JP2012187256A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic image generation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can obtain a high-quality ultrasonic diagnostic image while suppressing the increase of an internal temperature of an ultrasonic probe.SOLUTION: In each frame when setting of a target portion where the ultrasonic images are photographed and the ultrasonic images are continuously imaged, a transmission pattern of an ultrasonic beam is set for each predetermined measuring area according to the set target portion. In the plurality of sheets of ultrasonic images that are continuously photographed, an image change rate for each measuring area is calculated and the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam for each measuring area is changed according to a detected image change rate.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image generation method, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves from a transducer array of an ultrasonic probe. It is related with suppression of the emitted-heat amount in an ultrasonic probe.

  Conventionally, in the medical field, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using an ultrasonic image has been put into practical use. In general, this type of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an ultrasonic probe with a built-in transducer array and an apparatus main body connected to the ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic waves are directed toward the subject from the ultrasonic probe. , The ultrasonic echo from the subject is received by the ultrasonic probe, and the received signal is electrically processed by the apparatus main body to generate an ultrasonic image.

In such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, heat is generated from the transducer array by transmitting ultrasonic waves from the transducer array.
However, since the operator usually holds the ultrasonic probe with one hand and makes a diagnosis while the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving surface of the transducer array is in contact with the surface of the subject, the ultrasonic probe is easily held by the operator with one hand. It is often housed in a small enough enclosure. For this reason, the temperature of the housing of the ultrasonic probe may rise due to heat generated from the transducer array.

In recent years, an ultrasonic probe has a built-in circuit board for signal processing, and the received signal output from the transducer array is digitally processed and transmitted to the apparatus body by wireless communication or wired communication. There has been proposed an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that reduces the influence and obtains a high-quality ultrasonic image.
In an ultrasonic probe that performs this kind of digital processing, heat is generated from the circuit board even during processing of the received signal, and it is necessary to suppress temperature rise in the enclosure to ensure stable operation of each circuit on the circuit board There is.

  As a countermeasure against temperature rise of the ultrasonic probe, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that automatically changes a condition for driving the transducer array in accordance with the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe. The higher the surface temperature, the more appropriate the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe by reducing the drive voltage, transmission numerical aperture, transmission pulse repetition frequency, frame rate, etc. of each transducer of the transducer array during ultrasonic transmission. Maintained at temperature.

JP 2005-253776 A

However, the apparatus of Patent Document 1 that changes the driving conditions of the transducer array at the time of transmission cannot cope with the heat generation at the time of reception in the ultrasonic probe that performs digital processing as described above.
The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of obtaining a high-quality ultrasonic image while suppressing an increase in the internal temperature of the ultrasonic probe, and An object is to provide an ultrasonic image generation method.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention transmits an ultrasonic beam from a transducer array of an ultrasonic probe toward a subject based on a drive signal supplied from a transmission drive unit, and transmits an ultrasonic beam from the subject. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that processes a reception signal output from the transducer array that has received a sound wave echo and generates an ultrasonic image based on the processed reception signal,
A site setting unit for setting a target site for imaging an ultrasound image;
In each frame when the ultrasonic images are continuously captured, the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam is set for each measurement region set in advance according to the target part set by the part setting unit. A transmission pattern setting section;
In a plurality of ultrasonic images captured continuously, a change rate calculation unit for obtaining an image change rate for each measurement region;
A transmission pattern changing unit configured to change the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam for each measurement region set by the transmission pattern setting unit according to the image change rate calculated by the change rate calculating unit. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided.

Here, it is preferable that the transmission pattern changing unit lengthens a transmission interval of the ultrasonic beam in the measurement region where the image change rate is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.
In each frame, it is preferable to use an image of the immediately preceding frame in a measurement region where the ultrasonic beam is not transmitted due to the setting of the transmission pattern.
Moreover, it is preferable that the measurement region is set according to a focal position of an ultrasonic beam transmitted from the transducer array.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention transmits an ultrasonic beam from a transducer array of an ultrasonic probe to a subject based on a drive signal supplied from a transmission drive unit, and also from the subject. In the ultrasonic image generation method of processing the reception signal output from the transducer array that has received the ultrasonic echo of and generating an ultrasonic image based on the processed reception signal,
Accepting the setting of the target part for imaging ultrasound images,
In each frame when continuously capturing the ultrasonic image, according to the set target portion, for each measurement region set in advance, set the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam,
In a plurality of ultrasonic images captured continuously, the image change rate for each measurement region is obtained,
According to the detected image change rate, an ultrasonic image generating method is provided, wherein a transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam for each measurement region is changed.

