Ultrasonic image generating apparatus and ultrasonic image generating method

• US 20030120152A1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Omiya, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 6,755,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence

Abstract

An ultrasonic image generating apparatus has

ultrasonic beam outputting means of outputting an ultrasonic beam to a predetermined subject area;

ultrasonic beam receiving means of receiving a reflected ultrasonic beam which is a reflected wave of the ultrasonic beam obtained from the subject area;

image generating means of generating an image based on the reflected ultrasonic beam received by the ultrasonic beam receiving means; and

ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means of performing control of changing an outgoing direction of the ultrasonic beam of the ultrasonic beam outputting means to the subject area.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic image generating apparatus comprising:

ultrasonic beam outputting means of outputting an ultrasonic beam to a predetermined subject area;

ultrasonic beam receiving means of receiving a reflected ultrasonic beam which is a reflected wave of said ultrasonic beam obtained from said subject area;

image generating means of generating an image based on the reflected ultrasonic beam received by said ultrasonic beam receiving means; and

ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means of performing control of changing an outgoing direction of the ultrasonic beam of said ultrasonic beam outputting means to said subject area.

2. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means electrically controls said change.

3. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image analyzing means of analyzing the image generated by said image generating means,

wherein the ultrasonic beam output direction controlling. means controls said change based on analysis results of said image analyzing means.

4. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said image analyzing means analyzes whether or not there is a predetermined imaging target in said subject area, and in the case where there is said imaging target, analyzes whether or not there is a shielded area in which said ultrasonic beam is shielded by said imaging target in said subject area, and

in the case where there is said shielded area, said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means controls said change so that the area to be passed through by the ultrasonic beam emitted from said ultrasonic beam outputting means next includes a part of said shielded area.

5. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing means of analyzing the reflected ultrasonic beam received by said ultrasonic beam receiving means,

wherein said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means controls said change based on analysis results of said reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing means.

6. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing means analyzes whether or not there is a non-detected area in which no reflected ultrasonic beam is detected in said subject area, and

in the case where there is said non-detected area, said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means controls said change so that the area to be passed through by the ultrasonic beam emitted from said ultrasonic beam outputting means next includes a part of said non-detected area.

7. The ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said subject area is determined to be within a distance capable of detecting said reflected ultrasonic beam at a predetermined intensity.

12. A program of causing a computer to function as the image analyzing means of analyzing the image generated by said image generating means of the ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 3 and the ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means of controlling said change based on the analysis results of said image analyzing means.

13. A program of causing a computer to function as the reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing means of analyzing the reflected ultrasonic beam received by said ultrasonic beam receiving means of the ultrasonic image generating apparatus according to claim 5 and the ultrasonic beam output direction controlling means of controlling said change based on the analysis results of said reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing means.

14. A medium having a program according to claim 12 and processable by a computer.

15. A medium having a program according to claim 13 and processable by a computer.

8. An ultrasonic image generating method comprising:

an ultrasonic beam outputting step of outputting an ultrasonic beam to a predetermined subject area;

an ultrasonic beam receiving step of receiving a reflected ultrasonic beam which is a reflected wave of said ultrasonic beam obtained from said subject area;

an image generating step of generating an image based on the reflected ultrasonic beam received by said ultrasonic beam receiving step; and

an ultrasonic beam output direction controlling step of performing control of changing an outgoing direction of the ultrasonic beam of said ultrasonic beam outputting step to said subject area.

9. The ultrasonic image generating method according to claim 8,

wherein said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling step electrically controls said change.

10. The ultrasonic image generating method according to claim 8, further comprising an image analyzing step of analyzing the image generated by said image generating step, and wherein the ultrasonic beam output direction controlling step controls said change based on analysis results thereof.

11. The ultrasonic image generating method according to claim 8, further comprising a reflected ultrasonic beam analyzing step of analyzing the reflected ultrasonic beam received by said ultrasonic beam receiving step, and wherein said ultrasonic beam output direction controlling step controls said change based on analysis results thereof.