JPS60207648A - 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 [Technical field to which the invention pertains] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used primarily in the field of electronic medical equipment. In particular, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can capture an ultrasonic image of a fetal heart as a still image at a desired time phase of cardiac activity.

[Description of prior art]

Ultrasonic diagnostic devices capable of observing still images of cardiac activity of a living body at a desired time phase have already been put into practical use.

However, the devices currently in use have a drawback that their use is limited to adults, children, and newborns, and they cannot be used to observe a fetus during pregnancy. In other words, in the maternal abdominal wall-guided fetal electrocardiogram signal, which is the only available electrocardiographic signal of a pregnant fetus, the maternal electrocardiographic signal influences the fetal electrocardiographic signal as noise to obtain a still image that is synchronized with the fetal heartbeat. It was difficult.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and provides ultrasound diagnostics that eliminates unnecessary components derived from the mother's body and allows fetal heart activity to be observed as a still image at a desired time phase using a signal based on the fetal heartbeat. The purpose is to provide equipment.

[Key points of the invention]

The present invention utilizes a known technique for eliminating mixed maternal electrocardiographic signal components from maternal abdominal wall induced fetal electrocardiographic signals,
This method generates a still image signal at a desired time phase of the fetal heart by detecting and identifying the fetal ventricle excitatory process and performing a snapshot operation at the desired time phase of the heartbeat phenomenon on the ultrasound image signal. means for repeatedly transmitting a transmission pulse signal to a sonic probe; means for generating an image signal by processing a response to the transmission pulse signal received by the ultrasound probe on a time axis; and the image signal. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is equipped with a storage means for storing in frame units, a means for generating a control timing signal, and a means for selecting the image 1a of the 4g means according to the control timing signal. The timing signal generating means includes a means for removing the maternal phantom QR3 interval from the maternal abdominal wall induced fetal heartbeat and then generating a timing signal that is synchronized with the fetal heartbeat, particularly the peak of the QR3 interval, and a means for generating a timing signal that is synchronized with the fetal heartbeat, particularly the peak of the QR3 interval, and the timing signal is specified by operation. and means for delaying by an amount of time.

It is procedurally essential that the timing signal generating means includes a detection means including electrodes, an amplifier, etc. for detecting maternal abdominal wall-induced fetal electrocardiographic signals from above the maternal abdominal wall, and a detection means for detecting the maternal heartbeat. Become.

[Principle of the invention]

A still image of the fetal heart can be obtained by performing a snapshot operation at a desired time phase that is delayed from the fetal ventricle excitement process, but this is preceded by the elimination of maternal electrocardiographic signal components in the fetal heart rate measurement circuit. Delay time required for work procedures (
Hereinafter, this will be referred to as the erasure waiting time. ), and if used as is, it will not be possible to provide a snapshot of the heartbeat phase with a delay time shorter than this time.

In the present invention, a delay is also given to the image signal by a time corresponding to the time required for the fetal heart rate measuring circuit, and the circuit 1a is supplied with images corresponding to the erase waiting time or more, that is, "2" or "3" images. It is possible to equivalently set the amount of delay from the fetal ventricle excitation process to "0" milliseconds by storing the image and outputting the image before the erasure waiting time using the snapshot command. . Furthermore, note 1. If the number of frames that can be stored in the a circuit is increased,
It is possible to perform the snapping motion with a delay amount of a relatively negative value, that is, a time phase before the fetal ventricle's excitation process.

[Explanation based on examples]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

