ULTRASOUND IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, ULTRASOUND IMAGE CAPTURE METHOD, ULTRASOUND IMAGE CAPTURE PROGRAM

• US 20130289408A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM Healthcare Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Azuma, Takashi, Hashiba, Kunio, Tanaka, Tomohiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• 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 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode

Abstract

Provided is a technology which quantitatively measures blood flow in the vicinity of circulatory organs. An ultrasound image capture device according to the present invention removes an image portion corresponding to an organ shape by taking the difference of a multi-frame ultrasound image, and thereafter computes a measured value of a blood flow velocity vector on the basis of a plurality of images at different timings (as per FIG. 3).

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging device that images an ultrasound image, comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver that irradiates an ultrasound wave to a subject and receives a reflected signal; and

a blood flow detection unit that detects a blood flow velocity in the subject using the reflected signal;

wherein

the blood flow detection unit

removes an image indicating a tissue shape of the subject based on a plurality of ultrasound images of the subject created by using the reflected signal at different times, and

calculates a blood flow velocity vector in the subject based on a plurality of images at different times in which the image indicating the tissue shape of the subject is removed.

2. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 1, wherein:

the blood flow detection unit calculates the blood flow velocity vector in the subject by performing a pattern matching between the plurality of ultrasound images.

3. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 1, the ultrasound imaging device further comprising a shape recognition unit that recognizes a tissue shape of the subject using the reflected signal, wherein:

the blood flow recognition unit

identifies a boundary surface between a tissue of the subject and a blood flow based on a recognition result of the shape recognition unit, and

calculates or corrects the blood flow velocity by applying a consistent condition under a fluid mechanics on the boundary surface.

4. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 3, wherein:

the blood flow detection unit assumes that the blood flow velocity at a boundary surface between a tissue of the subject and a blood flow is 0, and calculates or corrects the blood flow velocity at other portions.

5. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 3, wherein:

the blood flow detection unit

obtains a measured value of the blood flow velocity, and

interpolates a blood flow velocity at a portion in which the measured value is not obtained by approximating a blood vessel shape of the subject as a cylinder to calculate the blood flow velocity in the cylinder.

6. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 5, wherein:

the blood flow detection unit

obtains a measured value of the blood flow velocity, and

interpolates a blood flow velocity at a portion in which the measured value is not obtained by approximating a shape of the cylinder on a two-dimensional plane under an assumption that the blood vessel of the subject has a plane-symmetrical structure to calculate the blood flow velocity using a law of conservation of mass on the two-dimensional plane.

7. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 5, wherein:

the blood flow detection unit calculates, using a stream function, a blood flow velocity component in a direction in which the measured value is not obtained.

8. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 1, the ultrasound imaging device further comprising a mutual interaction calculation unit that calculates a physical quantity of a blood flow of the subject that provides an effect on a tissue of the subject, wherein:

the mutual interaction calculation unit calculates, as the physical quantity, one or more of a pressure distribution caused by the blood flow in the subject, a shear stress caused by the blood flow on a blood vessel inner wall of the subject, a power of the blood flow, and a flow volume of the blood flow.

9. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays at least one of a spatial distribution or a temporal distribution for one or more of a pressure distribution caused by a blood flow in the subject, a shear stress caused by the blood flow on a blood vessel inner wall of the subject, a power of the blood flow, a flow volume of the blood flow, and a velocity distribution of the blood flow.

10. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 9, wherein:

the display unit displays one or more of numerical values of a maximum value, a minimum value, an average value, an integral value, or a proportion of these values for at least one of the spatial distribution or the temporal distribution.

11. The ultrasound imaging device according to claim 9, wherein:

the display unit displays a process in which the blood flow detection unit calculates a blood flow velocity of the subject.

12. An ultrasound imaging method for imaging an ultrasound image, comprising:

a step of irradiating an ultrasound wave to a subject and receiving a reflected signal; and

a blood flow detection step detecting a blood flow velocity in the subject using the reflected signal;

wherein

in the blood flow detection step,

an image indicating a tissue shape of the subject is removed based on a plurality of ultrasound images of the subject created by using the reflected signal at different times, and

a blood flow velocity vector in the subject is calculated based on a plurality of images at different times in which the image indicating the tissue shape of the subject is removed.

13. An ultrasound imaging program that causes a computer to execute a process for imaging an ultrasound image, the ultrasound imaging program causing the computer to execute:

a step of irradiating an ultrasound wave to a subject and receiving a reflected signal; and

a blood flow detection step detecting a blood flow velocity in the subject using the reflected signal;

wherein

in the blood flow detection step, the ultrasound imaging program causing the computer to execute;

a step of removing an image indicating a tissue shape of the subject based on a plurality of ultrasound images of the subject created by using the reflected signal at different times, and

a step of calculating a blood flow velocity vector in the subject based on a plurality of images at different times in which the image indicating the tissue shape of the subject is removed.