JP5410180B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that obtains and displays a tomographic image (B-mode image) and an M-mode image for a diagnostic part in a body of a subject using ultrasonic waves, and measures for evaluating cardiac function The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  Examiners such as doctors and clinical technologists use an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to evaluate cardiac function from B-mode images and M-mode images of the subject's heart region. The examiner may measure the length of the organ, the moving distance, etc. on the B-mode image in one process of evaluating the cardiac function.

  In general, the length is measured by setting a point on one of the parts that the examiner wants to measure using a pointing device such as a trackball, and then measuring the distance between them by setting the other point. is there.

  When measuring the length of multiple points continuously, measure the distance between the first and second points by sequentially setting the first and second points, and then set the third point. There is a method of measuring the distance between the first point or the second point and the third point, for example, Patent Document 1.

  In Patent Document 1, a line is set on the M-mode image based on the position coordinates of the feature points of the electrocardiogram waveform, a plurality of measurement points are set from the luminance information on the line, and based on the plurality of measurement points By measuring the thickness or diameter, it is possible to automate the left ventricular measurement on the M-mode image.

JP 2006-223558 A

  However, in the prior art, since the body type of the subject is calculated based on the standard body type (average height, average body weight) of the adult, the body is too small compared to the standard body type adult, for example, a child or body There has been a problem that the method disclosed in the prior art cannot be applied when a person larger than the standard figure is a subject.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of assisting accurate length measurement regardless of the body shape of a subject.

In order to solve the above problems, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is based on information from an ultrasonic probe in contact with a subject, and a B mode image and an M mode image of the subject. An image forming unit for obtaining the B-mode image and the M-mode image, an input unit for setting an arbitrary first point on the B-mode image and the M-mode image, and the first point One end point , a cursor display unit that calculates a candidate point of the second point that is the other end point based on the standard body shape information and moves the cursor of the input unit from the first point to the second point, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having that, with a calculation unit for the calculating the candidate points of the second point from the information of the subject's height and weight or body surface area (BSA) and said standard types information It is characterized by.

  The present invention has an effect of providing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of assisting accurate length measurement regardless of the body shape of a subject.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The figure showing the example of the flowchart of this invention on the M mode image on an ultrasonic diagnosing device. The figure showing the example of the operation | movement of the estimation of a coordinate on the M mode image on an ultrasound diagnosing device. The figure showing the estimation method of the coordinate by this invention. The figure showing the example of the flowchart of this invention on the B mode image on an ultrasonic diagnosing device. The figure showing the example of the operation | movement of the estimation of a coordinate on the B mode image on an ultrasound diagnosing device.

  A first embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described below. In the following description, the same functional parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention displays, as an M-mode image, information obtained by imaging the passage of time by paying attention to a tomographic image related to the imaging region of the subject and a straight line on the cross section of the tomographic image using ultrasonic waves. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 11, an ultrasonic transmission unit 12, a value input unit 13, a display unit 17, a subject information management unit 14, an estimated information management unit 15, and a calculation unit. 16 and configured.

  The ultrasonic probe 11 mechanically or electronically scans and transmits ultrasonic waves into the subject. Inside the ultrasonic probe 11 is a source of ultrasonic waves and reflection from the living body. It has one or more transducers that receive the echo.

  The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 12 drives the ultrasonic probe 11 to generate an ultrasonic wave and processes the received reflected echo signal, and transmits the signal from the ultrasonic probe 11 into the subject. A known transmission pulser and transmission delay circuit for forming an ultrasonic beam, a reception amplifier for amplifying a reflected echo signal received by each transducer of the ultrasonic probe 11, and each of the received reflected echo signals A receiving delay circuit that forms a received ultrasonic beam by aligning phases to form a received wave and a phasing circuit that includes an adder and the like are included.

  The value input unit 13 performs an operation for storing the height, weight, and BSA information of the subject in the subject information management unit 14 and an operation for determining coordinates during measurement. The value input unit includes a keyboard and a trackball.

  The subject information management unit 14 stores information on the height, weight, and BSA of the subject for estimating coordinates. Subject information storage unit 14a for storing subject information in a database and subject information setting unit for obtaining and using subject information from a database in which standard body types (average height, average weight) are stored It consists of 14b.

  The estimated information management unit 15 stores coordinate data such as standard body shape information obtained in the past for estimating coordinates. An estimation information storage unit 15a that holds the estimation information in a database and an estimation information setting unit 15b that acquires the estimation information from the database and makes it usable are configured.

In the database, standard body type information (for example, if a Japanese adult male is 173 cm and 62 kg, the BSA of the human body is about 1.7 m ² (Seiichi Miyamoto et al .: Effective radiation area of the human body when sitting on the floor) And research on form factor, Architectural Institute of Japan Planning Series, No.479, pp.27-33,1996).