Here, it is preferable to change the transmission pattern so that the transmission interval of the ultrasonic beam becomes longer in the measurement region where the image change rate is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.
In each frame, it is preferable to use an image of the immediately preceding frame in a measurement region where the ultrasonic beam is not transmitted due to the setting of the transmission pattern.
Moreover, it is preferable that the measurement region is set according to a focal position of an ultrasonic beam transmitted from the transducer array.

  According to the present invention, the presence or absence of transmission of an ultrasonic beam is set for each measurement region in accordance with the imaging target of the ultrasonic image, and the image change rate for each measurement region of the captured ultrasonic image is obtained. Since the presence or absence of transmission of the ultrasonic beam for each measurement region is changed according to the rate of change, it is possible to obtain a high-quality ultrasonic image while suppressing the amount of heat generated in the ultrasonic probe.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. (A) And (B) is a figure which shows an example of a transmission pattern map. It is a figure which shows the transmission pattern of the transmission pattern map shown to FIG. (A) And (B) is a figure which shows an example of a transmission pattern.

  Hereinafter, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually showing the structure of an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes an ultrasonic probe 12 and a diagnostic apparatus main body 14 connected to the ultrasonic probe 12 by wireless communication.

  The ultrasonic probe 12 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 16 constituting a plurality of channels of a one-dimensional or two-dimensional transducer array, and a reception signal processing unit 18 is connected to each of the transducers 16 and further receives signals. A radio communication unit 22 is connected to the signal processing unit 18 via a parallel / serial conversion unit 20. Further, a transmission control unit 26 is connected to the plurality of transducers 16 via the transmission drive unit 24, the reception control unit 26 is connected to the plurality of reception signal processing units 18, and the communication control unit 30 is connected to the wireless communication unit 22. ing. A probe control unit 32 is connected to the parallel / serial conversion unit 20, the transmission control unit 26, the reception control unit 26, and the communication control unit 30.

Each of the plurality of transducers 16 transmits an ultrasonic wave according to a drive signal supplied from the transmission drive unit 24, receives an ultrasonic echo from the subject, and outputs a reception signal. Each transducer 16 includes, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (lead zirconate titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PMN-PT (magnesium niobate / lead titanate solid solution). ), A piezoelectric body made of a piezoelectric single crystal or the like.
When a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of such a vibrator, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, and pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves are generated from the respective vibrators. As a result, an ultrasonic beam is formed. In addition, each transducer generates an electric signal by expanding and contracting by receiving propagating ultrasonic waves, and these electric signals are output as ultrasonic reception signals.

The transmission drive unit 24 includes, for example, a plurality of pulsers, and ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducers 16 pass through the tissue area in the subject based on the transmission delay pattern selected by the transmission control unit 26. The delay amount of each drive signal is adjusted so as to form a wide ultrasonic beam to be covered and supplied to the plurality of transducers 16.
Here, the transmission drive unit 24 controls the plurality of transducers 16 (transducer array) in accordance with a transmission pattern map supplied from a transmission pattern map storage unit 58 or a transmission pattern change unit 56 described later, and performs ultrasound. Transmit the beam.
This will be described in detail later.

The reception signal processing unit 18 of each channel generates a complex baseband signal by performing orthogonal detection processing or orthogonal sampling processing on the reception signal output from the corresponding transducer 16 under the control of the reception control unit 26. Then, by sampling the complex baseband signal, sample data including information on the tissue area is generated, and the sample data is supplied to the parallel / serial converter 20. The reception signal processing unit 18 may generate sample data by performing data compression processing for high-efficiency encoding on data obtained by sampling the complex baseband signal.
The parallel / serial conversion unit 20 converts the parallel sample data generated by the reception signal processing unit 18 of a plurality of channels into serial sample data.

