JP6737204B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic device and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a program.

Ultrasound diagnosis is a simple operation of applying an ultrasonic probe from the surface of the body to obtain an ultrasonic image of the heart beat and fetal movement, and because it is highly safe, repeat the examination. You can An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is used for performing ultrasonic diagnosis and that generates and displays an ultrasonic image is known.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus generates an ultrasonic wave by outputting an electric drive signal of a predetermined drive voltage (transmission voltage) to a piezoelectric element in the ultrasonic probe, and the reflected ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject. An electric reception signal is obtained by receiving a reception ultrasonic wave including the above with a piezoelectric element, and an ultrasonic image is generated by repeating transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave while scanning. At that time, since electric energy (voltage) and ultrasonic energy (ultrasonic wave) are mutually converted, heat is generated during energy conversion. The ultrasonic probe is directly contacted by the operator and the subject, and if the surface temperature rises excessively, the operator and the subject may be burned. Therefore, the upper limit of the surface temperature is regulated by laws and standards, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that adjusts the transmission voltage so that the surface temperature does not exceed the regulated temperature is known.

For example, the transmission voltage applied to the ultrasonic probe is automatically changed according to the temperature information of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe to maintain the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe in an appropriate state. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of performing the above is known (see Patent Document 1).

Further, the permissible temperature is calculated within a pre-operated diagnostic time after the initial voltage is applied, and the transmission drive voltage that is the target temperature is calculated from the initial voltage and the permissible temperature. There is known an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that outputs the transmitted drive voltage to an ultrasonic probe and reduces the transmitted voltage to a default voltage when the diagnostic time is exceeded (see Patent Document 2).

JP, 2005-253776, A JP, 2011-62359, A

As the driving voltage is increased, the sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe is improved and the surface temperature is also increased. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of Patent Document 1, adjustment is performed while varying the transmission voltage until the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe is saturated, so a very long time of 10 minutes or more is required to complete the adjustment of the transmission voltage. It takes. In addition, ultrasonic diagnosis is often performed immediately after setting conditions, and if diagnosis is performed before the adjustment of the transmission voltage is completed, reproducibility of sensitivity may not be obtained.

Further, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of Patent Document 2, the transmission voltage is changed to the default voltage because the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe exceeds the allowable temperature after a predetermined diagnostic time has passed. Therefore, the sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe may change due to the change of the transmission voltage during or after the actual diagnosis.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a drive voltage for saturating the surface temperature of an ultrasonic probe to a target temperature in a short time and stabilize the sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe.

In order to solve the above problems, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the invention according to claim 1 is
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic probe to which a driving voltage is applied and which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves,
A saturation temperature increase value calculation unit that calculates a saturation temperature increase value indicating a saturation temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to ambient temperature when a first voltage is applied to the ultrasonic probe;
Based on the calculated saturation temperature increase value at the first voltage, the value of the first voltage, and the target temperature increase value indicating the target temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the ambient temperature, And a voltage calculation unit that calculates and sets the value of the second voltage that is the value of the drive voltage for saturating to the target temperature.

The invention according to claim 2 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic probe can be exchanged and connected,
The saturation temperature rise value calculation unit refers to the probe information indicating the type of the ultrasound probe, the diagnostic mode, and the time constant table having a time constant corresponding to at least one of the measurement conditions, and refers to the connection. Acquires the probe information of the ultrasonic probe, the time constant corresponding to the diagnostic mode and the measurement conditions, and indicates the current temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the time constant and the ambient temperature. A current temperature rise value, a predetermined elapsed time from the first voltage application, and a temperature rise value at the elapsed time indicating the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe when the elapsed time with respect to the ambient temperature has elapsed. Is used to calculate the saturation temperature increase value.

The invention according to claim 3 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,
An operation input unit that receives inputs of the value of the first voltage, the elapsed time, and the target temperature,
The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit calculates the saturation temperature increase value using the value of the input first voltage and the elapsed time,
The voltage calculation unit calculates the value of the second voltage using the input target temperature.

The invention according to claim 4 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit uses the time constant T, the current temperature increase value ΔTc, the elapsed time t1, and the temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1 according to the following equation (1). The saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is calculated.

The invention described in claim 5 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
A temperature detector for detecting the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe,
The saturation temperature rise value calculation unit acquires the ambient temperature, the current temperature, and the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe at the elapsed time based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

The invention according to claim 6 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit determines whether or not the calculated saturation temperature increase value is lower than a predetermined value, and if it is lower, increases the value of the first voltage by a predetermined amount and increases the first voltage. Is applied to the ultrasonic probe to recalculate the saturation temperature rise value.

The invention according to claim 7 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:
The voltage calculation unit uses the value Vi of the first voltage, the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs, and the target temperature increase value ΔTt to calculate the value Vt of the second voltage according to the following equation (2). To calculate.

The invention according to claim 8 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A first voltage switching unit that sets the value of the drive voltage immediately before the change to the value of the first voltage after the change when at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed.

The invention according to claim 9 is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8,
The voltage calculation unit stores the calculated value of the second voltage in the storage unit in association with the probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition of the connected ultrasonic probe,
When at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed, the storage unit is referenced to determine whether the changed probe information, the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition are stored in the storage unit, A second voltage switching unit that reads out and sets the value of the second voltage corresponding to the changed probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition when stored, is stored.

