JPH0651038B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus adopting a trapezoidal scanning method.

[Technical Background of the Invention and Problems Thereof] Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus based on a linear scanning method has been used for diagnosing abdomen of a living body. Then, the number of transducers increases and the ultrasonic probe becomes large, which is a drawback.

Therefore, in recent years, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using a trapezoidal scanning type ultrasonic probe 12 as shown in FIG. 5 has appeared, and even a small one can obtain a considerably large field of view.

However, in the case of forming a trapezoidal screen by a conventional device, superposition of diagonal scans, or linear compound scanning (multi-sector scanning) using both linear scanning and sector scanning (US Patent 4,159, Four
No. 62) has been proposed, but these scanning methods have a problem that it takes a long time to form one screen and lacks real-time property.

A scanning method in which linear scanning in the central portion of the scanning surface of the ultrasonic probe and sector scanning in both end portions are simply combined is also conceivable, but in the case of this scanning method, the boundary between the linear scanning portion and the sector scanning portion is considered. Since the scanning line density becomes uneven in some parts, the connection of ultrasonic images deteriorates, and there is a problem that an ultrasonic image excellent in diagnostic ability cannot be obtained.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining an ultrasonic image having excellent real-time properties, a wide field of view, and excellent diagnostic ability. The purpose is.

[Outline of the Invention] An outline of the present invention for achieving the above object is to have an ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of transducers are arranged in an array, and to provide an arbitrary number of transducers among the transducers. On the other hand, a predetermined delay time is applied to control the drive and the transducers are sequentially shifted to transmit and receive waves to linearly scan in a sector shape, and an ultrasonic image to be used for diagnosis is obtained based on the obtained scanning line data. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to be configured, the scanning line is provided by shifting the transducers one element at a time when the ultrasonic wave is transmitted and at the time of receiving the ultrasonic wave, and by imparting delay times of different deflection angles when the ultrasonic wave is transmitted and when the ultrasonic wave is received. A transmission / reception control means for obtaining data is provided.

[Examples of the Invention] Examples of the present invention will be described below.

First, the principle of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.
PL in the figure shows a transducer group in which a plurality of transducers (P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₃ ... Pn) are arranged in an array. still,
For convenience of explanation, the maximum number of drive vibrators in the vibrator group PL is eight.

As shown by T ₁ and R ₁ , the transducers P _{1 to} P ₈ are used to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves at the delay time t ₁ , so that the scanning line B ₁ deflected the ultrasonic beam by the angle θ ₁ can get. Further, as indicated by T ₃ and R ₃ , the transducers P _{2 to} P ₉ are used to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves at the delay time t ₃ to scan the scanning line B in which the ultrasonic beam is deflected by the angle θ _3.
3 is obtained.

By the way, as shown by T ₂ , the transducers P _{1 to} P ₈ are used to transmit ultrasonic waves at the delay time t ₁ , and R ₂
, The oscillators P _{2 to} P ₉ are used, and the delay time t
_{When the} ultrasonic wave is received at ₃ , the ultrasonic beam is angled by θ ₂
A deflected scan line B ₂ is obtained. Since this scanning line B ₂ is located between the scanning lines B ₁ and B ₂ ,
By obtaining the scan line B ₂ , the scan line density is substantially increased.

In this way, the scanning lines B ₁ and B ₃ are obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves by the same transducer, and if the ultrasonic transmission and reception waves shift one element and the delay time is also different. If the scanning line B ₂ is obtained by doing so, the number of scanning lines is uniformly multiplied, so that the ultrasonic image obtained is improved in image quality and excellent in diagnostic ability.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention based on the above principle will be described with reference to FIG.

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

In the figure, reference numeral 1a is a storage means for storing late signal data, drive element data for each scanning line for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and delay data. The respective data in the storage means 1a are read out and controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1b and transferred to respective parts of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The transmission / reception control means 1b performs control for performing linear sector scanning and control for shifting the transducer by one element at the time of transmission and at the time of reception and giving different delay times.

2-1 to 2-m are transmission delay units, 3-1 to 3-n are pulsers, and 4 is a high-voltage switch group, and the rate signal data and delay data in the storage means 1a are controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1b and transmitted. The late signal data and the driving element data are transferred to the delay units 2-1 to 2-n, and are transferred to the high voltage switch group 4.

Reference numeral 12a is an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers 5-1 to 5-N arranged in an array.
The 5-N is driven by a vibration signal sent from the pulsers 3-1 to 3-n through the high voltage switch group 4.

6-1 to 6-n are preamplifiers for amplifying ultrasonic echo signals input from the transducers 5-1 to 5-n via the high-voltage switch group 4, and 7-1 to 7-n are reception delay units. Then, the delay data transferred from the transmission / reception control means 1b is input,
A predetermined delay time is added to the output signals of the preamplifiers 6-1 to 6-n and the signals are sent to the adder 8.

The output of the adder 8 is input to an echo signal processing circuit 9 controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1b, where the echo signal is filtered, logarithmically converted, detected, and STC (Sensi).
After signal processing such as correction of the active time control is performed, it is input to the display unit 11 via the digital scan converter (DSC) 10 and an ultrasonic image is displayed on the display unit 11.

In the apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration, when transmitting ultrasonic pulses into a living body (not shown), the transmission / reception control means 1b transfers the rate signal data and the delay data for transmission to the transmission delay units 2-1 to 2-n. To be done. Transmission delay unit 2-1 to 2
-N supplies a delay time signal for focusing and deflection to the pulsers 3-1 to 3-n based on these data and drives them.

