WO2023157598A1 - 超音波診断システム - Google Patents

超音波診断システム Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023157598A1
WO2023157598A1 PCT/JP2023/002498 JP2023002498W WO2023157598A1 WO 2023157598 A1 WO2023157598 A1 WO 2023157598A1 JP 2023002498 W JP2023002498 W JP 2023002498W WO 2023157598 A1 WO2023157598 A1 WO 2023157598A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
ultrasonic
transducer
image
channel
diagnostic system
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
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PCT/JP2023/002498
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English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
匡信 内原
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fujifilm Corp
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Fujifilm Corp
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Publication date
Application filed by Fujifilm Corp filed Critical Fujifilm Corp
Priority to JP2024501057A priority Critical patent/JPWO2023157598A1/ja
Priority to CN202380018385.1A priority patent/CN118591347A/zh
Publication of WO2023157598A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023157598A1/ja
Priority to US18/778,868 priority patent/US12599370B2/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/12—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/13—Tomography
    • A61B8/14—Echo-tomography
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
    • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
    • A61B8/4494—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/54—Control of the diagnostic device
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/58—Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of easily detecting the state of a channel of an ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic diagnostic system and determining whether or not there is a failure requiring repair.
  • diagnostic systems e.g.
  • An ultrasonic diagnostic system that uses ultrasonic imaging of an observed part of a subject such as a human body usually includes an ultrasonic probe (probe) for the surface of the subject that is used in contact with the subject, or a body cavity of the subject.
  • a body cavity ultrasound probe is provided that is used by inserting it into the body cavity.
  • an ultrasonic endoscope which is a combination of an endoscope for optically observing the inside of a subject and an ultrasonic probe for body cavities, has also been used.
  • an ultrasonic probe provided with an ultrasonic transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged, ultrasonic beams are transmitted toward a site to be observed, and ultrasonic echoes generated in the subject are received. Thus, an ultrasound image is obtained.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system can be manufactured, operated at the time of delivery, performance tests, periodic maintenance, maintenance in the event of a failure, normality confirmation test before use, etc. Diagnosis has been proposed (see US Pat.
  • Patent document 1 discloses a receiving unit that receives ultrasonic echo signals received by a plurality of ultrasonic transducers of an ultrasonic probe and has test signal generating means for inputting signals in parallel to each ultrasonic transducer.
  • an image processing unit that processes ultrasonic echo signals and generates a diagnostic image;
  • a display unit that displays the diagnostic image; is disclosed.
  • self-diagnosis of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be performed completely automatically without requiring any external special device. That is, the self-diagnostic image generated by the self-diagnostic image generation processing in the image processing section based on the test signal from the test signal generating means is automatically performed in the self-diagnostic section and the self-diagnostic result is displayed.
  • the self-diagnostic unit encodes the self-diagnostic image by the encoding means using the brightness, determines the failure location and type by the determination means, and determines the failure location and type by the imaging means. Display can be done automatically. For this reason, not only service personnel and other specialized maintenance personnel for ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, but also medical professionals who actually use ultrasonic diagnostic equipment in medical settings can use the operation unit to In addition to being able to perform self-diagnosis, self-diagnosis can be performed automatically when the system is started, enabling early detection of system failures and helping to prevent misdiagnosis caused by system failures.
  • Patent Document 2 discloses an ultrasonic probe having a transducer, a rotation control unit that rotates the transducer in a scanning direction, means for amplifying an echo signal received by the transducer, and a signal line connected to the transducer.
  • a receiving unit having test signal generating means for inputting a test signal to the receiver, an image processing unit processing echo signals to generate a diagnostic image, a display unit displaying the diagnostic image, and a control unit controlling each unit , and a self-diagnostic unit for performing self-diagnosis.
  • self-diagnosis of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be performed completely automatically without requiring any external special device.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 2 differs in scanning method from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 1, but similarly, test signal generating means for performing self-diagnosis, based on the luminance information of the diagnostic image encoding means for converting a diagnostic image into a multi-dimensional code string, determination means for identifying the location or type of failure, and imaging means for converting the failure information into a display image that can be easily recognized. Similarly, even non-experts can easily obtain failure information.
  • Patent Document 3 discloses a probe composed of a plurality of transducers, a large number of pulsers for generating pulses for driving the transducers, a large number of first-stage amplifiers for receiving signals received from the transducers, and the first-stage Means for selecting one of the outputs of the amplifier and taking out as one sound ray signal, means for appropriately processing and displaying the output signal from this means, and a controller for controlling the selection of the output of the pulser and the first stage amplifier. Then, in the test mode, the output of the first-stage amplifier corresponding to the pulser is selected each time one of the circuits in the pulser is driven under the control of the controller. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is disclosed that can determine which set is defective.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 can automatically perform self-diagnosis, identify the location and type of failure, and easily recognize failure information.
  • the specified failure information is an abnormality of the multiplexer, a disconnection of the signal line from the multiplexer to the crosspoint switch, or multiple lines connected from the crosspoint switch to the delay unit. There is a broken signal line among the signal lines, or there is a short circuit in the signal line between the vibrator group and the multiplexer group.
  • the pulser and/or Or the first stage amplifier is defective.
  • a faulty transducer channel such as a faulty ultrasonic transducer, a disconnected signal line, or a short-circuited signal line cannot be identified. there were.
  • a first object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of providing a mechanism for automatically and simply detecting and notifying, and capable of specifying a faulty channel.
  • the present invention proactively notifies and encourages repair of faulty channels due to disconnection of transmission lines such as ultrasonic transducers and signal lines, which have a large impact on diagnosis, and reduces the frequency of repairs of faulty channels that have a small effect.
  • a second object is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of
  • a third object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of recognizing an increase in the number of disconnections in advance and presenting it to a serviceman in advance.
  • an ultrasonic diagnostic system for acquiring an ultrasonic image of a site to be observed of a subject for diagnosis, comprising: an ultrasonic probe provided with an ultrasonic transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged for receiving an echo signal from a site to be observed and outputting a detection signal; a verification mode execution unit for executing a verification mode for verifying the operation of the child array, wherein the verification mode execution unit performs verification of each pixel corresponding to each ultrasonic transducer from the transmission/reception signal of each ultrasonic transducer.
  • an ultrasound image data generation unit that generates ultrasound image data
  • a failure channel detection unit that analyzes the generated ultrasound image data and detects a failure transducer channel.
  • the criterion preferably includes at least one of the ultrasound image data of pixels or the number of transducer channels.
  • the condition is preferably the position in the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers.
  • the condition is preferably the position of the ultrasonic transducer which is determined according to the device type of the ultrasonic diagnostic system.
  • the position of the ultrasonic transducer having a large influence on the ultrasonic image has a smaller number of defective transducer channels as a criterion than the position of the ultrasonic transducer having a small influence.
  • the condition is preferably at least one of a user mode used by a user and a serviceman mode used by a serviceman.
  • the verification mode when executing the verification mode, the number of detected defective transducer channels, the faulty transducer channel, the date or time when the faulty transducer channel was detected, and the number of times the faulty transducer channel was energized It is preferable to have memory for keeping a log of at least one.
  • diagnostic image processing for obtaining a diagnostic ultrasonic image of a site to be observed is different from faulty transducer channel detection image processing for generating ultrasonic image data when the verification mode is executed. is preferred.
  • processing over a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is reduced as compared with the image processing for diagnosis.
  • a user such as a medical worker and a service person who performs maintenance or inspection can easily and automatically detect disconnection of an ultrasonic transducer and its transmission line such as a signal line on a daily basis. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of identifying a faulty channel by providing a notification mechanism.
