JP2878155B2 - Ultrasound imaging device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging apparatus for acquiring continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a body to be inspected selected by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ultrasound Doppler methods are commonly used to non-invasively detect and measure movements in the body, and for non-invasive diagnostic analysis of blood flow in a patient, such as the patient's heart, It is widely used in medical ultrasound scanners for detecting and measuring blood vessels and the like.

[0003] There are basically two modes of operation of ultrasonic Doppler, continuous wave (CW) and pulsed (PW) modes. In the PW mode, in particular, a two-dimensional blood flow image (image)
It is useful for obtaining velocity data used to generate (color flow images). However, since the pulse repetition rate (PRF) of the PW software system limits the maximum flow rate (which can be determined without aliasing), the CW mode obtains velocity data to accurately determine relatively high flow rates. Especially useful for:

[0004] In addition, ultrasound diagnostic devices conventionally generate so-called B-mode images, which are basically two-dimensional tomographic images known to those skilled in the art. A B-mode image is generated using a transducer that can scan one area,
As is known to those skilled in the art, one of several types of multi-element transducer arrays, for example 64
Or use a linear array of 128 transducer elements. On the other hand, CW Doppler operation generally involves a special transducer probe, which comprises two transducers, one for transmission and one for reception (also commonly known to those skilled in the art, commonly referred to as a pencil probe). Need. For simplicity, it is desirable that a single probe use its received signal processing circuitry to obtain useful data not only in Doppler mode but also in B mode. One technique for accomplishing this is U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,115, entitled "U1trasoni.
cImaging Apparatus for Di
spraying B-Mode and Doppl
er-Mode Images "Publication April
10, 1990 Sasaki et al. Is shown in As described therein, data is obtained by first activating the transducer array via conventional transmit / receive control circuitry to effectuate steering and focusing of the transmitted ultrasound pulses and to provide the appropriate individual delays. Provided to the received signal, so that a conventional beamformer and image processor can generate a B-mode image. The user may then observe the B-mode image and use the cursor to mark the image with an indication of beam direction and depth along which the beam direction is desired (from which it is desired to obtain PW Doppler data). The transducer is then operated in a PW Doppler mode, receiving Doppler signals therefrom using range gating techniques and sequentially generating Doppler data.
It should be noted that the CW Doppler mode is Sasaki
It is not described depending on t al. Sa instead
Saki et al discusses the receiving efficiency of a transducer when it is desirable to be able to operate in both Doppler and B modes, and to solve this problem, an ultrasonic transducer having two peaks in its receiving efficiency characteristic curve. Where one is centered at the frequency used for B-mode imaging and the other is centered at the frequency number used for PW Doppler data acquisition.

[0005] It is desirable to use a multi-element transducer array for CW Doppler mode.
This is because the ability to control the steering and focusing of the transmit and receive beams not only results in improved signal-to-noise performance, but also allows better selection of the Doppler sample volume (overlap area between the CW transmit and receive beams). . U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,58
No. 9, "Method of CW Double"
r Imaging Using Variable
Focused Ultrasonic Transd
ucer Array "July 8, 198
6 Rilsy et al. Now improved S / NC
Although circuitry for operating such multiple elements to obtain W Doppler images is shown, it is shown how a user of the equipment selects or controls the steering and / or focusing of the CW Doppler beam. No suggestion has been made. U.S. Pat.No. 4,91
No. 5,115 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,286.
No. "U1trasound Blood Flow"
Measuring Apparatus "Publication
November 22, 1983 Iinuma et.
al. The prior art used for PW Doppler as shown also is not available, because CW Doppler does not use a range gate, and therefore "" along a given receive beamline. This is because the selection of “depth” is inappropriate.

[0006]

An object of the present invention is to facilitate use of a CW Doppler operation mode of an ultrasonic imaging apparatus using multiple elements.

It is a further object of the present invention to enable a user control for selecting a CW Doppler sensitivity region in a displayed two-dimensional ultrasound image.

A still further object of the present invention is to realize such user control (method) not only with a simple and low-cost apparatus but also with a method that can be easily controlled by a user. .