The wireless communication unit 22 modulates a carrier based on serial sample data to generate a transmission signal, supplies the transmission signal to the antenna, and transmits radio waves from the antenna, thereby transmitting serial sample data. As the modulation scheme, for example, ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying), PSK (Phase Shift Keying), QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), 16QAM (16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), and the like are used.
The wireless communication unit 22 performs wireless communication with the diagnostic device main body 14 to transmit sample data to the diagnostic device main body 14 and to receive various control signals from the diagnostic device main body 14. The control signal is output to the communication control unit 30. The communication control unit 30 controls the wireless communication unit 22 so that the sample data is transmitted at the transmission radio wave intensity set by the probe control unit 32, and performs probe control on various control signals received by the wireless communication unit 22. To the unit 32.

The probe control unit 32 controls each part of the ultrasonic probe 12 based on various control signals transmitted from the diagnostic apparatus main body 14.
The ultrasonic probe 12 includes a battery (not shown), and power is supplied from the battery to each circuit in the ultrasonic probe 12.
The ultrasonic probe 12 may be an external probe such as a linear scan method, a convex scan method, a sector scan method, or an ultrasonic endoscope probe such as a radial scan method.

On the other hand, the diagnostic apparatus main body 14 includes a wireless communication unit 34, a data storage unit 38 is connected to the wireless communication unit 34 via a serial / parallel conversion unit 36, and an image generation unit 40 is connected to the data storage unit 38. Has been. Further, a display unit 44 is connected to the image generation unit 40 via a display control unit 42. In addition, a change rate calculation unit 54 is connected to the image generation unit 40, and a transmission pattern change unit 56 is connected to the change rate calculation unit 54. The transmission pattern changing unit 56 is connected to the main body control unit 48.
In addition, a communication control unit 46 is connected to the wireless communication unit 34, and a main body control unit 48 is connected to the serial / parallel conversion unit 36, the image generation unit 40, the display control unit 42, and the communication control unit 46. Further, an operation unit 52 for an operator to perform an input operation, a storage unit 50 for storing an operation program, and a transmission pattern map storage unit 58 are connected to the main body control unit 48, respectively.

The operation unit 52 is for setting an imaging menu, imaging conditions, and the like and performing an input operation for instructing imaging of the subject. The operation unit 52 can be formed from a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch panel, or the like for an operator to perform an input operation.
Here, in the present invention, the operation unit 52 is also used by the operator to specify the type of the region to be imaged. For example, the operation unit 52 selects the region to be imaged from the liver, kidney, blood vessel, heart, or the like. You can choose.
The operation unit 52 supplies the input target part setting instruction to the main body control unit 48.

The transmission pattern map storage unit 58 is a part that stores transmission pattern maps of a plurality of ultrasonic beams that are selected according to the type of the part to be imaged.
The transmission pattern map is a map of ultrasonic beam transmission patterns for each measurement region set in advance.

FIGS. 2A and 2B conceptually show an example of an ultrasonic beam transmission pattern map.
FIG. 2A is a diagram conceptually illustrating a transmission pattern map in the case where an imaging target is imaged at the center of the screen, such as a liver, kidney, or heart. In the transmission pattern map shown in FIG. 2A, the measurement area at the center of the screen is set to a continuous transmission area (area indicated by a solid line), and the measurement areas on the left and right sides of the screen are intermittent transmission areas (indicated by broken lines). Area).

  On the other hand, FIG. 2B is a diagram conceptually showing a transmission pattern map when an imaging target is imaged at the upper part of the screen, such as a blood vessel existing near the surface layer of the subject. In the transmission pattern map shown in FIG. 2B, the measurement area at the top and center of the screen is set as a continuous transmission area, and the measurement area at the bottom of the screen is set as an intermittent transmission area.

Next, the continuous transmission area and the intermittent transmission area will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 conceptually shows consecutive frames when imaging is performed with the transmission pattern map shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the focal point of the ultrasonic beam is displayed as a black circle in the measurement region where the ultrasonic beam is transmitted. As shown in FIG. 3, in the continuous transmission region, an ultrasonic beam is transmitted in all frames. On the other hand, the intermittent transmission area has frames that do not transmit ultrasonic beams at a predetermined rate. In the illustrated example, the ultrasonic beam is not transmitted at a rate of once every three frames.

  The transmission pattern map storage unit 58 stores a plurality of transmission pattern maps corresponding to the type of imaging target, and the transmission pattern map is stored in accordance with the target part setting instruction input by the operation unit 52. This is supplied to the main body control unit 48.