  • failure channels due to disconnection of transmission lines such as ultrasonic transducers and signal lines, which have a large impact on diagnosis, are proactively notified to prompt repair, and failure channels with a small impact are repaired frequently. It is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of reducing the Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of grasping an increase in the number of disconnections in advance and presenting it to a serviceman in advance.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to one embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the distal end portion of the insertion section of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. 1 and its surroundings
  • FIG. 3 is a view showing a cross section of the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. 2 taken along the II cross section shown in FIG. 2
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic processor shown in FIG. 1
  • FIG. FIG. 11 shows an image of single element transmission and reception for faulty channel detection
  • FIG. 10 is a diagram showing images of multi-element transmission and reception for faulty channel detection
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a region often used for diagnosis and a region rarely used for diagnosis in an ultrasonic probe of a convex ultrasonic endoscope;
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a region often used for diagnosis and a region rarely used for diagnosis in an ultrasonic probe of a radial ultrasonic endoscope;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to another embodiment of the present invention;
  • 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the appearance of an example of the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. 9.
  • FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a region often used for diagnosis and a region rarely used for diagnosis in an ultrasonic probe of a convex ultrasonic endoscope;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a region often used for diagnosis and a region rarely used for diagnosis in an ultrasonic probe of a radial ultrasonic endoscope;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 uses ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic images and to evaluate the state of the observed site in the body of a patient, who is the subject, for diagnosis (hereinafter also referred to as ultrasonic diagnosis).
  • the site to be observed is a site (observation target site) that is difficult to inspect from the body surface side of a subject such as a patient, and particularly includes organs such as the gallbladder and pancreas.
  • the state of the site to be observed and the presence or absence of abnormalities can be detected via the gastrointestinal tract such as the patient's body cavities such as the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and large intestine. can be diagnosed by ultrasound.
  • the site to be observed to be diagnosed by the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 is not limited to these organs. Or it may be other organs.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 will be described as having a function of performing ultrasonic diagnosis and a function of acquiring an endoscopic image. , but may have only the function of performing ultrasonic diagnosis and perform only ultrasonic diagnosis. That is, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present invention does not need to have an ultrasonic endoscope 12 having an ultrasonic observation unit 36 and an endoscope observation unit 38, which will be described later, and acquires endoscopic images. It does not have the endoscopic observation unit 38, the light source device 18, and the components necessary only for endoscopic observation, and the ultrasonic observation unit 36 for acquiring an ultrasonic image, and the ultrasonic observation It may have the necessary components only.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 has only a function of performing ultrasonic diagnosis, and when performing only ultrasonic diagnosis, the state of the observed part of the subject is observed from the body surface side of the subject. can be evaluated and diagnosed.
  • Observation sites of a subject that can be observed from the body surface side of the subject, that is, can be evaluated and/or diagnosed include tissues on the body surface side of the subject, such as body surface blood vessels, veins, arteries, Alternatively, the thyroid gland and the like can be raised, and tissues in the body that can be observed from the surface of the body, such as the digestive tract such as the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, or large intestine, or the heart, kidney, or the like, can be raised.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 acquires an ultrasonic image and an endoscopic image, and as shown in FIG. It has a processor device 16 , a light source device 18 , a monitor 20 , a water supply tank 21 a , a suction pump 21 b and an operator console 100 .
  • the ultrasonic endoscope 12 is an endoscope, and includes an insertion section 22 inserted into a body cavity of a patient, an operation section 24 operated by a doctor (user), and a distal end section 40 attached to the insertion section 22. and an ultrasonic probe 46 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
  • the operator uses the function of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 to obtain an endoscopic image of the inner wall of the patient's body cavity, an ultrasonic image of the site to be observed, or the transducer array 50 of the ultrasonic probe 46 (FIGS. 2 and 3). ) to obtain the detection result of the faulty transducer channel based on the ultrasonic image data of each pixel for verifying the operation.
  • an "endoscopic image” is an image obtained by photographing the inner wall of a patient's body cavity using an optical technique.
  • the “ultrasonic image” is a reflected wave (echo) of ultrasonic waves transmitted from the body cavity of the patient toward the site to be observed, or an image in air or water for verifying the operation of the transducer array 50. It is an image obtained by receiving reflected waves (echoes) of ultrasonic waves transmitted toward the liquid and imaging the received signals. Note that the ultrasonic endoscope 12 will be described in detail in a later section.
  • the ultrasonic processor device 14 is connected to the ultrasonic endoscope 12 via a universal cord 26 and an ultrasonic connector 32a provided at its end.
  • the ultrasound processor unit 14 transmits ultrasound, such as verification ultrasound, for verifying operation of the transducer array 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
  • the ultrasonic processor device 14 generates an ultrasonic image by imaging the received signal when the ultrasonic probe 46 receives the reflected wave (echo) of the transmitted ultrasonic wave, or generates an ultrasonic image from the received detection signal
  • Ultrasonic image data of each pixel corresponding to each ultrasonic transducer 48 arranged in the transducer array 50 is generated, and the ultrasonic image data of each pixel is analyzed to detect a faulty transducer channel.
  • the ultrasound processor unit 14 will be described in detail in a later section.
  • the endoscope processor device 16 is connected to the ultrasonic endoscope 12 via the universal cord 26 and an endoscope connector 32b provided at the end thereof.
  • the endoscope processor device 16 acquires image data of a region adjacent to the observation target imaged by the ultrasonic endoscope 12 (more specifically, a solid-state imaging device 86, which will be described later), and performs predetermined processing on the acquired image data. Image processing is performed to generate an endoscopic image.
  • the "adjacent site to be observed" is a portion of the inner wall of the patient's body cavity that is adjacent to the site to be observed.
  • the ultrasound processor 14 and the endoscope processor 16 are composed of two separate devices (computers). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and both the ultrasound processor device 14 and the endoscope processor device 16 may be configured by one device.
  • the light source device 18 is connected to the ultrasonic endoscope 12 via the universal cord 26 and a light source connector 32c provided at its end.
  • the light source device 18 emits white light or specific wavelength light composed of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue light when imaging a site adjacent to the observation target using the ultrasonic endoscope 12 .
  • the light emitted by the light source device 18 propagates through the ultrasonic endoscope 12 through a light guide (not shown) included in the universal cord 26, and passes through the ultrasonic endoscope 12 (detailedly, an illumination window 88, which will be described later). emitted from As a result, the adjacent site to be observed is illuminated by the light from the light source device 18 .
  • the monitor 20 is connected to the ultrasound processor device 14 and the endoscope processor device 16, and displays the ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound processor device 14 and the ultrasound images generated by the endoscope processor device 16.
  • Display endoscopic images As a display method for the ultrasonic image and the endoscopic image, either one of the images may be switched and displayed on the monitor 20, or both images may be displayed simultaneously. Display modes for ultrasonic images and endoscopic images will be described later.
  • an ultrasonic image and an endoscopic image are displayed on the single monitor 20, but a monitor for displaying the ultrasonic image and a monitor for displaying the endoscopic image are provided separately. good too.
  • the ultrasonic image and the endoscopic image may be displayed in a display form other than the monitor 20, for example, in a display form of a terminal carried by the operator.
  • the operator console 100 is used by the operator to input necessary information for ultrasonic diagnosis, to instruct the ultrasonic processor 14 to start ultrasonic diagnosis, or to operate the transducer array 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). ) is provided for instructing execution of a verification mode for verifying operation (see FIG. 4).
  • the operator console 100 includes, for example, a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch pad, touch panel, and the like.
  • the CPU (control circuit) 152 see FIG. 4) of the ultrasonic processor device 14 controls each part of the device (for example, a receiving circuit 142 and a transmitting circuit 144 which will be described later) in accordance with the contents of the operation. Control.
  • the operator before starting ultrasonic diagnosis, the operator provides examination information (for example, examination order information including date and order number, patient information including patient ID and patient name, and , inspection content and inspection target site information) are input at the console 100 .