The output signals of the pulsars 3-1 to 3-n are applied to the vibrators 5-1 to 5-N via the high voltage switch group 4, and at this time, the high voltage switch group 4 is driven by the transmission / reception control means 1b. Only the channel corresponding to the vibrator to be excited by the element data is held in the ON state. As a result, an arbitrary number of transducers are excited and ultrasonic waves are transmitted into the living body.

The ultrasonic echoes from within the living body are received by the transducers 5-1 to 5-N, but only the channels held in the ON state in the high voltage switch group 4 are preamplifiers 6-1 to 6-n. One of them is transferred to the corresponding preamplifier. The outputs of the preamplifiers 6-1 to 6-n are input to the reception delay units 7-1 to 7-n controlled by the delay data, and are used for the delay for focusing and deflection.

Here, the transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves in the apparatus of this embodiment is controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1b. The details of this control are as described above with reference to FIG. The same transducer is used to obtain the scanning lines corresponding to the scanning lines B ₁ and B ₃ , and when the ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received, the transducers are shifted by one element and different delay times are given. As a result, a scanning line corresponding to the scanning line B ₂ may be obtained. In the apparatus of this embodiment, the high voltage switch group 4 is controlled by the drive element data from the transmission / reception control means 1b, and the transmission delay units 2-1 to 2-n and transmission are performed by the delay data from the transmission / reception control means 1b. Delay unit 7-
By controlling 1 to 7-n, the scanning lines B ₁ , B
Scanning lines corresponding to ₂ and B ₃ are obtained.

The outputs of the reception delay units 7-1 to 7-n are the addition unit 8, the echo signal processing circuit 9, and the digital scan converter 10.
Then, after the signal processing as described above is sequentially performed, a trapezoidal ultrasonic image is displayed on the display unit 11.

Thus, according to the apparatus of this embodiment, the transmission / reception control means 1
By b, the number of scanning lines is uniformly multiplied by shifting the transducer by one element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and making the delay time different, so that the trapezoid displayed on the display means 11 is displayed. The ultrasonic image of the mold has improved image quality and excellent diagnostic ability. Further, the scanning method by the apparatus of the present embodiment is excellent in real-time property because the time for forming one screen of the ultrasonic image is short.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Description will be given with reference to the drawings as well.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are block diagrams showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as another embodiment of the present invention.

In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, those having the same functions as those of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in that the oscillators 5-N + 1 and the switches 12 and 13 that are opened / closed under the control of the transmission / reception control means 1a and a set of receiving systems, that is, preamplifiers 6-n + 1. And a reception delay unit 7-n + 1 are additionally provided, and when the switch 12 is on (closed state), the ultrasonic echo from the transducer 5-1 is applied to the high-voltage switch group 4.
And the input to the preamplifier 6-1 via the switch 12, and when the switch 13 is on, the vibrator 5
The ultrasonic echo from -N + 1 is input to the preamplifier 6-n + 1 via the high voltage switch 4 and the switch 13.

The scanning lines B ₁ and B ₃ shown in FIG.
In order to obtain a scanning line corresponding to, the switch 12 is turned on and the switch 13 is controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1a.
Is turned off (open state), and when the scanning line corresponding to the scanning line B ₂ is obtained, the switch 12 is turned off and the switch 13 is turned on to increase the number of scanning lines as in the above embodiment. Can be doubled.

In the embodiment (FIG. 1), the high-voltage switch group 4 is set so that the transducer is displaced by one element immediately after transmitting the ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic echo is received. Although the image quality of the sound wave image may be impaired, in the apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the transducers are equivalently set at the time of transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic waves by the opening / closing operation of the switches 12 and 13. Since one element is shifted, the image quality of the ultrasonic image is not deteriorated even at a very short distance.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in that the oscillators 5-N + 1 and the switches 14 and 15 which are opened / closed under the control of the transmission / reception control means 1a and a set of transmission system, that is, a transmission delay unit. 2-n + 1 and pulser 3-n + 1 are additionally provided, and when the switch 14 is on, the output of the pulser 3-1 is transmitted through the high voltage switch group 4 to the vibrator 5-1.
The output of the pulser 3-n + 1 is applied to the vibrator 5-N + 1 through the high voltage switch group 4 when the switch 15 is turned on.

The scanning lines B ₁ and B ₃ shown in FIG.
In order to obtain a scanning line corresponding to, the switch 14 is turned on and the switch 15 is controlled by the transmission / reception control means 1a.
Is turned off, and when the scanning line corresponding to the scanning line B ₂ is obtained, the switch 14 is turned off and the switch 15 is turned on, so that the same effect as the device shown in FIG. 3 can be obtained. it can.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining an ultrasonic image having excellent real-time properties, a wide field of view, and excellent diagnostic ability. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are the present invention respectively. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment, FIG.
The figure is an illustration showing a trapezoidal scanning ultrasonic probe. 1a ...... reception control means, 5-1~5-N, 5-N + 1 ...... _{vibrator, B 1, B 2, B} 3 ...... scan line.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged in an array, wherein a predetermined delay time is given to an arbitrary number of the transducers for drive control. With the ultrasonic diagnostic device that transmits and receives waves by sequentially shifting the transducer and linearly scans in a sector shape and constructs an ultrasonic image to be used for diagnosis based on the obtained scanning line data, The transmission / reception control means is provided to obtain scanning line data by shifting the transducers one element at a time and at the time of receiving the wave, and by giving delay times of different deflection angles at the time of the wave transmission and the time of the wave reception. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by: