ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS, SOUND VELOCITY SETTING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20170319182A1
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OHTA, Yasunori, TANABE, Tsuyoshi, IDA, Noriaki, NAKATA, Shin, YAMAGUCHI, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• 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 8/5269 involving detection or reduction of artifacts for image enhancement algorithms G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/585 Automatic set-up of the device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52049 using correction of medium-induced phase aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus performs transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming focal points used to set sound velocities at predetermined timing such that sound velocities having been set for all of respective segment regions established by diving a subject are all reset every predetermined number of frames. Owing to this configuration, it becomes possible for the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus to suitably reset sound velocities of ultrasonic waves in the subject and also reduce the amount of calculation for resetting sound velocities.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a piezoelectric element array having piezoelectric elements arranged therein, each adapted to transmit ultrasonic waves, receive ultrasonic echoes reflected by a subject, and output reception signals according to received ultrasonic waves;

a control processor adapted to control transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the piezoelectric element array;

a storage unit adapted to store the reception signals output by the piezoelectric element array;

a sound velocity setting processor adapted to divide the subject into multiple segment regions and set a sound velocity for each of the segment regions with use of the reception signals stored in the storage unit;

an image producing processor adapted to produce an ultrasound image by processing the reception signals output by the piezoelectric element array or the reception signals read out from the storage unit based on the sound velocity set for each of the segment regions; and

an input apparatus adapted to input a region-of-interest of the ultrasound image,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves so as to produce a frame formed with all of the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting set by the sound velocity setting processor in the region of interest at intervals of a predetermined number of frames such that sound velocities set for the respective segment regions in the region-of-interest are all reset every predetermined number of frames,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves so as to produce a frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image at intervals of a second predetermined number of frames greater than the predeteLmined number of frames such that sound velocities corresponding to the whole area of the ultrasound image set for the respective segment regions are all reset every second predetermined number of frames, and

wherein the sound velocity setting processor sets a sound velocity of a segment region corresponding to the one transmission focal point for sound velocity setting with use of a reception signal resulting from the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming the one transmission focal point for sound velocity setting.

2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that, in a frame other than the frame formed with transmission focal points for sound velocity setting among the predetermined number of frames, transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves corresponding to the whole area of the ultrasound image for producing the ultrasound image are formed.

3. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that a plurality of normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves, the normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves being formed with the transmission focal points of the normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that a plurality of scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of transmission and reception for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, the scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, and,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that the scanning lines in the region of interest are aligned with the normal scanning lines.

4. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that a plurality of scanning lines for sound velocity setting in the frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image, the scanning lines for sound velocity setting being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting and corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that the scanning lines for sound velocity setting are aligned with normal scanning lines, and,

wherein the control processor causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves such that a number of the transmission focal points of the scanning lines for sound velocity setting is larger than a number of the transmission focal points of the normal scanning lines.

5. A sound velocity setting method, comprising the steps of:

at a time when a sound velocity in a subject is set by an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus,

dividing the subject into multiple segment regions;

performing transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming a frame formed with all of transmission focal points for sound velocity setting in a region of interest at intervals of a predetermined number of frames and a frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of an ultrasound image at intervals of a second predetermined number of frames greater than the predetermined number of frames; and

setting a sound velocity of a segment region corresponding to the formed transmission focal point for sound velocity setting with use of a reception signal resulting from the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming the transmission focal point for sound velocity setting.

6. The sound velocity setting method according to claim 5,

wherein transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves corresponding to the whole area of the ultrasound image for producing the ultrasound image are formed in a frame other than the frame formed with transmission focal points for sound velocity setting among the predetermined number of frames.

7. The sound velocity setting method according to claim 6, wherein transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a plurality of normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves, the normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves being formed with the transmission focal points of the normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves,

wherein transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a plurality of scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of transmission and reception for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, the scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, and

wherein the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that the scanning lines in the region of interest are aligned with the normal scanning lines.

8. The sound velocity setting method according to claim 7,

wherein transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a plurality of scanning lines for sound velocity setting in the frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image, the scanning lines for sound velocity setting being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting and corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image,

wherein transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that the scanning lines for sound velocity setting are aligned with normal scanning lines,

wherein transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a number of the transmission focal points of the scanning lines for sound velocity setting is larger than a number of the transmission focal points of the normal scanning lines.

9. A non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a program that is used by an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus to set a sound velocity of a subject and that causes a computer to implement:

a dividing step of dividing the subject into multiple segment regions;

a transmission and reception step of performing transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming a frame formed with all of transmission focal points for sound velocity setting in a region of interest at intervals of a predetermined number of frames and a frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of an ultrasound image at intervals of a second predetermined number of frames greater than the predetermined number of frames; and

a calculation step of setting a sound velocity of a segment region corresponding to the formed transmission focal point for sound velocity setting with use of a reception signal resulting from the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for forming the transmission focal point for sound velocity setting.

10. The non-transitory recording according to claim 9,

wherein the stored program is configured such that transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves corresponding to the whole area of the ultrasound image for producing the ultrasound image are formed in a frame other than the frame formed with transmission focal points for sound velocity setting among the predetermined number of frames.

11. The non-transitory recording according to claim 10,

wherein the stored program is configured such that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a plurality of normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves, the normal scanning lines of ultrasonic waves being formed with the transmission focal points of the normal transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves,

wherein the stored program is configured such that a plurality of scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest are included in the frame formed with the transmission focal points of transmission and reception for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, the scanning lines of ultrasonic waves in the region of interest being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting in the region of interest, and

wherein the stored program is configured such that the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that the scanning lines in the region of interest are aligned with the normal scanning lines.

12. The non-transitory recording according to claim 11,

wherein the stored program is configured such that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a plurality of scanning lines for sound velocity setting in the frame formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image, the scanning lines for sound velocity setting being formed with the transmission focal points for sound velocity setting and corresponding to a whole area of the ultrasound image,

wherein the stored program is configured such that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that the scanning lines for sound velocity setting are aligned with normal scanning lines, and

wherein the stored program is configured such that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is performed such that a number of the transmission focal points of the scanning lines for sound velocity setting is larger than a number of the transmission focal points of the normal scanning lines.