JPS60129040A - 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 [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a self-diagnosis circuit for a circuit that generates a signal that performs time gain control and time frequency control on an echo signal generated by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[Description of prior art]

The time gain and time frequency processing applied to the echo signals generated by the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus do not significantly affect the quality of the image displayed by the echo signals. However, conventional devices do not have a self-diagnosis circuit that allows the user of the ultrasonic diagnostic device to confirm that this process is being performed correctly. For this reason, when the quality of an image deteriorates, even if the cause is a defect in the time gain control circuit or the time frequency control circuit, there is a drawback that it is not possible to quickly identify the cause.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and is a self-diagnosis device that allows a user to easily determine the quality of the time gain control circuit and time frequency control circuit of an ultrasonic diagnostic device without using a separate test jig. The purpose is to provide

[Features of the invention]

The present invention is a circuit for self-diagnosing a time gain control signal generation circuit and a time frequency control signal generation circuit included in an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and the amplifier circuit amplifies an echo signal received by an ultrasound probe. A dynamic filter cascade-connected to the signal path of the amplifier circuit and a time gain control signal are applied to the amplifier circuit in synchronization with the parasitic signal applied to the ultrasound probe, and a time gain control signal is applied to the dynamic filter. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising a time control signal generation circuit that provides a frequency control signal, and an image display means that displays an image on a time axis of the signal that has passed through the amplification circuit and the dynamic filter, an input of the image display means; The present invention is characterized in that the circuit is provided with a switch circuit that selectively switches between the passed signal and the output signal of the time control signal generation circuit and supplies the same to the image display means.

Further, the output signals of the time control signal generation circuit guided to the switch circuit are of two types: a time gain control signal and a time frequency control signal, and these two types of signals are each subjected to level adjustment, and the above switch circuit It is preferable that the two types of signals can be individually selected and applied to the input circuit of the image display means.

Further, the image display means includes means for displaying the luminance of the signal applied to the input circuit on the time axis and means for displaying the amplitude, and can be configured such that these two means can be switched by operation. .

[Explanation based on examples]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the apparatus of this embodiment.

First, the configuration and connections of this embodiment device will be explained.

This embodiment device includes an ultrasonic probe (hereinafter referred to as a probe) ■, a transmitter/receiver amplifier 2, a dynamic filter 3, a logarithmic conversion amplifier 4, a video amplifier 5, a switch circuit 6, and a digital scan converter 7 and adder circuit 8
, a graph ink display device 9, and an image display device (
Hereinafter referred to as CRT. ) 10, and a central control unit (hereinafter referred to as
It is called CPU. ) 11 and an ultrasonic transmission/reception timing controller (hereinafter referred to as timing controller) 1
2, a time frequency control signal generation circuit (hereinafter referred to as TFC generation circuit) 13, and a time gain control signal generation circuit (hereinafter referred to as TGC generation circuit) 14.

The output of the probe 1 is connected to the echo signal input of the transmitting/receiving amplifier 2, the output of the transmitting/receiving amplifier 2 is connected to the echo signal input of the dynamic filter 3, and the output of the dynamic filter 3 is connected to the input of the logarithmic conversion amplifier 4. The output of the logarithmic conversion amplifier 4 is connected to the echo signal input of the video amplifier 5, and the output of the video amplifier 5 is connected to the switch circuit 6.
is connected to the first switched terminal of. The switching output terminal of the switch circuit 6 is connected to the brightness display signal input of the digital scan converter 7, one output of the digital scan converter 7 is connected to one input of the adder circuit 8, and the other output of the digital scan converter 7 is connected to one input of the adder circuit 8. For example, the brightness display data output of the CPU 11 is connected to the input of the graph ink display device 9, the output of the graph ink display device 9 is connected to the other input of the adder circuit 8, and the output of the adder circuit 8 is connected to the input of the adder circuit 8. is connected to the input of CRT 10.

A first control signal output of the CPU II is connected to an input of the timing controller I2, a second control signal output of the CPU II is connected to one input of the TFC generation circuit 13,
The third control signal output of CPUII is the TGC generation circuit 14.
A fourth control signal output of the CPU II is connected to a control signal input of the digital scan controller 7.

A first output of the timing controller 12 is connected to the input of the transmitter/receiver amplifier 2, a second output of the timing controller 12 is connected to the other input of the TFC generation circuit 13, and a third output of the timing controller 12 is connected to the input of the TFC generation circuit 13.
It is connected to the other input of the generating circuit 14.

The output of the TFC generation circuit 13 is connected to the control signal input of the dynamic filter 3 and the input of the normalization circuit 15,
The output of the TGC generation circuit 14 is connected to the control signal input of the video amplifier 5 and the input of the normalization circuit 16. The output of the normalization circuit 15 is connected to the second switched terminal of the switch circuit 6 , and the output of the normalization circuit 16 is connected to the third switched terminal of the switch circuit 6 .

The feature of the present invention is that the normalization circuits 15 and 1
6, a switch circuit 6, a graph ink display device 9, and an adder circuit 8 are added, and the corresponding connections are made.

Next, the operation of the embodiment circuit of the present invention will be explained.

