JPH07213522A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a blood vessel running condition in the color angioscope image easy to observe by displaying it in a three-dimensional view. CONSTITUTION:This device is composed of a 1st memory 11 and a 1st control circuit 13 that create a black-and-white background image based on B mode tomogram image data obtained from any scanned cross section against the projected direction of the three-dimensional examined part, a 2nd memory 12 which creates an overlapped blood flow image in which multiple blood flow image data obtained from multiple scanned cross section parallel to any scanned cross section are overlapped, an overlap operation unit 17, a 2nd control circuit 14, a RGB converter 16 which creates an angioscope image by superimposing an overlapped blood flow image with a background image, the 1st and 2nd control circuits 13 and 14, a position controller 15, and a display 19 which displays the angioscope image. In the mechanism of creating the angioscope image, the 1st and 2nd control circuits 13 and 14 and the position controller 15 are the means that differentiate the back ground image in the projected direction from the blood flow image of the cross section at the same position as or at a position deeper than the back ground image in the deeper projected direction in the angioscope 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 displaying a color angio image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with a color angio system for displaying an angio image (blood vessel image) by superimposing a plurality of blood flow images obtained by a color Doppler method.

The blood flow data processing circuit of this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. According to this diagnostic device, the three-dimensional diagnostic site PT of the subject is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), scanning is performed by dividing into a plurality of adjacent cross sections (in the figure, a white arrow OB is a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, which is referred to as a "projection direction" here). The blood flow data of each cross section is supplied to one input end of the 2-input superposition calculator 100. The output of the superposition arithmetic unit 100 reaches one input end of the 2-input RGB converter 102 via the frame memory 101, while the output data called from the frame memory 101 is the other of the superposition arithmetic unit 100. Is returned to the input end of. As a result, the blood flow data of each cross section is superposed by the superposition calculator 100, and the blood flow data relating to this superposition (see FIG. 9).
(See (b) and (ii)) are output to the RGB converter 102.

This blood flow data processing circuit has another frame memory 103, and this frame memory 103 is provided with an appropriate one of three-dimensional diagnostic regions as shown in FIGS. 9 (b) and 9 (i), for example. Monochrome B-mode image data of one section Pm is supplied. The read data from the frame memory 103 becomes the other input of the RGB converter 102.

As a result, in the RGB converter 102, the read data from both the frame memories 101 and 103 are combined for each pixel (at this time, for the pixel having blood flow data, it is more than the monochrome B mode data). Blood flow data is prioritized), and coloring is performed by RGB conversion. This colorized image data is sent to the monitor,
As shown in FIGS. 9 (b) and (iii)), the blood flow image of the diagnosis site PT is displayed on the background image K with the reference monochrome B-mode tomographic image as the background.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional display technique, the B-mode tomographic image is a two-dimensional image even though the blood vessels travel three-dimensionally. Since the blood vessel is displayed in a portion where the blood vessel cavity does not actually exist in the mode tomographic image (black and white background image K), it is observed as if the blood vessel is running there, or, for example, as shown in FIG. In addition, whether the blood vessel portion Bp (a part of the blood vessel B1: B2 is also a blood vessel in the figure) that should actually be on the rear side of the structure C (viewed by the observer) is in front of the structure C. Due to such display, it is difficult to grasp the running state of the blood vessel three-dimensionally, accurately and promptly. In order to avoid erroneous recognition caused by this problem, it is necessary for the observer to have considerable skill, and in order to confirm the observation result, it is often necessary to re-diagnose from another angle and obtain an angio image at another angle. Met. When the re-diagnosis is performed as described above, it goes without saying that the diagnosis time is prolonged, the throughput is lowered, and the operator is burdened with an extra operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of accurately and easily three-dimensionally grasping blood vessels in a color angio image. , Aim.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is based on B-mode tomographic image data obtained from arbitrary scanning sections facing each other in the projection direction of a three-dimensional diagnostic region. Background image creating means for creating a black-and-white background image, and a blood flow superimposed image for creating a blood flow superimposed image in which a plurality of blood flow image data obtained from a plurality of scanning sections parallel to the arbitrary scanning section are superimposed. The image forming device further includes a creating unit, an angio image creating unit that creates the angio image by superimposing the blood flow superimposed image on the background image, and a display unit that displays the angio image. Furthermore, the angio image creating means identifies the blood flow image of the scanning cross section at the same position as the background image in the projection direction or at a position on the far side in the projection direction including the same position in the projection direction in the angio image. The main part is to include an identification processing means for performing.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a black and white background image is created by the background image creating means on the basis of B-mode tomographic image data obtained from an arbitrary scanning section opposed to the projection direction of the three-dimensional diagnostic region,
The blood flow overlay image creating means creates a blood flow overlay image by overlaying a plurality of blood flow image data obtained from a plurality of scan cross sections parallel to an arbitrary scan cross section. Then, the blood flow overlay image is superimposed on the background image by the angio image creating means to create an angio image. At this time, the identification processing means identifies the blood flow image of the scanning cross section at the same position as the background image in the projection direction or at the position on the back side in the projection direction including the same position (for example, mask processing, brightness and hue The process of changing) is performed on the angio image. As a result, in the angio image displayed on the display means, the blood flow image on the inner side of the background image is masked by the background image (including the structure reflected in the background image), or its brightness and hue are changed. It Therefore, the sense of perspective in the projection direction of the blood flow image becomes clear, and the running state of the blood vessel can be easily grasped three-dimensionally.