The program of the invention described in claim 10 is
A computer of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with an ultrasonic probe to which a driving voltage is applied and which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves,
A saturation temperature increase value calculation unit that calculates a saturation temperature increase value indicating a saturation temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to an ambient temperature when a first voltage is applied to the ultrasonic probe,
Based on the calculated saturation temperature increase value at the first voltage, the value of the first voltage, and the target temperature increase value indicating the target temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the ambient temperature, A voltage calculation unit that calculates and sets the value of the second voltage that is the value of the drive voltage for saturating to the target temperature,
To function as.

According to the present invention, a drive voltage for saturating the surface temperature of an ultrasonic probe to a target temperature can be acquired in a short time, and the sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe can be stabilized by applying the drive voltage.

It is an external view of the ultrasonic diagnosing device of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing functional composition of an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. (A) is a figure which shows the thermal image of the surface temperature in B mode of the ultrasonic probe of a convex scanning system. (B) is a diagram showing the surface temperature characteristic in the azimuth direction of the convex scanning ultrasonic probe in the B mode. (A) is a figure which shows the thermal image of the surface temperature in B mode of the ultrasonic probe of a linear scanning system. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the surface temperature characteristic in the azimuth direction of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe in the B mode. (A) is a figure which shows the thermal image of the surface temperature in the color Doppler mode of the ultrasonic probe of a linear scanning system. (B) is a diagram showing the surface temperature characteristics in the azimuth direction of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe in the color Doppler mode. It is a figure which shows the time characteristic of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conditions. It is a figure which shows the structure of a time constant table. It is a flow chart which shows transmission voltage setting processing. (A) is a figure which shows the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of an ultrasonic probe. (B) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the origin of the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe of (a). It is a figure which shows the relationship between a saturation temperature rise value and the square of a voltage. It is a flowchart which shows a transmission voltage update process. (A) is a figure which shows the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of an ultrasonic probe at the time of a condition change. (B) is an enlarged view near the intercept of the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe of (a). It is a figure which shows the relationship between a saturation temperature rise value and the square of a voltage.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

First, the device configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is an external view of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed in a medical institution such as a hospital. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a and an ultrasonic probe 1b. The ultrasonic probe 1b transmits ultrasonic waves (transmission ultrasonic waves) to an object such as a living body of a patient (not shown), and receives ultrasonic waves including reflected ultrasonic waves and scattered ultrasonic waves reflected by the object. To receive. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1a is connected to the ultrasonic probe 1b via the cable 1c of the ultrasonic probe 1b, and transmits an electric signal drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 1b to generate ultrasonic waves. The probe 1b is caused to transmit a transmission ultrasonic wave to the subject. In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1a is based on a reception signal which is an electric signal generated by the ultrasonic probe 1b according to the received ultrasonic wave from the inside of the subject received by the ultrasonic probe 1b. An internal state inside the subject is visualized as an ultrasonic image.

The ultrasonic probe 1b can be exchanged and connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a. The ultrasonic probe 1b includes a temperature sensor 121, a vibrator 122 including a piezoelectric element, and a probe information storage unit 123. The temperature sensor 121 is a sensor that detects the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b, and outputs the detected temperature information to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a (a prediction unit 131 described below).

The oscillators 122 are arranged in a one-dimensional array in the azimuth direction, for example. In this embodiment, for example, the ultrasonic probe 1b including 192 transducers is used. The vibrators may be arranged in a two-dimensional array. The number of vibrators can be set arbitrarily. Further, the ultrasonic probe 1b may employ either an electronic scanning system or a mechanical scanning system, and may employ any of a linear scanning system, a sector scanning system or a convex scanning system.

The probe information storage unit 123 is provided, for example, in the connector of the cable 1c and stores the type (model number, etc.) information of the ultrasonic probe 1b. The operator selects an appropriate type of ultrasonic probe 1b according to the scanning content of the ultrasonic diagnosis and connects it to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a includes, for example, an operation input unit 101, a transmission unit 102, a reception unit 103, an image generation unit 104, an image processing unit 105, and a DSC (Digital Scan Converter). ) 106, a display unit 107, a control unit 108, and a storage unit 109.

The operation input unit 101 includes, for example, various commands such as an instruction to start an examination of a subject, various switches, buttons, a trackball, etc. for inputting data such as a diagnostic mode, measurement conditions, and subject information described later. It is provided with a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and outputs operation information according to an operation input to the control unit 108. Further, the operation input unit 101 may be configured to receive inputs of the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt.

Here, the diagnostic mode is a diagnostic mode by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and includes a B (Brightness) mode, a pulse Doppler mode, a color Doppler mode, an A (Amplitude) mode, an M (Motion) mode, and the like. The B mode is a mode in which the intensity of a received ultrasonic wave is converted into intensity of brightness (luminance modulation) and a tomographic image of the subject is displayed. The pulse Doppler mode is a mode in which a sample gate is provided at a target site, the Doppler shift frequency is extracted from the sampling position, the blood flow velocity in the body of the subject is measured, and displayed on the screen. The color Doppler mode is a mode in which the in-vivo hemodynamics of the subject are colored, superimposed on the B-mode image and displayed in real time, and the direction and velocity of the blood flow are color-displayed over a wide range. The diagnostic mode may include other modes such as A mode and M mode.

The measurement conditions are PRF (Pulse Repetition Frequency), element aperture, and the like. PRF is a repetition frequency of a pulse of a drive signal which is an electric signal for transmitting ultrasonic waves. The element aperture is the number of continuous transducers 122 that outputs ultrasonic waves in one scan of all the transducers 122 of the ultrasonic probe 1b. In the present embodiment, the measurement conditions are described as the PRF and the element aperture, but the measurement conditions are not limited thereto.

The initial voltage Vi is an initial predetermined drive voltage applied to the ultrasonic probe 1b. The drive voltage is a power supply voltage and is a maximum voltage that a drive signal, which is an electric signal input to the transmission unit 102, can take. The elapsed time t1 is a predetermined time for applying the initial voltage Vi to the ultrasonic probe 1b. The target temperature Tt is a target surface temperature at which the ultrasonic probe 1b is saturated and stabilized, and is set to, for example, not more than the upper limit surface temperature regulated by laws and regulations.

The transmission unit 102 generates a drive signal corresponding to the drive voltage according to the drive voltage (drive voltage value) from the control unit 108, supplies the drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 1b via the cable 1c, and transmits the transmitted ultrasonic wave. Is a circuit for generating. In this way, the ultrasonic probe 1b performs ultrasonic transmission/reception operations according to the drive signal of the drive voltage applied by the transmitter 102.

Further, the transmission unit 102 includes, for example, a clock generation circuit, a delay circuit, and a pulse generation circuit. The clock generation circuit is a circuit that generates a clock signal that determines the transmission timing and the transmission frequency of the drive signal. The delay circuit sets the delay time for each individual path corresponding to the transmission timing of the drive signal for each transducer, delays the transmission of the drive signal by the set delay time, and transmits the transmission beam composed of the transmitted ultrasonic waves. This is a circuit for focusing. The pulse generation circuit is a circuit for generating a pulse signal as a drive signal at a predetermined frequency (PRF as a measurement condition). The transmission unit 102 configured as described above drives, for example, a continuous part (eg, 64) of the plurality (eg, 192) transducers 122 arranged in the ultrasonic probe 1b. Then, a transmission ultrasonic wave is generated. The number of some of the continuous vibrators 122 (the number of channels) is an element aperture as a measurement condition. Then, the transmitting unit 102 performs scanning by shifting the transducer to be driven in each azimuth direction each time a transmission ultrasonic wave is generated.

The receiving unit 103 is a circuit that receives a reception signal that is an electric signal from the ultrasonic probe 1b via the cable 1c under the control of the control unit 108. The receiving unit 103 includes, for example, an amplifier, an A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion circuit, and a phasing addition circuit. The amplifier is a circuit for amplifying the received signal with a preset amplification factor for each individual path corresponding to each transducer. The A/D conversion circuit is a circuit for A/D converting the amplified reception signal. The phasing addition circuit gives a delay time to the A/D-converted reception signal for each individual path corresponding to each transducer, adjusts the time phase, and adds these (phasing addition) to obtain a sound line. This is a circuit for generating data.

Under the control of the control unit 108, the image generation unit 104 performs envelope detection processing, logarithmic amplification, etc. on the sound ray data from the reception unit 103, adjusts the dynamic range and gain, and performs luminance conversion. Thus, B (Brightness) mode image data is generated. That is, the B-mode image data represents the strength of the received signal by the brightness. In addition to B-mode image data in which the diagnostic mode is B-mode, the image generation unit 104 receives ultrasonic image data in other diagnostic modes such as A (Amplitude) mode, M (Motion) mode, pulse Doppler method, and color Doppler method. Can be generated.

The image processing unit 105 includes an image memory unit (not shown) configured by a semiconductor memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Under the control of the control unit 108, the image processing unit 105 stores the B-mode image data output from the image generation unit 104 in the image memory unit on a frame-by-frame basis. The image data of the frame stored in the image memory unit is output to the DSC 106 under the control of the control unit 108.

Under the control of the control unit 108, the DSC 106 performs coordinate conversion or the like on the image data of the frame input from the image processing unit 105 to convert the image data into an image signal, and outputs the image signal to the display unit 107.

As the display unit 107, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) display, an organic EL (Electronic Luminescence) display, an inorganic EL display, and a plasma display can be applied. The display unit 107 displays an image on the display screen according to the image signal output from the DSC 106 under the control of the control unit 108.

The control unit 108 is configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and reads various processing programs such as a system program stored in the ROM and the RAM. Then, each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 is controlled according to the expanded program. The ROM is composed of a nonvolatile memory such as a semiconductor, and stores a system program corresponding to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, various processing programs executable on the system program, various data such as a gamma table, and the like. These programs are stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU sequentially executes operations according to the program code. The various processing programs include a transmission voltage setting program and a transmission voltage updating program described later. The RAM forms a work area for temporarily storing various programs executed by the CPU and data related to these programs.

The control unit 108 partially includes a predicting unit 131 as a saturation temperature increase value calculating unit, a voltage calculating unit 132, a voltage switching unit 133 as a first voltage switching unit, and a voltage switching as a second voltage switching unit. It functions as the unit 134. The prediction unit 131 uses the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, the diagnostic mode, the measurement conditions, the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b (probe information), the current temperature Tc from the temperature sensor 121, and the elapsed time t1. The saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is calculated according to the temperature Td and output to the voltage calculation unit 132.

The current temperature Tc is the current surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b detected by the temperature sensor 121. The temperature Td at the elapsed time t1 is the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b detected by the temperature sensor 121 when the initial voltage Vi is applied to the ultrasonic probe 1b at the elapsed time t1. The saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is a saturation temperature Ts (difference) with respect to the ambient temperature Ta when the initial voltage Vi is applied to the ultrasonic probe 1b for a sufficiently long time and the surface temperature is saturated. The ambient temperature Ta is the ambient temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b, and is the ambient temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b detected by the temperature sensor 121 when the driving voltage 0 [V] is applied to the ultrasonic probe 1b. The surface temperature.

The voltage calculation unit 132 calculates the transmission voltage Vt according to the target temperature Tt, the initial voltage Vi, and the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs from the prediction unit 131, and outputs the transmission voltage Vt to the transmission unit 102 or the voltage switching unit 134 for transmission. The transmission voltage Vt is stored in the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109 in association with the conditions (diagnosis mode, measurement condition, probe information).

When at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed and the changed diagnostic mode, measurement condition, and probe information condition are not stored in the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109, the voltage switching unit 133 The transmission voltage Vt of the drive signal before the change to the ultrasonic probe 1b is set as the initial voltage Vi. When at least one of the diagnosis mode and the measurement condition is changed and the changed diagnosis mode, measurement condition, and probe information condition are stored in the transmission voltage table 400, the voltage switching unit 134 changes the diagnosis. The transmission voltage Vt corresponding to the mode, the measurement condition, and the probe information is read from the transmission voltage table 400 and directly output to the transmission unit 102 for setting.

The storage unit 109 is composed of, for example, a large-capacity recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and the ultrasonic image data generated by the image processing unit 105, the temperature data 200, the time constant table 300, the transmission voltage. The table 400 and the like are stored.

The temperature data 200 is the ambient temperature Ta as the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 121.

The time constant table 300 is a table that stores the time constant T of the surface temperature rise of the ultrasonic probe 1b in association with the conditions of the ultrasonic probe 1b (probe information), diagnostic mode, and measurement conditions. is there.

Here, the time constant will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a thermal image of the surface temperature of the convex scanning ultrasonic probe 1b in the B mode. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing surface temperature characteristics in the azimuth direction of the convex scanning ultrasonic probe 1b in the B mode. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a thermal image of the surface temperature in the B mode of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe 1b. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the surface temperature characteristics in the azimuth direction of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe 1b in the B mode. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a thermal image of the surface temperature of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe 1b in the color Doppler mode. FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the surface temperature characteristic in the azimuth direction of the linear scanning ultrasonic probe 1b in the color Doppler mode. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the time characteristics of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b under the conditions 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the time constant table 300.

The time constant T indicates the time required for the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b to reach a temperature of about 62.3% of the saturation temperature Ts, with the saturation temperature Ts applied with a predetermined drive voltage being 100%. For example, as the first condition, consider the surface temperature characteristic of the ultrasonic probe 1b to which the transmission voltage is applied when the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b is the convex scanning method and the diagnostic mode is the B mode. The thermal image of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b under the condition 1 has, for example, the distribution shown in FIG. In FIG. 3A, the horizontal direction is the azimuth direction and the vertical direction is the thickness direction of the ultrasonic probe 1b. The higher the temperature, the whiter the image appears, and the lower the temperature, the blacker the image appears. ) And FIG. 5A are the same. The surface temperature characteristic in the azimuth direction of the ultrasonic probe 1b under the condition 1 is, for example, the characteristic shown in FIG. In FIG. 3B, the horizontal axis represents the data number of the transducer 122 of the ultrasonic probe 1b, the vertical axis represents the surface temperature [° C.] of the ultrasonic probe 1b, and FIG. The same applies to FIG. 5(b).

Similarly, as the second condition, a thermal image of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b to which the transmission voltage is applied when the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b is the linear scanning system and the diagnostic mode is the B mode. The temperature characteristics in the azimuth direction are as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), for example. As a third condition, the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b is a linear scanning system, and a thermal image of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b to which a transmission voltage is applied when the diagnostic mode is the color Doppler mode, the orientation The temperature characteristics in the directions are as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, for example.

Under the condition 1, the heating area of the ultrasonic probe 1b is large, and the central element (vibrator 122) is easily affected by the temperature of surrounding elements. Under the condition 3, the heating area of the ultrasonic probe 1b is small, and the central element (vibrator 122) is less likely to be affected by the temperature of surrounding elements. The condition 2 has characteristics between the condition 1 and the condition 3.

In FIG. 6, the time characteristic of the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b under the condition 1 is represented by a broken line, the time characteristic of the surface temperature under the condition 2 is represented by a dashed line, and the curve of the condition 3 is represented by a solid line. It is expressed by. As described above, the temperature distribution varies depending on the probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition, and thus the easiness of temperature rise varies depending on time. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in condition 1, the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b gradually rises with time, and in condition 3, the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b rises with time. It rises sharply, and under the condition 2, the rising characteristic is between the condition 1 and the condition 3. As described above, since it varies depending on the condition, it can be expressed by the time constant T, and the time constant T becomes smaller in the order of condition 1, condition 2, and condition 3.

