JP2007195867A - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and ultrasonic image display program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide ultrasonic diagnostic equipment which can improve the visibility of a puncture needle while displaying such a high-quality image as to be used for diagnosis when a puncture is applied, and which enables proper monitoring to be performed during the application of paracentesis. <P>SOLUTION: This ultrasonic diagnostic equipment is provided with a display means which generates a tomogram by processing a reception signal from an ultrasonic probe, which sets a puncture needle insertion area (first display area) and a tissue image display area (second display area) by superimposing an image of a puncture guideline as an interstitial presumptive line for the puncture needle on the tomogram, on the basis of the setting of a puncture adapter provided in the ultrasonic probe, which merges the first and second display areas together after different display processing steps are applied to the first and second display areas, respectively, and which displays the image generated by an image generating means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image display program for displaying a tomographic image and puncture needle information inside a subject.

  2. Description of the Related Art Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses that transmit ultrasonic waves into a subject and receive reflected echoes to inspect the subject are widely used in the medical field.

  Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment provides a real-time display of heart beats and fetal movements with a simple operation by simply placing an ultrasonic probe on the body surface. The scale of the system is small compared to other diagnostic equipment such as X-ray, CT, and MRI, and it is convenient because it can be easily inspected while moving to the bedside.

  In addition, the size of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus varies depending on the types of functions that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has, but devices that are small enough to be carried with one hand have been developed. Ultrasound diagnosis is not affected by exposure unlike X-rays, so it can be used relatively safely.

  On the other hand, puncture is widely performed by radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) as a local treatment method for hepatocellular carcinoma, biopsy for inspecting liver cell tissue by inserting a puncture needle into the liver.

  Puncture is performed while confirming the position of the puncture needle in the living body from the image of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. However, it is very important to perform puncture accurately on a region of interest (treatment target) such as a tumor.

  In order to accurately puncture a region of interest (treatment target), a technique has been disclosed in which a linear marker called a puncture guideline is displayed on an ultrasound image and a path through which the puncture needle passes is confirmed in advance ( For example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-353146 A

  However, in general, the image of the puncture needle is buried in the image of the living body, and there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp how far the puncture needle has advanced.

  There is also a problem that the puncture needle is distorted due to the influence of tissue in the living body, the puncture needle does not advance to the same position as the puncture guideline, and the puncture cannot be performed at a desired position.

  In such a case, various image processing is performed in order to find a part of the tissue that is different from other tissues. However, if the dynamic range is narrowed to emphasize the puncture needle, the gradation becomes narrower. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult to distinguish the organization.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the visibility of a puncture needle while displaying a high-quality image used for diagnosis when performing puncture. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image display program that can perform good monitoring during puncture.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the invention described in claim 1 transmits an ultrasonic wave into a subject and receives the reflected ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic probe And a puncture adapter that guides a puncture needle that is inserted into a subject, generates a tomogram by processing a reception signal from the ultrasonic probe, and based on the setting of the puncture adapter, An image of a puncture guideline that is a planned insertion line of a puncture needle is synthesized with the tomographic image and distributed to a first display area that is a puncture needle insertion portion display area and a second display area that is a tissue image display area An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having image generation means for generating an image and display means for displaying an image generated by the image generation means, wherein the image generation means includes the first display area and the second display area. Indicated Area Characterized in that subjected to different display process in the display area.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the different display processing is performed on the first display area. This is a process that makes it easy to recognize the insertion mode of the puncture needle, and the second display area is a display process that makes it easier to see the tissue image.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the invention described in claim 3 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the different display processing includes a dynamic range in the first display area. , Processing for narrowing the dynamic range of the second display area, processing for making the gain in the first display area larger than the gain of the second display area, luminance of the color map in the first display area And a process of changing the brightness of the color map in the second display area.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the invention described in claim 4 is the image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the setting of the first display area is insertion. The insertion range extends to the portion excluding the target tissue.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the invention described in claim 5 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image generation means includes the first display. The shape of the region is a shape that expands in the insertion direction of the puncture needle.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the invention described in claim 6 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the image generation means is the first display. The region has a contrasting shape with the puncture guideline as an axis.

