1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an index image control apparatus, and particularly to an index image control apparatus that can change a display region of an index image to be displayed on a screen of a monitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses are widely used in the medical and industrial fields. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus repeatedly transmits ultrasound from an ultrasound transducer to a biological tissue, and receives an echo signal of ultrasound reflected from the biological tissue to display the information in a living body as a visible ultrasound tomographic image (hereafter, simply referred to as an ultrasound image).
In particular, an electronic scanning type ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, which electronically drives an ultrasound transducer to scan inside a body cavity, makes it possible to freely change the scanning method and to scan in various modes such as a flow mode including a color flow mode that can visualize the image of blood flow, besides a B-mode that displays a normal black-and-white image.
Moreover, an electronic scanning type ultrasound endoscope displays a blood flow image, which is calculated by Doppler processing, on a monitor upon execution of a color flow mode. In this case, a region of interest (hereafter, referred to as an ROI) in which the image of the Doppler processing is displayed is displayed on the display screen of the monitor. It is noted that in the ROI, a blood flow image is displayed in a preset display region as an index image.
Such an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an operation portion for inputting various data and instruction signals. The operation portion is generally made up of a plurality of keys and switches, etc. provided on an operation panel of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, or a plurality of keys and switches, a trackball, and the like provided on a keyboard.
An example of conventional art for improving the operability of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2007-159922.
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-159922 includes a touch panel that is substantially integrally disposed with a display surface of a display section (a monitor), in which an inspection-width setting function activation region is provided on the touch panel and thereby a display to show a function of changing the display width of image is performed so that changing operation of the display width is enabled.
In general, in the observation utilizing an ROI that is displayed during the execution of a color flow mode, the operator used to move the ROI to a desired position by operating a switch such as a trackball etc. provided in an operation portion of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, or to change the size of the ROI by operating a plurality of keys, thereby changing the display region of the ROI.
An index image control apparatus of the present invention includes: an index image display section for displaying an index image having a predetermined shape and to be superimposed on an image displayed on a monitor; a display form changing section that can change a display form of the index image by a predetermined amount by one operation; an operation section for outputting an operation signal to the display form changing section; a change information display section provided in the operation section and representing graphic information that indicates an initial state of the index image, and change information that is changed by the display form changing section.
Moreover, an index image control apparatus of the present invention includes: an index image display section for displaying an index image having a predetermined shape on a monitor; an index image operation section including a plurality of operation buttons that each simultaneously display both graphic information having a shape in an initial state of the index image displayed on the monitor, and change information of at least one of upper, lower, leftward, and rightward directions, the change information changing a display region of the index image displayed on the monitor; and an index image changing section for changing a display region of the index image displayed on the monitor according to the change information on an operation button that is operated in the index image operation section.
Hereafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
The ultrasound probe 2 is configured by arranging a plurality of ultrasound transducers 2a (hereafter, may be referred to as elements). The plurality of ultrasound transducers 2a are electrically connected to the processor 3 via a signal line.
It is noted that the ultrasound probe 2 used herein is of an electronic scanning type, in which the plurality of ultrasound transducers 2a are electronically driven to scan inside a body cavity (see
The processor 3 can be detachably connected with the ultrasound probe 2. The processor 3 obtains an echo signal from the ultrasound probe 2 to generate an ultrasound image, and causes the generated ultrasound image to be displayed on the monitor 5.
Moreover, the processor 3 includes index image display means 7 that displays an ROI, which is an index image having a predetermined shape, on the monitor 5.
Now, a specific configuration of the processor 3 will be described.
As shown in
The transmission/reception section 6 generates an electric transmission signal to drive an ultrasound transducer 2a (see
Then, the ultrasound that is reflected at the subject is converted again into an electric signal by each oscillation element of the ultrasound transducer 2a, and the converted electrical signal is inputted to the transmission/reception section 6.
It is noted that the transmission/reception section 6 is adapted to select the ultrasound transducer 2a to be driven from among the plurality of ultrasound transducers 2a of the ultrasound probe 2 through the control by the CPU 8.
Moreover, the transmission/reception section 6 phases and adds the received signals from each ultrasound transducer 2a such that ultrasound is converged by using a block made up of, for example, an amplifier, a BPF, a LPF, and the like at the time of reception. Thereafter, the transmission/reception section 6 amplifies and converts the signal into digital data and thereafter outputs the signal to the combining processing section 7A.
The combining processing section 7A performs signal processing according to the type of digital data to be inputted. For example, in the case of a B-mode, the combining processing section 7A performs the processing to generate B-mode data, such as band-pass filtering, Log compression, wave detection, gain adjustment, and contrast adjustment.