The time constant table corresponding to the conditions 1, 2, and 3 is, for example, the time constant table 300 shown in FIG. 7. The time constant table 300 has fields for an ultrasonic probe 310, a diagnostic mode 320, a PRF 330, an element aperture 340, and a time constant 350. The ultrasonic probe 310 is information indicating the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b. The diagnostic mode 320 is information indicating the diagnostic mode. The PRF 330 is information indicating PRF [kHz]. The element opening 340 is the number of channels of the transducer 122 that is continuous in the element opening portion of the ultrasonic probe 1b. The time constant 350 is a time constant corresponding to the conditions of the ultrasonic probe 310, the diagnostic mode 320, the PRF 330, and the element aperture 340.

The transmission voltage table 400 is a table that stores the value of the transmission voltage actually set in the ultrasonic probe 1b in association with the conditions of the ultrasonic probe 1b (probe information), diagnostic mode, and measurement conditions. Is.

Regarding each unit included in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, some or all of the functions of each functional block can be realized as a hardware circuit such as an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is, for example, an LSI (Large Scale Integration), and the LSI may be called an IC (Integrated Circuit), a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI depending on the degree of integration. Further, the method of circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and it may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor, and connections and settings of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and circuit cells inside the LSI can be reconfigured. A reconfigurable processor may be used. Further, some or all of the functions of each functional block may be executed by software. In this case, this software is stored in a storage medium such as one or more ROMs, an optical disk, a hard disk, or the like, and this software is executed by the arithmetic processing unit.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the transmission voltage setting process. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe 1b. FIG. 9B is an enlarged view near the origin of the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe 1b of FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs and the square of the voltage. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the transmission voltage updating process. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe 1b when the conditions are changed. FIG. 12B is an enlarged view near the intercept of the time characteristic of the temperature rise value of the ultrasonic probe 1b of FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs and the square of the voltage.

The transmission voltage setting process executed by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. The transmission voltage setting process is a process of setting the transmission voltage for optimizing the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, before performing ultrasonic diagnosis for displaying an ultrasonic image of a subject, for example, using the power of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 being turned on by an operator (doctor, technician, etc.) as a trigger, The control unit 108 executes the transmission voltage setting process according to the transmission voltage setting program stored in the ROM.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, first, the prediction unit 131 sets the drive voltage=0 [V] in the transmission unit 102 via the voltage calculation unit 132, acquires the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 121, and acquires the temperature information. The temperature information is set as the ambient temperature Ta, and the ambient temperature Ta is stored in the temperature data 200 of the storage unit 109 (step S11). Then, the prediction unit 131 acquires and sets the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt (step S12). In step S12, for example, the default initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt are stored in the storage unit 109, and the prediction unit 131 stores the default initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt from the storage unit 109. Read and set. Further, in step S12, the prediction unit 131 may receive and set the input of the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt from the operator via the operation input unit 101.

Then, the prediction unit 131 receives and sets the input of the diagnostic mode such as the B mode and the measurement conditions (PRF, element aperture) from the operator via the operation input unit 101 (step S13).

Then, the prediction unit 131 acquires the probe information indicating the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b being connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a from the probe information storage unit 123 (step S14). Then, the prediction unit 131 uses the diagnostic mode and measurement conditions (diagnostic mode 320, PRF330, element aperture 340) input in step S13 and the probe information (ultrasonic probe 310) acquired in step S14. The corresponding time constant (time constant 350) is read from the time constant table 300 stored in the storage unit 109 and determined (step S15).

Then, the predicting unit 131 acquires the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 121, sets the acquired temperature information as the current temperature Tc, and sets it in the transmitting unit 102 via the voltage calculating unit 132 in the immediately preceding step S12 or S18. The initial voltage Vi is set. In addition, the prediction unit 131 acquires and acquires the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 121 when the elapsed time t1 set in step S12 has elapsed from the application of the set initial voltage Vi to the ultrasonic probe 1b. The temperature information is set as the temperature Td at the elapsed time t1, the current temperature increase value ΔTc and the temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1 are calculated, and the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is calculated and predicted (step S16). The current temperature increase value ΔTc is the current temperature Tc (difference) with respect to the ambient temperature Ta. The temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1 is the temperature Td (difference) at the elapsed time t1 with respect to the ambient temperature Ta.

In step S16, the prediction unit 131 uses the ambient temperature Ta [°C], the current temperature Tc [°C], and the temperature Td [°C] at the elapsed time t1 calculated in step S11, and the following equation (0) is used. Thus, the current temperature increase value ΔTc [°C] and the temperature increase value ΔTd [°C] at the elapsed time t1 are calculated.
ΔT=T1-Ta (T1=Tc, Td, Tt) (0)

ただし、ΔＴｓ＜０の場合、ΔＴｓ＝０とする。 In addition, the prediction unit 131 determines the elapsed time t1 [s] input in step S12, the calculated current temperature increase value ΔTc [°C], the temperature increase value ΔTd [°C] at the elapsed time t1, and step S15. The saturated temperature increase value ΔTs [° C.] is calculated by the following equation (1) using the time constant [s].

However, when ΔTs<0, ΔTs=0.