  According to the present invention, the ultrasonic display image is divided and set into a region including the puncture guideline through which the puncture needle passes (first display region) and a region other than that (second display region). Since different image processing (for example, dynamic range operation) is performed on the area, the image of the puncture needle can be displayed with good visibility in the first display area including the puncture guideline, and the position of the puncture needle is surely known to the examiner. Not only can it be clamped, but the tissue can be clearly confirmed in the second region, and as a result, the examiner can monitor the puncture well.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a block configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 12, an input device 13, a monitor 14, a transmission / reception unit 21, a B-mode processing unit 22, a Doppler processing unit 23, an image generation circuit 25, An image memory 26, a control processor 27, a software storage unit 28, an internal storage device 29, and an interface unit 30 are provided. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 21 and the like built in the apparatus main body 11 may be configured by hardware such as an integrated circuit, but may be a software program modularized in software. Hereinafter, the function of each component will be described.

  The ultrasonic probe 12 generates ultrasonic waves based on a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 21, converts a reflected wave from the subject into an electric signal, and a matching layer provided in the piezoelectric vibrator. And a backing material for preventing the propagation of ultrasonic waves from the piezoelectric vibrator to the rear. When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 12 to the subject P, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are successively reflected by the discontinuous surface of the acoustic impedance of the body tissue and received by the ultrasonic probe 12 as an echo signal. . The amplitude of this echo signal depends on the difference in acoustic impedance at the discontinuous surface that is to be reflected. In addition, the echo when the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is reflected by the moving blood flow or the surface of the heart wall depends on the velocity component in the ultrasonic transmission direction of the moving body due to the Doppler effect, and the frequency Receive a shift.

  The input device 13 is connected to the device main body 11, and various switches, buttons, and tracks for incorporating various instructions, conditions, region of interest (ROI) setting instructions, various image quality condition setting instructions, etc. from the operator into the device main body 11. It has a ball, mouse, keyboard, etc.

  The monitor 14 displays in vivo morphological information and blood flow information as an image based on the video signal from the image generation circuit 25.

  The transmission / reception unit 21 includes a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, a pulsar circuit, and the like (not shown). In the pulsar circuit, a rate pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave is repeatedly generated at a predetermined rate frequency fr Hz (period: 1 / fr second). Further, in the delay circuit, a delay time necessary for focusing the ultrasonic wave into a beam shape for each channel and determining the transmission directivity is given to each rate pulse. The trigger generation circuit applies a drive pulse to the probe 12 at a timing based on this rate pulse.

  The transmission / reception unit 21 has a function capable of instantaneously changing a transmission frequency, a transmission drive voltage, and the like in order to execute a scan sequence to be described later according to an instruction from the control processor 27. In particular, the change of the transmission drive voltage is realized by a linear amplifier type transmission circuit capable of instantaneously switching the value or a mechanism for electrically switching a plurality of power supply units.

  Further, the transmission / reception unit 21 includes an amplifier circuit, an A / D converter, an adder, and the like which are not shown. The amplifier circuit amplifies the echo signal captured via the probe 12 for each channel. In the A / D converter, a delay time necessary for determining the reception directivity is given to the amplified echo signal, and thereafter, an addition process is performed in the adder. By this addition, the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the reception directivity of the echo signal is emphasized, and a comprehensive beam for ultrasonic transmission / reception is formed by the reception directivity and the transmission directivity.

  The B-mode processing unit 22 receives the echo signal from the transmission / reception unit 21, performs logarithmic amplification, envelope detection processing, and the like, and generates data in which the signal intensity is expressed by brightness. This data is transmitted to the image generation circuit 25 and is displayed on the monitor 14 as a B-mode image in which the intensity of the reflected wave is represented by luminance.

  The Doppler processing unit 23 performs frequency analysis on velocity information from the echo signal received from the transmission / reception unit 21, extracts blood flow, tissue, and contrast agent echo components due to the Doppler effect, and obtains blood flow information such as average velocity, dispersion, and power. Ask for multiple points. The obtained blood flow information is sent to the image generation circuit 25 and displayed in color on the monitor 14 as an average velocity image, a dispersion image, a power image, and a combination image thereof.