Moreover, in the case of a color flow mode, the combining processing section 7A performs the processing to generate color data relating to blood flow.
In this case, the combining processing section 7A combines the color data according to the display region of an ROI and B-mode data to generate combined data, and outputs the generated combined data to the image processing section 7B.
The image processing section 7B performs image processing on the combined data from the combining processing section 7A to generate digital ultrasound data for image display, and thereafter converts the digital data into an analog image signal to output the same to the monitor 5 causing the ultrasound image based on the analog image signal to be displayed on the monitor 5, through the control by the CPU 8.
Next, the configuration of the operation portion 4 will be described by using
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the operation portion 4 is configured to include a plurality of operation buttons that each simultaneously display both graphic information having a shape of an ROI in its initial state displayed on the monitor 5, and change information of at least one of upper, lower, leftward, and rightward directions for changing the display region of the ROI displayed on the monitor 5.
To be specific, the operation portion 4 is configured to include a CPU 12, a memory 13 that stores an execution program of the operation portion 4, a screen display control section 14, an LCD panel 15 that makes up a change information display section and can display the plurality of buttons, a key operation portion 16, a trackball 17, a switch group 18, and a memory 19 that stores display data for the LCD panel 15.
As shown in
In the switch group 18, the switch operation portions 18a and 18b are switches for performing on/off operation of various settings, or increasing/decreasing the levels of various settings. Moreover, the switch operation portion 18c is made up of arrow operation keys of upper, lower, leftward, and rightward, and makes up other operation portion to be used, for example, when changing the display region of an ROI.
Therefore, the operation portion 4 is configured such that various operation switches are disposed in a layout that is easy to use for the operator.
It is noted that the operation portion 4 is not limited to the configuration as shown in
In the present embodiment, the LCD panel 15 of the operation portion 4 displays, for example, an operation panel screen 20 that makes up an ROI setup operation portion for setting up an ROI.
The operation panel screen 20 is displayed with an ROI position adjustment button 15A for adjusting the position of ROI, an ROI size change button 15B for adjusting the size of ROI, a flow gain adjustment button 15C for adjusting the gain of the blood flow image displayed in an ROI, a flow resolution button 15D for setting the resolution of the blood flow image in an ROI, and an ROI reset button 15E for performing a reset operation to return the display region of an ROI, which has been changed by the ROI position adjustment button 15A or the ROI size change button 15B, to its initial state.
It is noted that the LCD panel 15 is a touch panel, and depressing any of various buttons of the operation panel screen 20 will cause an operation signal corresponding to the depressed button to be outputted to the CPU 12.
Here, specific configurations of the ROI position adjustment button 15A and the ROI size change button 15B, which are part of principal parts of the present embodiment, will be described.
As shown in
Moreover, as shown in
These buttons 15a to 15h each simultaneously displays both the shape of an ROI in its initial state, which is graphic information, and an arrow 21 that is change information and indicates an up/down and left/right direction in which the display region of the ROI is changed, thereby making up a plurality of operation buttons. Here, the shape of an ROI is displayed in a fan shape.
Moreover, the memory 19 stores display data for displaying an operation panel screen 20 including a plurality of buttons 15a to 15h of the above-described display configuration on the LCD panel 15, and the screen display control section 14 causes the operation panel screen 20 to be displayed on the LCD panel 14 by using the display data.
It is noted that in the present embodiment, the memory 19 also stores display data according to other plurality of operation panel screens, and through the control by the CPU 12, the screen display control section 14 can successively change and cause the operation panel screens of various settings to be displayed on the LCD panel 15, and also simultaneously perform the control to cause a plurality of operation buttons according to the displayed operation panel screen to be displayed.
Therefore, as a result of being provided with the ROI position adjustment button 15A and the ROI size change button 15B of the above-described configuration, the operation portion 4 is displayed with the shape of an ROI in its initial state and an arrow 21 according to the content of changing operations of the ROI, thus making it possible to intuitively select a button based on a desired operation content when perforating a changing operation of the display region of the ROI.
Then, upon depression of the ROI position adjustment button 15A and the ROI size change button 15B, an operation signal according to the depressed button is generated and outputted to the CPU 12.
It is noted that the switch operation portion 18c and the trackball 17 may be used to perform the operation to change the display region of ROI. In this case as well, upon operation of the operation portion 18c and the trackball 17, an operation signal according to an operation content is outputted to the CPU 12.
The CPU 12 outputs an operation signal relating to the operation of the LCD panel 15, the key operation portion 16, the trackball 17, or the switch group 18, to the CPU 8 of the processor 3.