As a specific example, as shown in the time [s] characteristic of the temperature rise value [° C.] of the ultrasonic probe 1b after the application of the initial voltage in FIG. 9A, the saturation temperature rise value=16.5[ C.] (broken line), saturation temperature rise value=20[.degree. C.] (dashed line), saturation temperature rise value=23.5[.degree. C.] (solid line). An enlarged view near the origin of the diagram of FIG. 9A is shown in FIG. 9B. For example, as shown in FIG. 9B, the current temperature Tc=23.0[° C.], the ambient temperature Ta=23.0[° C.], the initial voltage Vi=50[V], and the initial voltage Vi is applied. When the temperature increase value ΔTd=2.5 [° C.] at the elapsed time t1=10 [s], the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.] is calculated and can be predicted.

Then, the prediction unit 131 determines whether or not the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs calculated in step S16 is lower than a predetermined threshold value (for example, lower than 0.5 [° C.]) (step S17). When the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is lower than the predetermined threshold value (step S17; YES), the prediction unit 131 increases the initial voltage Vi by a predetermined amount (step S18), and proceeds to step S16. The predetermined amount is a voltage value set in advance, but the predetermined amount may be set according to the input from the operator via the operation input unit 101.

When the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is not lower than the predetermined threshold value (step S17; NO), the prediction unit 131 determines the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs to be the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs calculated in the immediately preceding step S16 (step S17). S19). Then, the voltage calculation unit 132 calculates the target temperature increase value ΔTt by the formula (0) using the target temperature Tt set in step S12, and calculates the calculated target temperature increase value ΔTt, the immediately preceding initial voltage Vi, and the step. Using the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs determined in S19, the transmission voltage Vt is calculated by the following equation (2) (step S20).

The target temperature increase value ΔTt is the target temperature Tt (difference) with respect to the ambient temperature Ta. Further, the expression (2) utilizes that the relationship between the temperature rise value and the voltage is proportional to the square of the voltage.

In step S20, specifically, it is assumed that there is a voltage ² [V ² ] characteristic of the temperature rise value [° C.] of the ultrasonic probe 1b after application of the initial voltage in FIG. For example, when the initial voltage Vi=50 [V] and the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.], the transmission voltage Vt of the target temperature increase value ΔTt=23.5 [° C.] is as shown in FIG. When the voltage Vi ² =2500 [V ² ] (initial voltage Vi=50 [V]), the saturation temperature rise value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.], so the target temperature rise value ΔTt=23.5 [° C.] Becomes a transmission voltage Vt ² =3561 [V ² ], and a transmission voltage Vt=59.7 [V] is obtained.

Then, the voltage calculation unit 132 determines the transmission voltage to be set to the transmission voltage Vt calculated in step S20, and sets the determined transmission voltage Vt in the transmission unit 102. Further, the voltage calculation unit 132 stores the transmission voltage Vt in the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109 in association with the diagnostic mode acquired in step S13, the measurement condition, and the probe information acquired in step S14. (Step S21), the transmission voltage setting process ends.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, a transmission voltage updating process executed by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 will be described. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, after the transmission voltage setting process, an ultrasonic image of the subject is generated using the ultrasonic probe 1b and the transmission voltage Vt of the set diagnostic mode, measurement condition, and probe information. Then, the ultrasonic diagnostic processing for displaying on the display unit 107 is performed. The transmission voltage update process is a process of updating the transmission voltage when at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed in the ultrasonic diagnostic process after the transmission voltage setting process. When the type (probe information) of the ultrasonic probe 1b is changed, the processing of FIG. 8 is performed.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, for example, the control unit 108 uses the reception of at least one input of the changed diagnostic mode and the measurement condition from the operator via the operation input unit 101 as a trigger, and the control unit 108 transmits the data stored in the ROM. The transmission voltage updating process is executed according to the voltage updating program. In this way, at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed.

As shown in FIG. 11, first, the voltage switching units 133 and 134 set the input changed diagnosis mode and/or measurement condition (step S31). Then, the voltage switching units 133 and 134 acquire probe information indicating the type of the ultrasonic probe 1b being connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1a from the probe information storage unit 123 (step S32). .. In step S32, it is necessary to acquire probe information in order to determine whether the conditions are the same as in step S33. Then, the voltage switching units 133 and 134 refer to the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109 to determine whether or not the changed diagnostic mode, measurement condition, and the same condition as the probe information are stored ( Step S33).

When the same condition is not stored (step S33; NO), the voltage switching unit 133 acquires the transmission voltage currently set from the transmission unit 102 and outputs it as the initial voltage Vi to the prediction unit 131, and the prediction unit 131. Sets the initial voltage Vi input from the voltage switching unit 133, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt, as in step S12 of the transmission voltage setting process (step S34). Steps S35 to S39 are the same as steps S15 to S19 of the transmission voltage setting process.

As a specific example of step S36, as shown in the time [s] characteristic of the temperature rise value [° C.] of the ultrasonic probe 1b after application of the initial voltage in FIG. It is assumed that there are 0.5 [° C.] (broken line), saturation temperature rise value=13 [° C.] (dashed line), and saturation temperature rise value=16.5 [° C.] (solid line). An enlarged view near the section of the diagram of FIG. 12( a) is shown in FIG. 12( b ). For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, the current temperature rise value ΔTc=23.5 [° C.], the initial voltage Vi=the current voltage 59.7 [V], and the elapsed time t1=10[ after the initial voltage Vi is applied. When the temperature increase value ΔTd=22.8 [° C.] in [s], the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.] is calculated and can be predicted.