  • examination information for example, examination order information including date and order number, patient information including patient ID and patient name, and , inspection content and inspection target site information
  • the CPU 152 of the ultrasonic processor unit 14 executes ultrasonic diagnosis based on the inputted examination information.
  • Each section of the ultrasonic processor unit 14 is controlled.
  • the operator determines whether all the ultrasonic transducers to be verified among the plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 50 are selected, or whether the multiplexer 140 (see FIG.
  • Verification information such as the position and number of the specific ultrasonic transducers selected by the operator is input at the console 100 .
  • the CPU 152 of the ultrasonic processor device 14 performs ultrasonic waves so that the verification mode is executed based on the input verification information. It controls each section of the processor unit 14 for the application. Details of the verification mode, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described later.
  • control parameters include, for example, the result of selection between live mode and freeze mode, the set value of display depth (depth), and the result of selection of ultrasonic image generation mode.
  • live mode is a mode in which ultrasonic images (moving images) obtained at a predetermined frame rate are sequentially displayed (real-time display).
  • freeze mode is a mode in which a one-frame image (still image) of an ultrasound image (moving image) generated in the past is read out from the cine memory 150 described later and displayed.
  • the B mode is a mode for displaying a tomographic image by converting the amplitude of an ultrasonic echo into luminance.
  • the CF mode is a mode in which the average blood flow velocity, flow fluctuation, flow signal intensity, flow power, etc. are mapped in various colors and displayed superimposed on the B-mode image.
  • the PW mode is a mode for displaying the velocity of an ultrasonic echo source (for example, blood flow velocity) detected based on the transmission and reception of pulse waves.
  • the above-described ultrasonic image generation mode is only an example, and modes other than the above-described three types of modes, such as A (Amplitude) mode, M (Motion) mode, contrast mode, and elastography mode, etc. may be included, and a mode for obtaining Doppler images may also be included.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the distal end portion of the insertion portion 22 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 and its surroundings.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the distal end portion 40 of the insertion portion 22 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 taken along the II cross section shown in FIG.
  • the ultrasonic endoscope 12 has the insertion section 22 and the operation section 24 as described above.
  • the insertion portion 22 includes a distal end portion 40, a curved portion 42, and a flexible portion 43 in order from the distal end side (free end side), as shown in FIG.
  • the distal end portion 40 is provided with an ultrasonic observation section 36 and an endoscope observation section 38 as shown in FIG.
  • An ultrasonic probe 46 having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 is arranged in the ultrasonic observation unit 36, as shown in FIG.
  • the treatment instrument lead-out port 44 serves as an outlet for a treatment instrument (not shown) such as forceps, a puncture needle, or a high-frequency scalpel.
  • the treatment instrument lead-out port 44 also serves as a suction port for sucking substances such as blood and body waste.
  • the bending portion 42 is a portion connected to the proximal end side (the side opposite to the side where the ultrasonic probe 46 is provided) from the distal end portion 40, and is bendable.
  • the flexible portion 43 is a portion that connects the bending portion 42 and the operation portion 24 , has flexibility, and is provided in an elongated state.
  • a plurality of ducts for supplying air and water and a plurality of ducts for suction are formed inside each of the insertion portion 22 and the operation portion 24, a treatment instrument channel 45 is formed, one end of which communicates with the treatment instrument outlet 44.
  • the ultrasonic observation section 36, the endoscope observation section 38, the water supply tank 21a and the suction pump 21b, and the operation section 24 will be described in detail.
  • the ultrasonic observation section 36 is a part provided for acquiring ultrasonic image data and/or an ultrasonic image, and is arranged on the distal end side of the distal end section 40 of the insertion section 22 .
  • the ultrasound observation unit 36 includes an ultrasound probe 46, a plurality of coaxial cables 56, and an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) 60, as shown in FIG.
  • the ultrasonic probe 46 corresponds to an ultrasonic probe (ultrasonic transducer unit), and in ultrasonic diagnosis, an ultrasonic transducer in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 described later are arranged in the patient's body cavity.
  • the array 50 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves, receive reflected waves (echoes) of the ultrasonic waves reflected at the site to be observed, and output reception signals.
  • the ultrasonic probe 46 according to the present embodiment is of a convex type, and transmits ultrasonic waves radially (in an arc).
  • the type (type) of the ultrasonic probe 46 is not particularly limited to this, and other types may be used as long as they can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. For example, sector type, linear type, radial type, etc. There may be. Therefore, the ultrasonic endoscope 12 shown in FIGS.
  • 2 and 3 is a convex type (convex scanning type) ultrasonic endoscope, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a linear type (linear electronic scanning type ) It may be an ultrasonic endoscope, a sector type (electronic sector scanning type) ultrasonic endoscope, or a radial type ultrasonic endoscope. An ultrasonic diagnostic system using a radial ultrasonic endoscope will be described later.
  • the ultrasonic probe 46 is constructed by laminating a backing material layer 54, an ultrasonic transducer array 50, an acoustic matching layer 74, and an acoustic lens 76, as shown in FIG.
  • the ultrasonic transducer array 50 may be configured by arranging a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 in a two-dimensional array.
  • Each of the N ultrasonic transducers 48 is configured by arranging electrodes on both sides of a single crystal transducer, which is a piezoelectric element.
  • Crystal lithium niobate, lead magnesium niobate (PMN), lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), lead zinc niobate (PZN), lead zinc niobate-titanate Any one of lead (PZN-PT), lead indium niobate (PIN), lead titanate (PT), lithium tantalate, langasite, and zinc oxide is used.
  • the piezoelectric element constituting the ultrasonic transducer 48 used in the present invention is not limited to the single crystal transducer described above.
  • the piezoelectric element for example, ceramics such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate) (a sintered body obtained by heat-treating and sintering an inorganic substance, or a polycrystalline body) may be used, or PVDF (polyfluoride) may be used. An organic piezoelectric material such as vinylidene chloride) may also be used.
  • the electrodes consist of individual electrodes (not shown) individually provided for each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 and a transducer ground (not shown) common to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 .
  • the electrodes are also electrically connected to the ultrasound processor unit 14 via the coaxial cable 56 and the FPC 60 .
  • the ultrasonic transducer 48 needs to be driven (vibrated) at a relatively high frequency of 7 MHz to 8 MHz for the purpose of obtaining an ultrasonic image of the body cavity of the patient. Therefore, the thickness of the piezoelectric element forming the ultrasonic transducer 48 is designed to be relatively thin, for example, 75 ⁇ m to 125 ⁇ m, preferably 90 ⁇ m to 110 ⁇ m.
  • a diagnostic drive pulse which is a pulsed drive voltage, is supplied to each ultrasonic transducer 48 as an input signal (transmission signal) from the ultrasonic processor 14 through the coaxial cable 56 .
  • the piezoelectric element expands and contracts to drive (vibrate) the ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • a pulsed ultrasonic wave is output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • the amplitude of the ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 has a magnitude corresponding to the intensity (output intensity) when the ultrasonic transducer 48 outputs the ultrasonic waves.
  • the output intensity is defined as the magnitude of the sound pressure of the ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • each ultrasonic transducer 48 When each ultrasonic transducer 48 receives a reflected ultrasonic wave (echo), it vibrates (drives) accordingly, and the piezoelectric element of each ultrasonic transducer 48 generates an electric signal. An electrical signal generated by each ultrasonic transducer 48 is output from each ultrasonic transducer 48 toward the ultrasonic processor 14 as an ultrasonic reception signal. At this time, the magnitude (voltage value) of the electric signal output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 corresponds to the reception sensitivity when the ultrasonic transducer 48 receives ultrasonic waves.
