JPS58180137A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 10. Background of the Invention, Technical Field The present invention relates to an ultrasonic TiI cutting device, particularly a Jilt which receives a portion of the reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves by the subject and forms an image annotation. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a circuit and an image display means for forming an image of a subject according to an image signal.

1. Prior art and other points of employment such as ultrasound-lr? In the apparatus, an ultrasonic echo image is visually displayed as a soft copy on one surface of a display unit such as a display unit O anode ray tube (01 unit). In many cases, this is photographed with a camera or the like and a hard copy is created.

Distance (dimensions) of the region of interest in the diagnosis of echo images, regardless of soft copy or hard copy
It is often necessary to needle the middle area. For example, in order to understand the developmental status of a fetus, we measured the fetus's head tilt and head-buttock position, and in another field, we planned the area to estimate the spread of an affected area such as a tumor. There are things to do.

Conventionally, in the case of such a table, the area of interest of a soft copy or Nordcoby image was marked with a ruler and converted to the original size.

This method not only requires conversion calculations to the original size, but also, in the case of soft copies, C8 page display lI! Since li&ii is generally not a perfect plane and the image may be moving, it has the disadvantage that planning operations are complicated. C
Some display devices have a scale graduation on the surface of the RT-plane, but it is necessary to convert it to the original size], and since the scale is fixed, the image can be placed at a desired point on the scale for measurement. In order to match the image, it is necessary to shift the image by ttt, which has disadvantages such as the difficulty of arranging the region of interest at a position where it can be easily viewed.

There is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which has a so-called caliper function which imposes a marker on the CRT III surface and electrically processes the signal based on the marker to measure the distance ti (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-57385). Although this method can output the measurement results as a single hard copy, the operation is somewhat complicated and multiple regions of interest cannot be measured.

Another disadvantage is that the area cannot be measured by electrical processing.

Same (There is a device that uses a marker on a CRT screen and calculates and outputs the area of a closed region by tracing the boundary of the region of interest with the marker. This device can measure the area fairly accurately, but it is complicated to operate. Not only that, the general sound wave echo is a tomographic image of the subject, so even if the area is accurately measured, the ID has no meaning.Therefore, it cannot be said to be optimal for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

(9) Purpose of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can easily perform visual measurement suitable for ultrasonic echo images.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can simultaneously visually measure the length and area of a region of interest in a Hi-sound echo image.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved by the following ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. That is, this apparatus includes a 20th circuit that forms a grid-like display pattern and synthesizes it with an image signal, and the image display means displays the grid-like display pattern superimposed on the image of the subject.

According to one feature of the present invention, when there is a character to be displayed on the display means, the 1E20 circuit does not form a grid-like display pattern in a portion corresponding to the character.

According to another feature of the invention, the second circuit includes manual operating means for selectively varying the inter-grid spacing and position of the grid-like display pattern.

According to another feature of the present invention, the circuit 's2 includes manual operating means for selectively making the grid in the grid-like display pattern a solid line or a dotted line.

(1) Detailed Description and Function of the Invention Next, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 411 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus based on the present AI. This apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 10 made of an electroacoustic mutual conversion element, and a transmitting/receiving circuit 12 that receives the probe 1 in a pulsed manner and receives the corresponding electric signal. The signal representing the echo image of the subject received by the transmitting/receiving circuit 12 is processed by the received signal processing circuit 14, and is visually displayed on the display [5141] via the synthesizing circuit 1@. The display unit 18 is, for example, a device that displays a visible image on a CRT (CRT) or the like as a soft copy. The fresh water screen can be photographed, for example by an imaging camera 201, to form a hard copy.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed on the screen 10e of the display 811. For example, a tomographic echo image of the fetal sac 102, etc., is displayed in real time by linear scanning. In the figure, the number 104 indicates the body surface,
106 is bladder t, 10B is uterine body sf:, 110 Hako 1
[1tSt-1112ti embryonic association is shown.

According to book @#4, a grid pattern generation circuit 22 is connected to the synthesis circuit 1@, and a grid pattern controller 24 is connected to the grid pattern generation circuit 22. The grid pattern generation circuit 22 is a circuit that generates a grid pattern 114 in the shape of, for example, a rectangular @, as shown in FIG. The grid pattern 114 is composed of solid lines that intersect vertically and horizontally at intervals of 10-, for example, and the image signal indicating the P pattern is transferred to the synthesis circuit 1@ via the lead 2@, where it is processed from the processing circuit 14. Lead! S and is superimposed with a signal representing the 9th echo image (28th). Both superimposed signals are displayed visually on screen 1 (iQK) by lead SO.
The synthesized image becomes K as shown in the nine-image line ga diagram.