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

First, the configuration of this embodiment device will be explained with reference to FIG. This embodiment device includes an ultrasonic probe (hereinafter referred to as a probe) 1, a repetitive pulse signal transmitting means (hereinafter referred to as a transmitting circuit) 2, and a transmitting pulse response signal receiving and image signal generating means (hereinafter referred to as a transmitting circuit). (hereinafter referred to as a receiving circuit) 3, an image signal storage means (hereinafter referred to as a storage circuit) 4, an image signal control timing signal generation means (hereinafter referred to as a timing generator) 5, and an image selection means 1a. (hereinafter referred to as selection circuit) 6, image processing circuit 7, image display means (hereinafter referred to as CRT) 8, and abdominal wall induced fetal electrocardiogram signal input terminal A (hereinafter referred to as electrocardiogram signal input terminal). 11 and
Eliminate maternal electrocardiogram and detect fetal heartbeat! It is composed of an IJI signal generation means (hereinafter referred to as a fetal heart rate measuring circuit) 12 and an operation designated time delay means (hereinafter referred to as a delay circuit) 13,
The output of the transmitting circuit 2 is connected to the input of the probe 1, the output of the probe 1 is connected to the input of the receiving circuit 2, and the output of the probe 1 is connected to the input of the receiving circuit 3.
The output of is connected to the first input of the storage circuit. On the other hand, the electrocardiographic signal input terminal 11 is connected to the human power of the delay circuit 13,
The output of the delay circuit 13 is connected to the input of the timing generator 5, and the output of the timing generator 5 is connected to the second input of the storage circuit 4. Further, the output of the memory circuit 4 is connected to the human power of the image processing circuit 7, and the output of the image processing circuit 7 is connected to the CR
Connected to inlet j of T8.

Next, the operation of this embodiment device will be explained based on the drawings.

A transmission pulse signal is repeatedly transmitted from the transmission circuit 2 to the probe 1, an ultrasound beam is generated by the probe 1, and a sound wave signal reflected from the object by this ultrasound beam is converted into a response electric signal. . This response electrical signal is input to the receiving circuit 3, where an image signal processed on the time axis is generated. On the other hand, an electrical signal related to the output of the abdominal wall-guided fetal electrocardiograph is input. In this circuit, first, the maternal QR3 section is removed from the maternal abdominal wall induced fetal electrocardiographic signal, and from the result, a timing signal synchronized with the fetal heartbeat is generated. This timing signal provides a time delay corresponding to the delay time set by the delay circuit 13. This delay amount is a time interval value from the excitation process of the fetal ventricle until a snapshot operation is executed, and the setting and change of the value are performed manually. The output signal from this delay circuit 13' is given to a selection circuit 6, and the output signal of this selection circuit 6 controls the writing and reading of the memory circuit 4, and the image signal is output to the image processing circuit 7, and is outputted onto the CRTB. A still image of the fetal heart at the desired time phase is displayed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to obtain a still image signal of the fetal heart at a desired time phase, which enables precise management of the fetus and has the effect of significantly improving the diagnostic effect in clinical obstetrics. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. l... Probe (ultrasonic probe), 2... Transmission circuit (repetitive pulse signal transmission means), 3... Receiving circuit (transmission pulse response body signal reception and image signal generation means), 4・
...Circuit 1a (image signal storage means), 5...Timing generator (image signal control timing signal generation means)
, 6... Selection circuit (description 4, 1 image selection means) 7...
Image processing circuit, 8...CRT, 11...electrocardiogram signal input terminal (abdominal wall lead fetal electrocardiogram signal input terminal), 12...
Fetal heart rate measuring circuit (maternal electrocardiogram erasure/fetal heart rate synchronization signal generation means), 13... delay circuit (operation designated time delay means). Patent applicant representative patent attorney Naotaka Ide

Claims (1)

[Claims] fi+ Means for repeatedly transmitting a transmission pulse signal to an ultrasonic probe, and generating an image signal by processing a response to the transmission pulse signal received by the ultrasonic probe on a time axis. an ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising: a means for storing the image signal in units of frames; a means for generating a control timing signal; and a means for selecting the image in the storage means according to the control timing signal. In the apparatus, the control timing signal generation means generates a timing signal synchronized with the peak point of the fetal QR3 section from the fetal electrocardiogram component obtained after removing the maternal electrocardiogram QR8 section from the maternal abdominal wall induced fetal electrocardiogram signal. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: means for generating a timing signal; and means for delaying the timing signal by a desired time. (2) The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes: a detecting means for detecting maternal abdominal wall-induced fetal heartbeat; and a detecting means for detecting maternal heartbeat.