Three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 6,500,118 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/425,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/427, 600/443, 600/424, 600/447, 600/453, 600/463, 128/916, 367/7, 367/11, 367/130, 736/25, 736/26, 382/305, 712/38, 345/177, 345/179, 345/419
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0609 Display arrangements, e.g. colour displays indicating or recording in connection with measuring in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/916 Ultrasound 3-D imaging

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves. The apparatus also includes a three-dimensional image data former for forming three-dimensional image data based on scanning data obtained from the three-dimensional scanner. An image data memory is included as part of the apparatus for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data formed by the three-dimensional image data former. The apparatus includes a memory controller for controlling write and read of the three-dimensional image data into or from the image data memory. And the apparatus further includes a display image former for forming a display image based on three-dimensional image data read out from the image data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the formed display image on a display unit.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional volume data former for forming three-dimensional volume data acquired through the three-dimensional scanning;

a three-dimensional volume data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional volume data from which display image is to be reconstructed;

a display condition data former for forming display condition data indicating a direction of a projection and how the display image is displayed on a display unit;

a display condition data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of display condition data, each of which corresponds to each of the three-dimensional volume data stored in the three-dimensional volume data memory and used to reconstruct the display image;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the stored three-dimensional volume data and display condition data; and

a display image processor for reconstructing display images based on three-dimensional volume data read out from the three-dimensional volume data memory and corresponding display condition data by the memory controller, and for displaying the reconstructed display image on a display unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display condition selector for selecting either the display condition data used in the past to form a display image from the three dimensional volume data or the currently-set display condition data, according to a user'"'"'s instruction, wherein

the display image processor reconstructs a display image based on the read-out three-dimensional volume data, according to the display condition data selected by the display condition selector.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display condition data includes at least one of a direction of viewpoint, opacity, color information added to a Doppler image, and a threshold value for extracting an area of the subject.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display image memory for storing in time series a plurality of the display images, each of the display images being stored in association with each of the three-dimensional volume data.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the display image memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of display image, and

the memory controller writes the latest display image on the oldest display image in the display image memory when a number of pieces of display image to be written in the display image memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of display image.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display image memory for storing in time series a plurality of the display images, each of the display images being stored in association with each of the three-dimensional volume data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position data generator for generating probe position data according to a position of the three-dimensional scanner; and

a position data memory for storing in time series the probe position data obtained from the position data generator with making the probe position data correspond to each of the three-dimensional volume data stored in the three-dimensional volume data memory.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the display image processor reconstructs a display image of a wider range than that of each of the three-dimensional volume data by connecting a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional volume data stored in the three-dimensional volume data memory, according to the probe position data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the display image processor reconstructs a display image with corrected image quality of each three-dimensional volume data by combining a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional volume data stored in the three-dimensional volume data memory, according to the probe position data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the display image processor calculates a relative position for indicating what portion of a subject a display image corresponds to, according to reference position data for indicating a position of the three-dimensional scanner set on the subject and the probe position data, and displays on the display an indicator for showing the relative position based on the calculated relative position together with the display image.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the position data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of probe position data, and

the memory controller writes the latest probe position data on the oldest probe position data in the position data memory when a number of pieces of probe position data to be written in the position data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of probe position data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the three-dimensional volume data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of three-dimensional volume data, and

the memory controller writes the latest three-dimensional volume data on the oldest three-dimensional volume data in the three-dimensional volume data memory when a number of pieces of three-dimensional volume data to be written in the three-dimensional volume data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of three-dimensional volume data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the loop memory is structured to include a first memory for storing tomographic image information of a subject and a second memory for storing Doppler information of a tissue inside the subject.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display condition data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of display condition data, and

the memory controller writes the latest display condition data on the oldest display condition data in the display condition data memory when a number of pieces of display condition data to be written in the display condition data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of display condition data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display image processor reconstructs a display image based on three-dimensional volume data read out from the three-dimensional volume data memory by the memory controller, or sequentially reconstructs three-dimensional volume data provided by the three-dimensional volume data former into a display image.

16. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using a three-dimensional display image, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional volume data former for forming three-dimensional volume data acquired through the three-dimensional scanning;

a four-dimensional memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional volume data from which display image is to be reconstructed;

a display condition data former for forming display condition data indicating a direction of a projection and how the display image is displayed on a display unit;

a display condition data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of display condition data, each of which corresponds to each of the three-dimensional volume data stored in the four-dimensional volume data memory and used to reconstruct the display image;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the stored three-dimensional volume data and display condition data memory; and

a display image processor for reconstructing display images based on three-dimensional volume data read out from the four-dimensional memory and corresponding display condition data by the memory controller, and for displaying the reconstructed display image on a display unit.

17. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional volume data former for forming three-dimensional volume data acquired through the three-dimensional scanning;

a three-dimensional volume data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional volume data from which display image is to be reconstructed;

a display condition data former for forming display condition data indicating a direction of a projection and how the display image is displayed on a display unit;

a display condition data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of display condition data, each of which corresponds to each of the three-dimensional volume data stored in the three-dimensional volume data memory and used to reconstruct the display image;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the stored three-dimensional volume data and the display condition data into or from the three-dimensional volume data memory and the display condition data memory respectively; and

a display image processor for reconstructing display images based on three-dimensional volume data read out from the three-dimensional volume data memory and corresponding display condition data read out from the display condition data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the reconstructed display image on a display unit.

18. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional image data former for forming three-dimensional image data based on scanning data obtained from the three-dimensional scanner;

a three-dimensional image data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data formed by the three-dimensional image data former;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the three-dimensional image data into or from the three-dimensional image data memory;

a display image former for forming a display image based on three-dimensional image data read out from the three-dimensional image data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the formed display image on a display unit;

a position data generator for generating probe position data according to a position of the three-dimensional scanner; and

a position data memory for storing in time series the probe position data obtained from the position data generator with making the probe position data correspond to each of the three-dimensional image data stored in the three-dimensional image data memory.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the display image former forms a display image of a wider range than that of each of the three-dimensional image data by connecting a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data stored in the three-dimensional image data memory, according to the probe position data.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the display image former forms a display image with corrected image quality of each three-dimensional image data by combining a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data stored in the three-dimensional image data memory, according to the probe position data.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the display image former calculates a relative position for indicating what portion of a subject a display image corresponds to, according to reference position data for indicating a position of the three-dimensional scanner set on the subject and the probe position data, and displays on the display an indicator for showing the relative position based on the calculated relative position together with the display image.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the position data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of probe position data, and

the memory controller writes the latest probe position data on the oldest probe position data in the position data memory when a number of pieces of probe position data to be written in the position data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of probe position data.

23. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional image data former for forming three-dimensional image data based on scanning data obtained from the three-dimensional scanner;

a three-dimensional image data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data formed by the three-dimensional image data former;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the three-dimensional image data into or from the three-dimensional image data memory; and

a display image former for forming a display image based on three-dimensional image data read out from the three-dimensional image data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the formed display image on a display unit, wherein

the three-dimensional image data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of three-dimensional image data, and

the memory controller writes the latest three-dimensional image data on the oldest three-dimensional image data in the three-dimensional image data memory when a number of pieces of three-dimensional image data to be written in the three-dimensional image data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of three-dimensional image data.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein

the loop memory is structured to include a first memory for storing tomographic image information of a subject and a second memory for storing Doppler information of a tissue inside the subject.

25. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional image data former for forming three-dimensional image data based on scanning data obtained from the three-dimensional scanner;

a three-dimensional image data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data formed by the three-dimensional image data former;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the three-dimensional image data into or from the three-dimensional image data memory;

a display image former for forming a display image based on three-dimensional image data read out from the three-dimensional image data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the formed display image on a display unit; and

a display condition data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of display condition data for forming the display image, the display condition data being corresponding to each of the tree-dimensional image data, wherein

the display condition data memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of display condition data, and

the memory controller writes the latest display condition data on the oldest display condition data in the display condition data memory when a number of pieces of display condition data to be written in the display condition data memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of display condition data.

26. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a three-dimensional scanner for carrying out a three-dimensional scanning by ultrasonic waves;

a three-dimensional image data former for forming three-dimensional image data based on scanning data obtained from the three-dimensional scanner;

a three-dimensional image data memory for storing in time series a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data formed by the three-dimensional image data former;

a memory controller for controlling write and read of the three-dimensional image data into or from the three-dimensional image data memory;

a display image former for forming a display image based on three-dimensional image data read out from the three-dimensional image data memory by the memory controller, and for displaying the formed display image on a display unit; and

a display image memory for storing in time series a plurality of the display images, each of the display images being corresponding to the three-dimensional image data, wherein

the display image memory is structured by a loop memory for sequentially storing a prescribed number of pieces of display image, and

the memory controller writes the latest display image on the oldest display image in the display image memory when a number of pieces of display image to be written in the display image memory exceeds the prescribed number of pieces of display image.