ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS, MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARTUS, AND MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20130102903A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eiji Goto, Itsuki Kuga, Kazutoshi Sadamitsu, Koichiro Kurita, TANAKA, GO
• Inventors: TANAKA, Go, KURITA, Koichiro, KUGA, Itsuki, GOTO, Eiji, CHA, Junho, SADAMITSU, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,456,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/466 adapted to display 3D data 3D imaging and stereoscopic displays in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S15/8993 and G01S7/52068, respectively; 3D image rendering G06T15/00; manipulating 3D models for computer graphics G06T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• 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 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a position detection unit detects position information of an ultrasonic probe including ultrasonic transducers, with reference to a reference position. A transmission/reception unit supplies a driving signal to each transducer and generates a reception signal based on a reception echo signal generated by the transducer. Based on the reception signal, a three-dimensional data generation unit generates first three-dimensional data, in which a region corresponding to a living body tissue is specified by a specifying unit. A setting unit sets a first viewpoint based on the position information and specified region. An image generation unit generates a rendering image by rendering processing using the first viewpoint and first three-dimensional data.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers;

a position detection unit configured to detect position information of the ultrasonic probe with reference to a predetermined reference position;

a transmission/reception unit configured to supply a driving signal to each of the ultrasonic transducers and generate a reception signal based on each reception echo signal generated by each of the ultrasonic transducers;

a three-dimensional data generation unit configured to generate first three-dimensional data based on the reception signal;

a specifying unit configured to specify a region corresponding to a living body tissue in the first three-dimensional data;

a setting unit configured to set a first viewpoint based on the position information and the specified region; and

an image generation unit configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the set first viewpoint and the first three-dimensional data.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position detection unit is configured to update the position information in accordance with movement of the ultrasonic probe,

the three-dimensional data generation unit is configured to generate second three-dimensional data based on a reception signal acquired at a position of the ultrasonic probe after the movement,

the specifying unit is configured to specify a region corresponding to the living body tissue in the second three-dimensional data,

the setting unit is configured to set a second viewpoint based on the position information of the ultrasonic probe after the movement and the region specified in the second three-dimensional data, and

the image generation unit is configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the set second viewpoint and the second three-dimensional data.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the first three-dimensional data and the second three-dimensional data on a coordinate system having the reference position as an origin, and to set positions of the first viewpoint and second viewpoint in the respective regions specified in the set first three-dimensional data and second three-dimensional data.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the second viewpoint based on the updated position information to coincide with the first viewpoint.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional data generation unit is configured to generate combined three-dimensional data by combining the first three-dimensional data with the second three-dimensional data.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the second viewpoint to coincide with the first viewpoint in the combined three-dimensional data, and

the image generation unit is configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the second viewpoint and the combined three-dimensional data.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specifying unit is configured to specify a luminal region corresponding to the living body tissue having a lumen, and

the setting unit is configured to set the first viewpoint inside the specified luminal region based on the position information and the reference position.

8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the setting unit is configured to set a viewpoint setting region for setting a viewpoint in the first three-dimensional data, and to set the first viewpoint in an intersection region between the luminal region and the viewpoint setting region.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the position detection unit is configured to detect a position of the ultrasonic probe after movement and a moving direction of the ultrasonic probe with reference to the reference position,

the specifying unit is configured to specify a lumen direction in the luminal region specified in the first three-dimensional data, and

when the lumen branches, the setting unit is configured to set the first viewpoint in the luminal region specified in the first three-dimensional data, based on the position of the ultrasonic probe after the movement, the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe, the lumen direction, and the reference position.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a display unit configured to display the rendering image,

wherein the setting unit is configured to set a lumen peripheral region having a predetermined thickness around the specified luminal region,

the position detection unit is configured to detect a moving direction of the ultrasonic probe with reference to the reference position,

the specifying unit is configured to specify a lumen direction in the luminal region in the first three-dimensional data, and to determine whether a plane perpendicular to the moving direction in the first three-dimensional data includes the lumen peripheral region, and

the display unit is configured to display the lumen direction when the lumen peripheral region falls outside the perpendicular plane.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the setting unit is configured to move the first viewpoint in the region at a velocity corresponding to a moving velocity of the ultrasonic probe.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a control unit configured to control a timing to supply the driving signal to each of the ultrasonic transducers,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the transmission/reception unit to supply the driving signal to each of the ultrasonic transducers, in response to the first viewpoint entering a predetermined region near an end portion of the first three-dimensional data.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to change ultrasonic transmission conditions based on a position of the first viewpoint in the predetermined region.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image generation unit is configured to execute at least one of parallel projection processing and perspective projection processing as the rendering processing.

15. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers;

a position detection unit configured to detect position information of the ultrasonic probe with reference to a predetermined reference position;

a transmission/reception unit configured to supply a driving signal to each of the ultrasonic transducers and generate a reception signal based on each reception echo signal generated by each of the ultrasonic transducers;

a three-dimensional data generation unit configured to generate three-dimensional data based on the reception signal;

a specifying unit configured to specify a region corresponding to a living body tissue in the three-dimensional data;

a setting unit configured to set a first viewpoint in the region based on the position information of the ultrasonic probe and the reference position; and

an image generation unit configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the first viewpoint and the three-dimensional data,

wherein the position detection unit is configured to update the position information in accordance with movement of the ultrasonic probe,

the setting unit is configured to set a second viewpoint based on the updated position information and the region, and

the image generation unit is configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the set second viewpoint and the three-dimensional data.

16. A medical image processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store three-dimensional data for a position of an ultrasonic probe with reference to a predetermined reference position;

a specifying unit configured to specify a region corresponding to a living body tissue in the three-dimensional data;

a setting unit configured to set a viewpoint based on the position of the ultrasonic probe and the specified region; and

an image generation unit configured to generate a rendering image by rendering processing using the set viewpoint and the three-dimensional data.

17. A medical image processing method comprising:

storing three-dimensional data for a position of an ultrasonic probe with reference to a predetermined reference position;

specifying a region corresponding to a living body tissue in the three-dimensional data;

setting a viewpoint based on the position of the ultrasonic probe and the specified region; and

generating a rendering image by rendering processing using the set viewpoint and the three-dimensional data.