Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 6,245,019 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiyama, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/302,260
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/440, 600/441, 600/447, 600/458, 367/7
• US Class Current: 600/458
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52041 detecting modification of a contrast enhancer, e.g. detecting the destruction of a contrast agent by an acoustic wave, e.g. loss of correlation diagnostic techniques involving the use of contrast agents A61B8/481
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52046 Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00
• 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 ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe, a transmitting device, a receiving device, a transmission control circuit, and an image generating unit. The transmission control circuit controls the transmitting device, so that an imaging region of a subject is scanned throughout with ultrasound during a scanning operation. The scanning operation is repeated, and ultrasound for collapsing micro-bubbles administered to the subject is transmitted in an interval between scanning operations. In a region where the ultrasound for collapsing micro-bubbles is transmitted, a greater number of micro-bubbles collapse than in the other region where the ultrasound for collapsing micro-bubbles is not transmitted. Accordingly, the contrast effect is partially reduced in the imaging region. Therefore, image data has a portion of a higher contrast effect and a portion of a lower contrast effect.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound probe;

a transmitting device for driving the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound to a subject injected with micro-bubbles;

a transmission control circuit for controlling the transmitting device to scan throughout an imaging region of the subject with ultrasound for imaging during a scanning operation, the scanning operation being repeated, and ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles being transmitted in an interval between scanning operations;

a receiving device for receiving echoes reflected by the subject during the scanning operation through the ultrasound probe;

a unit for producing image data relating to the imaging region based on the received echoes; and

a processor for generating a curve representing correlation between an interval from an end of transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles to a start of the scanning operation and brightness of a place where the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is transmitted;

wherein an interval from the end of transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles to the start of the scanning operation is changed in every scanning operation.

2. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is transmitted to a part of the imaging region.

3. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning operation is intermittently repeated in synchronism with a cardiographic waveform.

4. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning operation is intermittently repeated in an arbitrary cycle.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is repeatedly transmitted in one direction in each interval between the scanning operations.

6. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound for imaging is transmitted under transmission conditions in which at least one of a transmission sound pressure, a transmission caliber, a transmission frequency and a burst wave number, is different from that of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles.

7. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles has a higher transmission sound pressure, a wider transmission caliber, a lower transmission frequency, and/or a more burst wave number than that of the ultrasound for imaging.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission conditions of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles are arbitrarily set in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions.

9. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein delay data for determining a transmission direction of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is same as part of delay data used to oscillate the ultrasound for imaging.

10. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein delay data for determining a transmission direction of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is different from delay data used to oscillate the ultrasound for imaging.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a transmission range and a transmission direction of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is arbitrarily set in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions.

12. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a transmission range and a transmission direction of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles can be changed in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions during the scanning operation.

13. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles can be ceased in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions during the scanning operation.

14. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission conditions of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles are displayed on a screen along with the image data.

15. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a marker indicating a transmission range of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is superimposed on the image data.

16. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the marker can be erased in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions.

17. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein an interval between an end of transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles and a start of the scanning operation can be adjusted in accordance with operator'"'"'s instructions.

18. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound probe;

a transmitting device for driving the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound to a subject injected with micro-bubbles as ultrasound reflectors having high reflectivity;

a receiving device for receiving echoes reflected by the subject through the ultrasound probe;

a unit for producing image data based on the received echoes;

a transmission control circuit for controlling the transmitting device to make a first ultrasound transmission for forming an image of a ventricle and cardiac muscle and a second ultrasound transmission for collapsing micro-bubbles in a part of the ventricle and cardiac muscle in the image repeatedly, the transmitting conditions of first ultrasound transmission are suitable for image forming of the ventricle and cardiac muscle with micro-bubble, the transmitting conditions of second ultrasound transmission are more suitable for collapsing micro-bubble s a s compared to the transmitting conditions of the first ultrasound transmission; and

a processor for generating a curve representing correlation between an interval from an end of transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles to a start of the scanning operation and brightness of a place where the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is transmitted.

19. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound probe;

a transmitting device for driving the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound to a subject injected with micro-bubbles as ultrasound reflectors having high reflectivity;

a receiving device for receiving echoes reflected by the subject through the ultrasound probe;

a unit for producing image data based on the received echoes;

a transmission control circuit for controlling the transmitting device to make a first ultrasound transmission for forming an image of a liver and a second ultrasound transmission for collapsing micro-bubbles in part of the liver in the image repeatedly, the transmitting conditions of first ultrasound transmission are suitable for image forming of the liver with micro-bubble, the transmitting conditions of second ultrasound transmission are more suitable for collapsing micro-bubbles as compared to the transmitting conditions of the first ultrasound transmission; and

a processor for generating a curve representing correlation between an interval from an end of transmission of the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles to a start of the scanning operation and brightness of a place where the ultrasound for collapsing the micro-bubbles is transmitted.