JPH09192128A - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically display diagnostic part information at an image display part by detecting the relative position relation of a testee body and a probe. SOLUTION: To a central processing unit 7 as a control circuit part, a transmitter 15 and a receiver 16 for obtaining information for recognizing at which part of the testee body the probe 1 is positioned are connected. The position of the receiver 16 in a coordinate space set by the transmitter 15 and the torsion of a receiver coordinate system are detected, the relative position relation of the testee body and the probe 1 inside the coordinate space of the transmitter 15 is detected and the diagnostic part information is automatically displayed at the image display part 6. Thus, the display of an optimum body mark 12 on the screen of the image display part 6 and the display of an orientation mark 13 for indicating the direction of the probe 1 in a correct direction are automatically performed.

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 which obtains and displays an ultrasonic image of a diagnostic region from reflected echo signals detected by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object, and particularly to the object and the probe. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can detect a relative positional relationship with a child and automatically display diagnostic site information on an image display unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of this type is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a probe 1 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in the subject.
And an ultrasonic wave transmitter / receiver 2 which controls the probe 1 to emit an ultrasonic wave and detect a reflected echo signal from the received reflected wave signal, and the reflected echo signal from the ultrasonic wave transmitter / receiver 2 is digitized. A / D converter 3 and this A / D
A memory unit 4 that stores image data sequentially output from the converter 3, a display circuit unit 5 that converts the image data read from the memory unit 4 into a video signal, and the display circuit unit 5
An image display unit 6 for inputting a video signal from the device and displaying it as an image; a central processing unit 7 for controlling each of the above components;
It has an operation panel 8 connected to the central processing unit 7 for performing various operation inputs. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 9 indicates an image data recording device for inputting data from the display circuit section 5 and recording image data displayed on the image display section 6, and reference numeral 10 indicates a central portion via an interface 11. The external device connected to the arithmetic unit 7 is shown.

When ultrasonic waves are transmitted / received to / from a diagnosis site in a subject and an ultrasonic image is obtained for diagnosis,
The operator inputs the diagnostic part information such as the body mark 12 displayed at the corner of the screen of the image display unit 6 and the orientation mark 13 indicating the orientation of the probe 1 from the operation panel 8.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, when ultrasonic waves are transmitted to and received from a diagnostic site in a subject, and an ultrasonic image is obtained for diagnosis, There was no means for detecting the relative positional relationship between the subject and the probe 1 and automatically displaying on the image display unit 6 the diagnostic region information indicating which region of the subject is being diagnosed. Therefore, it is not possible to automatically display the optimum body mark 12 on the screen of the image display unit 6 or the orientation mark 13 in the correct direction. Therefore, the operator manually operates the operation panel 8 to input and display the proper body mark 12 and the orientation mark 13 in the correct direction while judging by himself. For this reason, the judgment may sometimes be erroneous or the operation input may take a long time, which may lower the diagnostic efficiency by the ultrasonic image.

Therefore, the present invention can cope with such a problem and detect the relative positional relationship between the object and the probe and automatically display the diagnostic site information on the image display unit. An object is to provide a sound wave diagnostic apparatus.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention provides a probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in a subject and an ultrasonic wave for controlling the probe. An ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit that detects a reflected echo signal from the reflected wave signal that is launched and received; and an A / D converter that digitizes the reflected echo signal from this ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit,
A memory unit that stores image data sequentially output from the A / D converter, a display circuit unit that converts the image data read from the memory unit into a video signal, and a video signal from the display circuit unit are input. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an image display unit for displaying an image as an image, a central processing unit for controlling each of the components, and an operation panel connected to the central processing unit for performing various operation inputs, the central processing unit In contrast, the transmitter and the receiver are connected to obtain information for knowing which part of the subject the probe is located in,
The position of the receiver in the coordinate space set by this transmitter and the twist of the receiver coordinate system are detected, and the relative positional relationship between the object and the probe in the coordinate space of the transmitter is detected. The diagnostic region information is automatically displayed on the image display unit.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus obtains and displays an ultrasonic image of a diagnostic region from a reflected echo signal detected by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an inside of a subject, and as shown in FIG. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 2, the A / D converter 3, the memory unit 4, the display circuit unit 5, the image display unit 6, the central processing unit 7, and the operation panel 8 are included.

