JPH0734802B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention obtains a black and white tomographic image of a diagnostic region of a subject using ultrasonic waves and displays color blood flow information on the tomographic image in an overlapping manner. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of individually erasing or restoring a black and white tomographic image or color blood flow information when a display image is frozen.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this type includes an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 1 which emits an ultrasonic beam to a diagnostic region of a subject and receives a reflected wave thereof, and the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 1. The blood flow detection unit 2 that inputs the Doppler signal S ₁ obtained in step ₁ to calculate the blood flow specifications of the diagnosis site, and the blood flow signal S ₃ output from this blood flow detection unit 2 are digitized to color A color digital scan converter (hereinafter referred to as "color DSC") that stores blood flow information and digitalizes the echo signal S ₂ obtained by the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception unit 1 to store a black and white tomographic image and further reads each data. 3), a D / A converter 4 for converting a color information signal S ₄ including color blood flow information read from the color DSC 3 and monochrome tomographic image data into an analog signal, and the D / A converter 4.
And a color monitor 5 for inputting analog signals R, G, B of the three primary colors of red, green and blue output from the / A converter 4 and displaying a black and white tomographic image and color blood flow information in an overlapping manner. It was made up of To freeze the displayed image, the freeze switch (not shown) provided inside the color DSC 3 is turned off, and the black and white tomographic image and the color blood flow displayed on the screen of the color monitor 5 are displayed. The image of information was stopped.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in such a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus,
Both the black-and-white tomographic image data and the color blood flow information data are stored in the color DSC3.
Since it is sent to the D / A converter ₄ as S ₄ and displayed on the color monitor 5, the black and white tomographic image or color blood flow information is independently erased from the screen of the color monitor 5 after the display image is frozen. It couldn't be restored or restored. Therefore, in an ultrasonic diagnostic image in which color blood flow information is superimposed and displayed on a black and white tomographic image, only the color blood flow information is erased to observe a black and white tomographic image, or only a black and white tomographic image is displayed. It was not possible to observe the color blood flow information in detail after deleting it. For this reason, it has been difficult to perform a sufficient diagnosis without omission in the entire area of the display image.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can solve such problems.

[Means for solving problems]

The means of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is to input an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit that emits an ultrasonic beam to a diagnostic region of a subject and receives the reflected wave, and a Doppler signal obtained by this ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit. A blood flow test unit for calculating blood flow specifications of the diagnostic region, a digital digital scan converter for color that stores the blood flow information of the color by digitalizing the blood flow signal from the blood flow test unit, and reads the data. The echo signal obtained by the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception unit is digitized to store and read a black and white tomographic image and read out together with the black and white digital scan converter, and the blood flow information data read out from the color digital scan converter and the black and white digital scan converter, respectively. Or with a data converter that converts or restores the value of tomographic image data to zero, A D / A converter that converts each processed data into an analog signal, and a color monitor that inputs the analog signal from this D / A converter and displays a black and white tomographic image and color blood flow information in an overlapping manner. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an image freeze means, when the image is frozen, the data converter can be controlled by the control signal from the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver to independently display color blood flow information. It is the one.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus obtains a black-and-white tomographic image of a diagnostic region of a subject using ultrasonic waves and displays color blood flow information on the tomographic image in a superimposed manner. Blood flow detector 2 and color DS
C3 and digital scan line converter for black and white (hereinafter,
"B / W DSC") 6, data converter 7, D
It comprises an / A converter 4 and a color monitor 5.

The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 1 launches an ultrasonic beam from a probe toward a diagnostic region of a subject and receives a reflected wave from the diagnostic region to receive a Doppler signal S ₁ and an echo signal.
Although not shown in the figure, it has a control circuit, a pulse generator, a reception amplifier, etc. for obtaining S ₂ . The blood flow detection unit 2 inputs the Doppler signal S ₁ output from the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception unit 1 and calculates blood flow specifications such as blood flow velocity, dispersion, and reflection intensity at the diagnosis site. DS for color
C3 digitally converts the blood flow signal S ₃ output from the blood flow detection unit 2 into blood flow information S ₃ as color blood flow information and reads it out. Each memory has a memory corresponding to the intensity of the reflected wave. The black-and-white DSC 6 digitally stores the echo signal S ₂ output from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 1 and stores the echo signal S ₂ as a black-and-white tomographic image, and also reads it out, and has an image memory with an appropriate data capacity inside. ing.

Here, the data converter 7 inputs the blood flow information data D ₁ read from the color DSC 3 and the tomographic image data D ₂ read from the black-and-white DSC ₆ , respectively, and also inputs the blood flow information data D ₁ or the tomographic image. Converts the value of data D ₂ to zero or restores it to its original value. For example, ROM (read-only memory) or RAM corresponding to each data D ₁ and D _2.
Each has a data conversion means such as (read-and-write memory at any time) and the like, and conversion in which conversion data of "0" or "1" is written to the input address of blood flow information data D ₁ or tomographic image data D ₂ . The table is stored. The data converter 7 is controlled by the control signal S ₅ output from the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 1.