[0009]

According to the present invention, the above object is attained in the following manner, ie, for obtaining continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a body to be inspected selected by a user. An ultrasonic imaging device,
A multi-element ultrasonic transducer array, a delay circuit, a signal processing circuit, a display device, a user control device, and control means, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array and is connected to the body. It is for controlling transmission by steering the ultrasonic energy beam and receiving the ultrasonic energy beam from the body, wherein the signal processing circuit is connected to the delay circuit and responds to the received beam. The display device is connected to the signal processing circuit, and responds to the image signal in a substantially real-time manner. Displaying a three-dimensional ultrasound image, wherein the user control device is connected to the display, and at least one position marker is controllably positioned. The marker is displayed substantially in real time in the displayed two-dimensional ultrasound image, and the marker is displayed in the ultrasound image where it is desired to obtain CW Doppler data. And the size is designated by the user to select a sensitivity area in the control section. The control means is connected to the delay circuit, and the Doppler sensitivity area selected by the user through the user control means. 1) causing a predetermined number of adjacent multi-elements of the multi-element ultrasonic transducer array to steer and transmit a CW ultrasonic energy beam through a sensitivity area selected by the user; ) By the other predetermined number of adjacent multiplex elements other than the adjacent multiplex element in the array,
Configured to receive a reception beam of ultrasonic energy that has passed through a sensitivity area selected by a user, wherein the control means processes the reception beam and performs Doppler image display from the reception beam; The Doppler image display represents the movement within the sensitivity area selected by the user, the shape and direction of each transmit beam and receive beam are displayed, and the area of the marker overlaps or intersects the transmit and receive beams. Area. That is, a predetermined number of adjacent elements of a multi-element ultrasonic transducer array provided according to the present invention, in a preferred embodiment 64 out of 128 transducer elements, and 64 adjacent elements and channels are focused and steered CW ultrasonic beams. (E.g., at 4 mHz) can be used to transmit into the patient's body, and the other next 64 channels are focused CW Doppler beams (which are shown in FIG. 3) within the patient's body. (Steered to intersect the transmit beam at a given depth) is used to controllably receive noise interference is avoided and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved. Further, the control means processes the received beam and displays a Doppler image from the received beam, the Doppler image display represents a movement in the sensitivity area selected by the user, and each of the transmitted beam and the received beam is displayed. The shape and direction are displayed, and the following operational effects are also exerted by the configuration requirement that the area of the marker is an area where the transmitting and receiving beams overlap or intersect. That is, the transmitting and receiving beams are focused so as to overlap the same volume in the body,
The receive beamformer becomes much more sensitive than at other volumes in the body, and thus such overlapping volumes are referred to as Doppler sensitive volumes (or with selected areas of a two-dimensional display of ultrasound images). Is referred to as Doppler-sensitive), this technology is known as CW
Not only does it significantly improve overcoming the position uncertainty (sex) problem normally found in Doppler imaging, but also has the remarkable effect of being easy to implement and easy to control by the operator. You.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the predetermined number of multiplexing elements is for transmitting and receiving a steered beam of CW ultrasound through the selected region of sensitivity. Yes, the multiple elements are also used to focus the steered transmit and receive beams arriving and passing through the selected area of sensitivity.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an ultrasonic medical imaging system to which the present invention can be applied. The system comprises an ultrasonic probe 6 having multiple piezoelectric transducer elements (the elements are arranged, for example, in a linear array).
, A transmission beamformer 7, an analog preamplifier section 8, and an A / D converter 10. Additionally, the system includes a digital receive beamformer 12, a demodulator 14, a scan converter 16, a Doppler processor 18, and a system controller 20. As is known, the transmit beamformer 7 has controllable delay means for controllable focusing and steering of the ultrasound beam transmitted into the patient via the probe 6, and The shaper 12 has controllable delay means for generating a receive beam from the received echo via controllable focusing and steering;
The echo is caused by the reflection of the ultrasonic beam transmitted into the patient, and is performed under the control of all the system controllers 20.

The system controller 20 has a user interface means having a device such as a keyboard, a trackball or the like (not specifically shown). The imaging (so-called luminance) mode may be in a PW Doppler mode, a simultaneous B-imaging / PW mode or a CW Doppler mode. In the B imaging mode, the beamformer 12 generates an RF signal at its output, which RF signal is received from an ultrasound echo received along a series of scanning lines extending across the patient's cross section. Represents strength. The RF signals are demodulated by a demodulator 14 which performs a detection function on the RF signals generated substantially during the B imaging mode. The generated detection image signal generated on the output side of the demodulator 14 is transferred to the scan converter 16. As is known, a scan converter accumulates echo data for the scan lines that form a single frame of the image 16. For the sector scan format, the scan converter also converts such data into a rectangular raster scan format, which is suitable for displays on video monitors. The successive image frames are then sequentially sequenced in real time to the video image display 22.
Displayed above.