The probe 1 emits an ultrasonic wave toward a diagnostic site in the subject and receives a reflected wave thereof. Although not shown in the figure, it is a source of the ultrasonic wave. A vibrator that receives the reflected wave is provided. The ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 2 controls the probe 1 to emit an ultrasonic wave and detect a reflected echo signal from the received reflected wave signal. It has a reception amplifier and their control circuits. Further, the A / D converter 3 inputs the reflected echo signal output from the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving section 2 and converts it into a digital signal. The memory unit 4 automatically stores image data, for example, tomographic image data, sequentially output from the A / D converter 3, and is composed of, for example, a memory buffer.

The display circuit section 5 converts the tomographic image data read from the memory section 4 into an analog signal to be a video signal for display, and has a D / A converter and a video signal conversion circuit therein. Is provided. The image display unit 6 receives the video signal output from the display circuit unit 5 and displays it as an image, and is composed of, for example, a Delevi monitor. The central processing unit 7 controls the operation of each of the above constituent elements, and is composed of, for example, a CPU. Further, the operation panel 8 is for inputting various operation commands and diagnostic information to the central processing unit 6, and is, for example, a keyboard, a trackball, a joystick or the like. In addition,
Image data recording device 9 connected to the display circuit unit 5
Stores the image displayed on the screen of the image display unit 6 and the image data stored in the memory unit 4, and is composed of, for example, a magneto-optical disk, a color video printer, or the like. In addition, the external device 10 has an interface 11
It is connected to the central processing unit 7 via.

Here, in the present invention, a transmitter 15 and a receiver 16 are connected to the central processing unit 7 via another interface 14. This transmitter 15
The receiver 16 obtains information for knowing in which part of the subject the probe 1 is located, and each has its own coordinate space of a triaxial orthogonal system, and the transmitter 15 It is possible to know the position of the receiver 16 in the set coordinate space and also to know the twist between the coordinate axes of the three-axis orthogonal system of the receiver 16 (this is called “Euler angle”). You can use it. For example, the transmitter 15
Is composed of a magnetic field generating coil for generating a magnetic field of a triaxial orthogonal system, and the receiver 16 is composed of a detection coil capable of detecting a magnetic field of a triaxial orthogonal system. The transmitter 15 may be fixed, for example, at an arbitrary position on the subject table, and the receiver 16 may be installed on the side surface or the inside of the probe 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the receiver 16 is built in the probe 1. At this time, the probe 1 has three axes x, y,
Set the z axis. Here, in order to easily set the direction of the orientation mark 13 displayed on the screen of the image display unit 6 shown in FIG. 1, the polarity display mark 17 is provided on the outer surface of the probe 1 with a positive x-axis. It is set according to the direction.

Next, a description will be given of obtaining the distance between the transmitter 15 and the receiver 16 provided as described above and the twist between the coordinate axes of the three-axis orthogonal system. First, the transmitter 15 and the receiver 16 shown in FIG. 1 are installed in such an arrangement that the coil surfaces of the three-axis orthogonal magnetic field generation coil and the magnetic field detection coil are orthogonal to each other. Then, an alternating current is passed through each coil of the transmitter 15 to generate an alternating magnetic field. The alternating magnetic field generated by the transmitter 15 is detected by the three detection coils of the receiver 16 and converted into an electric signal. At this time, in order to clarify which one of the three magnetic field generating coils of the oscillator 15 has generated the magnetic field, it is preferable to change the frequency for each coil or to generate an alternating magnetic field by time division. A magnetic dipole can be assumed by the current flowing in the detection coil of the receiver 16, and the distance between the magnetic field generating coil of the transmitter 15 and the detection coil of the receiver 16 and the angle formed by the direction vector of the magnetic dipole are the detection coil. It can be obtained from the magnetic field strength detected in step 1 and the magnetic dipole moment given by the oscillator 15. Thereby, the distance between the transmitter 15 and the receiver 16 and the twist between the coordinate axes of the three-axis orthogonal system can be calculated.