The grid pattern controller 4 is a circuit that controls the shape, position, pitch, etc. of the grid pattern 114 (by manual operation by an operator). For example, in this example, control! ! The pitch of the vertical and horizontal lines of the grid pattern 114 can be varied by controlling the grid pattern 114, and in the example shown in FIG. 4, the pitch is set to 5. This pitch 1
l11/Ik may be continuous or discrete. Further, it may be possible to perform independent adjustment for vertical lines and horizontal lines. By making the pitch variable in this way, it becomes easier to plan the area of a specific region of the echo image in more detail.

In this embodiment, the position of the grid pattern 114 on the screen 100 can be changed by 77 by operating the grid controller 24. This allows the Echo IUI
) By matching the intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines of the pattern 114 with specific points in the region of interest, total #I [can be made easier.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the general structure of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. In this figure, elements similar to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals.

The ultrasound probe 10 is connected to a probe scanning circuit 200, and the scanning circuit 200 is driven by a drive pulse generation circuit 202.

Probe scanning circuit 200 and drive pulse generation circuit 20
2 constitutes the transmitting/receiving circuit 12t in FIG. As a result, the ultrasonic probe is energized, and a +7 near scan is performed by transmitting pulsed ultrasonic waves.

A part of the ultrasound reflected by the object is received by the ultrasound probe 10, converted into an electrical signal, and detected by the detector 20 after passing through the amplifier 204t. Multiplier 204 and detector 20
6, it is configured in JILL's received signal processing circuit 14. Image No. 4II showing the echo image detected by the detector 206 is
In the synthesis time w&16, it is synthesized with grid pattern No. 13T and visually displayed on the display section 18.

By the way, in this embodiment, the grid pattern generation circuit 2
1 and grid pattern controller 24 are implemented with a microprocessor. Generally, as shown in FIG. 6, a microprocessor includes a central processing unit tcPU 2101, a dedicated storage device ROM 212 for storing control programs and fixed data, and a random access memory RAM.
214 and an input/output interface l1021@. A keyboard KB24m is connected to the z1021@ as an operation section of the grid pattern control device 24. These are connected to the CPU 210 by a bus 218, and the path 218 includes an I[memory IJVRAM 22
0 is also connected.

Two data outputs of VRM M22Q are coupled to a synthesis circuit 160 input. Also, its horizontal (H) and vertical (
V) Synchronization output 222 is displayed IS151. Drive pulse generation circuit 202, globe scanning circuit 200, and amplifier 2
The signal is supplied to each circuit such as 04, and performs linear scanning of the specimen using ultrasonic waves, processing of echo images, and synchronous control of display.

The VRAM 220 has a display 11110 screen 10.
A grid pattern 114 and dot patterns representing characters (letters, numbers, symbols) are displayed.
This is a random access memory that stores data at addresses corresponding to each plane. In this embodiment, one character is displayed in a pattern of 8×8 dots, so one character consists of 8 bytes. The grid pattern 114 displayed on the screen IJ-y 100 is also a pattern 300.302.304.3 of six 8×8 dots as shown in FIG.
1,308 and 301.

The grid pattern may be a dotted line pattern 1141 or 114b as shown in FIG. 5 instead of a solid pattern 41 as shown in the HS diagram. In this case display screen 10
0, many bright spots are displayed superimposed on the echo image. The echo image is visually very easy to see. A grid pattern 114b based on such points is a 41 oak 8×8 dot butter ysto as shown in FIG.

31L 312.313.314 and 315. The display of solid lines i and dots m in the grid pattern may be configured to be selectable by operating the keyboard 24&. Also, depending on the system, the concentrated lines may be configured to display dotted lines.

In this example, grid pattern 1 is superimposed on the echo image.
14.114a't or 114b is displayed on the screen 100, and the character tS can also be shown. In that case, as shown in FIG. 9, it is desirable to erase the display of the portions of the grid patterns 114, 114 & or 114b corresponding to the characters.

According to the invention, these characters and grid
The pattern 114, 114 turtle or 114b corresponds to the address of the li1 surface on the display screen 100, and
It is stored in M22G as an 8x8 dot pattern. These dot patterns, along with the horizontal (H) and vertical (7) synchronization signals generated in the lead 222, are applied to the horizontal (H) and vertical (7) synchronization signals, and are synchronized with the horizontal (H) and vertical (7) synchronization signals sent from the ultrasonic probe 10. The signal is synthesized by the synthesis circuit 16 and displayed on the screen 100K of the display unit 18. As mentioned above, a character buffer is provided in RAM 214 in the present 1M example in order to display characters in priority to grid pattern 114.114a or 114b. Character buffer is VRAM 22
One byte is allocated for each 0 character, and the code of the character is stored. Therefore, VR
The code corresponding to the character is stored in the byte of the character buffer corresponding to the location where the character is stored in the storage location of AM 220, that is, the location where the character is displayed on the screen 100 of display s1B. Accumulated.