  • the reception sensitivity is defined as the ratio of the amplitude of the electric signal output by the ultrasonic transducer 48 after receiving the ultrasonic wave to the amplitude of the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • the scanning range along the curved surface on which the ultrasonic transducer array 50 is arranged for example Ultrasonic waves are scanned in a range of about several tens of millimeters from the center of curvature of the curved surface.
  • a driven transducer As a result, m drive target transducers are driven, and ultrasonic waves are output from each drive target transducer in the open channel.
  • the ultrasonic waves output from the m number of transducers to be driven are synthesized immediately afterward, and the synthesized wave (ultrasonic beam) is transmitted toward the site to be observed.
  • each of the m drive target transducers receives the ultrasonic waves (echoes) reflected by the site to be observed, and outputs an electrical signal (reception signal) corresponding to the reception sensitivity at that time.
  • the positions of the driven transducers in the N ultrasonic transducers 48 are changed one by one (one This is repeated by shifting the ultrasonic transducers 48 at a time.
  • the series of steps described above starts from the driven transducer of the ultrasonic transducer 48 located at one end of the N ultrasonic transducers 48 .
  • the series of steps described above is repeated by switching the aperture channel by the multiplexer 140 so that the center position of the transducer to be driven is shifted one by one (by one ultrasonic transducer 48) toward the other end.
  • the transducer to be driven is basically composed of m ultrasonic transducers 48, but if m ultrasonic transducers 48 cannot be secured near both ends, the number of ultrasonic transducers less than m may be changed according to the center position. It consists of a vibrator 48 .
  • the backing material layer 54 supports each ultrasonic transducer 48 of the ultrasonic transducer array 50 from the back side. In addition, the backing material layer 54 attenuates the ultrasonic waves propagated to the backing material layer 54 side among the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 48 or the ultrasonic waves (echoes) reflected at the site to be observed. have a function.
  • the backing material is made of a rigid material such as hard rubber, and an ultrasonic damping material (ferrite, ceramics, etc.) is added as necessary.
  • the acoustic matching layer 74 is overlaid on the ultrasound transducer array 50 and provided for acoustic impedance matching between the patient's body and the ultrasound transducers 48 .
  • the acoustic matching layer 74 By providing the acoustic matching layer 74, it is possible to increase the transmittance of ultrasonic waves.
  • the material of the acoustic matching layer 74 various organic materials having acoustic impedance values closer to those of the patient's human body than the piezoelectric element of the ultrasonic transducer 48 can be used.
  • Specific examples of materials for the acoustic matching layer 74 include epoxy resin, silicon rubber, polyimide, and polyethylene.
  • the acoustic lens 76 superimposed on the acoustic matching layer 74 is for converging the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer array 50 toward the site to be observed.
  • the acoustic lens 76 is made of, for example, silicon-based resin (millable type silicon rubber (HTV rubber), liquid silicon rubber (RTV rubber), etc.), butadiene-based resin, polyurethane-based resin, or the like. , alumina or silica are mixed.
  • the FPC 60 is electrically connected to electrodes provided on each ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • Each of the plurality of coaxial cables 56 is wired to the FPC 60 at one end thereof.
  • each of the plurality of coaxial cables 56 is connected at the other end (the side opposite to the FPC 60 side). It is electrically connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 .
  • the endoscopic observation section 38 is a portion provided for acquiring an endoscopic image, and is arranged on the distal end portion 40 of the insertion section 22 closer to the proximal side than the ultrasonic observation section 36 .
  • the endoscope observation section 38 is composed of an observation window 82, an objective lens 84, a solid-state imaging device 86, an illumination window 88, a cleaning nozzle 90, a wiring cable 92, and the like, as shown in FIGS.
  • the observation window 82 is attached to the distal end portion 40 of the insertion section 22 so as to be inclined with respect to the axial direction (longitudinal axis direction of the insertion section 22).
  • the light incident through the observation window 82 and reflected by the portion adjacent to the observation object is imaged on the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 86 by the objective lens 84 .
  • the solid-state imaging device 86 photoelectrically converts the reflected light from the observation target adjacent region that has passed through the observation window 82 and the objective lens 84 and is imaged on the imaging surface, and outputs an imaging signal.
  • a CCD Charge Coupled Device
  • CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
  • a captured image signal output by the solid-state imaging device 86 is transmitted to the endoscope processor device 16 via the universal cord 26 via a wiring cable 92 extending from the insertion section 22 to the operation section 24 .
  • the illumination windows 88 are provided on both sides of the observation window 82 .
  • An output end of a light guide (not shown) is connected to the illumination window 88 .
  • the light guide extends from the insertion portion 22 to the operation portion 24 and its incident end is connected to the light source device 18 connected via the universal cord 26 .
  • Illumination light emitted by the light source device 18 travels through the light guide and is irradiated from the illumination window 88 toward the site adjacent to the observation target.
  • the cleaning nozzle 90 is a jet hole formed in the distal end portion 40 of the insertion portion 22 for cleaning the surfaces of the observation window 82 and the illumination window 88 . and is jetted toward the illumination window 88 .
  • the cleaning liquid ejected from the cleaning nozzle 90 is water, particularly degassed water.
  • the cleaning liquid is not particularly limited, and may be another liquid such as ordinary water (non-deaerated water).
  • the water supply tank 21a is a tank for storing degassed water, and is connected to the light source connector 32c by an air/water supply tube 34a.
  • the degassed water is used as the cleaning liquid jetted from the cleaning nozzle 90 .
  • the suction pump 21b sucks the aspirate (including the degassed water supplied for washing) inside the body cavity through the treatment instrument outlet 44 .
  • the suction pump 21b is connected to the light source connector 32c through a suction tube 34b.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 may include an air supply pump or the like that supplies air to a predetermined air supply destination.
  • a treatment instrument channel 45 and an air/water supply conduit are provided in the insertion section 22 and the operation section 24 .
  • the treatment instrument channel 45 communicates between the treatment instrument insertion port 30 and the treatment instrument outlet port 44 provided in the operation section 24 .
  • the treatment instrument channel 45 is connected to a suction button 28b provided on the operation section 24 .
  • the suction button 28b is connected to the treatment instrument channel 45 and also to the suction pump 21b.
  • One end of the air/water supply conduit communicates with the cleaning nozzle 90 , and the other end thereof is connected to the air/water supply button 28 a provided on the operation unit 24 .
  • the air/water supply button 28a is connected to the water supply tank 21a in addition to the air/water supply conduit.
  • the operation unit 24 is a portion operated by the operator at the start of ultrasonic diagnosis, during diagnosis, at the end of diagnosis, etc., and one end of a universal cord 26 is connected to one end of the operation unit 24 .
  • the operation unit 24 also has an air/water supply button 28a, a suction button 28b, a pair of angle knobs 29, and a treatment instrument insertion opening (forceps opening) 30, as shown in FIG.
  • the bending portion 42 is remotely operated to bend and deform. This deformation operation enables the distal end portion 40 of the insertion portion 22 provided with the ultrasonic observation portion 36 and the endoscope observation portion 38 to be directed in a desired direction.
  • the treatment instrument insertion port 30 is a hole formed for inserting a treatment instrument (not shown) such as forceps, and communicates with the treatment instrument outlet 44 via a treatment instrument channel 45 .
  • the treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion port 30 is introduced into the body cavity from the treatment instrument outlet port 44 after passing through the treatment instrument channel 45 .
  • the air/water supply button 28a and the suction button 28b are two-stage switching push buttons, and are operated to switch opening and closing of the channels provided inside the insertion section 22 and the operation section 24, respectively.
  • the ultrasonic processor device 14 When ultrasonic diagnosis is selected on the console 100, the ultrasonic processor device 14 causes the ultrasonic probe 46 to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, and when receiving ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic transducer 48 (specifically, the drive target In ultrasonic diagnosis, the received signal output by the device) is imaged to generate an ultrasonic image, and the generated ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 20 .