When the system is set to PW Doppler mode by the user, the operator marks the position of the sample volume (from which PW Doppler data should be collected) (check and mark the B-mode image). By that). The marked volume is correlated to the sample cell at the selected range along the selected scan converter, while for CW Doppler the send sensitive volume is conventionally cylindrical and the length of the scan line Extend along. However, the preferred embodiment disclosed using a multi-element transducer array allows for a focused and steered CW Doppler beam, and thus a focused and steered CW transmission with appropriate control of the transmit and receive delays. , And CW receive beams can overlap. Receive beamformer 12 is a continuous RF beamline (which represents echo signals received from a beam direction that includes a selected Doppler sensitive volume). Demodulator 14 converts the RF beamline signal generated during Doppler mode to baseband or intermediate frequency and produces demodulated in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals at its output. The signal is provided to Doppler processor 18. These signals I and Q are collectively referred to as "Doppler signals". Doppler processor 18 processes the Doppler signals and provides the signals to Doppler display 24. The display not only displays the video output of the spatial characteristics of the Doppler signal (i.e., the Doppler image) on the video display, but also the audio output (this is the audible sound of a Doppler audio display, the sound of a speaker-like sound, especially The configuration and operation of a substantial portion of each of the individual components described above are well known to those of skill in the art and further of those configurations and operations other than necessary for an understanding of the present invention. For example, US Patent Specification No. 59, incorporated herein by reference.
No. 8,589 discloses a control technique for generating CW Doppler images (but using analog signal processing techniques).

FIG. 2 shows a digital beam generator using FIG.
2 shows details of the configuration of each part of the ultrasonic apparatus. Digital beamformers are particularly advantageous because they allow relatively direct microprocessor control of beam focusing and steering. Where appropriate, the same reference numbers are used to indicate the same parts of the ultrasound system. For simplicity,
Only the receiving part of the medical ultrasound device is shown, and the transmitting part is omitted. For they are conventional digital designs and operating methods. This is because the probe has a plurality of individual transducer elements 202 as shown in FIG. Each element 202 has a signal processing channel, which has an analog preamplifier 204 and an A / D converter 206.
The A / D converter supplies the digitized received ultrasonic echo signal to the digital beamformer 12. As described in connection with FIG. 1, receive beamformer 12 provides an appropriate delay to the received digitized ultrasound echo signal so that the signals are combined in-phase to form an ultrasound beam. Generate line 22.

The dither signal source 208 has a common dither signal D
, And the dither signal is added to adder 210 (which is an A / D
(Included in each channel immediately before the converter)
Immediately before digitization by A / D converter 206, it is added to each received beam. The dithering of the A / D converter enhances the ability to detect relatively low amplitude signals, thereby effectively increasing the dynamic range of the A / D converter. Such an increase is also useful while operating the equipment in the PW Doppler mode (although it is particularly useful when operating the equipment in the CW Doppler mode).

As is well known to those skilled in the art of AD converters, some dither signals cause extra special transitions of the LSB of the digital signal generated by A / D converter 206. LS depending on the dither signal source 208
A dither signal having an amplitude that changes B by +/- 0.5 LSB is supplied. Averaging process (this is preferably a point near the output of the signal processing device)
(Which is described in connection with the boxcar filter of FIG. 4) results in a clear increase in the resolution of the A / D conversion.

In the preferred embodiment, the dither signal is generated as a sine wave, and can thus be easily removed by a filter already present in Doppler processor 18, for example a wall filter (described below). As such, the dither signal itself does not degrade the S / N performance of the A / D converter, while the random noise dither signal
This will degrade the N ratio performance.

In a preferred embodiment, probe 6 has 128 transducer elements, where 64
Adjacent channels and channels are used to transmit a focused and steered CW ultrasound beam (eg, at 4 mHz) into the patient's body, and the next 64 channels are focused CW Doppler beams (which Is steerably intersected with the transmit beam at a predetermined depth within the patient body as shown in FIG. 3).

According to the method (basic method) of the present invention, the user of the device can control the interface device 21 which can be controlled.
For example, trackball (real time 2 displayed
(Observing a three-dimensional ultrasound image) to select a CW Doppler sensitive area 300 of the displayed image from which it is desired to obtain Doppler data. Once the region PW has been selected, the system controller 20 provides an appropriate delay to the transmit and receive beamformers 7, 12 so that the transmit (302) and receive (304) beams can be steered and also advantageously focused. , They overlap in the selected area, thereby acquiring Doppler data representing movement of the body in the volume. The acquisition of CW Doppler data is preferably performed in a time-division multiplex manner with B-mode and / or color float images.

