JPS60253197A - X-ray diagnosis equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable photographing of a contrast image at an appropriate timing by quantitatively detecting an arriving state of a contrast medium to the location of an objective to be photographed by an ultrasonic wave. CONSTITUTION:A contrast medium injection device 20 is operated by a command signal from a system controller 16 and the predetermined quantity of a contrast medium is injected into a blood vessel of a body 6 under inspection. This contrast medium is, of course, sensitive to X-ray and also at the same time produces echoes by an ultrasonic wave beam. After the echo image is monitored and besides the density is calculated by an ultrasonic blood flow measuring device 24 hased on these echoes, the flow-in state of the contrast medium to the interested location is detected by comparing that result with the predetermined threshold value and thus the detected signal is put out to the system controller 16. Thereby, X-ray exposure after the injection of the contrast medium can be commenced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an X1 diagnostic device that images blood vessels using XIm, and particularly to X-ray diagnostics having a function of detecting the timing of photographing blood vessels before and after injection of a contrast medium. Regarding equipment.

[Technical cost of the invention] In general, an X-ray diagnostic device requires a method of directly forming an X-ray image on an X11a film, an image intensifier as an X'11A-light converter, a television camera, and a television monitor. Indirect X using the combined X-ray television equipment
There is a method of forming a line image.

Furthermore, the xsiim imaging method includes a method in which the imaged region is directly imaged without any modification, and a method in which a contrast agent is used to emphasize the image-repelled region.

Near the area, take pictures of the construction, especially the blood vessels! Ii! In the case of shadows, a so-called digital radiography method is used that uses an X-ray television device and performs arithmetic processing on captured X-ray image information to extract only the contrasted region.

In this method, first, the video signal of the X-ray image (mask image) obtained by photographing the state before the contrast agent is injected is digitally converted in time series, and the information for both sides is recorded in a recording device. . Next, a contrast agent was injected and the lζ state was photographed to obtain the
The video signal for one screen of the line image (last image) is digitally converted in time series. And in the subtraction device,
Contrast image information is subtracted in chronological order from the mask image information recorded in the recording IA position (subtraction). Then, if the imaging regulations are the same, the mask image signal and the contrast image signal for the area unaffected by the contrast agent are equal, so they become zero when the itch is reduced, while the mask image signal for the area where the contrast agent was injected becomes zero. ] Ntrust statue 13
A difference occurs due to the absorption of X-rays by the contrast agent, and when the digital signal of this difference is converted in time series and recombined on a TV monitor, only the contrast area will be output as an image. .

Therefore, since this method can extract only the contrast image of the region to be diagnosed,
It is the law.

(Problems in the Background Art) However, in order to obtain the above-mentioned contrast image, conventionally it was performed using XS* fluoroscopy.
1.1.111 1.1.111 The situation in which the contrast medium reaches the imaging target area such as the heart, and the transmission image of the subject with low XI exposure.
! It was displayed on a monitor via a 1m tube, and the image was observed by observing the image. However, in the observation method using fluoroscopy, the timing of specifying the contrast image after the contrast agent reaches the imaging target area is determined by the operator on the monitor. They observed the inflow of the i-stimulant, and when they judged it to be appropriate, operated some kind of switch to activate the X-ray exposure and X-ray system. Therefore, it is greatly affected by the skill m of the caster, and there is a drawback that the selection of the timing may vary depending on the caster. In addition, when observing a contrast agent of 11 degrees at one point with a blood vessel, the concentration gradually increases and once it reaches the peak, it drops again to the zero Z, so the peak point of m degrees is 1 to 1:]n]~ It is extremely difficult to accurately capture the last image using the above-mentioned perspective image observation method. Therefore, it has been difficult to achieve highly effective "bleeding" between images.

Furthermore, since it is necessary to irradiate X-rays before the contrast agent reaches and covers the target area, the subject is inevitably exposed to more radiation.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it enables contrast imaging to be performed at an appropriate timing by quantitatively detecting the state of arrival of a contrast agent to the imaging target area using ultrasound. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an X-ray diagnostic device that enables the following.