  • the ultrasonic processor unit 14 detects each pixel corresponding to each ultrasonic transducer 48 from the detection signal output by each ultrasonic transducer 48 when ultrasonic waves are received. Ultrasound image data is generated, the generated ultrasound image data is analyzed, a failed transducer channel is detected, and the detection result is notified via the monitor 20 or the like.
  • the ultrasound processor 14 includes a multiplexer 140, a receiving circuit 142, a transmitting circuit 144, an A/D converter 146, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 148, a cine memory 150, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 152. , and a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 154 .
  • the receiving circuit 142 and the transmitting circuit 144 are electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array 50 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 .
  • the multiplexer 140 selects up to m drive target transducers from the N ultrasonic transducers 48 and opens their channels.
  • the transmission circuit 144 includes an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a pulser (pulse generation circuit 158), SW (switch), etc., and is connected to the MUX (multiplexer 140). Note that an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) may be used instead of the FPGA.
  • the transmission circuit 144 supplies a drive voltage for transmitting ultrasonic waves to the transducers to be driven selected by the multiplexer 140 according to control signals sent from the CPU 152. It is a circuit that The drive voltage is a pulsed voltage signal (transmission signal) and is applied to the electrodes of the vibrator to be driven via the universal cord 26 and coaxial cable 56 .
  • the transmission circuit 144 has a pulse generation circuit 158 that generates transmission signals based on control signals. A transmission signal for generating sound waves is generated and supplied to a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 .
  • the transmission circuit 144 uses the pulse generation circuit 158 to generate an ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal having a drive voltage for ultrasonic diagnosis. Further, when executing the verification mode under the control of the CPU 152, the transmission circuit 144 uses the pulse generation circuit 158 to generate a transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation having a drive voltage for executing the verification mode.
  • the transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation when executing the verification mode may be a transmission signal similar to the transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation when ultrasonic diagnosis is performed, or a test transmission signal dedicated to execution of the verification mode. can be
  • the receiving circuit 142 is a circuit for receiving an electric signal output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 to be driven that has received an ultrasonic wave (echo), that is, a received signal. Further, the receiving circuit 142 amplifies the received signal received from the ultrasonic transducer 48 according to the control signal sent from the CPU 152 and transfers the amplified signal to the A/D converter 146 .
  • the A/D converter 146 is connected to the receiving circuit 142 , converts the received signal received from the receiving circuit 142 from an analog signal to a digital signal, and outputs the converted digital signal to the ASIC 148 .
  • the ASIC 148 is connected to the A/D converter 146, and as shown in FIG. 168 and memory controller 151 .
  • hardware circuits such as the ASIC 148 perform the functions described above (specifically, the phase matching unit 160, the B mode image generation unit 162, the PW mode image generation unit 164, the CF mode image generation unit 166, Although the verification mode execution unit 168 and the memory controller 151) are implemented, the present invention is not limited to this.
  • the above functions may be realized by cooperation between a central processing unit (CPU) and software (computer program) for executing various data processing.
  • the phase matching unit 160 performs a process of applying a delay time to the received signal (received data) digitized by the A/D converter 146 and performing phasing addition (adding after matching the phase of the received data). do.
  • a sound ray signal in which the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed is generated by the phasing and addition processing.
  • the B-mode image generation unit 162, the PW-mode image generation unit 164, and the CF-mode image generation unit 166 generate vibrations to be driven among the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 when the ultrasonic probe 46 receives ultrasonic waves (echoes).
  • An ultrasonic image is generated based on the electrical signal output by the child (strictly speaking, the sound ray signal generated by performing the delay-and-sum of the received data).
  • the B-mode image generation unit 162 is an image generation unit that generates a B-mode image, which is a tomographic image of the inside (inside the body cavity) of the patient.
  • the B-mode image generation unit 162 corrects the attenuation caused by the propagation distance according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic waves by STC (Sensitivity Time Gain Control) for the sequentially generated sound ray signals.
  • the B-mode image generation unit 162 also performs envelope detection processing and log (logarithmic) compression processing on the corrected sound ray signal to generate a B-mode image (image signal).
  • the PW mode image generator 164 is an image generator that generates an image that displays the blood flow velocity in a predetermined direction.
  • the PW mode image generation unit 164 extracts frequency components by performing a fast Fourier transform on a plurality of sound ray signals in the same direction among the sound ray signals sequentially generated by the phase matching unit 160 . After that, the PW mode image generator 164 calculates the blood flow velocity from the extracted frequency components, and generates a PW mode image (image signal) displaying the calculated blood flow velocity.
  • the CF mode image generation unit 166 is an image generation unit that generates an image that displays blood flow information in a predetermined direction.
  • the CF-mode image generating unit 166 generates an image signal indicating information about blood flow by obtaining the autocorrelation of a plurality of sound ray signals in the same direction among the sound ray signals sequentially generated by the phase matching unit 160. . After that, the CF-mode image generation unit 166 generates a CF-mode image (image signal ).
  • the memory controller 151 stores the image signal generated by the B-mode image generator 162 , PW-mode image generator 164 or CF-mode image generator 166 in the cine memory 150 .
  • the DSC 154 is connected to the ASIC 148, and converts the image signal generated by the B-mode image generator 162, PW-mode image generator 164, or CF-mode image generator 166 into an image signal conforming to a normal television signal scanning method. (raster conversion), and the image signal is output to the monitor 20 after being subjected to various necessary image processing such as gradation processing.
  • the cine memory 150 has a capacity for accumulating image signals for one frame or several frames.
  • the image signal generated by the ASIC 148 is output to the DSC 154 and also stored in the cine memory 150 by the memory controller 151 .
  • the memory controller 151 reads the image signal stored in the cine memory 150 and outputs it to the DSC 154 .
  • an ultrasonic image (still image) based on the image signal read from the cine-memory 150 is displayed on the monitor 20 .
  • the CPU 152 functions as a control section (control circuit) that controls each section of the ultrasonic processor device 14, and is connected to the receiving circuit 142, the transmitting circuit 144, the A/D converter 146, and the ASIC 148 to control these devices. Control. More specifically, the CPU 152 is connected to the operator console 100, and when ultrasonic diagnosis is selected on the operator console 100, according to the examination information, control parameters, etc. input from the operator console 100, When the verification mode is selected on the operator console 100, each part of the ultrasonic processor unit 14 is controlled according to the verification information and the like. Further, when the ultrasonic endoscope 12 is connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 via the ultrasonic connector 32a, the CPU 152 automatically controls the ultrasonic endoscope 12 by a method such as PnP (Plug and Play). recognize.
  • PnP Plug and Play
  • the verification mode execution unit 168 is for executing a verification mode for verifying the operation of the ultrasonic transducer array 50 provided in the ultrasonic probe 46 and having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 arranged therein. , an ultrasound image data generation unit 170 , a failed channel detection unit 172 , and a notification unit 174 .
  • the verification mode execution unit 168 causes the transmission circuit 144 to transmit the transmission signal to the ultrasonic probe 46 and the ultrasonic probe 46 that has received the transmission signal under the control of the CPU 152.
  • the verification mode execution unit 168 generates ultrasound image data of each pixel corresponding to each ultrasound transducer 48 based on the received detection signal of each ultrasound transducer 48 in the ultrasound image data generation unit 170.
  • a failed transducer channel is detected by the failed channel detection unit 172, and the detection result is notified by the notification unit 174.
  • An ultrasonic image is created from the ultrasonic image data generated by the ultrasonic image data generation unit 170 and displayed on the monitor 20, and the faulty transducer detected by the faulty channel detection unit 172 is included in the displayed ultrasonic image.
  • Channels may be illustrated or described.
  • the notification unit 174 may not be provided, but the notification unit 174 may be used to illustrate or describe the failed transducer channel in the displayed ultrasonic image.