  The image generation circuit 25 converts the scan line signal sequence of the ultrasonic scan into a scan line signal sequence of a general video format typified by a television or the like, and generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image as a display image. The image generation circuit 25 is equipped with a storage memory for storing image data. For example, an operator can call up an image recorded during an examination after diagnosis. The data before entering the image generation circuit 25 may be referred to as “raw data”.

  Details of the image generation circuit 25 are shown in FIG. First, the signal processing unit 25a performs filtering so as to determine the image quality at the level of the scanning line signal sequence of the ultrasonic scan. The output of the signal processing unit 25a is sent to the scan converter 25b and simultaneously stored in the image memory 26.

  Here, the signal processing unit 25a performs signal processing in the demultiplexing circuit 251a and the puncture needle insertion portion display area (first display area) set with a predetermined width including the puncture guideline that is the planned insertion line of the puncture needle. A first signal processing circuit 252a to perform, a second signal processing circuit 253a to perform signal processing in a tissue image display region (second display region) other than the puncture needle insertion portion display region (first display region), and The signal processing circuit 252a and the second signal processing circuit 253a are configured by an addition processing circuit 254a that synthesizes signal processing performed by the first signal processing circuit 252a and the second signal processing circuit 253a.

  The signal processing in the puncture needle insertion portion display region (first display region) is, for example, processing that facilitates recognition of the puncture mode of the puncture needle, and in the tissue image display region (second display region). Signal processing is, for example, display processing that makes it easy to see a tissue image. Furthermore, a process is performed in which the dynamic range in the first display area is narrower than the dynamic range in the second display area.

  In addition, the setting of the first display area has a predetermined width (for example, about 1 cm in dimensions on an ultrasonic image) as an initial value with respect to the puncture guideline whose coordinates on the image are determined, An area up to the puncture target (insertion target tissue) is set. If the puncture target (puncture target tissue) is included in the first display area, it is difficult to confirm the puncture target (puncture target tissue), which may affect the puncture procedure itself. is there. The setting of the first display area may be input from an examiner by an input device (not shown), and how much width the puncture guideline has, in order to puncture a portion where the puncture needle is easily bent, You may enable it to select arbitrary shapes, such as making it the shape expanded in the insertion direction of the puncture needle.

  The scan converter 25b converts a scanning line signal sequence of ultrasonic scanning into a scanning line signal sequence of a general video format represented by a television or the like. This output is sent to the image generation circuit 25c, where it is combined with adjustment of brightness and contrast, image processing such as a spatial filter, or character information and scales of various setting parameters, and output to the monitor 14 as a video signal. To do. Thus, a tomographic image representing the subject tissue shape is displayed.

  The image memory 26 includes a storage memory that stores image data received from the signal processing unit 25a. This image data can be called by an operator after diagnosis, for example, and can be reproduced as a still image or as a moving image using a plurality of images. The image memory 26 also outputs an output signal (referred to as a radio frequency (RF) signal) immediately after the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 21, an image luminance signal after passing through the transmission / reception unit 21, other raw data, and image data acquired via a network. Etc. are stored as necessary.

  Specifically, when storing the image data received from the signal processing unit 25a, information for performing inverse logarithmic conversion from the information displayed in decibels, for example, formula coefficients, gain, dynamic range, luminance at the time of logarithmic conversion Scale information, image processing parameters, and the like are recorded in the image memory 26 simultaneously with the image data. Therefore, in addition to the process in which the dynamic range in the first display area is narrower than the dynamic range in the second display area, the gain in the first display area is set as a display process that makes it easy to see the tissue image. A process of making the gain larger than the gain of the second display area, a process of changing the brightness of the color map in the first display area and the brightness of the color map in the second display area, from the second area Filter processing for improving the visibility of the needle with respect to the signal is given, and any of these processes can be performed or selected. In addition, when scanning the second region, ultrasonic waves may be transmitted and received from a direction as close to a right angle as possible with respect to the traveling direction of the needle.