The D / A converter 4 converts the blood flow information data D ₃ of the converter processed by the data converter 7 and the tomographic image data D ₄ after conversion.
Is input and converted into an analog signal. Then, the color monitor 5 inputs the analog signals R, G, B of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue output from the D / A converter 4 and superimposes a black and white tomographic image and color blood flow information. It is to be displayed and is composed of, for example, a CRT.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention thus configured will be described. First, under the control of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 1, an ultrasonic beam is emitted to a diagnostic region of a subject by a probe and the reflected wave is received. Next, the Doppler signal S ₁ obtained by the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit ₁ is input to the blood flow detection unit 2. Then, the blood flow detection unit 2 uses the Doppler signal S ₁ to calculate blood flow parameters such as blood flow velocity, dispersion, and reflection intensity at the diagnosis site. Then, the blood flow signal S ₃ related to the blood flow specifications is input to the next color DSC 3, converted into a digital amount, and stored as color blood flow information. On the other hand, the echo signal obtained by the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 1
S ₂ is input to the black-and-white for DSC6. Then, this black and white DSC6
Converts the echo signal S ₂ into a digital amount and stores it as a black and white tomographic image. Next, the blood flow information data D ₁ read from the color DSC 3 and the tomographic image data D ₂ read from the monochrome DSC 6 are input to the data converter 7. Now, in the normal case where color blood flow information is superimposed and displayed on a black and white tomographic image, the data converter 7 does not convert the values of the respective data D ₁ and D ₂ into zero, That is, the converted data of the data converting means is directly output as “1” as the converted blood flow information data D ₃ and the converted tomographic image data D ₄ . Then, the converted blood flow information data D ₃ and tomographic image data D ₄ are input to the D / A converter 4 and converted into analog signals R, G, B of the _three primary colors. Then, the analog signals R, G, B are input to the color monitor 5, and a black-and-white tomographic image and color blood flow information are superposed and displayed on the screen.

Here, in order to erase the black-and-white tomographic image or the color blood flow information while the display image on the color monitor 5 is frozen, first, the freeze switch (not shown) in the color DSC 3 is turned off. At the same time, the freeze switch (not shown) in the monochrome DSC 6 is turned off. Then, since the new blood flow information data D ₁ and tomographic image data D ₂ are not input to the corresponding memories of the color DSC 3 and the black and white DSC 6, the data written before that is repeatedly read and the blood flow is read. The information data D ₁ and the tomographic image data D ₂ are sent to the data converter 7. At this time, the display image on the color monitor 5 is stationary. Then, for example, in order to erase only the blood flow information in color, the control signal S ₅ from the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 1 causes the data converting means corresponding to the blood flow information data D ₁ in the data converter 7 to operate. Set the conversion data to "0". Then, the data value of the blood flow information data D ₁ input from the color DSC 3 is converted to zero by the data converter 7, and the converted blood flow information data D ₃ is sent to the D / A converter 4. It At this time, the value of the blood flow information data D ₃ after conversion is zero, while the tomographic image data after conversion is
Since D ₄ remains the original value, color blood flow information is deleted from the screen of the color monitor 5, and only a black and white tomographic image is displayed. To restore the color blood flow information from this state and display it again, the control signal S ₅ from the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 1 is used.
Therefore, the conversion data of the data conversion means corresponding to the blood flow information data D ₁ in the data converter 7 may be set to “1”. Then, the value of the converted blood flow information data D ₃ is restored, and the black and white tomographic image and the color blood flow information are displayed again on the screen of the color monitor 5.

Similarly, to erase only the black and white tomographic image,
The conversion data of the data converting means corresponding to the tomographic image data D ₂ in the data converter 7 may be set to “0” by the control signal S ₅ from the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 1. In this way, when the display image on the color monitor 5 is frozen, the black and white tomographic image or the color blood flow information can be independently erased from the screen or restored.

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the color monitor 5
When the display image of is frozen, the data transmitter / receiver 1 controls the data converter 7 by the control signal S ₅ to erase the black-and-white tomographic image or color blood flow information from the screen independently, or Can be returned to.
Therefore, in an ultrasonic diagnostic image in which color blood flow information is superimposed and displayed on a black and white tomographic image, only the color blood flow information is erased to observe the black and white tomographic image in detail, or the black and white tomographic image. Only the information can be erased and the color blood flow information can be observed in detail. From this, it is possible to make a sufficient diagnosis without omission in the entire area of the black and white tomographic image and the color blood flow information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. 1 ... Ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit, 2 ... Blood flow detecting unit, 3 ... Color DSC, 4 ... D / A converter, 5 ... Color monitor, 6 ...
… Black and white DSC, 7… Data converter, S ₁ …… Doppler signal, S ₂ …… Echo signal, S ₃ …… Blood flow signal, S ₅ …… Control signal, D ₁ …… Blood flow information data, D ₂ …… Tomographic image data, D ₃ …
… Converted blood flow information data, D ₄ … Converted tomographic image data.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit for projecting an ultrasonic beam to a diagnostic region of a subject and receiving a reflected wave thereof, and a Doppler signal obtained by the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit to input various blood flows in the diagnostic region. Obtained by the blood flow inspection unit that calculates the original, digital color scan converter for color that stores the blood flow information of the color by digitalizing the blood flow signal from this blood flow inspection unit and reads it, and the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit The value of the blood flow information data or the tomographic image read out from the digital digital scan converter for black and white that stores the black and white tomographic image by digitizing the echo signal and reading it, and the value of the blood flow information data or the tomographic image respectively read from the digital scan converter for color and the digital scan converter for black and white are set to zero. The data converter to be converted or restored and the data processed by this data converter are analyzed. A D / A converter that converts the signal into a digital signal, a color monitor that inputs an analog signal from this D / A converter and displays a black and white tomographic image and color blood flow information in a superimposed manner, and an image freeze means. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having, characterized in that, when the image is frozen, the data converter is controlled by the control signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit so that color blood flow information can be independently displayed. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.