JPS6210392B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging device used for ultrasound diagnosis and the like.

In this type of ultrasound imaging device, the B-mode image of the ultrasound echo is displayed using an X-Y monitor or a television (hereinafter referred to as "TV") monitor, and a freezing (still image) display method is used. were developed independently for each monitor. This can be done by defining the X- and Y-axis sweep times in accordance with the ultrasonic scanning (scanning time) of the X-Y monitor, and synchronizing and inputting the ultrasonic echo signal as a Z (luminance) signal to this. Good, but
TV monitors have completely independent sweep times, and the horizontal sweep time in particular is generally 63.5 [μS], compared to 200 to 300 times one scan time of a typical ultrasound scan.
Since it corresponds to a fraction of [μS], it is not possible to obtain the desired display image as it is, so the ultrasonic echo signal is temporarily stored in memory for one screen and then transferred from memory according to the scanning time of the TV monitor. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to read out the information, and the basic display methods are different. Note that when displaying a freezing image on an XY monitor, a memory for one screen is required. In addition, B-mode image display using an X-Y monitor and B-mode image display using a TV monitor each have their advantages and disadvantages, and depending on the imaging target and imaging conditions, there are cases where the X-Y monitor is more suitable and cases where the TV monitor is more suitable. There is.

Therefore, it is considered most desirable to have a device that is capable of displaying still images on both the XY monitor and the TV monitor, and in which the memory for one screen can be shared in order to save memory.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an example of a display circuit when a conventional XY monitor is used. 1 is an A/D (analog-digital) converter, 2 is 1
3 is a D/A (digital-analog) converter, 4 is a timing control circuit, and SW 1 is a changeover switch operated by the timing control circuit 4 in response to mode switching. be.

The operation of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

In the real-time display mode, the ultrasonic echo signal AE obtained by the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving scanning unit (not shown) and amplified appropriately is sent to the final state as it is because the switch SW1 is in the state of being switched to side a as shown in the figure. The output OZ is as a Z signal,
A B-mode image is formed by real-time ultrasonic echoes on an XY monitor (also not shown).

Next, the case of freezing image display mode will be explained. That is, when the freezing control signal FR is given to the timing control circuit 4 in the real-time display mode, the timing control circuit 4 regards the freezing control signal FR as a freezing request, and displays the ultrasonic echo signal of one frame immediately after that.
A control signal CM is generated in order to digitize AE and write it into memory 2, and a memory write clock is generated in synchronization with this control signal CM.
The WC drives the A/D converter 1 and sequentially stores digitized ultrasonic echo signals (echo image data) in the memory 2. From the next frame, memory 2 is used to display the freezing image.
can only be read. At that time, switch SW
1 is controlled by the timing control circuit 4 and switched to the b side shown in the figure, that is, the D/A converter 3 side. Thereafter, when the freezing control signal FR is input again, the timing control circuit 4 considers this to be a cancellation of freezing and switches the switch SW1 to the a side again to return to the real-time display mode. This operation returns to real-time display mode. Through such operations, real-time display and still image display are controlled.

FIGS. 2a to 2g are time charts of the display circuit using the conventional XY monitor described above, and are respectively
a is the odd field synchronization signal OS of ultrasonic beam scanning (assuming that interlaced scanning is used in the ultrasonic beam scanning in the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver scanning section), b is the even field synchronization signal ES, c is the rate signal RT that determines the timing of generating each unit pulse ultrasound beam in ultrasound beam scanning, and d is the freezing control signal
FR, e are control signals for memory control
CM, f indicates a memory write clock WC, and g indicates a memory read clock RC. Odd field synchronization signal OS, even field synchronization signal ES,
Both the rate signal RT and the freezing control signal FR are signals input to the timing control circuit 4, and the control signal CM, memory write clock WC, and memory read clock RC are output from the timing control circuit 4 and are input to the memory 2, A/C, respectively. This is a signal given to the D converter 1 and the D/A converter 3.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and is an ultrasonic wave capable of displaying a B-mode image by sharing memory for one screen and simultaneously displaying a freezing image on an XY monitor and a TV monitor. The purpose is to provide video equipment.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, an A/D converter 1, a memory 2,
Since the switch SW1 and the switch SW1 have a configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 1, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. 3-
1 and 3-2 have almost the same functions as the D/A converter 3 shown in Fig. 1, and are used for X-Y monitor and TV, respectively.
The first and second D/A converters 6-1 and 6-2 used for monitoring are shift registers or
A read buffer for reading memory 2 configured using RAM, 7 a timing control circuit, 8 a read buffer for reading memory 2;
This is a TV synchronization signal generation circuit. SW4 is a switch controlled by the timing control circuit 7 to read out the output of the memory 2 and alternately connect it to the buffers 6-1 and 6-2, and SW5 is controlled by the timing control circuit 7 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal of the TV.
The switch SW of the read buffers 6-1 and 6-2 is switched and controlled in synchronization with the TV horizontal synchronization signal.
The output of the side not selected in 4 is sent to D/A converter 3.
This is a switch that connects to -2. Note that OZ1 and OZ2 indicate outputs as Z signals for an XY monitor and a TV monitor, respectively.

