Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and control method thereof

• US 6,607,490 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiyama, Naohisa, Ogasawara, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US10/050,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/440-458, 600/461-471, 600/459, 736/25, 736/26, 128/916, 367/7, 367/11, 367/130, 367/138, 424/9.51, 424/9.52
• US Class Current: 600/458
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• 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 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• 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 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 Data rate converters
• 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 7/52087 using synchronization techniques control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal A61B8/543

Abstract

(n−1) frames of image information which rarely includes contrast agent information are subtracted from addition information obtained by adding a multi-shot image group consisting of a plurality of frames (for example, n−1 frames) which includes the contrast agent information, thereby acquiring image information based on all of the contrast agent which has existed in one scanning plane in the image processing manner.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a transmission/reception device which transmits for a plurality of times ultrasonic waves having an intensity capable of destructing a contrast agent to one scanning plane of an object to which the contrast agent has been injected and receives a reflected wave group from the object;

a data generator which generates a plurality of accumulative addition data having different time phases based on at least one of a plurality of reflected waves constituting a plurality of continuous frames in the reflected wave group and generates subtraction data from a reflected wave received from the object with a predetermined timing; and

an image information generator which generates calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data has been accumulatively added and from which the subtraction data has been subtracted, and generates ultrasonic wave image information concerning the scanning plane based on the calculated data.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subtraction data is generated from any one of a reflected wave received from the object before administration of the contrast agent, any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing the reflected wave group, and any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing a reflected wave group different from the reflected wave group.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data generator performs the subtraction after multiplying the respective accumulative addition data by weighting coefficients having respective values.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the operation value is negative, said data generator generates the calculated data with the operation value being determined as an absolute value or the operation value being determined as zero.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data generator generates a time intensity curve based on the ultrasonic image information.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second data generator which generates second calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data have been accumulatively added and from which a plurality of the frames of the subtraction data have been subtracted, and generates ultrasonic wave image information concerning the scanning plane based on the calculated data.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission/reception device deepens focusing points of the ultrasonic waves gradually while transmitting for a plurality of number of times the ultrasonic waves.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a transmission/reception device which transmits for a plurality of number of times ultrasonic waves having an intensity capable of destructing a contrast agent to one scanning plane of an object to which the contrast agent has been injected, and receives a reflected wave group from the object;

a data generator which generates a plurality of accumulative addition data having respective time phases based on at least one of a plurality of reflected waves composing a plurality of continuous frames in the reflected wave group, and generates subtraction data from a reflected wave received from the object with a predetermined timing;

a memory which stores therein a plurality of the accumulative addition data; and

an image information generator which generates calculated data obtained by subtracting the subtraction data from each of the accumulative addition data stored in said memory, and generates ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the calculated data.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the subtraction data is generated from any one of a reflected wave received from the object before administration of the contrast agent, any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing the reflected wave group, and any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing a reflected wave group different from the reflected wave group.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said data generator performs the subtraction after multiplying the respective accumulative addition data by weighting coefficients having respect values.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the operation value is negative, said data generator generates the calculated data with the operation value being determined as an absolute value or the operation value being determined as zero.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data generator generates a time intensity curve based on the ultrasonic image information.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second data generator which generates second calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data have been added and from which a plurality of the frames of the subtraction data have been subtracted, and generates ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the second calculated data.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said transmission/reception device deepens focusing points of the ultrasonic waves gradually while transmitting for a plurality of number of times the ultrasonic waves.

15. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method comprising:

transmitting for a plurality of number of times ultrasonic waves having an intensity capable of destructing a contrast agent to one scanning plane of an object to which the contrast agent has been injected;

receiving a reflected wave group from the object;

generating a plurality of accumulative addition data having respective time phases based on at least one of a plurality of reflected waves composing a plurality of continuous frames in the reflected wave group;

generating subtraction data from a reflected wave received from the object with a predetermined timing;

generating calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data have been added and from which the subtraction data has been subtracted; and

generating ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the calculated data.

16. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, wherein the subtraction data is generated from any one of a reflected wave received from the object before administration of the contrast agent, any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing the reflected wave group, and any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing a reflected wave group different from the reflected wave group.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, wherein generation of the accumulative addition data is executed by multiplying weighting coefficients having respective values in accordance with the respective accumulative addition data.

18. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, wherein when the operation value is negative, the calculated data is generated with the operation value being determined as an absolute value or the operation value being determined as zero.

19. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, further comprising generation of a time intensity curve based on the ultrasonic image information.

20. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, further comprising:

generating second calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data have been accumulatively added and from which a plurality of the frames of the subtraction data have been subtracted; and

generating ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the second calculated data.

21. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 15, wherein focusing points of the ultrasonic waves are deepened gradually while the ultrasonic waves are transmitted for a plurality of number of times.

22. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method comprising:

transmitting for a plurality of number of times ultrasonic waves having an intensity capable of destructing a contrast agent to one scanning plane of an object to which the contrast agent has been injected;

receiving a reflected wave group from the object;

generating a plurality of the accumulative addition data having different time phases based on at least one of a plurality of reflected waves composing a plurality of continuous frames in the reflected wave group;

generating subtraction data from a reflected wave received from the object with a predetermined timing;

generating calculated data obtained by subtracting the subtraction data from the each of accumulative addition data; and

generating ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the calculated data.

23. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 22, wherein the subtraction data is generated from any one of a reflected wave received from the object before administration of the contrast agent, any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing the reflected wave group, and any one reflected wave other than a reflected wave received earliest in time among reflected waves composing a reflected wave group different from the reflected wave group.

24. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 22, wherein generation of the accumulative addition data is executed by multiplying weighting coefficients having different values in accordance with the respective accumulative addition data.

25. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 23, wherein when the operation value is negative, the calculated data is generated with the operation value being determined as an absolute value or the operation value being determined as zero.

26. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 22, further comprising generation of a time intensity curve based on the ultrasonic image information.

27. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 22, further comprising:

generating second calculated data having an operation value to which a plurality of the accumulative addition data have been added and from which a plurality of the frames of the subtraction data have been subtracted; and

generating ultrasonic image information concerning the scanning plane based on the second calculated data.

28. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus control method according to claim 22, wherein focusing points of the ultrasonic waves are deepened gradually while the ultrasonic waves are transmitted for a plurality of number of times.