device 12 without disturbing the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. .

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The tomographic image information and the Doppler image information can be transmitted at high speed to the external device without affecting the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body. Therefore, it is possible to effectively utilize the data processing capability of the external device to perform processing of ultrasonic images and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an ultrasonic measurement system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device 12 External Device (Image Processing Device) 36 External Interface

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first processing unit for receiving a reception signal and outputting a tomographic image signal; and a second processing unit for inputting the reception signal and outputting a Doppler image signal.
A processing unit, by inputting the tomographic image signal and the Doppler image signal,
An image combining unit that forms an ultrasonic image that combines a tomographic image and a Doppler image, a display that receives a signal from the image combining unit and displays the ultrasonic image, the tomographic image signal and the Doppler image signal For synchronizing with each other and outputting in parallel, a tomographic image signal output port connected to the output terminal of the first processing unit, and a Doppler image connected to the output terminal of the second processing unit. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an external interface including a signal output port, and being capable of transmitting the tomographic image signal and the Doppler image signal in parallel to an external device.