  • the verification mode execution unit 168 executes the verification mode
  • the ultrasonic probe 46 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 of the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 is placed in the air or in a liquid such as water.
  • the verification mode is selected at the console 100 .
  • the ultrasound processor device 14 in the verification mode under the control of the CPU 152, all or one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers 48 of the ultrasound transducer array 50 selected by the multiplexer 140 from the transmission circuit 144 is transmitted.
  • the transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation for executing the verification mode or the test transmission signal dedicated to execution of the verification mode is transmitted to all or part of the ultrasonic transducers 48 .
  • the ultrasonic transducers 48 that have received the ultrasonic waves radiate into the air or liquid without impinging them on the subject. Then, since there is nothing to hit the ultrasonic wave in the air or liquid, the reflected wave (ultrasonic echo) is reflected from the ultrasonic probe 46 itself, for example, the acoustic lens 76 and/or the matching layer 74. .
  • Each ultrasonic transducer 48 receives each reflected wave (ultrasonic echo) from the ultrasonic probe 46 itself, outputs each received reflected wave (ultrasonic echo) as an electric signal as a detection signal, and receives a receiving circuit. Enter 142.
  • the receiving circuit 142 receives the detection signal output from each ultrasonic transducer 48 .
  • a detection signal from each ultrasonic transducer 48 received by the receiving circuit 142 is input to an A/D converter 146 .
  • the A/D converter 146 converts the analog reception signal input from the reception circuit 142 into a digital signal to obtain a digital reception signal (reception data), and inputs the digital reception signal (reception data) to the phase matching section 160 of the ASIC 148 .
  • the phase matching unit 160 of the ASIC 148 gives a delay time to the received signal (received data) and performs phasing addition processing to generate an acoustic ray signal in which the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed down.
  • the received signal of each ultrasonic transducer 48 generated as a sound ray signal by the phase matching section 160 is input to the verification mode executing section 168 .
  • the received signal of each ultrasonic transducer 48 inputted to the verification mode executing section 168 is inputted to the ultrasonic image data generating section 170 .
  • the ultrasonic image data generation unit 170 generates ultrasonic image data of each pixel corresponding to each ultrasonic transducer from the digital reception signal (sound ray signal) of each ultrasonic transducer 48 . Similar to the B-mode image generator 162, the PW-mode image generator 164, and the CF-mode image generator 166, the ultrasonic image data generator 170 generates a plurality of images when the ultrasonic probe 46 receives ultrasonic waves (echoes).
  • a driven transducer among the ultrasonic transducers 48 of can generate ultrasonic image data of each pixel corresponding to each ultrasonic transducer of .
  • the ultrasonic image data of each pixel generated by the ultrasonic image data generator 170 is input to the faulty channel detector 172 .
  • the failed channel detector 172 analyzes the ultrasound image data generated by the ultrasound image data generator 170 to detect a failed transducer channel. For example, first, when an image of transmission and reception of a single element (single ultrasonic transducer 48) shown in FIG. 5 is obtained from the generated ultrasonic image data, this image is used to In the case of the transducer 48), utilizing the fact that multiple reflection of the acoustic lens 76 occurs about 5 mm directly below the ultrasonic transducer 48, breaking vibration is generated when the brightness of each element with a depth of 5 mm or less is equal to or less than the threshold value. It can be judged as a child channel. In the ultrasonic image shown in FIG. 5, the linear transmission/reception image of the sixth ultrasonic transducer 48 from the left has lower luminance than the linear transmission/reception images of the other ultrasonic transducers 48, and is black. It can be seen that there is a disconnection.
  • the transducer channel is a channel that includes one ultrasonic transducer 48 and generates ultrasonic image data of pixels corresponding to this ultrasonic transducer 48 . Therefore, the transducer channel is a channel composed of one ultrasonic transducer 48 and transmission lines such as all signal lines connected thereto.
  • the faulty channel detection unit 172 when detecting a faulty transducer channel, detects a fault according to a condition related to the degree of influence on an acquired image acquired in the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. Change the judgment criteria.
  • the determination criterion is the pixel value, that is, the value (signal intensity) of the ultrasonic image data of the pixel
  • the ultrasonic probe 46 or the ultrasonic endoscope 12 is caused to radiate into the air (transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in the air). 5 and 6, depending on the presence or absence of the reception signal of the reflected wave from the acoustic lens 76 or the matching layer 74 or the like, the following is obtained.
  • ⁇ Normal oscillator channel ⁇ Pixel value is close to white (high pixel value, e.g., close to 255 for 8-bit)
  • ⁇ Failure transducer channel ⁇ Pixel value becomes close to black (pixel value is low, e.g., close to 0 for 8 bits)
  • the pixel value may be affected by neighboring elements due to its influence. In the case of a disconnection, the pixel value approaches black considerably, but in the case of desensitization, the pixel value approaches gray. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to change the gradation threshold value of this pixel value, which is used as a criterion for determining a failed transducer channel.
  • the threshold for the number of transducer channels determined to be faulty is changed according to the type, position, or mode of the ultrasonic transducer array 50, which will be described later. .
  • the threshold for the number of transducer channels determined to be faulty is changed according to the type, position, or mode of the ultrasonic transducer array 50, which will be described later.
  • the threshold for the number of transducer channels determined to be faulty is changed according to the type, position, or mode of the ultrasonic transducer array 50, which will be described later. .
  • a predetermined pixel value at the ends of the ultrasonic probe for example, 16 channels at both ends
  • the criterion includes at least one of the ultrasonic image data of pixels or the number of the transducer channels. In this way, it is preferable to use different criteria for detecting failures between the transducer channels (the 16 channels at both ends) that hardly affect the diagnosis and the transducer channels (the 96 channels in the center) that easily affect the diagnosis.
  • the puncture line area near the center
  • the direction of frequent observation of a radial ultrasonic endoscope ultrasound endoscopy. It is preferable to change the criterion for detecting a failure in the 6 o'clock direction of the mirror screen, that is, the endoscope up direction (UP).
  • a frequently used region (transducer channel) Ra is located in the center of the fan-shaped structure of the ultrasonic probe, and on both sides thereof are regions (transducer channel) Rb that are rarely used for diagnosis. For this reason, in the area Ra frequently used for diagnosis, it is preferable to reduce the allowable number of broken wires when determining a failure, that is, to tighten the determination conditions.
  • the allowable number of disconnections that is, to loosen the determination conditions.
  • the number of disconnected vibrator channels determined to be defective is changed between the regions Ra and Rb. For example, assuming a total of 112 channels or 128 channels, as described above, 1) At both ends (for example, for 16 channels at both ends), if there are two disconnections, it can be determined as a failure. 2) In the central part (for example, 80 or 96 channels in the middle), if there is only one disconnection, it can be determined as a failure.
  • an area (transducer channel) Ra frequently used for diagnosis is located on the lower side of the drawing, and an area rarely used for diagnosis is located on the upper side, as shown in FIG.
  • a region Ra frequently used for diagnosis and a region Rb rarely used for diagnosis are vertically divided by a horizontal line L passing substantially through the center of the circular structure of the ultrasonic probe.
  • the detection threshold value (the allowable number of broken wires) in the regions above and below the horizontal line L (transducer channels).
  • the detection threshold value the allowable number of broken wires
  • the detection threshold value the allowable number of broken wires
  • the detection threshold value the allowable number of broken wires in the regions above and below the horizontal line L (transducer channels).
  • the position in the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers 48 is the condition related to the degree of influence on the obtained image for changing the criterion for determining that there is a failure. Also, this condition is preferably the position of the ultrasonic transducer which is determined according to the device type of the ultrasonic diagnostic system. Also, in the above case, the position of the ultrasonic transducer 48 having a greater degree of influence on the ultrasonic image is higher than the position of the ultrasonic transducer 48 having a smaller degree of influence. A small number is preferred.