Step S40 is the same process as step S20 of the transmission voltage setting process, but the prediction unit 131 reads the ambient temperature Ta from the temperature data 200 of the storage unit 109 and uses it. Note that in step S40, the ambient temperature Ta may be newly acquired again, as in step S11 of the transmission voltage setting process. In step S40, specifically, it is assumed that there is a voltage ² [V ² ] characteristic of the temperature rise value [° C.] of the ultrasonic probe 1b after application of the initial voltage in FIG. For example, the transmission voltage Vt of the target temperature increase value ΔTt=23.5 [° C.] when the initial voltage Vi=59.7 [V] and the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.] is obtained from FIG. , And the initial voltage Vi ² =3561 [V ² ] (initial voltage Vi=59.7 [V]), the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs=16.5 [° C.], so the target temperature increase value ΔTt=23. At 5[° C.], the transmission voltage Vt ² =5076 [V ² ] and the transmission voltage Vt=71.2 [V] is obtained.

Then, the voltage calculation unit 132 determines the updated transmission voltage to be set to the transmission voltage Vt calculated in step S40, sets the determined transmission voltage Vt in the transmission unit 102 via the voltage switching unit 134, The determined transmission voltage Vt is stored in the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109 in association with the diagnostic mode input in step S31, the measurement conditions, and the probe information acquired in step S32 (step S41), and then transmitted. The voltage update process ends. In step S41, when the same condition is not stored, the voltage switching unit 134 switches the transmission voltage to be set to the transmission voltage Vt input from the voltage calculation unit 132, and the input transmission voltage Vt is transmitted. Output to 102.

When the same condition is stored (step S33; YES), the voltage switching unit 134 stores the transmission voltage of the same condition as the changed diagnostic mode, measurement condition, and probe information in the transmission voltage table of the storage unit 109. It is read from 400 (step S42). Then, the voltage switching unit 134 switches and determines the transmission voltage to be set to the transmission voltage Vt read in step S42, sets the determined transmission voltage Vt in the transmission unit 102 (step S43), and performs the transmission voltage update process. To finish.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the ultrasonic probe 1b is applied with a drive voltage and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. The prediction unit 131 calculates a saturation temperature increase value ΔTs indicating the saturation temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe 1b with respect to the ambient temperature Ta when the initial voltage Vi is applied to the ultrasonic probe 1b. The voltage calculation unit 132 is based on the calculated saturation temperature increase value ΔTs at the initial voltage Vi, the initial voltage Vi, and the target temperature increase value ΔTt indicating the target temperature Tt of the surface of the ultrasonic probe 1b with respect to the ambient temperature Ta. , And calculates and sets the transmission voltage Vt, which is a drive voltage for saturating to the target temperature Tt.

Therefore, the transmission voltage Vt that saturates the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b to the target temperature Tt can be calculated and acquired in a short time. Further, by applying the transmission voltage Vt to the ultrasonic probe 1b without changing it, the surface temperature is stable without exceeding the target temperature Tt, and the sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe 1b can be made high and stable.

Also, the ultrasonic probe 1b can be exchanged and connected. The prediction unit 131 refers to the time constant table 300, and acquires the probe information of the connected ultrasonic probe 1b, the diagnostic mode, and the time constant T corresponding to the measurement condition. The predicting unit 131 includes a time constant T, a current temperature increase value ΔTc indicating the current temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe 1b with respect to the ambient temperature Ta, a predetermined elapsed time t1 from the application of the initial voltage Vi, and the ambient temperature Ta. The saturated temperature increase value ΔTs is calculated using the temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1 indicating the temperature Td at the elapsed time t1 with respect to Therefore, the appropriate saturation temperature increase value ΔTs can be calculated by using the probe information of the connected ultrasonic probe 1b, the diagnostic mode, and the appropriate time constant corresponding to the measurement conditions.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 also includes an operation input unit 101 that receives inputs of the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt. The predicting unit 131 calculates the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs using the input initial voltage Vi and elapsed time t1. The voltage calculator 132 calculates the transmission voltage Vt using the input target temperature Tt. Therefore, the operator can freely set the initial voltage Vi, the elapsed time t1, and the target temperature Tt.

Further, the prediction unit 131 calculates the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs by the formula (1) using the time constant T, the current temperature increase value ΔTc, the elapsed time t1, and the temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1. To do. Therefore, the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs can be calculated easily and in a short time.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a temperature sensor 121 that detects the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 1b. The prediction unit 131 acquires the ambient temperature Ta, the current temperature Tc, and the temperature Td at the elapsed time t1 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 121. Therefore, the ambient temperature Ta, the current temperature Tc, and the temperature Td at the elapsed time t1 can be easily and accurately acquired.

The predicting unit 131 also determines whether or not the calculated saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is lower than a predetermined value. It is applied to the child 1b to recalculate the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs. Therefore, the surface temperature at the elapsed time t1 after the application of the initial voltage Vi to the ultrasonic probe 1b is likely to rise, and the saturation temperature rise value ΔTs can be easily calculated and predicted.

Further, the voltage calculation unit 132 calculates the transmission voltage Vt by the equation (2) using the initial voltage Vi, the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs, and the target temperature increase value ΔTt. Therefore, the transmission voltage Vt can be calculated easily and in a short time.

Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a voltage switching unit 133 that sets the value of the drive voltage immediately before the change to the changed initial voltage Vi when at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed. Therefore, when at least one of the probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition of the connected ultrasonic probe is changed, the changed initial voltage Vi is used to easily and appropriately set the transmission voltage Vt. Can be calculated.

Further, the voltage calculation unit 132 stores the calculated transmission voltage Vt in the transmission voltage table 400 of the storage unit 109 in association with the probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition of the connected ultrasonic probe 1b. .. The voltage switching unit 134 refers to the transmission voltage table 400 when at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed, and determines whether the changed probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition are stored. If it is determined and the condition is stored, the transmission voltage Vt corresponding to the changed probe information, diagnostic mode, and measurement condition is read from the transmission voltage table 400 and set. Therefore, the past transmission voltage Vt can be used, and the burden on the control unit 108 (the prediction unit 131 and the voltage calculation unit 132) for calculating the transmission voltage Vt can be reduced.

Note that the description in the above embodiment is an example of a suitable ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Further, in the above embodiment, the ambient temperature Ta is set to be constant, but the present invention is not limited to this. The ambient temperature Ta may change with time. Therefore, for example, when the diagnosis is interrupted for a long time, or when the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe is completely lowered after being frozen for a long time, the temperature is acquired by the temperature sensor 121, and the acquired temperature is acquired. Alternatively, the ambient temperature Ta may be updated.

Further, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each part constituting the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 in the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device 1a Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device Main Body 101 Operation Input Unit 102 Transmission Unit 103 Reception Unit 104 Image Generation Unit 105 Image Processing Unit 106 DSC
107 display unit 108 control unit 131 prediction unit 132 voltage calculation unit 133 voltage switching unit 134 voltage switching unit 109 storage unit 1b ultrasonic probe 1c cable

Claims (10)

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic probe to which a driving voltage is applied and which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves,
A saturation temperature increase value calculation unit that calculates a saturation temperature increase value indicating a saturation temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to ambient temperature when a first voltage is applied to the ultrasonic probe;
Based on the calculated saturation temperature increase value at the first voltage, the value of the first voltage, and the target temperature increase value indicating the target temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the ambient temperature, An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a voltage calculator that calculates and sets a value of a second voltage that is a value of a drive voltage for saturating to a target temperature. The ultrasonic probe can be exchanged and connected,
The saturation temperature rise value calculation unit refers to the probe information indicating the type of the ultrasound probe, the diagnostic mode, and the time constant table having a time constant corresponding to at least one of the measurement conditions, and refers to the connection. Acquires the probe information of the ultrasonic probe, the time constant corresponding to the diagnostic mode and the measurement conditions, and indicates the current temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the time constant and the ambient temperature. A current temperature rise value, a predetermined elapsed time from the first voltage application, and a temperature rise value at the elapsed time indicating the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe when the elapsed time with respect to the ambient temperature has elapsed. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the saturation temperature increase value is calculated by using. An operation input unit that receives inputs of the value of the first voltage, the elapsed time, and the target temperature is provided.
The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit calculates the saturation temperature increase value using the value of the input first voltage and the elapsed time,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the voltage calculation unit calculates the value of the second voltage using the input target temperature. The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit uses the time constant T, the current temperature increase value ΔTc, the elapsed time t1, and the temperature increase value ΔTd at the elapsed time t1 according to the following equation (1). The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs is calculated.

A temperature detector for detecting the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe,
The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit acquires the ambient temperature, the current temperature, and the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe at the elapsed time based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of 1. The saturation temperature increase value calculation unit determines whether or not the calculated saturation temperature increase value is lower than a predetermined value, and when it is lower, increases the value of the first voltage by a predetermined amount and increases the first voltage. Is applied to the ultrasonic probe to recalculate the saturation temperature increase value. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1. The voltage calculator uses the first voltage value Vi, the saturation temperature increase value ΔTs, and the target temperature increase value ΔTt to calculate the second voltage value Vt according to the following equation (2). The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:

Any one of claims 1 to 7 further comprising: a first voltage switching unit that sets the value of the drive voltage immediately before the change to the value of the first voltage after the change when at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1. The voltage calculation unit stores the calculated value of the second voltage in the storage unit in association with the probe information, the diagnostic mode, and the measurement condition of the connected ultrasonic probe,
When at least one of the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition is changed, the storage unit is referenced to determine whether the changed probe information, the diagnostic mode and the measurement condition are stored in the storage unit, The second voltage switching unit that reads out and sets the value of the second voltage corresponding to the changed probe information, the diagnosis mode, and the measurement condition when the second voltage switching unit is stored. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to item 1. A computer of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with an ultrasonic probe to which a driving voltage is applied and which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves,
A saturation temperature increase value calculation unit that calculates a saturation temperature increase value indicating a saturation temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to an ambient temperature when a first voltage is applied to the ultrasonic probe,
Based on the calculated saturation temperature increase value at the first voltage, the value of the first voltage, and the target temperature increase value indicating the target temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the ambient temperature, A voltage calculation unit that calculates and sets the value of the second voltage that is the value of the drive voltage for saturating to the target temperature,
Program to function as.

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