ULTRASOUND PROBE AND ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

• US 20120232397A1
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OHSHIMA, YUJI
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467

Abstract

The ultrasound probe includes a first priority setting unit which sets a priority regarding which of temporal resolution and spatial resolution is given preference, and a measurement parameter setting unit which sets values of measurement parameters relating to the temporal resolution and the spatial resolution in accordance with the priority set by the first priority setting unit and a measurement depth set in advance such that power consumption falls within the allowable power consumption.

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe which transmits a transmission signal produced through a signal process on a reception signal, which is acquired by transmitting ultrasonic waves toward a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo reflected from a measurement site of the subject, to an apparatus body of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, which produces an ultrasound diagnostic image from the transmission signal, the ultrasound probe comprising:

a first priority setting unit which sets a first priority regarding which of a first measurement parameter relating to temporal resolution and a second measurement parameter relating to spatial resolution when acquiring the reception signal to produce the ultrasound diagnostic image is given preference;

a measurement parameter setting unit which sets values of the first and second measurement parameters in accordance with allowable power consumption set in advance in accordance with heat generation associated with a process including the signal process, a measurement depth set in accordance with the measurement site of the subject, and the first priority set by the first priority setting unit; and

an operation control unit which controls transmission and reception operations based on the first and second measurement parameters set by the measurement parameter setting unit.

2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1,

wherein the measurement parameter setting unit sets the values of the first and second measurement parameters in accordance with the measurement depth and the first priority such that power consumption falls within the allowable power consumption.

3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1,

wherein the first measurement parameter is a frame rate when acquiring the reception signal to produce the ultrasound diagnostic image, and

the second measurement parameter is the number of scan lines for producing the ultrasound diagnostic image and the number of channels of transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second priority setting unit which sets a second priority regarding which of the number of scan lines and the number of channels included in the second measurement parameter relating to the spatial resolution is given preference,

wherein the measurement parameter setting unit sets values of the number of scan lines and the number of channels in accordance with a set value of the second measurement parameter and the second priority set by the second priority setting unit.

5. The ultrasound probe according to claim 3, further comprising:

a monitor which displays at least one of the first measurement parameter, the second measurement parameter, the measurement depth, the frame rate, the number of scan lines, and the number of channels.

6. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

an adjustment amount setting unit which, with the measurement depth set in advance for the measurement site of the subject as an initial depth, sets an adjustment amount to adjust the measurement depth to a deeper side than the initial depth or an adjustment amount to adjust the measurement depth to a shallower side than the initial depth,

wherein the measurement parameter setting unit further sets the adjusted measurement depth in accordance with the initial depth set in advance and the adjustment amount set by the adjustment amount setting unit.

7. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1,

wherein the priority setting unit is a rotating dial.

8. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

a grip portion which is gripped by an operator; and

a head portion which abuts on the subject and irradiates the ultrasonic waves,

wherein the priority setting unit is provided at a position, excluding the grip portion and the head portion, at which the operator does not grip.

9. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement mode selecting unit which selects a measurement mode of the subject.

10. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1,

wherein the measurement mode includes a mode in which at least one measurement site is measured and/or a still image of the ultrasound diagnostic image is produced.

11. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor which measures an internal temperature or a surface temperature of the ultrasound probe; and

an allowable value setting unit which changes a value of the allowable power consumption set in advance based on the internal temperature or the surface temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

12. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

the ultrasound probe according to claim 1; and

an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body which produces the ultrasound diagnostic image,

wherein the ultrasound probe further has

an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit which transmits the ultrasonic waves toward the subject, receives the ultrasonic echo reflected from the subject, and outputs the reception signal,

a signal processor which performs the signal process on the reception signal output from the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit to produce the transmission signal, and

a first communication unit which transmits the transmission signal produced by the signal processor to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body which produces the ultrasound diagnostic image from the transmission signal, and

the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body has

a second communication unit which receives the transmission signal from the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe,

an image producer which produces the ultrasound diagnostic image based on the transmission signal received by the second communication unit, and

a monitor which displays the ultrasound diagnostic image produced by the image producer.

13. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the ultrasound probe has a first wireless communication unit which transmits the transmission signal to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body in a wireless manner,

the first communication unit is the first wireless communication unit which transmits the transmission signal to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body in a wireless manner, and

the second communication unit is a second wireless communication unit which receives the transmission signal from the first wireless communication unit of the ultrasound probe in a wireless manner.

14. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the monitor of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body further displays at least one of the measurement depth, the first measurement parameter, the second measurement parameter, a frame rate as the first measurement parameter, and the number of scan lines and the number of channels included in the second measurement parameter.

15. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body which produces an ultrasound diagnostic image; and

an ultrasound probe which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to produce the ultrasound diagnostic image,

wherein the ultrasound probe has

an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit which transmits the ultrasonic waves toward a subject, receives an ultrasonic echo reflected from the subject, and outputs a reception signal,

a signal processor which performs a signal process on the reception signal output from the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit to produce a transmission signal,

a first priority setting unit which sets a first priority regarding which of a first measurement parameter relating to temporal resolution and a second measurement parameter relating to spatial resolution when acquiring the reception signal to produce the ultrasound diagnostic image is given preference,

an operation control unit which controls operations of the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit, and

a first communication unit which transmits the transmission signal produced by the signal processor and the first priority set by the first priority setting unit to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body, and receives data from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body,

the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body has

a second communication unit which receives the transmission signal and the first priority from the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe, and transmits data to the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe,

an image producer which produces the ultrasound diagnostic image based on the transmission signal received by the second communication unit,

a monitor which displays the ultrasound diagnostic image produced by the image producer,

a measurement parameter setting unit for setting values of the first and second measurement parameters in accordance with the first priority set by the first priority setting unit of the ultrasound probe and received by the second communication unit, allowable power consumption set in advance in accordance with heat generation associated with the operation of the ultrasound probe, and a measurement depth set in accordance with the measurement site of the subject by the ultrasound probe,

the second communication unit of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body transmits the values of the first and second measurement parameters set by the measurement parameter setting unit to the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe as data,

the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe receives the values of the first and second measurement parameters as data, and

the operation control unit of the ultrasound probe controls the operation of the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit of the ultrasound probe based on the values of the first and second measurement parameters received by the first communication unit and set by the measurement parameter setting unit.

16. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first communication unit of the ultrasound probe and the second communication unit of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body are wireless communication units which perform wireless communication.