When magnetism is used as described above, the position error can be measured with an accuracy of 2 to 3 mm within a radius of about 40 cm, although it depends on the strength of the magnetic field output from the oscillator 15. Some of them can be observed with an accuracy of 2-3 degrees. Such a transmitter 15 and a receiver 1
6, the magnetic field generated from each axis of the three-axis orthogonal system of the transmitter 15 is detected by the receiver 16, and the distance between the transmitter 15 and the receiver 16 is determined from each direction component and its magnetic field strength. , The position and the twist between the coordinate axes of the 3-axis orthogonal system are obtained.

Next, the transmitter 15 and the receiver 1 as described above.
6 will be described.
First, a pen-type stylus sensor (not shown) that can fix the transmitter 15 at an arbitrary position such as a subject table and obtain position coordinates in the coordinate system of the transmitter 15 is used. Then, the position coordinate of the arbitrary point α in the coordinate system is measured. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, a point in the coordinate system of x, y, z axes set in the probe 1, for example, one intersection point 18a between the x axis and the probe case coincides with the above point α. The probe 1 is moved and fixed so that the probe 1 is moved. And
The position coordinate (x ₁ , y of the receiver 16 in the probe 1 at this time)
₁ and z ₁ ) and the Euler angle (θ
x, θy, θz) are measured.

Since the position of the point α is measured by the stylus sensor, the intersection 18a between the x-axis and the probe case from the origin of the receiver 16 in the coordinate space set by the transmitter 15 is set. Position vectors up to (x
₀ , y ₀ , z ₀ ) can be expressed as (x ₀ −x ₁ , y ₀ −y ₁ , z ₀ −z ₁ ). Then, by rotating this point at the Euler angles (θx, θy, θz), the position vector of the receiver 16 in the coordinate system can be obtained. As in the case of the intersection 18a between the x axis and the probe case in FIG. 2 described above, the other intersection 18b between the x axis and the probe case is formed.
And the position vector in the coordinate system of the receiver 16 at the intersection 19 between the y-axis and the probe case, the relationship between the coordinate space set by the transmitter 15 and the coordinate system of the receiver 16 is obtained. Thus, the position of the receiver 16 and the twist of its coordinate system can be detected. Thereby, the positional relationship between the transmitter 15 and the receiver 16 is obtained.

Next, the transmitter 15 is installed at a predetermined position, for example, on the subject table so that the positional relationship with the subject is fixed. In some cases, the transmitter 15 may be fixed to the subject itself with a belt or the like. afterwards,
If the positional relationship between the object and the probe 1 in the coordinate system of the transmitter 15 is grasped by using the stylus sensor, the positional relationship between the object and the probe 1 can be obtained by coordinate conversion. At this time, it is necessary to always fix the positional relationship between the origin and the coordinate axes of the transmitter 15 and the subject, or to measure the positional relationship each time. By doing so, the transmitter 15
The relative positional relationship between the receiver 16 and the receiver 16 can be measured almost in real time.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of spatial coordinates set regardless of the coordinate space of the transmitter 15. That is,
The subject table 21 on which the subject 20 is laid is set on the XY plane (see FIG. 3B) so that the subject 20 lying on the subject table 21 passes vertically through the chest. The Z axis is set (see FIG. 3A). Note that the Z axis does not necessarily need to pass through the chest of the subject 20 and may be set at another position that is optimal for selecting the body mark 12 if it is perpendicular to the XY plane. When the coordinate system as shown in FIG. 3 is set, if the relationship between the X, Y, Z set coordinate system and the coordinate space set by the transmitter 15 is clarified, the above-mentioned X by the coordinate conversion. , Y, Z set coordinate system can make it easy to determine the optimum one of the body mark 12 and the orientation mark 13 shown in FIG.