Since the transmit and receive beams are focused so as to overlap the same volume in the body, the receive beamformer is much more sensitive than in other volumes in the body. Accordingly, such overlapping volumes are referred to as Doppler-sensitive volumes (or as Doppler-sensitive when referred to as selected regions of a two-dimensional display of ultrasound images). This technique is not only significantly improved in overcoming the position uncertainty (sex) problem normally found in conventional CW Doppler imaging, but also is easy to implement (implement) and easy for an operator to control.

In operation, the ultrasound device is adapted to generate conventional B-mode images, such as blood vessels and / or other anatomical structures. At that time, the user operates the controllable device 21 such as a trackball, and “X” moves another marker to the attention area in the blood vessel. The two arms of "X" represent the directions of the transmission and reception beams respectively in the selected area. Thus, the angle between the two beams of "X" varies according to the position of "X" relative to the probe transmit / receive aperture. According to the invention, the user adjusts the position of the probe and / or the position of the "X" marker,
Thereby, the CW Doppler angle can be optimized (at the same time,
Observing the anatomy (characteristics) of the blood vessel and the direction of the transmitting and receiving beams.

[0024] Additionally according to a further aspect of the present invention, the user may also adjust the focusing of one or both of the transmit and receive beams to better control the size of the selected Doppler region. Each change in focusing will cause a corresponding change in the size of the displayed "X", and the wider the focusing, the larger the Doppler sensitive area will be and the larger the displayed "X" will be. Is bigger and bigger. Depending on the technique, the S / N ratio performance in the volume selectable by the user in the body can be maximized.

Thus, according to the present invention, the system controller 20 operates the ultrasound system to make the steering angle and focus controllable for both the transmit and receive beams according to the user's selection of the Doppler sensitive region.

FIG. 4 shows the demodulator and Doppler processor portion of the ultrasound system shown in FIG. 1 configured by a system controller 20 for processing CW Doppler signals and generating Doppler data therefrom for display. More specifically, the demodulator section 14 is a mixer 4
02,404, which mixers have quadrature (signal) I and Q
Transmitted to generate a demodulated Doppler signal of
It is excited by a quadrature sine wave signal having the frequency of the W Doppler ultrasonic wave signal. I and Q LPF filtering is conventionally required to remove the 2fo frequency components, and in this embodiment the LPF is configured as boxcar filters 406, 408, which are generated by mixers 402, 404, respectively. Digital signals are accumulated and decimated. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art of digital signal processing, boxcar filtering is essentially the accumulation or addition of digital samples, followed by averaging by dividing the cumulative sum by the number of accumulated samples. And ultimately decimation, thereby producing a single multi-bit (ie, 24 bits) at its output. In the present invention, 504 digital signal samples are used to generate each digital word output from the boxcar filter. Each digital word represents, for example, one of 128 points along one selected beamline.

The above I and Q outputs are applied to a Doppler processor 18, which includes the filtering of I and Q signals using wall filters 410, 412, as is known to those skilled in the art, and As one method for acquiring spectrum information, a function of adding the output of the wall filter to the FFT processor 414 is included. FFT processor 414 sends out a signal representing the frequency spectrum of its output 112 Doppler signal. The Doppler signal is applied to audio speakers to "display" the Doppler data, or to half of the video screen, thereby displaying the Doppler image beside the B-mode image. As is well known, the wall filters 410, 412 may include HPFs that cut off unwanted relatively low frequencies, including the aforementioned sinusoidal dither signal. Next, the FFT processor 414
The Doppler signal at the output of is supplied to a Doppler display. The Doppler display has a video monitor and audio speakers to present Doppler information to a system operator.

The lengths of the boxcar filters 406 and 408 are set as follows: the boxcar length (accumulation interval) is set to have an integral multiple of the clutter signal / cycle number. That is, for example, the A / D converter sample rate is 36 mHz, and the CW Doppler signal frequency is 4 mH
If z, 9 XA / D samples / cycle of the Doppler signal are obtained. Thus, the number of samples averaged by the boxcar filter to determine each Doppler data point, ie, the boxcar length, is an integer multiple of 9, for example, 504 (which is 56 × 9). This is important because some clutter signals cause periodicity in the quantization error of the A / D converter, which can have the following amplitudes based on the relatively high amplitude of the clutter signal: This is because the device can have an amplitude that is on the order of magnitude greater than the amplitude of the Doppler signal that it is trying to detect. By making the length of the boxcar filter an integer multiple of the number of A / D samples / cycles of the ultrasonic frequency, the echo over the length of the boxcar is constant, and therefore detection of low level Doppler signals. Will not interfere.