  As described above, by setting in advance a region in which the transducer array intermittently transmits the ultrasonic beam according to the set target region, the imaging target is immediately after the start of imaging of the ultrasonic image. By intermittently transmitting the ultrasonic beam in a non-existing region, the amount of heat generated in the ultrasonic probe can be suppressed. Further, in an area where an imaging target exists, an ultrasonic beam is continuously transmitted to perform imaging, so that a high-quality ultrasonic image can be obtained.

  When generating an ultrasonic image, in a frame having a measurement region where the ultrasonic beam is not transmitted, the image generation unit 40 interpolates with the image of the same measurement region in the immediately preceding frame to generate an ultrasonic image. Generate.

  In the illustrated example, the measurement area is set so that the focal position of the ultrasonic beam and the measurement area correspond one-to-one. However, the measurement area is not limited to this, and the measurement area includes a plurality of focal positions. May be set.

  In the illustrated example, the intermittent transmission region has a frame that does not transmit an ultrasonic beam once every three frames. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ratio of frames that do not transmit is as follows. Any number is possible.

  In the illustrated example, the transmission pattern has the same ratio of frames to be transmitted and frames not to be transmitted in all intermittent transmission areas, but the present invention is not limited to this, and transmission is not performed for each measurement area. The frame ratio may be changed. For example, the proportion of frames that are not transmitted may increase in the measurement region farther from the continuous transmission region.

The wireless communication unit 34 transmits various control signals to the ultrasonic probe 12 by performing wireless communication with the ultrasonic probe 12. Further, the wireless communication unit 34 demodulates a signal received by the antenna, thereby outputting serial sample data.
The communication control unit 46 controls the wireless communication unit 34 so that various control signals are transmitted with the transmission radio wave intensity set by the main body control unit 48.
The serial / parallel converter 36 converts the serial sample data output from the wireless communication unit 34 into parallel sample data. The data storage unit 38 is configured by a memory, a hard disk, or the like, and stores at least one frame of sample data converted by the serial / parallel conversion unit 36.

The image generation unit 40 performs reception focus processing on the sample data for each frame read from the data storage unit 38 to generate an image signal representing an ultrasound diagnostic image. The image generation unit 40 includes a phasing addition unit 60 and an image processing unit 62.
The phasing addition unit 60 selects one reception delay pattern from a plurality of reception delay patterns stored in advance according to the reception direction set in the main body control unit 48, and sets the selected reception delay pattern. Based on this, the reception focus process is performed by adding a delay to each of the plurality of complex baseband signals represented by the sample data. By this reception focus processing, a baseband signal (sound ray signal) in which the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed is generated.

  The image processing unit 62 generates a B-mode image signal that is tomographic image information related to the tissue in the subject based on the sound ray signal generated by the phasing addition unit 60. The image processing unit 62 includes an STC (sensitivity time control) unit, an interpolation unit, and a DSC (digital scan converter). The STC unit corrects the attenuation due to the distance according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic wave on the sound ray signal. The interpolating unit performs interpolation processing for frames lacking sound ray signals by intermittently transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in a temperature rise suppression mode described later. The DSC converts the sound ray signal corrected by the STC unit into an image signal according to a normal television signal scanning method (raster conversion), and performs necessary image processing such as gradation processing to thereby obtain a B-mode image signal. Is generated.

  The display control unit 42 causes the display unit 44 to display an ultrasound diagnostic image based on the image signal generated by the image generation unit 40. The display unit 44 includes a display device such as an LCD, for example, and displays an ultrasound diagnostic image under the control of the display control unit 42.

The change rate calculation unit 54 obtains an image change rate for each measurement region from several consecutive frames of ultrasonic images supplied from the image generation unit 40.
The method for obtaining the rate of change of the image is not particularly limited. For example, each part (such as an organ of a human body) included in the ultrasonic image is subjected to binarization processing to extract its contour, What is necessary is just to use the method etc. which obtain | require the variation | change_quantity which an outline changes for every flame | frame as a change rate.
The change rate calculation unit 54 supplies the detected image change rate for each measurement region to the transmission pattern change unit 56.

The transmission pattern change unit 56 changes the transmission pattern in each measurement region according to the image change rate supplied from the change rate calculation unit 54.
Specifically, the transmission pattern changing unit 56 compares the supplied image change rate for each measurement region with a predetermined threshold value, and sets a measurement region with an image change rate equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold value as an intermittent transmission region. Then, a measurement area having an image change rate equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold is set as a continuous transmission area, and a new transmission pattern map is generated.