In the X, Y, Z spatial coordinate system set as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the probe 1 is set in the positive direction of the X axis.
Can be presumed to be a diagnosis of the thyroid gland and the like, and a distance from the origin 22 in the negative direction of the X axis can be presumed to be a diagnosis of, for example, the kidney.
Further, in the vicinity of the origin 22, it can be estimated that the body mark of the heart or the liver should be displayed on the diagnostic image of the image display unit 6 shown in FIG. By the operation of 7, the body mark 12 suitable for the diagnostic image can be selected from the obtained position information.

As an actual procedure, the probe 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used.
By the operation of the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit 2 and the A / D converter 3, ultrasonic waves are emitted toward the diagnosis site in the subject 20, and the reflected wave is received by the probe 1 to detect the diagnosis site. The diagnostic image data is collected and stored in the memory unit 4. At this time, the signal transmitted from the above-mentioned transmitter 15 is received by the receiver 16 attached to the probe 1, and the received signal is analyzed by the interface 14 or the central processing unit 7 to detect the signal of the probe 1. Find the position. Then, the optimum body mark 12 and orientation mark 13 are obtained by the central processing unit 7 from the position information of the probe 1, and this information is written in the memory unit 4. The image data read from the memory unit 4 is converted into a video signal by the display circuit unit 5, and the video signal is sent to the image display unit 6 to be displayed as an image. The orientation 13 may be determined by the angle between the coordinate system of the X, Y, and Z axes shown in FIG. 3 and the x axis set in the probe 1 shown in FIG.

[0020]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above,
A central processing unit as a control circuit unit is connected to a transmitter and a receiver that obtain information for knowing where in the subject the probe is located, and the coordinates set by this transmitter are connected. By detecting the position of the receiver in the space and the twist of the receiver coordinate system, and detecting the relative positional relationship between the object and the probe in the coordinate space of the transmitter, the image display unit The diagnostic site information can be automatically displayed on the screen. Therefore, it is possible to automatically display the optimum body mark on the screen of the image display unit or display the orientation mark indicating the orientation of the probe in the correct direction. For this reason, the operator does not need to manually operate the operation panel to input the operation panel, and it is possible to improve the diagnostic efficiency based on the ultrasonic image by eliminating mistakes in judgment and operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a receiver is built in the probe.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of spatial coordinates set regardless of a coordinate space of a transmitter.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 probe 2 ultrasonic wave transmitter / receiver unit 3 A / D converter 4 memory unit 5 display circuit unit 6 image display unit 7 central processing unit 8 operation panel 12 body mark 13 orientation mark 14 interface 15 transmitter 16 Receiver

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in a subject,
An ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit that controls the probe to emit an ultrasonic wave and detect a reflected echo signal from the received reflected wave signal, and an A / D converter that digitizes the reflected echo signal from the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving unit A memory unit for storing image data sequentially output from the A / D converter; a display circuit unit for converting the image data read from the memory unit into a video signal; and a video signal from the display circuit unit. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an image display unit for inputting and displaying as an image, a central processing unit for controlling each of the above-mentioned components, and an operation panel connected to the central processing unit for performing various operation inputs, A transmitter and a receiver, which obtain information for knowing which part of the subject the probe is located on, are connected to the arithmetic unit, and reception in the coordinate space set by this transmitter is connected. Position and the twist of the receiver coordinate system are detected, the relative positional relationship between the object and the probe in the coordinate space of the transmitter is detected, and the diagnostic site information is automatically displayed on the image display unit. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in that.