JPH09299367A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate or reduce distortion of an ultrasonic image caused by manual scanning by generating and displaying a scan support image for visually supporting the manual scan in synchronization with image processing based on a received signal from an ultrasonic probe which can be manually scanned in contact with the body surface. SOLUTION: When a foot switch 26 is operated, a timing signal generator 20 outputs a timing signal in synchronization with a start pulse output from a scanning control part 14, a three-dimensional image forming part 16 starts processing the echo data from a point of time when a timing signal is input, and automatically stops at the end of processing one sheet of an ultrasonic image. The image information is sent to a display device 22 through a display control part 18, and a three-dimensional image is displayed on a screen of the display device 22. A scan support image generating part 24 forms a scan support image for visually supporting manual scan according to a timing signal, and displays the image with an ultrasonic image on the screen of the display device 22.

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 adapted for manual scanning of an ultrasonic probe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional general ultrasonic probe for acquiring three-dimensional echo data includes an array transducer that is electronically scanned,
A scanning mechanism that mechanically scans the array transducer in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scanning direction. That is, in a state where the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the body surface, electronic scanning and mechanical scanning are simultaneously performed, and the ultrasonic beam is two-dimensionally scanned,
A three-dimensional echo data acquisition space is formed.
A three-dimensional ultrasonic image is formed by the three-dimensional echo data thus obtained.

However, the ultrasonic probe having a built-in mechanical scanning mechanism has a problem that the ultrasonic probe becomes large and heavy due to the mechanism. For this reason, there is a concern that the burden on the operator and the patient may increase in some cases. There is also a problem that the manufacturing cost of the ultrasonic probe increases.

[0004]

Therefore, it is conceivable to perform manual scanning instead of mechanical scanning. That is, the ultrasonic probe is manually moved in the direction orthogonal to the electronic scanning direction. However, if the manual scanning is performed freely, the timing with the image processing is hardly matched, and a three-dimensional image cannot be constructed. That is, it is necessary to match the start / end timing of the manual scanning and the scanning speed with the timing of the received signal processing, specifically, the image processing timing, and it is impossible to perform the manual scanning without any standard.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to allow manual scanning to be appropriately performed, thereby eliminating or reducing distortion of an ultrasonic image due to manual scanning. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can be used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of visually supporting the timing and speed of manual scanning.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe which can be manually scanned while being in contact with the body surface, and reception from the ultrasonic probe. Image processing means for performing image processing based on a signal, generating means for generating a scanning assistance image for visually assisting the manual scanning in synchronization with the image processing, and display means for displaying the scanning assistance image. And are included.

According to the above arrangement, the display means displays the scanning assist image for visually assisting the manual scanning. Therefore, if the ultrasonic probe is moved and scanned according to the morphological change or position change of the scanning assistance image in the state where the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the living body, the echo is echoed in synchronization with image processing as much as possible. Data can be captured. Of course, even if manual scanning is performed according to the scanning assist image, perfect ideal scanning cannot be performed, but since information such as scanning start timing, scanning end timing, and scanning speed can be visually obtained, any index Accurate manual scanning can be expected as compared to the case where no such information exists.
If you practice manual scanning a few times according to the scanning assist display,
It is possible to perform a manual scan that is substantially unproblematic, comparable to a mechanical scan.

The ultrasonic diagnosis by such manual scanning is
In particular, it is effective for mass examinations that mainly diagnose the presence or absence of a disease. By the way, if a higher-accuracy ultrasonic image is required, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may be performed using an ultrasonic probe provided with a mechanical scanning mechanism. The present invention can be realized even if the ultrasonic probe does not have a sensor for detecting the scanning movement amount, and for example, an existing ultrasonic probe can be used as it is.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the scanning assist image has a marker that moves according to the degree of progress of the image processing. Here, it is desirable that the marker be moved along the manual scanning direction of the ultrasonic image.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, it includes a start switch and a timing signal generating means for generating a timing signal in accordance with the operation of the start switch,
The image processing is started and the movement of the marker is started by the generation of the timing signal. That is, after the preparation for the manual scanning is completed, the manual scanning can be started from a desired time point, so that the operation can be performed without confusion.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic probe has an array transducer that is electronically scanned, and can be manually scanned in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scanning direction. That is, the present invention is most useful in three-dimensional ultrasonic measurement, and has an advantage that three-dimensional echo data can be captured without the need for a dedicated ultrasonic probe for capturing three-dimensional echo data.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the image processing means sequentially processes the echo data along the ultrasonic beam to form a three-dimensional ultrasonic image. That is, according to such a configuration, since the echo data can be processed in time series along the ultrasonic beam, it is not necessary to store all the echo data in the memory once, and the real time property is excellent.