[0010]

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

The first embodiment is shown in FIG. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in the figure is an apparatus for displaying a color angio image. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus drives the probe 1 to scan the ultrasonic beam by, for example, a sector scan, and detects an echo signal after phasing addition to the ultrasonic received signal.
An electronic scanning unit 2 that outputs image data of a mode tomographic image is provided. The image data of the B-mode tomographic image output from the electronic scanning unit is sent to the data processing unit 4 via the A / D converter 3.

The echo signal after the phasing addition output from the electronic scanning unit 2 is input to the MTI calculation unit 4 via the phase detection unit 5. The MTI calculation unit 4 is responsible for color Doppler image acquisition, has an MTI filter, an autocorrelator, and a calculation unit (calculates the average velocity, dispersion, power, etc.), and calculates the blood flow Doppler signal in the ultrasonic beam direction. The two-dimensional digital color blood flow data is output to the data processing unit 4.

The data processing unit 4 can store a plurality of frames in which black-and-white image data of a B-mode tomographic image can be stored for each time phase (that is, for each position in the projection direction OB of the diagnostic region PT of FIG. 9A described above). Memory 11a. ． ． A first memory 11 including a plurality of frame memories 12a. ． ． The second memory 12 composed of 12a is provided as a memory mechanism. That is, the data write input end of the first memory 11 is connected to the output side of the A / D converter 3, and the second memory 12
It is connected to the output side of the MTI calculator 6.

The first memory 11 and the second memory 12 include frame memories 11a. ． ． 11a and frame memory 12a. ． ． A first control circuit 13 and a second control circuit 14 for controlling the data storage operation of 12a are connected. These first and second control circuits 13 and 14
From the position controller 15 to the three-dimensional diagnostic site PT
Position data indicating the position of the background image in (see FIG. 9A described above) (that is, the position in the projection direction OB of the cross-section Pm of the diagnostic region PT: see FIG. 9A) is received. The position controller 15 allows an operator to select a desired background image position via an input device (not shown), for example.

As a result, the monochrome image data of the frame memory 11a corresponding to the background image position designated by the first control circuit 13 is read out from the first memory 11, and the image data is a 2-input RGB converter. 16 is supplied to one input terminal. In addition, from the second memory 12, the frame memories 12a.x corresponding to the position before the background image position designated by the second control circuit 14 (the position on the near side in the projection direction OB). ． ． The color blood flow data of 12a are read out. The read data is supplied to the other input terminal of the RGB calculator 16 via the superposition calculator 17. As a result, in the overlay calculator 17, the frame memories 12a. ． ． The blood flow image data of 12a are overlaid.

In the RGB converter 16, the read data from the first and second memories 11 and 12 are combined for each pixel (at this time, for a pixel having blood flow data, black and white B
Blood flow data has priority over mode data)
Coloring is performed by RGB conversion. This colorized image data is sent to the display 19 via the D / A converter 18, as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the position controller 15 and the first and second control circuits 13 and 14 form the identification processing means of the present invention.

From the above, the projection direction OB of the diagnosis site PT
By performing, for example, sector electronic scanning of a plurality of cross sections facing each other in the (observation direction) for each time phase, black-and-white B-mode data and color blood flow data relating to this scanning can be obtained. Of these, the monochrome B-mode data is stored in the frame memory 11a (... 11a) of the first memory 11 for each time phase, while
The color blood flow data is also stored in the frame memory 12a (... 12a) of the second memory 12 for each time phase.

