Acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus and method of controlling same

• US 10,459,073 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Yuji, Miyachi, Yukiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ndure, Amie M
• Application Number:
  US15/018,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems velocity measurement in imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8986 with measures taken for suppressing velocity ambiguities, i.e. anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8988 Colour Doppler imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52053 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52077 with means for elimination of unwanted signals, e.g. noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52096 related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components details of power supplies for ultrasonic medical diagnostic imaging devices A61B8/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/56 Display arrangements short-range imaging G01S7/52053

Abstract

If the boundary value of a velocity scale set in a case where the information indicating the velocity of the moving body is displayed on a liquid crystal panel is less than a threshold value, the frequency of pulses used in pulse-width control is set to 20 kHz in such a manner that noise ascribable to the pulses for pulse-width control will not be displayed on the liquid crystal panel. If the boundary value of the velocity scale is equal to or greater than the threshold value, then the frequency of pulses used in pulse-width control is set to 200 Hz in such a manner that noise ascribable to the pulses for pulse-width control will reside at a position remote from the information indicative of velocity.

Claims

1. An acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an acoustic probe for transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;

a velocity scale setting device for setting a velocity scale having a boundary value, the velocity scale being used to display a velocity of a moving body within the specimen;

a velocity calculation device for calculating the velocity of the moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from said acoustic probe;

a display control device for displaying information, which indicates the calculated velocity of the moving body, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by said velocity scale setting device;

a brightness control device for creating pulses used in backlight control, the brightness of the display unit being adjusted by a backlight; and

a frequency setting device for setting the frequency of the pulses based on the set velocity scale for displaying the calculated velocity of the moving body, the frequency setting device configured to

if the velocity scale set by the user has a first boundary value which is less than a threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses for controlling the brightness of the display to a first frequency which is equal to or greater than the first boundary value, and

if the velocity scale set by the user has a second boundary value which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses for controlling the brightness of the display to a second frequency which is lower than any of the first frequency and the frequency corresponding to the first boundary value which is less than a threshold value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a high-pass filter, which has a cut-off frequency equal to or greater than the second frequency, for eliminating low-frequency components of the acoustic echo signal that is output from said acoustic probe.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein duty ratio of pulses at the first frequency and duty ratio of pulses at the second frequency are identical.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said acoustic probe transmits continuous waves of the acoustic waves;

and

said display control device displays a waveform, which indicates the velocity of a moving body within the specimen, on the display unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a low-pass filter for eliminating high-frequency components, at a cut-off frequency equal to or greater than a frequency corresponding to the velocity of the boundary value, from the acoustic echo signal that is output from the acoustic probe, in a case where a velocity scale that includes the boundary value has been set by said velocity scale setting device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said acoustic probe transmits pulsed acoustic waves at regular intervals;

and

said display control device displays a waveform, which indicates the velocity of a moving body within the specimen, on the display unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said acoustic probe transmits pulsed acoustic waves at regular intervals;

and

said display control device is a color Doppler display control device for displaying information, which represents the velocity of a moving body within the specimen as a difference in color, on the display unit.

2. An acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an acoustic probe for transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;

a velocity scale setting device for setting a velocity scale having a boundary value set by a user, the velocity scale being used to display a velocity of a moving body within the specimen;

a velocity calculation device for calculating the velocity of the moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from said acoustic probe;

a display control device for displaying information, which indicates the calculated velocity of the moving body, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by said velocity scale setting device;

a cooling fan for cooling at least one of said velocity calculation device and display control device;

a fan motor for controlling rotation of said cooling fan; and

a frequency setting device for setting the frequency of pulses used in said fan motor based on the set velocity scale, the frequency setting device configured to

if the velocity scale set by the user has a first boundary value which is less than a threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses used in said fan motor to a first frequency which is equal to or greater than the first boundary value, and

if the velocity scale set by the user has a second boundary value which is equal to or greater than the threshold, set the frequency of pulses used in said fan motor to a second frequency which is lower than any of the first frequency and the frequency corresponding to the first boundary value which is less than a threshold value.

9. A method of controlling an acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus, comprising steps of:

an acoustic probe transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;

a velocity scale setting device setting a velocity scale having a boundary value set by a user, the velocity scale being used to display a velocity of a moving body within the specimen;

a velocity calculation device calculating the velocity of the moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from the acoustic probe;

a display control device displaying information, which indicates the calculated velocity of the moving body, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by the velocity scale setting device;

a brightness control device for creating pulses used in backlight control, the brightness of the display unit being adjusted by a backlight; and

a frequency setting device setting the frequency of the pulses based on the set velocity scale for displaying the calculated velocity of the moving body, the frequency setting device configured to

if the velocity scale set by the user has a first boundary value which is less than a threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses for controlling the brightness of the display to a first frequency which is equal to or greater than the first boundary value, and

if the velocity scale set by the user has a second boundary value which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, set the frequency of pulses for controlling the brightness of the display to a second frequency which is lower than any of the first frequency and the frequency corresponding to the first boundary value which is less than a threshold value.

10. A method of controlling an acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus, comprising steps of:

an acoustic probe transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;

a velocity scale setting device setting a velocity scale having a boundary value set by a user, the velocity scale being used to display a velocity of a moving body within the specimen;

a velocity calculation device calculating the velocity of the moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from the acoustic probe;

a display control device displaying information, which indicates the calculated velocity of the moving body, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by the velocity scale setting device;

a cooling fan cooling at least one of the velocity calculation device and display control device;

a fan motor controlling rotation of the cooling fan; and

a frequency setting device setting the frequency of pulses used in the fan motor based on the set velocity scale, the frequency setting device configured to

if the velocity scale set by velocity scale set by the user has a first boundary value which is less than a threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses used in the fan motor to a first frequency which is equal to or greater than the first boundary value, and

if the velocity scale set by the user has a second boundary value which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, set the frequency of the pulses used in the fan motor to a second frequency which is lower than any of the first frequency and the frequency corresponding to the first boundary value which is less than a threshold value.