Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and ultrasound signal analyzing method

• US 20060052705A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Akaki, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/454
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals

Abstract

In quantitative analysis using blood flow velocity measurement and the like, whether to select the forward direction or reverse direction is determined in accordance with the positional relationship between a baseline for controlling the display scale of a Doppler waveform and a reference line which can be arbitrarily set by an operator. The determination is executed at one of the stages of selecting a tracing direction by an automatic tracing process, selecting an approximate Doppler waveform as an analysis target, and selecting an analysis result as a display target.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a Doppler information generating unit which generates blood flow Doppler information concerning at least one of a first direction and second direction on the basis of an echo signal obtained by an ultrasound wave transmitted to a subject to be examined on the basis of a supplied driving signal;

an approximate information generating unit which generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information;

an analyzing unit which acquires an analysis result by executing analysis using the approximate information;

a determining unit which determines, on the basis of a position of a baseline of the Doppler information, whether the first direction or the second direction is a target direction; and

a display unit which displays the analysis result.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the approximate information generating unit generates the approximate information concerning the direction determined by the determining unit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit performs the determination in accordance with a positional relationship between the baseline and a reference line set in a display area of the Doppler information.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the first direction is a direction toward a transmission source of the transmitted ultrasound wave, and the second direction is a direction away from the transmission source, the determining unit generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the first direction if the baseline is located below the reference line, and generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the second direction if the first coordinate axis is located above the reference line.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the reference line to a desired position, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the reference line after the change made by the changing unit.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit determines whether the first direction or the second direction is a target direction, depending on whether the baseline is located in a first range set in a display area of the Doppler information.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the first range, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the first range after the change made by the changing unit.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises a setting unit which sets, in the display area of the Doppler information, an inhibition area which inhibits movement and setting of the baseline and generation of approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information, and in which

the determining unit executes the determination in accordance with a position of the baseline set outside the inhibition area.

9. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display unit displays the baseline in a predetermined form.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the approximate information generating unit generates the approximate information concerning both the first direction and the second direction, and

the analyzing unit acquires the analysis result by executing analysis using the approximate information concerning the direction determined by the determining unit.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the determining unit determines, in accordance with a positional relationship between a reference line set in a display area of the Doppler information and the baseline, whether to set the first direction or the second direction as a target direction.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

when the first direction is a direction toward a transmission source of the transmitted ultrasound wave, and the second direction is a direction away from the transmission source, the determining unit generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the first direction if the baseline is located below the reference line, and generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the second direction if the first coordinate axis is located above the reference line.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the reference line to a desired position, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the reference line after the change made by the changing unit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the determining unit determines whether the first direction or the second direction is a target direction, depending on whether the baseline is located in a first range set in a display area of the Doppler information.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the first range, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the first range after the change made by the changing unit.

16. An apparatus according to claim 10, which further comprises a setting unit which sets, in the display area of the Doppler information, an inhibition area which inhibits movement and setting of the baseline and generation of approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information, and in which

the determining unit executes the determination in accordance with a position of the baseline set outside the inhibition area.

17. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the display unit displays the baseline in a predetermined form.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the approximate information generating unit generates the approximate information concerning both the first direction and the second direction,

the analyzing unit acquires the analysis results concerning both the first direction and the second direction by executing analysis using the approximate information concerning both the first direction and the second direction, and

the display unit displays the analysis result concerning the direction determined by the determining unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the determining unit determines, in accordance with a positional relationship between a reference line set in a display area of the Doppler information and the baseline, whether to set the first direction or the second direction as a target direction.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

when the first direction is a direction toward a transmission source of the transmitted ultrasound wave, and the second direction is a direction away from the transmission source, the determining unit generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the first direction if the baseline is located below the reference line, and generates approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information concerning the second direction if the first coordinate axis is located above the reference line.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the reference line to a desired position, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the reference line after the change made by the changing unit.

22. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the determining unit determines whether the first direction or the second direction is a target direction, depending on whether the baseline is located in a first range set in a display area of the Doppler information.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, which further comprises a changing unit which changes the first range, and in which

the determining unit performs the determination by using the first range after the change made by the changing unit.

24. An apparatus according to claim 18, which further comprises a setting unit which sets, in the display area of the Doppler information, an inhibition area which inhibits movement and setting of the baseline and generation of approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information, and in which

the determining unit executes the determination in accordance with a position of the baseline set outside the inhibition area.

25. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the display unit displays the baseline in a predetermined form.

26. An ultrasound signal analyzing method comprising:

generating blood flow Doppler information concerning at least one of a first direction and second direction on the basis of an echo signal obtained by an ultrasound wave transmitted to a subject to be examined on the basis of a supplied driving signal;

generating approximate information of the blood flow Doppler information;

acquiring an analysis result by executing analysis using the approximate information;

determining, on the basis of a position of a baseline of the Doppler information, whether the first direction or the second direction is a target direction; and

displaying the analysis result.