Hereinafter, the transmission pattern changing unit 56 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
4 (A) and 4 (B) conceptually show consecutive frames when imaging is performed with the transmission pattern map of FIG. 2 (A). In FIGS. 4A and 4B, illustration of the focal position is omitted, and the row for transmitting the ultrasonic beam is indicated by an arrow.
In FIG. 4A, a part of the target part deviates from the continuous transmission region and exists in the intermittent transmission region (in the drawing, the measurement region in the second column from the right). Here, if the target part moves greatly, when the change rate calculation unit 54 obtains the change rate of the image, the image change rate is calculated to be large in the measurement region where the target part exists. The transmission pattern changing unit 56 sets the measurement area where the target portion exists from the obtained image change rate as a continuous transmission area, and sets the other measurement areas as intermittent transmission areas, as shown in FIG. Such a new transmission pattern map is generated.
The transmission pattern change unit 56 supplies the generated transmission pattern map to the main body control unit 48.

  In this way, the transmission pattern changing unit 56 changes the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam according to the image change rate for each measurement region obtained by the change rate calculating unit 54. In a region where the rate of change is small and the change in the image is easily captured, the ultrasonic beam can be transmitted intermittently, and the amount of heat generated in the ultrasonic probe can be suppressed. Further, since the ultrasonic beam is continuously transmitted in a region where the change rate of the image is large, it is possible to capture an imaging target with a large change and to capture a high-quality ultrasonic image.

  The calculation of the image change rate performed by the change rate calculation unit 54 and the generation of the transmission pattern map performed by the transmission pattern change unit 56 may be performed sequentially during imaging of the ultrasonic image, or at predetermined time intervals. You may do it.

  The main body control unit 48 reads the transmission pattern map from the transmission pattern map storage unit 58 in response to an instruction for setting the target region input from the operation unit 52 at the start of imaging of the ultrasonic image, and vibrates with this transmission pattern. The ultrasonic beam is transmitted from the child array, and when a new transmission pattern map is generated by the transmission pattern changing unit 56 during imaging, the ultrasonic wave from the transducer array is transmitted with a new transmission pattern. A control signal is transmitted to the probe control unit 32 via the communication control units 30 and 46 and the wireless communication units 22 and 34 so that the sound beam is transmitted.

  In such a diagnostic apparatus main body 14, the serial / parallel conversion unit 36, the image generation unit 40, the display control unit 42, the communication control unit 46, and the main body control unit 48 are used for causing the CPU to perform various processes. Although composed of operation programs, they may be composed of digital circuits. The operation program is stored in the storage unit 50. As a recording medium in the storage unit 50, a flexible disk, MO, MT, RAM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or the like can be used in addition to a built-in hard disk.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 will be described.
When the operator operates the operation unit 52 to set the target part to be imaged, the main body control unit 48 reads the transmission pattern map from the transmission pattern map storage unit 58 according to the input target part. . When the operator abuts the ultrasonic probe 12 on the surface of the subject and starts imaging, the transmission control unit 26 controls the transmission driving unit 24 based on the control signal from the main body control unit 48 and the transmission pattern map. . The transmission drive unit 24 drives the transducer 16 based on the control signal, and an ultrasonic beam is transmitted from each transducer 16. Each transducer 16 receives an ultrasonic echo from within the subject and outputs a received signal. .

  The reception signals output from the transducers 16 that have received the ultrasonic echoes from the subject are supplied to the corresponding reception signal processing units 18. The reception signal supplied to the reception signal processing unit 18 is sequentially converted into sample data, serialized by the parallel / serial conversion unit 20, and then wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication unit 22 to the diagnostic apparatus main body 14. Sample data received by the wireless communication unit 34 of the diagnostic apparatus main body 14 is converted into parallel data by the serial / parallel conversion unit 36 and stored in the data storage unit 38. Further, sample data for each frame is read from the data storage unit 38, an image signal is generated by the image generation unit 40, and an ultrasonic diagnostic image is displayed on the display unit 44 by the display control unit 42 based on the image signal. Is done.