Thus, in an ultrasonic imaging apparatus that satisfies all the objects and advantages obtained thereby,
A novel method and apparatus for controllably generating Doppler information is described. Many variations, modifications and adaptations, other uses and applications, which are contemplated by the present subject matter, will be apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration of the specification and the accompanying drawings, which disclose advantageous embodiments thereof. become. For example, while B mode is described in the illustrated embodiment as being observed by a user to select a Dopp sensitive region, a color float image may also be used, or
Overlap of both mode and color images can also be used. Additionally, other shapes and sizes may be "X"
It may be used as a marker equivalent, for example, a parallelogram with a controllable size dimension. All such variations, modifications, variations and other uses and applications (which do not depart from the simplicity of the invention) can be covered by the requirements of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0030]

In accordance with the present invention, a method for operating an ultrasonic imaging apparatus using multiple elements facilitates the use of a CW Doppler mode of operation for a photographic apparatus, and displays two-dimensional ultrasonic waves. Enabling user control (methods) for selecting CW Doppler sensitivity (sensitivity) regions within an image and providing such user control (methods) with simple and low-cost equipment costs, This has the effect of being realized in a manner that can be more easily controlled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasound medical system that can use the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a front end part of the ultrasonic medical system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how CW Dopp sensitivity is according to the scheme of the present invention using the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a demodulator and Doppler processor portion of the ultrasound system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 6 Ultrasonic probe 7 Beam shaper 8 Preamplifier 10 A / D converter 12 Receive beam shaper 14 Demodulator 16 Scan converter 18 Doppler processor 20 System controller 22 Image delay circuit

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-125902 (JP, A) JP-A-2-142544 (JP, A) JP-A-5-192336 (JP, A) JP-A-4-192 108436 (JP, A) JP-A 4-120709 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A61B 8/00-8/15