9 is an auxiliary buffer for reading out the contents of memory 2 at once; 10-1 and 10-2 are X-Y
A read buffer for monitoring, SW6, is switched and controlled by the timing control circuit 7 in synchronization with the rate signal RT, and reads out the output of the memory 2.
A switch connected alternately to 1 and 10-2,
Similarly, SW7 is switched and controlled by the timing control circuit 7 in synchronization with the rate signal RT, and is the switch SW6 of the read buffers 10-1 and 10-2.
The output of the side not selected by D/A converter 3-
This is a switch that connects to 1.

In addition, FIGS. 4a to 4h are timing charts in the above configuration, and in each case, a is a rate signal.
RT, b is read buffer 10-1 from memory 2
Output BI1 to BI1, c is output BO1 of read buffer 10-1, d is read buffer 1 from memory 2
Output BI2 to 0-2, e is read buffer 10
-2 output BO2, f is the TV horizontal synchronization signal HS generated from the TV synchronization signal generation circuit 8, g is the output RO1 of the read buffer 6-1, h is the read buffer 6
FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram showing each timing of output RO2 of -2.

In such a configuration, since the auxiliary buffer 9 reads l contents of the memory 2 at once, the number of times the memory 2 is read is m/l per horizontal scan. The data read into the auxiliary buffer 9 is stored in the read buffer 6-1 or 6-2 at high speed. The subsequent timing is as described above. Regarding the XY monitor, data is written to the read buffers 10-1 and 10-2 at the timing of the signal BI1 or BI2 shown in FIGS. 4b and 4d during one rate period (including retrace time). The read buffers 10-1 and 10-2 are read at the timing of the signal BO1 or BO2 shown in c and e of the same figure.
Data is read from. By using the auxiliary buffer 9 in this way, the number of reads from the memory 2 can be reduced to 1/l, and the read buffers 10-1, 1
By using 0-2, the rate signal RT
If the rate pulse width is T ₀ and the retrace period is T ₁ , the memory read cycle time is T ₀ /n.
It can be reduced to T ₀ +T ₁ /n. In this case, reading data from the memory 2 is performed as shown in the timing charts of FIGS. 5a to 5c.
Based on the basic clock CL [FIG. 5a] given from the synchronization signal generation circuit 8 to the timing control circuit 7, the read buffer 10-1 or 10-2
Read timing BB to the auxiliary buffer 9 [Fig. 5 b] and read timing RA to the auxiliary buffer 9 [Fig. 5 c]
It is necessary to select so that there is no overlap between the two.

As described in detail above, the present invention provides a memory unit with one
Even if the XY monitor and TV monitor This has the advantage that it can be displayed simultaneously on an XY monitor and a TV monitor that have different display scanning times.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of a conventional device; FIGS. 2 a to g are timing charts for explaining the same example; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention; 4a to 4g and 5a to 5c are timing charts for explaining the same embodiment. 1...A/D converter, 2...memory, 3-1...first
D/A converter, 3-2... second D/A converter,
6-1, 6-2, 10-1, 10-2...read buffer, 7...timing control circuit, 8...television synchronization signal generation circuit, 9...auxiliary buffer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A memory section that records ultrasonic freezing images, a timing control section that reads out the freezing images recorded in this memory section at first and second timings that do not overlap, and a timing control section that reads out the freezing images that are read out at the first timing. The first and second read buffers are written alternately, and the first and second read buffers are
A first D/A converter reads out the frozen image from the buffer to which writing has not been performed out of the read buffers in synchronization with the rate pulse, and performs D/A conversion of the frozen image; An auxiliary buffer memory for temporarily writing the freezing image, and a third buffer memory for alternately reading and writing the freezing image written to this auxiliary buffer memory.
A fourth read buffer and a second read buffer that reads the freezing image from the third and fourth read buffers to which writing is not being performed in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal of the TV monitor and performs D/A conversion. An ultrasound imaging device comprising: a D/A converter.