In the above structure, the scanning amount (moving distance) of the manual scanning is designated in advance in relation to the electronic scanning range and the like, and the operator adjusts the scanning amount to meet the designation.

Since the manual scanning according to the present invention cannot perform high-speed scanning like mechanical scanning, the interval of electronic scanning can be adjusted, in other words, the time of one manual scanning can be variably set. It is desirable to configure it. Incidentally, it is desirable to set the speed of each electronic scan as high as possible in order to reduce the distortion of the image.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The ultrasonic probe 10 has a linear array transducer that is electronically scanned, and is connected to the apparatus main body by a cable. That is, the ultrasonic probe 10 is portable and can be manually scanned by contacting the body surface. Examples of the electronic scanning include electronic linear scanning and electronic sector scanning. A convex type ultrasonic probe can also be used. As the ultrasonic probe 10, a conventional existing ultrasonic probe can be used.

FIG. 2 shows the ultrasonic probe 10 brought into contact with the body surface. When the array transducer (not shown) is electronically scanned, the ultrasonic beam 30 directed in the X direction is electronically scanned, and thereby the scanning surface 32 is formed. When the ultrasonic probe 10 is gripped and manually moved in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scanning direction, the scanning surface 32 moves accordingly, and an echo data acquisition space 38 is formed as a locus thereof. Reference numeral 34 is an electronic scanning direction that faces the Y direction, and reference numeral 38 is a manual scanning direction that faces the Z direction.

A three-dimensional ultrasonic image can be formed by processing and imaging each echo data in the echo data acquisition space 38. In this embodiment, however, the ultrasonic wave is processed in order to perform the processing in real time. Each echo data is processed along the beam, and the pixel value of the pixel corresponding to the ultrasonic beam is calculated. The concept is shown in FIG. 2. The result of sequentially processing the echo data along the ultrasonic beam at the address (x, y) is the pixel value P (x, y) on the projection surface 40.
It is said. By the way, as the image processing method (three-dimensional image processing method) in this case, it is desirable to use a method based on volume rendering processing, for example, various methods such as integration method, projection method, or surface extraction method. Can also be applied.

Returning to FIG. 1, the transmitter / receiver 12 supplies a transmission signal to the ultrasonic probe 10 and processes a received signal from the ultrasonic probe 10. Here, the processing of the received signal includes various processing such as amplification, detection, and A / D conversion. The scanning control unit 14 controls transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves via the transmission / reception unit 12, and includes electronic scanning control. The scan controller 14 outputs a start pulse (synchronization signal) to a timing signal generator 20 described later at the start of each electronic scan. In this embodiment, the electronic scanning itself is continuously and repeatedly executed regardless of the manual scanning.

A foot switch 26 as a start switch is connected to the timing signal generator 20. When the foot switch 26 is operated, the foot switch 26 is operated in synchronization with the start pulse output from the scanning control section 14.
Timing signals are output. This timing signal
It is output to the three-dimensional image forming unit 16 and the scanning assist image generating unit 24.

The three-dimensional image forming section 16 processes the echo data to form a three-dimensional image. The echo data processing is started from the time point when the timing signal is inputted, and one ultrasonic image is processed. When processing is completed, it automatically stops. In the present embodiment, each echo data is processed along the ultrasonic beam. That is, when one ultrasonic beam is processed, the pixel value of one pixel corresponding thereto is obtained, and an image of one pixel row is formed by one electronic scanning. Here, as the image processing method, an image processing method based on the volume rendering method or the like as described above can be used. The image information of the three-dimensional image is sent to the display device 22 via the display control unit 18, and the three-dimensional image is displayed on the screen of the display device 22. The display control unit 18
The D / A converter between the display 22 and the display 22 is not shown.