It is noted that in the present embodiment, the memory 13 in the operation portion 4 stores a program for updating the display data and programs stored in the memory 19, and the like.
In this case, the CPU 8 of the processor 3 takes in an updating program from an external memory 10, and transmits the program to the operation portion 4 side. Then, the CPU 12 of the operation portion 4 writes the updating program and the display data, etc. into the memory 19.
In the present embodiment, the CPU 8 and the memory 9 in the processor 3 of
The CPU 8 performs the control to change the display region of an ROI to be displayed on the monitor 5 according to the information of arrow 21 regarding each operation button 15a to 15h of the ROI position adjustment button 15A and the ROI size change button 15B in the operation portion 4.
Here, in order to display an ROI in its initial state on the monitor 5 with the index image display means 7 of the processor 3, and to change the display region of the ROI based on the operation of the operation portion 4, display data relating to the display of the ROI is needed.
In the present embodiment, the display data relating to the display of ROI is stored in the memory 9. The display data relating to the display of ROI will be described by using
In this case, in order to display an ROI 30 in its initial state on the monitor, the following display data are needed: display data Pn that indicate the display position closest from the ultrasound transducer 2a of the ultrasound probe 2, display data Pf that indicate the display position farthest from the ultrasound transducer 2a, display data Pc that indicates an angle at a middle position between the display data Pn and the display data Pf, and display angle width data θ that indicates the display angle width of the ROI 30.
For that reason, these display data are stored in the memory 9 as the initial state data of the ROI 30.
Then, the CPU 8 changes the display region of the ROI 30 based on the operation signal of the operation portion 4 by reading out the display data stored in the memory 9 and controlling the combining processing section by using the read-out display data.
It is noted that in this case, the CPU 8 performs the control to achieve a preset set value corresponding to one operation, when moving the ROI 30 in either direction of up/down direction and left/right direction, and expanding and reducing the size of the ROI 30 in either direction of up/down direction and left/right direction.
Next, the action of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment will be described by using
It is noted that
Now, suppose that an operator changes the display region of the ROI 30 displayed on the monitor 5 by using the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 shown in
The CPU 8 determines whether or not the approaching direction move button 15a has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S1. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S3, and when the button has been depressed, the CPU 8 controls the index image display means 7 so as to reduce the display data Pn and Pf shown in
By this processing of step S2, for example, display screen 5A shown in
Thereafter, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the separating direction move button 15b is depressed in the judgment processing of step S3. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S5, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to increase the display data Pn and Pf shown in
By the processing of step S4, for example, a display screen 5B shown in
Next, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the clockwise direction rotation button 15c has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S5. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S7, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to increase the display data Pc shown in
By the processing of step S6, for example, a display screen 5C shown in
Thereafter, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the counterclockwise direction rotation button 15d has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S7. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S9, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to decrease the display data Pc shown in
By this processing of step S8, for example, a display screen 5C shown in
Next, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the depth direction expansion button 15f has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S9. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process of step S11, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to decrease the display data Pn and increase the display data Pf shown in
By this processing of step S10, for example, a display screen 5E shown in
Thereafter, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the depth direction reduction button 15e is depressed in the judgment processing of step S11. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S13, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to increase the display data Pn and decrease the display data Pf shown in
By this processing of step S12, for example, a display screen 5F shown in
Next, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the angular width expansion button 15h has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S13. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 moves the process to step S15, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to increase the display angular data θ shown in
By this processing of step S14, for example, display screen 5G shown in
Next, the CPU 8 determines whether or not the angular width reduction button 15g has been depressed in the judgment processing of step S15. Then, when the button has not been depressed, the CPU 8 returns the process to step S1, and when the button has been depressed, controls the index image display means 7 so as to decrease the display angular data θ shown in
By this processing of step S16, for example, a display screen 5H shown in
It is noted that such program based on an ROI adjustment processing by the CPU 8 will not be limited to the flowchart shown in
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, owing to the button display that has a display of information by which operation content can be intuitively grasped, the display region of an ROI 30 displayed on the monitor 5 can be easily changed during the execution of a color flow mode, thereby improving the operability.
It is noted that although, in the present embodiment, description has been made on the case in which the display region of the ROI displayed on the display screen of the monitor of a full circle display mode during the execution of a color flow mode is changed, the present embodiment, of course, can be applied to the case in which the display region of ROI during a half circle display mode is changed.
The present invention will not be limited to the embodiments and the variant which have been described so far, and can be modified and practiced in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008-231311 | Sep 2008 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation application of PCT/JP2009/065436 filed on Sep. 3, 2009 and claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2008-231311 filed in Japan on Sep. 9, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2009/065436 | Sep 2009 | US |
Child | 13042771 | US |