  The internal storage device 29 generates a scan sequence and an image that will be described later. A control program for executing display processing, diagnostic information (patient ID, doctor's findings, etc.), diagnostic protocol, transmission / reception conditions, and other data groups are stored. Further, it is also used for storing images in the image memory 26 as necessary. Data in the internal storage device 29 can be transferred to an external peripheral device via the interface circuit 30.

  The control processor 27 has a function as an information processing apparatus (computer) and is a control means for controlling the operation of the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The control processor 27 reads out the puncture needle position information from the encoder built in the ultrasonic probe 12 and the control program for executing image generation / display described later from the internal storage device 29 and develops them on the software storage unit 28. And execute operations and controls related to various processes

  The interface unit 30 is an interface related to the input device 13, the network, and a new external storage device (not shown). Data such as ultrasonic images and analysis results obtained by the apparatus can be transferred to another apparatus via the network by the interface unit 30.

  Next, the operation of the image generation circuit of the thus configured ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image generation circuit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. FIGS. 4 to 8 are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. FIG.

  First, the signal processing unit 25a sets a first display area according to the position of the puncture needle (S1).

  In setting the first display area, first, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6, the width of the first display area is set. As described above, when the examiner wants to display an arbitrary width using an input device or the like (S2-Yes), the input value width is set for the puncture guideline (S3). If the examiner does not set the width of the first display area (S2-No), the width of the initial value (for example, 1 cm on both sides of the puncture guideline) is set for the puncture guideline (S4). The widths of these first display areas are set symmetrically with respect to the puncture guideline.

  Next, an input as to whether or not to expand the first display area in the insertion direction is accepted (S5). When the first display area needs to be expanded in the insertion direction as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the examiner can arbitrarily draw and set the input diameter using a mouse or a trackball, or the puncture needle has a predetermined diameter. When the puncture adapter 12a detects that the value is smaller than the value, an expanded shape corresponding to the diameter may be applied as an initial value (S6). Thus, even when the diameter of the puncture needle is smaller than a predetermined value and the insertion path is bent in the subject P by setting the first display area to expand in the insertion direction, It becomes possible to easily recognize the puncture needle (see FIG. 5).

  Next, an input as to whether or not the tissue to be punctured is on the screen is accepted (S7). The present invention has been proposed in order to distinguish and recognize the puncture target and the other tissue and the puncture needle, respectively. Therefore, the first display region set for clearly viewing the puncture needle is provided. If the puncture target is included therein, the puncture needle is clarified while the puncture target is difficult to visually recognize. Accordingly, the puncture target is specified by the examiner using the input device (the puncture guideline is displayed so as to penetrate the puncture target on the display), and the depth direction extends to the near side (puncture entrance side) from the puncture target. (S8).

  Furthermore, since there is not always one puncture guideline, an input as to whether or not a plurality of puncture guidelines are displayed is accepted (S9). When a plurality of puncture guidelines are displayed (S9-Yes), as shown in FIG. The first display area is set so as to include all of the plurality of puncture guidelines (S10).

  For the first display area set in this way, the first signal processing circuit 252a sets a dynamic range so that the puncture needle can be easily recognized. On the other hand, since the second display area is automatically set by setting the first display area, the second signal processing circuit 253a for the second display area is set to the first signal processing circuit 252a. Set a different dynamic range to make it easier to recognize the organization. Specifically, the dynamic range set by the first signal processing circuit 252a is set narrower than the dynamic range set by the second signal processing circuit 253a (S11). In addition to the process in which the dynamic range in the first display area is made narrower than the dynamic range in the second display area, the gain in the first display area is set to the second display as a display process that makes it easy to see the tissue image. Processing that is larger than the gain of the region, processing that changes the luminance of the color map in the first display region and the luminance of the color map in the second display region, and visual recognition of the needle with respect to the signal from the second region Filter processing for improving the performance, etc., and any of these processing is performed or selectable.