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus for acquiring continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a body to be inspected selected by a user, comprising: a multi-element ultrasonic transducer array; a delay circuit; A processing circuit, a display device, a user control device, and control means, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array, and transmits by steering an ultrasonic energy beam to the body; and For controlling the reception of the ultrasonic energy beam from the, the signal processing circuit is connected to the delay circuit, for generating both image signals in response to the received beam, The display device is connected to the signal processing circuit, and responds to an image signal in a substantially real-time manner to generate a secondary image of a part of the subject body. Displaying an ultrasonic image, wherein the user control device is connected to the display, and is for controllably positioning at least one position marker, wherein the marker is the displayed two-dimensional marker. Displayed substantially in real time in an ultrasound image, wherein the marker is positioned and sized by a user to select a sensitive area in the ultrasound image for which it is desired to obtain CW Doppler data Wherein said control means is connected to said delay circuit and is responsive to a position of a Doppler sensitivity area selected by a user via said user control means, comprising: 1) said multi-element ultrasonic transducer; array
Causing the CW ultrasonic energy beam to be steered and transmitted through a sensitivity area selected by the user by a predetermined number of adjacent multiple elements of the array ;
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiple elements outside the other
Configured to receive a reception beam of ultrasonic energy that has passed through the sensitivity area selected by the user, wherein the control means processes the reception beam and performs Doppler image display from the reception beam; Doppler image display represents movement within the sensitivity area selected by the user
The shape and direction of each transmit and receive beam
Direction is displayed, and the area of the marker is
An ultrasonic imaging apparatus characterized in that the areas are overlapping or intersecting areas . 2. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array for controlling focusing of at least one of the transmission and reception beams. 3. The signal processing circuit processes the receive beam to generate a Doppler signal, the Doppler signal forming a Doppler image to be displayed on the display, wherein the Doppler image is selected by a user. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging apparatus represents a movement in a sensitivity area. 4. The position and size of the marker area are as follows:
The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging apparatus corresponds to the increased sensitivity area. 5. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus for acquiring continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a body to be inspected selected by a user, comprising: a multi-element ultrasonic transducer array; a delay circuit; A processing circuit, a display device, a user control device, and control means, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array, and transmits by steering an ultrasonic energy beam to the body; and The signal processing circuit is connected to the delay circuit, and is for generating an image signal in response to the reception beam, and A display device is connected to the signal processing circuit, and responds to the image signal in a substantially real-time manner to generate a secondary image of a part of the subject body. Displaying an ultrasonic image, wherein the user control device is connected to the display, and is for controllably positioning at least one position marker, wherein the marker is the displayed two-dimensional marker. Displayed substantially in real time in an ultrasound image, wherein the marker is positioned and sized by a user to select a sensitive area in the ultrasound image for which it is desired to obtain CW Doppler data Wherein said control means is connected to said delay circuit and is responsive to a position of a Doppler sensitivity area selected by a user via said user control means, comprising: 1) said multi-element ultrasonic transducer; array
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiplex elements,
CW ultrasonic energy through the sensitivity area selected by the user
Steering the lugi beam to transmit; 2) no more than the relevant multiple elements in the array.
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiple elements outside the other
Ultra passed through a sensitivity area selected by the user
It is to receive a receiving beam of sound energy,
The shapes and directions of the transmit and receive beams are displayed,
The area of the marker is the overlap of the transmit and receive beams.
The controllable position marker is displayed as at least “X” by the user control device, and each arm of the “X” represents one direction of a transmission beam and a reception beam, respectively. The ultrasound imaging apparatus, wherein the direction is based on a position of a user selection area controlled by a user control device. 6. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus for acquiring continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a test body selected by a user, comprising: a multi-element ultrasonic transducer array; a delay circuit; A processing circuit, a display device, a user control device, and control means, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array, and transmits by steering an ultrasonic energy beam to the body; and The signal processing circuit is connected to the delay circuit, and is for generating an image signal in response to the reception beam, and A display device is connected to the signal processing circuit, and responds to the image signal in a substantially real-time manner to generate a secondary image of a part of the subject body. Displaying an ultrasonic image, wherein the user control device is connected to the display, and is for controllably positioning at least one position marker, wherein the marker is the displayed two-dimensional marker. Displayed substantially in real time in an ultrasound image, wherein the marker is positioned and sized by a user to select a sensitive area in the ultrasound image for which it is desired to obtain CW Doppler data Wherein said control means is connected to said delay circuit and is responsive to a position of a Doppler sensitivity area selected by a user via said user control means, comprising: 1) said multi-element ultrasonic transducer; array
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiplex elements,
CW ultrasonic energy through the sensitivity area selected by the user
Steering the lugi beam to transmit; 2) no more than the relevant multiple elements in the array.
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiple elements outside the other
Ultra passed through a sensitivity area selected by the user
It is to receive a receiving beam of sound energy,
The shapes and directions of the transmit and receive beams are displayed,
The area of the marker is the overlap of the transmit and receive beams.
The controllable position marker is displayed as a parallelogram box equivalent to “X” by the user control device, the box representing the size of the user selection area, An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, wherein an area is determined by focusing and steering of transmission / reception beams. 7. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus for acquiring continuous wave (CW) Doppler data from a region of a body to be inspected selected by a user, comprising: a multi-element ultrasonic transducer array; a delay circuit; A processing circuit, a display device, a user control device, and control means, wherein the delay circuit is connected to the array, and transmits by steering an ultrasonic energy beam to the body; and The signal processing circuit is connected to the delay circuit, and is for generating an image signal in response to the reception beam, and A display device is connected to the signal processing circuit, and responds to the image signal in a substantially real-time manner to generate a secondary image of a part of the subject body. Displaying an ultrasonic image, wherein the user control device is connected to the display, and is for controllably positioning at least one position marker, wherein the marker is the displayed two-dimensional marker. Displayed substantially in real time in an ultrasound image, wherein the marker is positioned and sized by a user to select a sensitive area in the ultrasound image for which it is desired to obtain CW Doppler data Wherein said control means is connected to said delay circuit and is responsive to a position of a Doppler sensitivity area selected by a user via said user control means, comprising: 1) said multi-element ultrasonic transducer; array
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiplex elements,
CW ultrasonic energy through the sensitivity area selected by the user
Steering the lugi beam to transmit; 2) no more than the relevant multiple elements in the array.
By a predetermined number of adjacent multiple elements outside the other
Ultra passed through a sensitivity area selected by the user
It is to receive a receiving beam of sound energy,
The shapes and directions of the transmit and receive beams are displayed,
The area of the marker is the overlap of the transmit and receive beams.
The user control device is connected to the display device, and changes the size of the displayed controllable position marker according to the size of the user selection area. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, which is defined by beam steering and / or focusing.