Since the cross section position is commanded by the position controller 15, the black and white B-mode data of the cross section position is read from the first memory 11. In parallel with this,
From the second memory 12, one or a plurality of frame memories 12a. ． ． The color blood flow data of 12a is read and superposed. As a result, the B-mode data of the designated cross-sectional position is displayed on the display device 19 as a background image K (see FIG. 2 described later), and the blood flow image on the front side in the projection direction from the designated cross-sectional position is displayed on the background image K. Is overlaid.

An example of this superimposed display is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, of the blood vessel images B1 and B2, the blood vessel image B2 running in the up-down direction of the screen is not masked by the structure C shown in the background image K, so It can be seen that it exists on the front side in the projection direction OB. Further, the other blood vessel image B1 traveling in the horizontal direction of the screen is masked by the structure C near the center thereof and is hidden. That is, as the blood vessel B1 existing on the front side of the structure C on the left side of the screen travels on the back side of the projection direction OB as it travels on the right side of the screen, the structure C (that is, the background image K) is located at the position of the structure C.
It's obvious that you're spinning behind.

As is apparent by comparing this with the screen shown in FIG. 10, the structure C and the blood vessel B shown in the background image K are shown.
It becomes easier to determine the positional relationship with 1 and
It can be easily grasped dimensionally. Therefore, erroneous observation is less likely to occur, and the degree of skill required of the observer is relaxed. Also, since it is almost unnecessary to re-acquire data at the same angle for confirmation and to obtain an angio image at another angle,
The diagnostic time is generally shorter than before and throughput is also improved. Further, the burden on the operator is significantly reduced.

The structure of the black and white tomographic image is positively extracted by the operator's designation or automatically, only this structure is superimposed and displayed as a partial background image, and the projection direction of this structure is determined. The blood flow data on the back side of the position may not be displayed, and the same effect may be obtained.

A modification of the above embodiment is shown in FIG.
The figure partially shows the data processing unit 4 described above.
A plurality of frame memories 12 forming the second memory 12
a. ． ． All the color blood flow data of 12a is read out,
It is sent to the superposition calculator 17. The superposition calculator 17 superimposes the color blood flow data of each frame memory 12a, and adds a specific code to the cross section data on the far side in the projection direction from the position of the arbitrary scanning cross section (background image). As a result, in the RGB converter in the subsequent stage, the blood flow data with the specific code is processed so as to differ from the other blood flow data without the specific code in terms of luminance and / or hue.
This also makes it possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above embodiment.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3, the display screen shown in FIG. 4 is obtained by changing the brightness or / and the hue of only the blood flow data on the arbitrary scanning section (background image). To be As a result, the brightness or / and the hue of only the portion where the blood vessel B1 overlaps with the structure C of the background image K is different from that of the other portion, so that a part of the blood vessel B1 may run behind the structure C. Easy and quick to recognize.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The data processing unit 4 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment has the configuration shown in FIG.
At the time of GB conversion, one or both of the luminance and the hue can be changed according to the scanning cross section position in the projection direction.

The memory 11 for receiving the black and white tomographic image data, its control circuit 13 and the position controller 15 are constructed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the color blood flow data is input to one of the superposition calculators 30 having two input terminals, and the output side of the superposition calculator 30 has an RGB converter 16 via a single frame memory 31. Further, the output of the frame memory 31 is also the other input of the superposition arithmetic unit 30. As a result, in the superposition calculator 30, the new color blood flow data and the previous angio image data are superposed to create new angio image data. Information associated with the rewriting of the angio image is output from the superposition calculator 30 to the position data calculator 32.

The position data calculator 32 calculates the position information of each image data forming an angio image every time the angio rewriting information is inputted, and the output side thereof is RGB through the one frame memory 33. While being connected to the converter 16, the read output of the frame memory 33 is fed back to the input of the position data calculator 32. By this, the position information of each image data of the latest Angio image,
It can be held in a state of being associated with each image data.

The RGB converter 16 includes a position controller 1
The desired background image position data from 5 is input.

Therefore, the black-and-white B-mode image data of the scanning section at the position corresponding to the background image position data is output from the memory 11 to the RGB converter 16 as the background image data. R
The GB converter 16 simultaneously reads the color blood flow data, the black and white B-mode image data, and the position data corresponding to the instructed background image position data, and specifies them at the time of RGB conversion as in the above-described embodiment and modification. The brightness and hue are changed for each pixel.

As a result, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be exhibited, and the number of frame memories for storing color blood flow data can be reduced.

A modification of the second embodiment is shown in FIG. In this modification, the direction of superimposing the color blood flow data can be freely switched in the front-back direction of the scanning section. As shown in FIG. 6, the superposition calculator 3
The forward and reverse direction command signals (bit signals) are input to the 0 and position data calculator 32 from a controller (not shown), and both calculators 30 and 32 change the superposition direction for forming an angio image according to the command signal value. The mode is switched to the forward direction (for example, the direction of observing the front side to the back side in the front-back direction (lens direction) of the scanning section) or the reverse direction (for example, the direction of observing the front side from the back side in the front-rear direction).

With this, the projection direction (observation direction) can be changed with one touch by a simple operation of only the key operation of the input device, and the angio image of the same diagnostic site can be easily obtained from the opposite direction.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment is configured to simultaneously obtain angio images in two projection directions (forward direction and reverse direction) in the front-back direction facing the scanning cross section of the diagnostic region.

FIG. 7 shows a part of the data processing unit of the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, this data processing unit
A forward-direction superposition calculator 40 for performing forward projection in the front-rear direction and a reverse-direction superposition calculator 41 for performing reverse projection in the front-rear direction are provided together. Both calculators 4
Color blood flow data are input to 0 and 41, and one frame memory 42 is provided on the output side of each of them.
43 are connected to each other. These frame memories 4
The read outputs of Nos. 2 and 43 are fed back to the respective arithmetic units 40 and 41, and the color blood flow data is superposed independently in the forward and backward directions, while the frame memories 42 and 43 are also superposed.
Is output to an RGB calculator (not shown).

On the other hand, the background image is created for each of the forward direction and the backward direction in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the blood flow superimposed image created with the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is individually superimposed on the background image. Is displayed. The configuration of masking the blood flow image on the back side of the background image or changing the brightness and hue of the blood flow image at the same position as the background image may be formed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment and modification. . As a result, it is possible to obtain not only an accurate three-dimensional grasp of the running state of the blood vessel but also a high-performance that can simultaneously obtain two angio images related to the forward and reverse projections in which the projection directions of the diagnosis region are reversed. We can provide color angio system.

[0037]

As described above, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, when an angio image is created by superimposing a blood flow superimposed image on a background image, it is at the same position as or in the same position as the background image in the projection direction. Since the processing is performed to identify the blood flow image of the scanning cross section at the position on the far side in the projection direction including the position (for example, mask processing, luminance / hue change processing), it is actually more than the structure shown in the background image. It is possible to reliably eliminate the situation where the blood vessel on the back side appears in front of the structure, and to accurately recognize the running state of the blood vessel three-dimensionally. Of course,
This has the effect of significantly reducing the operating labor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with a color angio system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an angio image according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial block diagram of a data processing unit showing a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an angio image according to another modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a data processing unit showing a second embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial block diagram of a data processing unit showing a modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partial block diagram of a data processing section showing a third embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial block diagram of a data processing unit of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a conventional example.

FIG. 9 (a) is an explanatory diagram of a three-dimensional diagnostic region,
FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram illustrating an angio image creation process.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional angio image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Data Processing Section 11 First Memory 12 Second Memory 13 First Control Circuit 14 Second Control Circuit 15 Position Controller 16 RGB Converter 17 Overlap Calculator 18 D / A Converter 19 Display 30 Overlay Arithmetic unit 31, 33 Frame memory 32 Position data arithmetic unit 40 Forward direction superposition arithmetic unit 41 Reverse direction superposition arithmetic unit 42, 43 Frame memory

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A background image creating means for creating a black-and-white background image based on B-mode tomographic image data obtained from an arbitrary scanning section facing the projection direction of a three-dimensional diagnostic region, and a plurality of parallel background scanning sections. Blood flow superimposed image creating means for creating a blood flow superimposed image by superimposing a plurality of blood flow image data obtained from the scanning cross section, and an angio image by superimposing the blood flow superimposed image on the background image. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an angio image creating means for creating and a displaying means for displaying the angio image, the angio image creating means, in the angio image, at the same position as or in the background image in the projection direction. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an identification processing unit that performs processing for identifying the blood flow image of a scanning cross section at a position on the far side in the projection direction including the same position. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification processing means is means for masking a blood flow image of the scanning cross section. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification processing means is means for changing at least one of the brightness and the hue of the blood flow image of the scanning section. 4. The identification processing means is means for performing processing for identifying, on the angio image, a blood flow image of only a scanning section at the same position as the background image in the projection direction. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. 5. The ultrasonic diagnosis according to claim 1, wherein the blood flow superimposition image creating means is a means capable of creating a blood flow superimposition image in which projection directions are opposite to each other along the front-back direction of the scanning section. apparatus.