  Then, the addition processing circuit 254a combines the first display area processed by the first signal processing circuit 252a and the second display area processed by the second signal processing circuit 253a (S12), and scans. It is sent to the converter 25b and stored in the image memory 26. The scan converter 25b converts the scanning line signal sequence of ultrasonic scanning into a scanning line signal sequence of a general video format. This output is sent to the image processing circuit 25c, where it is combined with adjustment of brightness and contrast, image processing such as a spatial filter, or character information and scales of various setting parameters, and is output to the monitor 14 as a video signal.

(Other embodiments)
As another embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, a puncture adapter (not shown) for guiding the puncture needle into the subject P is attached to the ultrasonic probe 12, and the puncture needle of this puncture adapter is provided. An encoder (not shown) that measures the puncture distance in the subject P from the outlet (not shown) and outputs these pieces of information as puncture needle position information is built in the ultrasonic probe 12 or the puncture adapter. May be.

  When such an encoder is employed, for example, in the setting of the first display area (S1), the puncture guideline in which the coordinates on the image are determined based on the puncture needle position information obtained from the encoder. On the other hand, as an initial value, a region having a predetermined width (for example, about 1 cm in the dimension on the ultrasonic image) and before the puncture target (tissue for insertion) is set. If the puncture target (puncture target tissue) is included in the first display area, it is difficult to confirm the puncture target (puncture target tissue), which may affect the puncture procedure itself. is there. However, this is not limited to the case where the puncture target (tissue to be inserted) is not displayed on the ultrasonic display image. In that case, the display is such that the first display area crosses the ultrasonic display image, and The second display area that is naturally set as an area other than the one display area is a divided display. On the other hand, when the puncture target (insertion target tissue) is displayed on the ultrasonic display image, the two second display areas set on both sides of the first display area are connected and displayed. The setting of the first display area may be input from an examiner by an input device (not shown), and how much width the puncture guideline has, in order to puncture a portion where the puncture needle is easily bent, You may enable it to select arbitrary shapes, such as making it the shape expanded in the insertion direction of the puncture needle.

  Regarding the operation of the image generation circuit of the present embodiment, in S1 of the above-described embodiment, first, during puncture, a puncture needle guided by a puncture adapter 12a (see FIG. 1) installed in the ultrasonic probe 12 Is inserted into the subject P, information on the position of the puncture needle (puncture needle position information) is output from the encoder built in the ultrasonic probe 12 to the control processor 27, and this puncture needle position information. The control processor 27 stores information for displaying the puncture guideline in the image memory 26, and the image generation circuit 25 uses the tomographic image of the subject P obtained from the ultrasound probe 12 via the transmission / reception unit 21. The image is synthesized and displayed on the monitor 14.

  Thereafter, the signal processing unit 25a sets a first display area according to the position of the puncture needle (S1).

  In setting the first display area, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the width of the first display area is set. As described above, when the examiner wants to display an arbitrary width using an input device or the like (S2-Yes), the input value width is set for the puncture guideline (S3). If the examiner does not set the width of the first display area (S2-No), the width of the initial value (for example, 1 cm on both sides of the puncture guideline) is set for the puncture guideline (S4).

  Next, an input as to whether or not to expand the first display area in the insertion direction is accepted (S5). When it is necessary to expand the first display area in the insertion direction, for example, when an examiner arbitrarily draws and sets using an input device such as a mouse or a trackball, or the diameter of the puncture needle is smaller than a predetermined value, By detecting the adapter 12a, an expanded shape corresponding to the diameter may be applied as an initial value (S6). Thus, even when the diameter of the puncture needle is smaller than a predetermined value and the insertion path is bent in the subject P by setting the first display area to expand in the insertion direction, It becomes possible to easily recognize the puncture needle (see FIG. 5).

  Next, an input as to whether or not the tissue to be punctured is on the screen is accepted (S7). The present invention has been proposed in order to distinguish and recognize the puncture target and the other tissue and the puncture needle, respectively. Therefore, the first display region set for clearly viewing the puncture needle is provided. If the puncture target is included therein, the puncture needle is clarified while the puncture target is difficult to visually recognize. Accordingly, the puncture target is specified by the examiner using the input device (the puncture guideline is displayed so as to penetrate the puncture target on the display), and the depth direction extends to the near side (puncture entrance side) from the puncture target. (S8).