[Summary of the Invention 1] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention detects the time when a contrast agent reaches the blood vessel in the GJ in the region of interest in the shadowed region of the subject. In an xiii cutting device that performs diagnosis and diagnosis, an ultrahigh wave probe (1) for transmitting an ultrasonic beam to a site including the region of interest and detecting the reflected wave and information on the reflected wave by this ultrasonic probe are input. A blood flow measuring means for determining whether the contrast agent has reached the site, and an output of the blood flow measuring means
The present invention is characterized in that it includes a control means for controlling 11I the radiation.

Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the same figure, 1
2 and 3 are easy intensifiers (1, 1) that receive the X-rays transmitted through the subject from the X-ray tube 19 and convert the X-ray image into an optical image. An optical lens system, a so-called tandem lens, is used to convert the light from this converted optical image into parallel light beams, and then to form an image of a photographic tube, such as an elbow, on the photoconductive surface of the photographic tube. It is a system. Also, the size indicated by 4 is an automatic optical iris (auto iris) placed in front of the lens 3 on the image carrier side to adjust the amount of parallel light 4, and the size shown by 5 is behind the optical lens 3. This image pickup tube is arranged such that its photoconductive surface is located at a certain focal point, such as a hijicon type image pickup tube.

6 is the object to be examined, and 7 is the image pickup tube 5.
Il] III is a ruby camera controller, which decompresses and outputs the video (g-a and synchronization signal).
~1 The analog video signal from Cola 7 is converted into a digital video signal C at a predetermined timing.

9 indicates digital block [)1? The addition processing unit 9Δ adds a predetermined digital video signal, and the addition mask image and addition contrast image output from the addition processing unit 9A (completed when the contrast medium has reached a predetermined site within the subject). X of
(line image), the special digital image 'A' (the addition mask image of the bias correction unit 9B which removes the bias component from the FiQ and the bias correction unit output from the bias correction processing unit 9B)]- A logarithmic conversion processing unit 9C that logarithmically converts the added digital video signal for the last image, a subtract processing unit 9D that performs subtraction between the added mask image and the added contrast image after the logarithmic conversion processing, and the subtract processing unit 9D outputs It also has another image processing unit 9F that performs window processing etc. on subtract images etc. What is shown at 10 is a digital frame memory that stores various digital videos processed by the digital 4 digital processor 1 no. 11 is a D/A converter that converts the digital video signal output from the digital processor 9 into an analog video signal. 12 is a D/A converter that converts the digital video signal output from the digital processor 9 into an analog video signal. A video signal that is switched to input the video signal to a predetermined device.
It is an output switch. 13 accepts external analog memory such as video A disk recorder, video recorder]
14 is a digital camera. Reference numeral 15 indicates an external digital device such as a magnetic disk, a knob, or the like. Reference numeral 16 denotes a system controller 1-0- which fi-controls the entire system of the X-ray diagnosis 11Ji apparatus, and in particular controls the timing of the processing of the digital processor 9 and X-ray radiation. 17th minute is X-ray radiation!
, II 011, and the one shown in Figure 18 is the
S * 8 voltage generator, 19 η indicates X-ray II
It is an X-ray tube. 20 is a contrast agent device for injecting an angiographic contrast agent into the blood vessels of the subject 6. Reference numeral 21 indicates a console with a switch for setting the X-ray beam.

On the other hand, 22 indicates an ultrasonic diagnostic device, and an ultrasonic beam 23
Activate. Ultrasonic blood flow measurement 44f! 124 displays a tomographic image in combination with the ultrasonic diagnostic device 22, and records changes in the angiographic agent on the tomographic image 51n.

For example, FIG. 2 shows an example, in which 31 is a fan-shaped tomographic image obtained by so-called sector electronic manipulation, and 32 (indicates a blood vessel).

The tomographic image may be obtained by so-called linear electronic scanning.

Select one tree 33 in the ultrasound beam, and select the blood vessel (11
The intersection of 132 is written as PI and P2. This Pl.

The position of P2 is determined by the purpose. This is the blood inlet into the X-ray image.

Next, the operation of the device of the above embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings.

First, when the control console 21 is used to set the X-ray @copper bone (KV, IuA, etc.), the system Output to line controller 17. The X-ray controller 17 outputs the signal based on the above article fl as XJ1! +1
The output is output to the voltage generating device 18, and the desired output is applied to the X-ray tube. The X-rays thus emitted pass through the object 6 into which no contrast agent has been injected, enter the 1.11, and are extracted as a multiplied optical output, which is transmitted through an optical lens system equipped with an iris 4. 2.3. Then, the image pickup tube 5 in the next stage converts the input optical image into a video signal, and the video signal a from the television camera controller 1-○-ra 7
Outputs. This video (No. 8 is digitized by a 710 converter (3) and input to a digital blueprinter 9. In this digital processor 9, the input signal is processed into a processing unit 9A for several frames. The bias component is removed by the bias correction processing unit 9B, and after logarithmic transformation, the mask image is stored in the frame memory 10.