The scanning assist image generating section 24 forms a scanning assist image for visually assisting manual scanning in accordance with the timing signal. The scanning assist image is displayed on the display controller 1.
It is displayed together with the ultrasonic image on the screen of the display 22 via the display 8.

A display screen 100 of the display 22 is shown in FIG. On the display screen 100, an ultrasonic image (three-dimensional image) 102 and a scanning assistance image 104 are displayed. The ultrasonic image 102 is gradually grown and formed from the start position to the end position according to the progress of manual scanning, in other words, the number of times of electronic scanning.

In the present embodiment, the scanning assist image 104 has a form like a so-called scroll bar, and its outer frame 104A is set parallel to the manual scanning direction of the ultrasonic image. Here, the marker (line) 104B simulating the manual scanning moves within the outer frame 104A.
That is, the marker 104B represents scanning timing and scanning speed as an example of manual scanning, and moves from one end to the other end in parallel to the manual scanning direction of the ultrasonic image.
The color of the moved region of the marker 104B changes, and the ideal scanning amount in each time phase can be visually grasped from the amount and length of the color. The marker 104B starts moving at the time when the timing signal is generated, and moves at the set speed. Therefore, the operation support image 104, especially the marker 1
If the ultrasonic probe is manually scanned in accordance with the movement of 04B, a good ultrasonic image with little distortion can be acquired.

As the scanning assist image, various displays other than those described above can be used, but it is desirable to adopt a display form in which at least the start / end timing and speed of manual scanning can be recognized as a sense.

In the above structure, when forming a three-dimensional image of an organ in a living body, first, the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the body surface of the living body. In this case, it is desirable to appropriately set the initial position and the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 10 in consideration of the data acquisition space formed by the subsequent manual scanning. When the preparation is completed, the foot switch 26 is operated next. After that, since the marker 104B on the screen moves at the start timing of the next electronic scanning, the ultrasonic probe 10 is manually scanned so as to match the movement as much as possible. At this time, the echo data is processed in real time in conjunction with the manual scanning, and when the manual scanning is completed, one three-dimensional ultrasonic image is formed.

By practicing such manual scanning a plurality of times,
A good image with less distortion can be formed, and the function can be sufficiently exerted in ultrasonic diagnosis in group examination, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the electronic scanning is always performed continuously. However, the electronic scanning is started by operating the foot switch 26, and the electronic scanning is automatically stopped after the electronic scanning is executed a predetermined number of times. It can also be configured to.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent waste of transmission / reception waves when image processing is not being performed.

Further, it is desirable that the interval of electronic scanning can be freely set, whereby the time for one manual scanning can be arbitrarily set.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the manual scanning can be appropriately performed, and the distortion of the ultrasonic image caused by the manual scanning can be eliminated or reduced. Further, according to the present invention, the timing and speed of manual scanning can be visually assisted by moving the marker.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a concept of manual scanning.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a scanning assistance image displayed together with an ultrasonic image.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ultrasonic probe, 14 scanning control section, 16 three-dimensional image forming section, 18 display control section, 20 timing signal generator, 24 scanning assist image generating section, 30 ultrasonic beam, 32 scanning plane, 38 echo data acquisition space.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masaki Hirose 6-22-1, Mure, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo Aloka Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic probe that can be manually scanned while being in contact with the body surface, an image processing unit that performs image processing based on a received signal from the ultrasonic probe, and An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a generating unit that synchronizes with each other to generate a scan assist image that visually assists the manual scan; and a display unit that displays the scan assist image. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning assistance image has a marker that moves according to the progress of the image processing. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the marker moves along a manual scanning direction of an ultrasonic image. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a start switch; and timing signal generating means for generating a timing signal according to an operation of the start switch, wherein the image processing is started by the generation of the timing signal. And an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the movement of the marker is started. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe has an array transducer that is electronically scanned, and is manually scanned in a direction orthogonal to the electronic scanning direction. Characteristic ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. 6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit sequentially processes the echo data along the ultrasonic beam to form a three-dimensional ultrasonic image.