  Furthermore, since the number of puncture guidelines is not limited to one, input of whether or not a plurality of puncture guidelines are displayed is accepted (S9). When a plurality of puncture guidelines are displayed (S9-Yes), as shown in FIG. The first display area is set so as to include all puncture guidelines (10).

  For the first display area set in this way, the first signal processing circuit 252a sets a dynamic range so that the puncture needle can be easily recognized. On the other hand, since the second display area is automatically set by setting the first display area, the second signal processing circuit 253a for the second display area is set to the first signal processing circuit 252a. Set a different dynamic range to make it easier to recognize the organization. Specifically, the dynamic range set by the first signal processing circuit 252a is set narrower than the dynamic range set by the second signal processing circuit 253a (S11).

  Then, the addition processing circuit 254a combines the first display area processed by the first signal processing circuit 252a and the second display area processed by the second signal processing circuit 253a (S12), and scans. It is sent to the converter 25b and stored in the image memory 26. The scan converter 25b converts the scanning line signal sequence of ultrasonic scanning into a scanning line signal sequence of a general video format. This output is sent to the image processing circuit 25c, where it is combined with adjustment of brightness and contrast, image processing such as a spatial filter, or character information and scales of various setting parameters, and is output to the monitor 14 as a video signal.

  Each above-mentioned embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. In the present embodiment, the convex type ultrasonic probe is assumed as the ultrasonic probe, but the same effect can be obtained by using an ultrasonic probe of a linear type, a sector type, or the like. Various modifications can be made according to the design or the like as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration in an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image generation circuit in an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image generation circuit in the embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure of the display screen when puncture is performed in one embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure of the display screen when puncture is performed in one embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure of the display screen when puncture is performed in one embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure of the display screen when puncture is performed in one embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure of the display screen when puncture is performed in one embodiment of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 11 Apparatus main body 12 Ultrasonic probe 13 Input apparatus 14 Monitor 21 Transmission / reception unit 22 B mode processing unit 23 Doppler processing unit 25 Image generation circuit 25a Signal processing unit 251a Demultiplexing circuit 252a First signal processing circuit 253a First 2 signal processing circuit 254a addition processing circuit 25b scan converter 25c image processing circuit 26 image memory 27 control processor 28 software storage unit 29 internal storage device 30 interface unit P subject

Claims (7)

An ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves into the subject and receives reflected ultrasonic waves; and
A puncture adapter that is fixed to the ultrasonic probe and guides a puncture needle to be inserted into the subject;
The received signal from the ultrasonic probe is processed to generate a tomographic image, and based on the setting of the puncture adapter, an image of a puncture guideline that is a planned puncture line of the puncture needle is synthesized with the tomographic image and punctured Image generating means for generating an image distributed to a first display area that is a needle insertion portion display area and a second display area that is a tissue image display area;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having display means for displaying an image generated by an image generation means,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the image generation unit performs different display processing on each of the first display area and the second display area.   The different display process is a process that makes it easy to recognize the insertion mode of the puncture needle for the first display area, and a display process that makes it easier to see the tissue image for the second display area. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The different display processes include a process in which a dynamic range in the first display area is made narrower than a dynamic range in the second display area, and a gain in the first display area is set based on a gain in the second display area. 3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the process is a process in which the brightness of the color map in the first display area and the brightness of the color map in the second display area are changed. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the setting of the first display area is an insertion range up to a portion excluding an insertion target tissue.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image generation unit makes the shape of the second display region widen in the insertion direction of the puncture needle.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generation unit makes the shape of the second display region symmetrical with respect to the puncture guideline. An ultrasound image display program for superimposing and displaying a puncture needle insertion region on an ultrasound diagnostic image display surface,
Separating the puncture needle insertion area as a first display area and the other area as a second display area;
The ultrasonic image display program which has the process of performing a different display process to each display area of a said 1st display area and a said 2nd display area.

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