Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 10,390,801 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwama, Nobuyuki, Hongou, Hironobu, Uchiumi, Isao, Morikawa, Koichi, Okumura, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Turchen, Rochelle D
• Application Number:
  US14/872,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20160095582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis

Abstract

In general, according to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe, a plurality of power supplies implemented by circuitry, at least one pulser, and a controller implemented by circuitry. The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducers which generate ultrasonic waves in response to supplied driving signals. The pulser outputs the driving signal based on an applied voltage applied from any one of the plurality of power supplies. The controller switches the plurality of power supplies in accordance with the at least one pulser used for generation of the driving signal in one transmission mode period.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of piezoelectric transducers, and configured to generate ultrasonic waves in response to supplied driving pulse signals;

at least one pulser configured to output a driving pulse signal to at least one of the plurality of piezoelectric transducers;

a plurality of power supplies implemented by circuitry and associated with the at least one pulser to apply voltages to the at least one pulser for generation of the driving pulse signal; and

a controller implemented by circuitry, configured to alternately select, at predetermined timing, application of the voltages from the plurality of power supplies in a push pulse transmission period in shear wave elastography during which push pulses are transmitted by the ultrasonic probe so as to prevent voltage droop in the voltages applied to the at least one pulser, wherein

one of more power supplies of the plurality of power supplies that are not selected for the application of the voltages apply no voltage to the at least one pulser.

3. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies at predetermined time intervals.

4. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies for each of predetermined pulse output counts.

5. The apparatus according to the claim 1, further comprising a monitoring unit implemented by circuitry, configured to monitor the applied voltage,

wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies every time the applied voltage becomes lower than a predetermined threshold.

6. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change an open voltage of an inactive power supply.

7. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the plurality of power supplies each comprise at least one of a power source, a storage battery, and a capacitor.

2. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of piezoelectric transducers, and configured to generate ultrasonic waves in response to supplied driving pulse signals;

at least one pulser configured to output a driving pulse signal to at least one of the plurality of piezoelectric transducers;

a plurality of power supplies implemented by circuitry and associated with the at least one pulser to apply voltages to the at least one pulser for generation of the driving pulse signal; and

a controller implemented by circuitry, configured to alternately select, at predetermined timing, application of the voltages from the plurality of power supplies in an ultrasonic transmission period during drug delivery to control an internal distribution of a drug in an object by using breakage of a capsule of the drug with ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe so as to prevent voltage droop in the voltages applied to the at least one pulser,

one of more power supplies of the plurality of power supplies that are not selected for the application of the voltages apply no voltage to the at least one puller.

8. The apparatus according to the claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies at predetermined time intervals.

9. The apparatus according to the claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies for each of predetermined pulse output counts.

10. The apparatus according to the claim 2, further comprising a monitoring unit implemented by circuitry, configured to monitor the applied voltage,

wherein the controller is further configured to alternately select application of the voltages from the power supplies every time the applied voltage becomes lower than a predetermined threshold.

11. The apparatus according to the claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to change an open voltage of an inactive power supply.

12. The apparatus according to the claim 2, wherein the plurality of power supplies each comprise at least one of a power source, a storage battery, and a capacitor.