In addition, other codes distinguishable from characters are stored in character buffer bytes corresponding to other storage locations in VRAM 220.

Figure #111 and Figure 12 show the CPU for character-prioritizing grid pattern display operation in the device shown in Figure 46.
210 shows the control flow according to H.210. 70- in FIG. 11 is
Displaying and erasing characters - The flow of the 12th diagram shows the display and erasing operations of a grid pattern.

When displaying a character on the screen 100 in display s18, first, the corresponding addresses of the VRAM 220 and the character buffer (in the RAM 214) are set (500 in FIG. 11), and a character code is input from the KH 24a (502). If the code is a character code, the character code is written to the set address of the buffer (504), and the character code is written to the VRAM 22Q (506).

If a code to erase the character display is entered (5
02), the contents of the set address of the buffer are reset (501), and if it is the part where the entire grid is displayed, the grid code is set (61G), otherwise the code of the blank character is set. It will be done (!12). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the characters are erased and only grid 114 is displayed. In this manner, the dot pattern of the character or grid indicated by Km24& is stored in the VRAM 220.

Incidentally, displaying and erasing of this grid is performed according to the control flow shown in FIG. First, v8 M220jl
When the corresponding address of P and the character buffer (in RAM 214) is set (550 in Figure 12), the contents of the buffer are judged (552), and if the contents indicate that it is not a medium yakuta, then the grid pattern is It is determined whether to display or erase (5s4). If a grid pattern is displayed, the grid chord tone should be set to 55ε)
, Insert the dot pattern/1-In into VRAM 220 (5!18), 11! *If erasing the grid, set a blank character code (S@Q).

In this way, the friend character butter/and grid pattern loaded in correspondence with the VRAM 220K display box are sequentially read out to lead 2@ along with the horizontal and vertical synchronization signals of lead 222 as described above. The echo image is superimposed on the echo image and displayed on the display s18.

■1 Specific Effects of the Invention The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention displays the grid pattern superimposed on the ultrasonic echo image as described above.
Direct observation of the length and area of the region of interest in the echo image can be easily performed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 48, if the pitch of the grid pattern 114 is 10 m, the size of the womb 5102 is approximately 17-16 x 16 x 17, and the area is two squares of the grid, i.e. It can be estimated to be approximately 2-. Also body surface 104
It can be directly understood that the jigm from 51 (l) to the womb is approximately 33rd place.

Of course, such a direct viewing plan can also be performed for a plurality of areas on the display screen.

As mentioned above, when the pitch of the grid pattern is variable, the precision of the direct vision plan can be selected as needed, and when the position of the grid pattern can be shifted, The position of the echo image, desired point, and grid can be selected for easy viewing.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention can also be combined with a so-called caliper function that electrically measures the threshold distance of a specific mark on the lli image of the display unit. This makes it possible to measure the distance between two points and roughly measure distances, areas, etc. of other parts.

In addition, since the grid pattern is formed on the display surface by electrical signals, if the echo image is erased and the grid pattern is displayed alone, the electrical and geometrical It is possible to evaluate (calibrate) scientific distortions.

Although an embodiment in which the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is implemented using a linear scanning method has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to other sector scanning, contact compound,
Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to other types of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure JI1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention; Figures jI2 to 5 are diagrams showing examples of ultrasound echo images and grid patterns displayed on the display section of Figure jI1; The figure is a block diagram showing an example of realizing a part of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention using a microprocessor, and Figures 5917 and 48 are grid patterns.
A diagram showing an example configured with a dot pattern of FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow. Lord Il! Part sign in! Light 1 @...Synthesizing circuit 1a...Display section 22...Grid pattern generation Ij
LwA path 24...Grid pattern controller 241...Keyboard Patent applicant Chill Seven Co., Ltd. Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 +14 114

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] L: A first circuit that receives at least a part of the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the object to form an image signal; In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an image display means for forming both images, the imaging device includes a second circuit for forming a grid-like display pattern and combining it with the image signal, and the display means An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by displaying a grid-like display pattern superimposed on the image of the subject. 2. When there are characters displayed on the image display means, the circuit of jI2 does not form a grid-like display pattern of a portion corresponding to a strong character. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. & The second circuit has a characteristic that the grid-like display pattern has a 4-striped cluster, which includes a lattice spacing and a position that are selectively variable. is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Section 2. The second circuit preferably includes a hand-operating means for making the grid in the grid-like display pattern into a point by selection.
Paragraph 1 of the article Mayu is the ultrasonic diagnostic device described in Paragraph 2.