When measuring the diameter of a blood vessel of 10 mm with this standard body shape, if it is necessary to move 20 pixels, the example of the case of a child whose height is 110 cm, weight 20 kg, BSA 0.85 m ² will be explained. Since BSA is 1/2 of the standard body type BSA, the distance may be converted into a movement amount of 1 / √2.

  The computing unit 16 performs computation for estimating coordinates. The distance information acquired by the distance estimation calculation unit 16a and the distance estimation calculation unit that estimates the distance from the information acquired by the subject information setting unit 14b and the estimated information setting unit 15b and the information of the part currently being measured are actually images. The coordinate conversion unit 16b converts the coordinates into the coordinates.

  The display unit 17 displays the output signal as an image and displays the coordinates for measurement.

  The detailed configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described along with the operation in the case of an M mode image according to the processing procedure shown in FIGS.

  In S21 of FIG. 2, the examiner displays the heart part to be measured on the screen. When the part of the heart to be measured is displayed on the screen, the examiner proceeds to S22 and activates measurement for measuring the part to be measured on the screen.

  When the measurement is started, a cursor 31 for measuring the part shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the screen. In S23, the examiner moves the cursor to the position of the start point of the part to be measured.

  In S24, the examiner determines the starting point 32 of the part to be measured by performing a confirmation operation. The movement and confirmation operation of the cursor is performed by the value input unit 13. When the starting point is determined, the process proceeds to S25, and the distance is estimated in S25, S26, and S27.

  The operation of S25, S26 and S27 is shown in FIG. In S25, the height, weight, and BSA are acquired from the subject information setting unit 14b. In S26, a table of the part currently being measured is acquired from the estimated information setting unit 15b.

  In S27, using the height, weight, and BSA information acquired in S25, the matching information in the table selected in S26 is acquired as estimated information. From the information acquired in S26, the cursor moves to the vicinity 33 next to the part to be measured as shown in FIG.

The case of a tomographic image will be described together with the operation according to the processing procedure shown in FIGS.
In S501 of FIG. 2, the examiner displays the part of the heart to be measured on the screen. When the part of the heart to be measured is displayed on the screen, the examiner proceeds to S502 and activates measurement for measuring the part to be measured on the screen.

  When the measurement is started, a cursor 61 for measuring the part shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the screen. In S503, the examiner moves the cursor to the position of the first point of the part to be measured.

  In S504, the examiner determines the first point 62 of the part to be measured by performing a confirmation operation. In S505, the examiner moves the cursor 63 to the position of the second point of the part to be measured. In S506, the examiner determines the second point 64 of the part to be measured by performing a confirmation operation. At the same time as the second point is determined, a straight line 65 for moving the cursor is also determined.

  When the second point and the angle are determined, the process proceeds to S507, and the distance is estimated in S507, S508, and S509. The operations of S507, S508, and S509 are shown in FIG. In S507, the height, weight, and BSA are acquired from the subject information setting unit 14b.

  In S508, a table of the part currently being measured is acquired from the estimated information setting unit 15b. Information converted or matched in the table selected in S508 from the height, weight, and BSA information acquired in S57 in S509 Is obtained as estimation information. From the information acquired in S510, as shown in FIG. 6, the cursor moves to the vicinity 66 next to the part to be measured.

  Since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment has the contents as described above, it is possible to reduce the examination time and the efficiency of the routine work and thereby reduce the burden on the examiner.

  Moreover, although several suitable Examples, such as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus concerning this invention, were described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to this example. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the present application, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  9 Sonic correction unit, 9a memory, 9b calculation unit, 13-value input unit, 14 Subject information management unit, 14a Subject information storage unit, 14b Subject information setting unit, 15 Estimated information management unit, 15a Estimated information Storage unit, 15b Estimated information setting unit, 16 operation unit, 16a Distance estimation operation unit, 16b Coordinate conversion unit, 17 Display unit

Claims (2)

An image forming unit for obtaining a B-mode image and an M-mode image of the subject based on information from an ultrasonic probe in contact with the subject;
An image display unit for displaying the B-mode image and the M-mode image;
An input unit for setting an arbitrary first point on the B-mode image and the M-mode image;
The first point is set as one end point, a candidate point of the second point which is the other end point is calculated based on the standard body shape information, and the cursor of the input unit is moved from the first point to the second point and displayed. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising a cursor display unit,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: a calculation unit that calculates the candidate point of the second point from information on the subject's height and weight or body surface area (BSA) and the standard body shape information. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The calculation unit calculates a correction value from the standard body shape information based on the height and weight or body surface area (BSA) of the subject, and calculates a candidate point for the second point based on the correction value and the standard body shape information. And
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the cursor display unit moves and displays the cursor of the input unit based on the calculated second candidate point.

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