Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and data analysis and measurement apparatus

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a reproducing function at the equally high frame rate to that at the time of ultrasonic imaging and capable of analysis and/or measurement with high accuracy in moving picture observation by reproduction. The apparatus includes: a transmitting and receiving unit for generating RF signals based on detection signals and A/D-converting the RF signals to generate RF data; a cine-memory for storing the RF data with information on frame rate; a cine-memory reproducing unit for generating address information of the RF data in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency controlled based on the information on frame rate when the RF data is loaded; a data analyzing and measuring unit for performing analysis and/or measurement on a region of interest based on the RF data; and an image signal generating unit for generating an image signal based on the RF data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B show examples of button arrangement in a console of an input unit;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cine-memory reproducing unit;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples of a screen displayed on a touch panel in a cine-memory reproduction mode;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system including an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an RF data compressing unit included in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data analysis and measurement apparatus included in the ultrasonic diagnostic system shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation in an online diagnostic mode of the ultrasonic diagnostic system; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation in an offline diagnostic mode of the ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe including plural ultrasonic transducers for transmitting ultrasonic waves to an object to be inspected according to drive signals and receiving ultrasonic echoes reflected from the object to output detection signals;a transmitting and receiving unit for supplying the drive signals to said ultrasonic probe, generating RF signals based on the detection signals, and A/D-converting the RF signals to generate RF data;a cine-memory for storing the RF data generated by said transmitting and receiving unit with information on frame rate;a cine-memory reproducing unit for generating address information of the RF data in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency controlled based on the information on frame rate stored in said cine-memory when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory;a data analyzing and measuring unit for performing analysis and/or measurement on a selected region of interest based on one of the RF data generated by said transmitting and receiving unit and the RF data loaded from said cine-memory;an image signal generating unit for generating an image signal based on one of the RF data generated by said transmitting and receiving unit and the RF data loaded from said cine-memory; anda display unit for displaying an ultrasonic image based on the image signal generated by said image signal generating unit.

2. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving unit adjusts delay amounts of the drive signals and supplies the drive signals to said ultrasonic probe such that ultrasonic waves transmitted from said plural ultrasonic transducers form an ultrasonic beam.

3. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving unit supplies the drive signals to said ultrasonic probe such that ultrasonic waves transmitted at once from said plural ultrasonic transducers reach an entire imaging region of the object.

4. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving unit generates the RF signals by amplifying the detection signals outputted from said plural ultrasonic transducers, adjusting delay amounts of the detection signals, and adding the detection signals one another.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving unit generates the RF signals by amplifying the detection signals outputted from said plural ultrasonic transducers.

6. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transmitting and receiving unit generates the RF signals by performing wavefront synthesis based on the detection signals obtained by receiving the ultrasonic echoes at plural different times.

7. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, further comprising: a control unit for controlling the frequency of said clock signal based on the information on frame rate stored in said cine-memory.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, further comprising: an input unit to be used for setting a desired reproduction start point and/or a desired reproduction end point when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory and a moving image is reproduced; anda control unit for outputting information for designating a range of address to be used when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory to said cine-memory reproducing unit according to the reproduction start point and/or the reproduction end point set by using said input unit.

9. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, further comprising: an RF data compressing unit for compressing the RF data generated by said transmitting and receiving unit according to a data compression method including difference coding processing; anda communication unit for transmitting the RF data compressed by said RF data compressing unit with the information on frame rate to an external apparatus via a network.

10. A data analysis and measurement apparatus connected via a network to (i) an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for generating RF signals based on detection signals obtained by receiving ultrasonic waves, A/D-converting the RF signals to generate RF data, and compressing the RF data to transmit the compressed RF data with information on frame rate, and (ii) a data accumulation apparatus for accumulating the compressed RF data with the information on frame rate, said data analysis and measurement apparatus comprising: a communication unit for receiving the compressed RF data with the information on frame rate from said data accumulation apparatus via a network;a data decompressing unit for decompressing the compressed RF data received by said communication unit;a cine-memory for storing the RF data decompressed by said data decompressing unit with the information on frame rate;a cine-memory reproducing unit for generating address information of the RF data in synchronization with a clock signal having a frequency controlled based on the information on frame rate stored in said cine-memory when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory;a data analyzing and measuring unit for performing analysis and/or measurement on a selected region of interest based on the RF data loaded from said cine-memory;an image signal generating unit for generating an image signal based on the RF data loaded from said cine-memory; anda display unit for displaying an ultrasonic image based on the image signal generated by said image signal generating unit.

11. A data analysis and measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said RF signals are generated by amplifying detection signals obtained by receiving ultrasonic waves, adjusting delay amounts of the detection signals, and adding the detection signals one another.

12. A data analysis and measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said RF signals are generated by amplifying detection signals obtained by receiving ultrasonic waves.

13. A data analysis and measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said RF signals are generated by performing wavefront synthesis based on detection signals obtained by receiving ultrasonic waves at plural different times.

14. A data analysis and measurement apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a control unit for controlling the frequency of said clock signal based on the information on frame rate stored in said cine-memory.

15. A data analysis and measurement apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an input unit to be used for setting a desired reproduction start point and/or a desired reproduction end point when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory and a moving image is reproduced; anda control unit for outputting information for designating a range of address to be used when the RF data is loaded from said cine-memory to said cine-memory reproducing unit according to the reproduction start point and/or the reproduction end point set by using said input unit.