JPS61193651A - Ultrasonic doppler 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] [Summary] A probe to which a plurality of transducers are attached is used as a probe of an ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic device.

By emitting multiple parallel ultrasonic beams, information on nearby positions at the measurement site is simultaneously acquired, enabling fine positioning.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic apparatus equipped with means for accurately positioning a minute measurement site such as a blood vessel.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment mainly uses B-mode images to determine the measurement position of Doppler waves.

A B-mode image is obtained by, for example, scanning an ultrasonic beam in a fan shape and displaying the echo image on a corresponding two-dimensional plane in brightness, and has the characteristic that a tomographic image of a relatively wide range of one diagnostic object can be obtained. Furthermore, since this B-mode image shows the internal structure of one diagnostic object in its original positional relationship, it matches the recognition of two people and facilitates probe operation when searching for a measurement position.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

What is the conventional method for determining the measurement position using a B-mode image?

Although it is extremely effective for macroscopic positioning, it is difficult to precisely locate microscopic areas, such as when measuring blood flow, when it is necessary to position the ultrasound beam at the center of the blood vessel where the blood flow velocity is highest. This method is completely unsuitable for applications that require accurate positioning, and other simple and effective methods have not been available.

Means for Solving Problem c] The present invention multiplexes the transducers of the probe,
Information on nearby positions is obtained by emitting multiple parallel ultrasonic beams in extremely close proximity, simultaneously observing the reflected waves of each, and performing Doppler analysis.

Enables accurate fine positioning.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an ultrasonic probe, 2 is a transducer m for measurement, 3 and 3' are transducers P for position detection, P2 and 4 are main devices, and 5 to 7 are ultrasonic Doppler analysis A control section, 8 is an oscillator, 9 is a timing control circuit, 10 is a pulse gate circuit, 11 is a transmission amplifier, 12 is a reception amplifier, 13 is a mixer circuit, and 14 and 15 are low-pass filters LPF.

16 and 17 are A/D converters, 18 and 19 are high-pass filters HPF, and 20 is a frequency analyzer.

21 represents a data processing unit, and 22 represents a display.

The transducers m and PI*Pg are arranged close to the tip of the probe 1 on a straight line, and each emits an ultrasound beam in a substantially parallel direction and receives two reflected waves. I can do it.

Each transducer m, P, . . . Pz is connected to an ultrasound Doppler analysis control section 5, 6.7, respectively.

The circuit configuration of each ultrasound Doppler analysis control unit 5.6.7 is the same, and any conventionally known circuit can be applied. The illustrated circuit of the ultrasound Doppler analysis control unit 7 is part 1.
Just an example.

A brief explanation of the ultrasound Doppler analysis control unit 7 is as follows: 1
The oscillator 8 continuously oscillates, and the timing control circuit 9 gates the oscillation signal at a constant period.

Generate a burst signal. This burst signal.

The signal is amplified by the transmission amplifier 11 and supplied to the transducer (P2) of the probe 1.

The transducer (P2) emits an ultrasound beam and subsequently receives its reflected waves. The reflected wave signal is received by receiving amplifier 1.
2, quadrature modulated by mixer circuit 13, and S
It is divided into two system signals, in and Cos, each having high-frequency noise removed by LPF 14.15, converted to a digital signal by A/D converter 16.17, and further processed by HPF 1.
8, 19 removes infrasonic noise and 9 frequency analyzer 2
Doppler analysis is performed at 0, and velocity information such as blood flow velocity is extracted.

In this way, each ultrasound Doppler analysis control unit 5°6.7
The three pieces of speed information outputted from are subjected to predetermined processing in a data processing section 21, and output and displayed on a display 22 in a graphic format consisting of, for example, three straight lines representing levels.

In addition, three transducers m+P+rP
The transmission timing of the burst signals that drive z must be controlled to be shifted by a certain period of time in order to avoid mutual interference of reflected waves.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show an example of how the embodiment device shown in FIG. 1 is used. In the figure, 23 indicates the body surface, and 24 indicates the cross section of the blood vessel to be measured.

The blood flow velocity is high in the center of the blood vessel, and the blood flow velocity is low near the blood vessel wall.

Now, a case will be explained in which it is desired to measure the blood flow velocity in the center of a blood vessel. First, transducer m for measuring probe l.
When the ultrasound beam deviates from the center of ωtki 24, the blood flow velocity becomes P,>m>P, as shown on the display 22 of FIG. 2(a). So, set probe 1 to P.

PI = pz < m as shown in Fig. 2(b).
If it is set as follows, 1 m becomes the blood flow velocity at the center of the blood vessel.

Note that the same function can be achieved even when the number of transducers of the probe is two or four or more. Furthermore, the measurement transducer does not necessarily have to be central.

The distinction between the measurement transducer and the position detection transducer may be eliminated.

゛ [Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, information indicating an appropriate probe operation direction of the ultrasound Doppler diagnostic device can be obtained, so that the measurement ultrasound beam can be easily applied to the accurate position of the part to be measured. This makes it possible to perform highly accurate measurements.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(a)
, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the embodiment device of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, 1 is an ultrasonic probe, 2 is a transducer m for measurement, 3.3' is a transducer Pt, Pz for position detection, 5 to 7 are ultrasonic Doppler analysis control units, and 21 is a transducer m for measurement. The data processing unit 22 indicates a display.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic device having a Doppler analysis function, characterized by having a probe equipped with a plurality of transducers having substantially parallel beam directions, and an analysis device capable of individually analyzing Doppler reflected waves from each transducer of the probe. Ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment.