Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic diagnostic method capable of adjusting gain and contrast

• US 6,500,124 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuno, Yoshiyuki, Echizenya, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M
• Application Number:
  US09/864,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/437, 600/440-447, 600/449, 600/450-459, 731/46, 736/22, 736/25, 736/26, 708/207, 367/7, 367/11, 367/130, 367/138, 424/9.51, 424/9.52
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52033 Gain control of receivers for seismic signals G01V1/245

Abstract

A PC board of a PC has a controller for controlling a motor drive circuit based on a timing signal, a memory for GAIN/STC for storing amplification data in an data in an amplifier for GAIN/STC as digital data and outputting the stored data synchronously with the timing signal of the controller, and a PC internal bus controller for connecting a PC internal bus to a local bus. Set values of GAIN and STC are converted into parameters and are set to the memory for GAIN/STC and a set value of contrast is converted into a parameter and is set to the controller both in a live state and in a freeze state.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an echo signal adjust unit which can adjust gain or a dynamic range of an ultrasonic echo signal which is obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to/from a body;

an input unit which inputs a parameter for adjusting the gain or dynamic range;

an image processing unit which processes the ultrasonic echo signal which is adjusted by the echo signal adjust unit, thereby obtaining ultrasonic image data;

a storing unit which stores the ultrasonic image data;

a calculating unit which reads the ultrasonic image data from the storing unit and performs a predetermined calculation of the ultrasonic image data; and

an adjust unit which adjusts the echo signal adjust unit to adjust the gain or dynamic range based on the parameter inputted by the input unit when the parameter is inputted by the input unit during transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave and controls the calculating unit to read the ultrasonic image data from the storing unit for calculating the gain or dynamic range of the read ultrasonic image data based on the parameter inputted by the input unit when the parameter is inputted by the input unit during not transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave.

2. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a set value input unit which inputs set values for setting the gain and the dynamic range of the ultrasonic image data; and

a display control unit which displays the set values of the gain and the dynamic range on a screen of a monitor and also displays a settable range of the gain and dynamic range.

3. An ultrasonic diagnostic method comprising:

an echo signal adjust step of adjusting gain or a dynamic range of an ultrasonic echo signal which is obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to/from a body;

an input step of inputting a parameter for adjusting the gain or dynamic range;

an image processing step of processing the ultrasonic echo signal which is adjusted in the echo signal adjust step, thereby obtaining ultrasonic image data;

a storing step of storing the ultrasonic image data;

a calculating step of reading the ultrasonic image data which is stored in the storing step for performing a predetermined calculation of the ultrasonic image data; and

a process selecting step of, when the parameter is inputted during transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave, selecting the echo signal adjust step to adjust the gain or dynamic range in the echo signal adjust step based on the inputted parameter and, when the parameter is inputted during not transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave, selecting the calculating step to read the ultrasonic image data for calculating the gain or dynamic range of the read ultrasonic image data in the calculating step based on the inputted parameter.

4. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a PC board which converts an ultrasonic echo signal obtained by an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to/from a body into digital data, and outputs an amplitude adjust signal for adjusting an amplitude of the ultrasonic echo signal to the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit;

a storing unit which receives the digital data converted by the PC board and stores a program for calculating gain of the received digital data; and

a calculating unit which executes the program for generating an ultrasonic image from the digital data.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the storing unit can be exchanged.

6. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the program for calculating the gain allows the received digital data to be stored in the storing unit as received data per frame, reads the received data corresponding to a predetermined frame from the received data stored in the storing unit, and calculates the gain of the read received data.