  Further, the ultrasonic image generated by the image generation unit 40 is supplied to the change rate calculation unit 54, and the change rate of the image is obtained for each measurement region. The transmission pattern change unit 56 generates a new transmission pattern map according to the change rate of the image obtained by the change rate calculation unit 54 and supplies the new transmission pattern map to the main body control unit 48. The main body control unit 48 transmits a control signal to the probe control unit 32 so as to transmit an ultrasonic beam based on the transmission pattern map generated by the transmission pattern changing unit 56.

As described above, by setting in advance a region in which the transducer array intermittently transmits the ultrasonic beam according to the set target region, the imaging target is immediately after the start of imaging of the ultrasonic image. By intermittently transmitting the ultrasonic beam in a non-existing region, the amount of heat generated in the ultrasonic probe can be suppressed. Further, in an area where an imaging target exists, an ultrasonic beam is continuously transmitted to perform imaging, so that a high-quality ultrasonic image can be obtained.
Also, during the acquisition of an ultrasonic image, the rate of change of the image is obtained for each measurement region, and a new transmission pattern map is generated according to the rate of change of the image. In an area where the rate is small and the change in the image is easily captured, the ultrasonic beam can be transmitted intermittently, and the amount of heat generated in the ultrasonic probe can be suppressed. Further, since the ultrasonic beam is continuously transmitted in a region where the change rate of the image is large, it is possible to capture an imaging target with a large change and to capture a high-quality ultrasonic image.

The present invention is basically as described above.
Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 Ultrasonic probe 14 Diagnostic apparatus main body 16 Transducer 18 Reception signal processing part 20 Parallel / serial conversion part 22, 34 Wireless communication part 24 Transmission drive part 26 Transmission control part 28 Reception control part 30, 46 Communication control part 32 Probe control unit 36 Serial / parallel conversion unit 38 Data storage unit 40 Image generation unit 42 Display control unit 44 Display unit 48 Main body control unit 50 Storage unit 52 Operation unit 54 Change rate calculation unit 56 Transmission pattern change unit 58 Transmission pattern map storage Unit 60 phasing addition unit 62 image processing unit

Claims (8)

The ultrasonic beam is transmitted from the transducer array of the ultrasonic probe to the subject based on the drive signal supplied from the transmission drive unit, and is output from the transducer array that has received the ultrasonic echo from the subject. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that processes the received signal and generates an ultrasonic image based on the processed received signal,
A site setting unit for setting a target site for imaging an ultrasound image;
In each frame when the ultrasonic images are continuously captured, the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam is set for each measurement region set in advance according to the target part set by the part setting unit. A transmission pattern setting section;
In a plurality of ultrasonic images captured continuously, a change rate calculation unit for obtaining an image change rate for each measurement region;
A transmission pattern changing unit configured to change the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam for each measurement region set by the transmission pattern setting unit according to the image change rate calculated by the change rate calculating unit. Ultrasound diagnostic device.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission pattern changing unit increases a transmission interval of the ultrasonic beam in the measurement region where the image change rate is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image of the immediately preceding frame is used in a measurement region where the transmission of the ultrasonic beam is not performed in each frame due to the setting of the transmission pattern.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement region is set according to a focal position of an ultrasonic beam transmitted from the transducer array. The ultrasonic beam is transmitted from the transducer array of the ultrasonic probe to the subject based on the drive signal supplied from the transmission drive unit, and is output from the transducer array that has received the ultrasonic echo from the subject. In the ultrasonic image generation method of processing the received signal and generating an ultrasonic image based on the processed received signal,
Accepting the setting of the target part for imaging ultrasound images,
In each frame when continuously capturing the ultrasonic image, according to the set target portion, for each measurement region set in advance, set the transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam,
In a plurality of ultrasonic images captured continuously, the image change rate for each measurement region is obtained,
An ultrasonic image generation method, wherein a transmission pattern of the ultrasonic beam for each measurement region is changed according to the detected image change rate.   The ultrasonic image generation method according to claim 5, wherein the transmission pattern is changed so that a transmission interval of the ultrasonic beam becomes longer in the measurement region where the image change rate is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.   The ultrasonic image generation method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein an image of the immediately preceding frame is used in a measurement region where the transmission of the ultrasonic beam is not performed in each frame due to the setting of the transmission pattern.   The ultrasonic image generation method according to claim 5, wherein the measurement region is set according to a focal position of an ultrasonic beam transmitted from the transducer array.

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