  • a disconnection notification for users and a disconnection notification for service personnel it is preferable to prepare two types of disconnection notification, ie, a disconnection notification for users and a disconnection notification for service personnel, and to change the criterion for the disconnection notification.
  • Service personnel can be informed of signs of an increase in the number of wire breakages early and prepare countermeasures from the notice of service authority. That is, as a condition related to the degree of influence on an acquired image, it is preferable to change the criteria for failure determination depending on whether the mode is the "user mode" or the "serviceman mode.”
  • a "delivery inspection mode" used by the factory operator during product manufacturing may be added. In this case, in the user mode, the judgment criteria are looser than in the serviceman mode.
  • a threshold for determining failure can be set as follows.
  • Pixel value 50 or less Number of disconnections: 3 or more at both ends Center: 2 or more
  • the judgment criteria are stricter than in the user mode.
  • a threshold for determining failure can be set as follows. Pixel value: 100 or less Number of disconnections: 2 or more at both ends Center: 1 or more At least one of the man modes is preferred.
  • the user mode in the user mode, it is preferable to issue a warning when an NG level (predetermined criteria) that interferes with diagnosis is reached, and to notify a service person to call for repair or replacement.
  • NG level predetermined criteria
  • a service person for service personnel, it is better to issue a notification indicating that the number of failures is increasing at the level before reaching the above (low number of disconnections), and prompt attention to consider future actions.
  • the serviceman can give the doctor a notice of repair in advance.
  • the verification mode by leaving a log of the failed oscillator channels and their number, the date or time of the failure, and/or the number of energizations, the tendency of the number of failed oscillator channels to increase, the frequency of use, etc.
  • a serviceman can detect the relationship between a failure and a failure, prediction of future failure, etc. by remote maintenance or the like. Therefore, when executing the verification mode, at least one of the number of detected defective transducer channels, the failed transducer channel, the date or time when the failed transducer channel was detected, and the number of times the failed transducer channel was energized It is preferable to have memory for keeping one log.
  • diagnostic image processing is generally considered to include a horizontal spatial filter across failure channels, such as a noise reduction filter, for noise reduction or edge detection. This can make the "streaks" of the line less visible and/or less detectable, making it harder to detect faulty channels.
  • Moving average processing, noise reduction processing, and the like can be mentioned as signal processing related to a plurality of channels that make it difficult to detect a faulty channel. Therefore, unlike diagnostic image processing, faulty channel detection image processing is preferably image processing in which at least processing across transducer channels is reduced, and best is image processing in which no processing is performed.
  • diagnostic image processing for acquiring a diagnostic ultrasonic image of a site to be observed is different from faulty transducer channel detection image processing for generating ultrasonic image data when the verification mode is executed.
  • the processing that straddles a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is reduced compared to the image processing for diagnosis, and the processing that straddles a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is performed.
  • the faulty channel does not satisfy the judgment criteria in the verification image obtained as a result.
  • the brightness since the brightness is considered to be the lowest, we regard it as a failure channel and do not perform processing across multiple oscillator channels, such as moving average, around it. Processing may be performed to identify faulty channels in two steps.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10R includes a radial ultrasonic endoscope 12R, an ultrasonic processor 14 for generating ultrasonic images, and an endoscope for generating endoscopic images. It comprises a processor device 16, a light source device 18 that supplies illumination light for illuminating the body cavity to the ultrasonic endoscope 12R, and a monitor 20 that displays an ultrasonic image and/or an endoscopic image. ing.
  • the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10R further includes a water tank 21a and a suction pump 21b.
  • the ultrasonic endoscope 12R of the present invention has an ultrasonic observation section 36R and an endoscope observation section 38RR at the distal end portion 40R, and An ultrasound image (echo signal) and an endoscopic image (image signal) are obtained by photographing the inside.
  • the ultrasonic endoscope 12R includes an endoscope observation section 38RR and an ultrasonic observation section 36R at the distal end portion 40R, and is composed of an insertion section 22R, an operation section 24, and a universal cord .
  • the operation unit 24 is provided with an air/water supply button 28a and a suction button 28b, and a pair of angle knobs 29, 29 and a treatment instrument insertion opening (forceps opening) 30. As shown in FIG.
  • the other end of the universal cord 26 is provided with an ultrasound connector 32a, an endoscope connector 32b, and a light source connector 32c.
  • the ultrasonic endoscope 12R is detachably connected to the ultrasonic processor unit 14, the endoscope processor unit 16, and the light source unit 18 through these connectors 32a, 32b, and 32c, respectively.
  • the light source connector 32c is connected to an air/water supply tube 34a that connects the water supply tank 21a, a suction tube 34b that connects the suction pump 21b, and the like.
  • the insertion section 22R is formed of a rigid member in order from the distal end side, and is connected to a distal end portion (distal rigid portion) 40R having an ultrasonic observation portion 36R and an endoscope observation portion 38R, and a proximal end portion of the distal end portion 40R. It is formed by connecting a plurality of bending pieces (angle rings), and connects between the bendable bending portion 42, the base end side of the bending portion 42, and the distal end side of the operation portion 24, and is elongated and elongated. and a flexible portion 43 having flexibility of .
  • a balloon filled with an ultrasonic transmission medium for example, water, oil, etc.
  • an ultrasonic wave transmission medium is injected into the balloon to inflate it, and the balloon is brought into contact with the site to be observed. Air can be excluded from between the acoustic transducer array 50R and the site of interest to prevent attenuation of ultrasound and echo signals.
  • the ultrasonic processor unit 14 generates and supplies ultrasonic signals (data) for generating ultrasonic waves to the ultrasonic transducer array 50R. Further, the ultrasound processor device 14 receives and acquires echo signals (data) reflected from the observation target site to which the ultrasound waves are radiated by the ultrasound transducer array 50R, and performs various functions on the acquired echo signals. signal (data) processing to generate an ultrasound image to be displayed on the monitor 20 .
  • the endoscope processor device 16 receives and acquires the imaged image signal (data) acquired from the observation target site illuminated by the illumination light from the light source device 18 in the endoscope observation section 38R, and acquires the acquired image. It performs various signal (data) processing and image processing on the signal to generate an endoscopic image to be displayed on the monitor 20 .
  • These processor units 14 and 16 may be configured by processors such as PCs (personal computers).
  • the light source device 18 emits red light (R), green light (G), and blue light in order to acquire an image signal by capturing an image of an observation target site in the body cavity by the endoscope observation unit 38R of the ultrasonic endoscope 12R.
  • Illumination light such as white light composed of three primary color lights such as light (B) or specific wavelength light is generated.
  • the illumination light generated by the light source device 18 is supplied to the ultrasonic endoscope 12R and propagated through a light guide (not shown) or the like inside the ultrasonic endoscope 12R. Next, the illumination light propagated by the light guide or the like is emitted from the endoscope observation section 38R to illuminate the observation target site within the body cavity.
  • the light source device 18 is for illuminating the site to be observed.
  • the monitor 20 receives video signals generated by the ultrasound processor 14 and the endoscope processor 16 and displays ultrasound images and endoscopic images. As for the display of these ultrasound images and endoscopic images, it is possible to display only one of the images on the monitor 20 by appropriately switching between them, or to display both images at the same time.
  • a monitor for displaying the ultrasonic image and a monitor for displaying the endoscopic image may be provided separately, or the ultrasonic image and the endoscopic image may be displayed in any other form. You may make it
  • the distal end portion 40R of the ultrasonic endoscope 12R includes an ultrasonic observation portion 36R for obtaining an ultrasonic image on the proximal end side, and an ultrasonic observation portion 36R for obtaining an endoscopic image on the distal end side. and an endoscope observation section 38R are provided.