Under the control of the timing controller 12, signals are exchanged between the transmitting/receiving amplifier 2 and the probe 1. The echo signal received by the probe 1 is subjected to signal processing by a transmitting/receiving amplifier 2, a dynamic filter 3, a logarithmic conversion amplifier 4, and a video amplifier 5, and is converted into a brightness display signal. During this process, the dynamic filter 3 generates a time-frequency control signal (hereinafter referred to as TFC signal) from the TFC generation circuit 13.
Frequency correction is applied to the echo signal by the video amplifier 5, and time gain correction is applied to the echo signal by the time gain control signal (hereinafter referred to as TGC signal) from the TGC generation circuit 14 in the video amplifier 5.

When the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is in practical use, the output of the video amplifier 5 is processed by the digital scan converter 7 via the first switched terminal of the switch circuit 6 and converted into a brightness display signal. , an image corresponding to the object detected by the probe 1 is displayed on the CRT screen.

By the way, when inspecting the TFC generating circuit 13 or the TGC generating circuit 14 of this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the switch circuit 6 can be switched to either the second switched terminal or the third switched terminal.

First, to explain the inspection of the TFC generation circuit 13,
A standard pattern of the TFC signal is set in P U 11, and this standard pattern is given to the TFC generation circuit 13. A TFC signal corresponding to this standard pattern is generated by the TFC generation circuit 13 and provided to the normalization circuit 15. The signal level-adjusted by the normalization circuit 15 is given to the digital scan controller 7 via the second switched terminal of the switch circuit 6, where it is converted into a brightness display signal. This brightness display signal is applied to the CRT 10 via one input of the adding circuit 8, and a grayscale image is displayed on the display screen.

Further, the TGC generation circuit 13 is tested in the same manner as the TFC generation circuit 13 described above. That is, C
Standard pattern setting in PUII, TGC signal generation in the TGC generation circuit 14, level adjustment in the normalization circuit 16, via the third switched terminal of the switch circuit 6, brightness display signal conversion processing in the digital scan converter 7, Via one input of adder circuit 8 and CRT
A grayscale image is displayed on the display screen at step 10.

Next, a case will be described in which a graph of the TFC signal and the TGC signal is displayed on the screen in the time domain. The TFC signal accumulated in the digital scan comparator is sent to the CPU
The data is transferred to II, and further, in this CPU 11,
The signal is processed so that the TFC signal is stored in the time domain in a graph ink display device 9, the output of the CPU II is written to the graph ink display device 9, the output of which is sent to the adder circuit 8.
is applied to the CRT 10 via the other input of the CR
A graph of the TFC signal is displayed in the time domain on the screen of the TIO. Further, the same operation as described above is performed for the TGC signal instead of the TFC signal.

The determination of whether the display on the screen of the CRT 10 should be a gray scale display, a graph display, or a gray scale display or a graph display d is determined by the CPU II set by the operator's operation.
It will be held at

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 show test results displayed on the display screen of the CRT 10. FIG. The pattern on the left side of the screen represents shading, with areas where the density of straight lines is low representing low brightness, that is, dark areas. The graph on the right shows time changes in the signal, with the vertical axis representing time and the horizontal axis representing the decibels of the generated signal. Also, the second
The figure shows that when the TGC generation circuit 14 is set to generate a ramp waveform, a ramp waveform corresponding to the set value is generated on the CRTlo display screen. TG against template
The C generation circuit 14 is determined to be normal. FIG. 3 shows an example of an implementation result when the TFC generation circuit 13 is determined to be in a normal state, and FIG. 4 is an example of an implementation result when it is determined to be in an abnormal state.

In addition, in the apparatus described above, the TFC generation circuit 13 can be determined by visually observing the pattern and graph displayed on the CRTIO.
Although normal operation of the TFC generation circuit 13 and TGC generation circuit 14 is determined, the CPU II can also determine the operation of the TFC generation circuit 13 and the TGC generation circuit 14, and alert the examiner of the results.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention allows the user to
Since the FC generating circuit and the TGC generating circuit can be inspected, there is an effect that the performance of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be maintained.

In addition, since the test results are displayed objectively, the tester does not require much skill and has the effect of making handling easier.

Further, the increase in cost due to the addition of this testing circuit is small, and a testing means with high cost performance can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic diagrams showing test results displayed on the CR'T screen. ■... Probe, 2... Transmitting/receiving amplifier, 3... Dynamic filter, 4... Logarithmic conversion amplifier, 5...
Video amplifier, 6... Switch circuit, 7... Digital scan converter, 8... Addition circuit, 9... Graphic display device, 10... CRT, 11
...CPU, 12...Timing controller, 1
3...TFC generation circuit, 14...TGC generation circuit,
15.16... Normalization circuit. Agent Patent Attorney Nao Takashi Ide M 2 Figure 3 l 4th

Claims (1)

[Claims] (11) An amplifier circuit for amplifying an echo signal received by an ultrasound probe; A time control signal generation circuit that applies a time gain control No. 18 to the amplifier circuit and a time frequency control signal to the Guinamisoku filter in synchronization with the applied transmission signal, and passes through the amplifier circuit and the Dyna 1 filter. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with an image display means for displaying an image of the signal on a time axis, the passed signal and the output signal of the time control signal generation circuit are selectively input to an input circuit of the image display means. (2) The output signal of the time control signal generation circuit guided to the switch circuit is a time gain control signal and a time frequency control signal. There are two types of signals, and these two types of signals are each subjected to level adjustment, and the switch circuit is configured so that these two types of signals can be individually selected and applied to the input circuit of the image display means. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim (1), which is configured to: (3) The image display means includes means for displaying the luminance of the signal given to the input circuit on the time axis, and amplitude display. 12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a means for performing a diagnosis, and the two means are switched by an operation.