In response to the command signal from the system controller 16,
The contrast medium injection device M20 operates, and a predetermined amount of contrast medium is injected into the blood vessel of the subject 6.

After the next hour, say a few seconds, the X-ray tube 1
9 emits X-rays. The feature of the present invention is that this one hour period is detected by the ultrasonic blood flow measuring device 24.

That is, the intersection of the ultrasound beam and the blood vessel image, Pl, P2
This is to detect the change in concentration between areas, in other words, the degree of change in contrast agent between areas. This contrast agent is sensitive not only to X-rays, but also to echoes to ultrasound beams. As this ultrasonic irradiation method, for example, a sector scan method is used to irradiate a target region of the subject. At this time, it is necessary to arrange the ultrasonic probe 23 so that it does not enter the X-ray irradiation area. For example, it may be placed near the flank of the subject. It is known that ultrasonic waves produce echoes when they hit substances with different specific gravity. ) with 111.
Ultrasonic echoes can be obtained by the weight difference. Based on this echo, the ultrasound blood flow measurement 11F24 monitors the echo image, calculates the concentration, and compares it with a predetermined national value to determine the inflow state of the contrast agent into the region of interest. and outputs the detection signal to the system controller 16. As a result, the above-mentioned time is obtained, and X-ray exposure after contrast medium injection is started.

Then, the transmission xsi+ of the subject 6 is 1.11, the optical lens system 2.3 and the auto iris 4. The image is taken through the image pickup tube 5, television camera controller 7, and A/D converter 8 as a contrast image to the digital processor 9. This contrast image is first processed by the bias correction processing section 9B.
The bias component is removed in the subtract processing section 9D.
is input.

Then, by performing subtraction with the mask image stored in the frame memory 10, it is possible to obtain only the angiographic image from which the background image has been removed. This angiographic image is subjected to window processing etc. in the image processing unit 9E according to the purpose of diagnosis, and then converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter 11. Then, it is output to either the video disc 13 or the television monitor 14.

Note that the output of the digital processor 9 can also be stored in the external digital memory 15.

According to the above-described embodiment, X-rays are emitted only after the angiographic agent reaches the imaging target area, so the X-ray exposure dose to the subject is significantly reduced compared to conventional observation methods using fluoroscopy. It is possible to reduce the Further, in the case of OF as in the above embodiment, it is necessary to file a large number of X-ray images in the frame memory, but according to the embodiment of the present invention, images can be filed in a timely manner. Memory usage efficiency is improved, and the time required to access stored images can be significantly shortened. Furthermore, since the arrival status of the contrast medium is automatically detected, X-ray cine film photography can be performed accurately.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the ultrasonic irradiation method is not limited to the sector scan method, but can also be implemented using a linear skin V scan method. However, in this case, the ultrasound probe becomes somewhat larger, so
Depending on the area to be photographed, it may be XJI! This method is slightly inferior to the sector scan method because there is a higher possibility of entering the irradiation area.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately grasp the state of arrival of the contrast medium to the imaging target site, and to automatically control X-ray exposure, thereby eliminating unnecessary @problems. This has an extremely excellent effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic tomographic image. 16... System controller, 17... X-ray controller 1 to roller, 18... X-ray high voltage generator, 22... Ultrasonic diagnostic device, 23... Ultrasonic probe, 24... Ultrasonic Blood Flow Measuring Device Patent Attorney Nori Chika (and 1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an X-ray diagnostic apparatus that detects when a contrast medium reaches a blood vessel in a region of interest in a region to be imaged in a subject and performs X-ray diagnosis IIS imaging, an ultrasound beam reaches and propagates to a region including the region of interest; an ultrasonic probe that detects the reflected waves, a blood flow measuring means that receives information about the reflected waves from the ultrasonic probe and determines that the contrast agent has reached the site, and an xm An X-ray diagnostic device characterized by comprising a control means for controlling the @sword.