  • the distal end portion 40R of the ultrasonic endoscope 12R includes a cap-shaped distal end component 41a that covers the distal end of the endoscope component of the endoscope observation portion 38R on the distal end side, and the base of the ultrasonic observation portion 36R on the proximal end side.
  • a base end ring 41b arranged on the end side and a metal ring (not shown) such as SUS or the like for anchoring and fixing the tip part 41a and the base end ring 41b are provided.
  • both the distal end part 41a and the base end side ring 41b are made of a hard member such as hard resin, and serve as an exterior member.
  • the cylindrical ultrasonic transducer array 50R of the ultrasonic observation section 36R is wrapped around and integrated with the outer portion (periphery) of the metal ring (not shown) on the proximal side of the endoscope observation section 38R. and constitutes an ultrasonic probe 46R.
  • the distal end portion 40R of the ultrasonic endoscope 12R can be disassembled into an ultrasonic probe 46R including a distal end component 41a, a proximal ring 41b, and a metal ring (not shown).
  • the endoscope observation portion 38R includes a treatment instrument outlet 44R, an observation window 82R, an illumination window 88R, a cleaning (air/water) nozzle 90R, and the like provided on the distal end surface.
  • a treatment instrument lead-out port (so-called forceps outlet) 44R extends to the proximal end side and extends to communicate with a treatment instrument insertion port (so-called forceps port) 30 of the operating section 24 (so-called forceps channel) (not shown).
  • a treatment tool such as forceps inserted into a treatment tool channel (not shown) from the treatment tool insertion port 30 of the operation unit 24 protrudes from the treatment tool outlet port 44R to treat the subject.
  • the treatment instrument lead-out port 44R is provided in the endoscope observation section 38R at the distal end of the distal end section 40R, but the present invention is not particularly limited to the illustrated example, and the ultrasonic observation section 36R may be provided anywhere on the distal end side of the ultrasonic endoscope 12R from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48R. That is, the ultrasonic endoscope 12R of the present invention needs to be an ultrasonic endoscope in which the treatment instrument lead-out port 44R is arranged on the distal side of the ultrasonic transducer 48R.
  • An objective lens, a prism, and a solid-state imaging device are arranged behind (base end side) of the observation window 82R, although they are not shown. Reflected light from the site to be observed that has entered through the observation window 82R is taken in by the objective lens, the optical path is bent at right angles by the prism, and an image is formed on the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device.
  • the solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converts the reflected light of the observation target site that is imaged on the imaging surface through the observation window 82R, the objective lens, and the prism, and outputs an imaging signal.
  • Examples of solid-state imaging devices include CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) and CMOSs (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors).
  • the picked-up image signal output by the solid-state imaging device is sent to the endoscope processor device 16 by the universal cord 26 via a wiring cable (not shown) extending from the insertion section 22R to the operation section 24. transmitted.
  • the endoscope processor device 16 performs various signal processing and image processing on the transmitted imaging signal, and displays it on the monitor 20 as an endoscope optical image.
  • Two illumination windows 88R are provided with an observation window 82R interposed therebetween.
  • An output end of a light guide (not shown) is connected to the illumination window 88R.
  • the light guide extends from the insertion portion 22R to the operation portion 24, and the incident end of the light guide is connected to the light source device 18 connected via the universal cord 26. As shown in FIG. That is, the light guide extends toward the curved portion 42, is inserted through the universal cord 26 from the operation portion 24, and is finally connected to the light source connector 32c.
  • connected to Illumination light emitted by the light source device 18 travels through the light guide and irradiates the site to be observed from the illumination window 88R.
  • An air/water supply channel (pipe line) (not shown) is connected to the cleaning nozzle 90R.
  • the air/water supply channel extends toward the curved portion 42, is inserted through the universal cord 26 from the operation portion 24, is connected to the light source connector 32c, and is connected to the water supply tank 21a via the air/water supply tube 34a. Connected.
  • the cleaning nozzle 90R supplies air or cleaning water from the water supply tank 21a through the air/water supply channel in the ultrasonic endoscope 12 to the observation window 82R and the illumination window 88R. and jets toward the illumination window 88R.
  • the upward direction (UP) of the ultrasonic endoscope will be described.
  • the upper side of the scope is the upward direction (UP) of the bending portion 42 .
  • Buttons such as the air/water supply button 28a and the suction button 28b of the operation unit 24 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 and 12R shown in FIGS.
  • the upward direction (UP) is the upward direction when the insertion portions 22 and 22R are arranged to extend in a natural state. Therefore, since the insertion sections 22 and 22R of the ultrasonic endoscopes 12 and 12R shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 are curved, the direction indicated by the arrow UP is the upward direction (UP).
  • the ultrasonic transducer 48 is normally arranged upward. Therefore, for easy understanding, the direction indicated by the upward arrow UP in FIG. 3 is the upward direction. (UP).
  • the optical observation system observation window 82R, illumination window 88R, etc.
  • the transesophageal echocardiographic probe does not have buttons and has a structure with only a bending operation knob. Since the direction is set upward, it is the same as a type equipped with an optical observation system.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Gynecology & Obstetrics (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
PCT/JP2023/002498 2022-02-18 2023-01-26 超音波診断システム Ceased WO2023157598A1 (ja)

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WO2008035415A1 (fr) * 2006-09-20 2008-03-27 Shimadzu Corporation Dispositif ultrasonographique
JP2009178262A (ja) * 2008-01-29 2009-08-13 Toshiba Corp 超音波診断装置
JP2011050542A (ja) * 2009-09-01 2011-03-17 Fujifilm Corp 超音波診断装置
WO2013011800A1 (ja) * 2011-07-21 2013-01-24 日立アロカメディカル株式会社 超音波診断装置及び超音波探触子の振動子劣化検出方法
CN108464845A (zh) * 2018-01-22 2018-08-31 苏州佳世达电通有限公司 一种超声波探头的异常侦测方法和超声波诊断系统
JP2021039267A (ja) * 2019-09-04 2021-03-11 コニカミノルタ株式会社 寿命判定装置、寿命判定方法および寿命判定プログラム
WO2022071380A1 (ja) * 2020-09-30 2022-04-07 株式会社Lily MedTech 超音波撮像システムの故障検査方法及び超音波撮像システム

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JPH09313488A (ja) 1996-05-31 1997-12-09 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd 超音波診断装置
JPH10262967A (ja) 1997-03-28 1998-10-06 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd 超音波診断装置およびその自己診断方法
JP2003527184A (ja) * 2000-03-23 2003-09-16 コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エレクトロニクス エヌ ヴィ 遠隔医用撮像システム診断

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS60193447A (ja) * 1984-03-16 1985-10-01 横河メディカルシステム株式会社 超音波診断装置
WO2008035415A1 (fr) * 2006-09-20 2008-03-27 Shimadzu Corporation Dispositif ultrasonographique
JP2009178262A (ja) * 2008-01-29 2009-08-13 Toshiba Corp 超音波診断装置
JP2011050542A (ja) * 2009-09-01 2011-03-17 Fujifilm Corp 超音波診断装置
WO2013011800A1 (ja) * 2011-07-21 2013-01-24 日立アロカメディカル株式会社 超音波診断装置及び超音波探触子の振動子劣化検出方法
CN108464845A (zh) * 2018-01-22 2018-08-31 苏州佳世达电通有限公司 一种超声波探头的异常侦测方法和超声波诊断系统
JP2021039267A (ja) * 2019-09-04 2021-03-11 コニカミノルタ株式会社 寿命判定装置、寿命判定方法および寿命判定プログラム
WO2022071380A1 (ja) * 2020-09-30 2022-04-07 株式会社Lily MedTech 超音波撮像システムの故障検査方法及び超音波撮像システム

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