JP6929665B2 - Probe adapter, ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to probe adapters, ultrasonic probes, and ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus radiates an ultrasonic pulse or an ultrasonic continuous wave into the subject, converts the ultrasonic reflection generated by the difference in acoustic impedance of the subject tissue into an electric signal by a vibrator, and converts the ultrasonic reflection into an electric signal in the subject. It collects information non-invasively. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the vibrator responsible for radiating and receiving ultrasonic pulses and continuous ultrasonic waves is built in the ultrasonic probe.

In medical examinations using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, various moving image data and real-time image data can be easily collected by bringing the ultrasonic probe into contact with the body surface of the subject. For this reason, ultrasonic diagnostic equipment is widely used for diagnosing the shape and properties of abnormal sites such as tumors, or for grasping blood flow dynamics.

For example, in a biopsy test, while imaging the inside of a subject in real time with an ultrasonic diagnostic device, a living tissue including an abnormal tissue such as a tumor is collected with a puncture needle inserted into the living body, and cells contained in the collected living tissue. Inspect. In the biopsy test, the puncture position is carefully identified to ensure that the puncture needle is inserted into the living tissue including the tumor. Therefore, when performing a biopsy test, the puncture position may be specified while observing the position of the tumor with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in advance, and the skin surface of the subject may be marked with a medical marker or the like.

In addition to the biopsy examination, when excising a tumor, the position of the tumor may be marked on the skin surface of the subject by preoperative imaging using an ultrasonic diagnostic device. Further, in an operation called percutaneous angioplasty, the traveling state of a blood vessel may be confirmed by imaging with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus before the operation, and the traveling state of the blood vessel may be marked on the skin surface of a subject.

In addition, it is difficult for the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to reproduce the imaging of the same region in the subject without marking when compared with other modality such as the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. In imaging using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, if the movement locus of the ultrasonic probe is marked on the skin surface of the subject, the same region can be imaged again with good reproducibility. When it is desired to display the abnormal part identified by the examination again at the time of surgery, the imaged part can be easily reproduced by the marking applied at the time of the examination.

Here, a user such as a doctor marks the skin surface of the subject while imaging the inside of the subject with an ultrasonic probe. Then, when marking the skin surface of the subject as an object using the medical marker, the user holds the ultrasonic probe and the medical marker with both hands, and performs different operations with both hands. When marking is performed with the opposite hand to the dominant hand, the operability, marking efficiency, and marking accuracy of the ultrasonic probe are reduced.

Japanese Patent No. 5337782

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a probe adapter, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which the ultrasonic probe can be operated with one hand at the time of marking and the efficiency and marking accuracy of the marking work are improved. It is to be.

The probe adapter of one embodiment has a case that is detachably attached to the ultrasonic probe and a case that is attached to the ultrasonic probe and is arranged at a predetermined position in the array direction of the ultrasonic probe. It includes a marker that marks the surface of the object with which the ultrasonic probe is in contact, and a wiper that removes the ultrasonic mediator applied to the surface of the object.

The conceptual block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The plan view of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram of the oscillator row of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the use example of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The conceptual block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the use example of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 5th Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the use example of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 5th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 6th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on the modification of the wiper in 6th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 7th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 8th Embodiment. The conceptual block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 9th Embodiment. The plan view of the probe adapter which concerns on 9th Embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 9th Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a conceptual block diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a tenth embodiment. The schematic bottom view of the probe adapter which concerns on tenth embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on tenth embodiment. The first schematic diagram of the ultrasonic image which concerns on tenth embodiment. A second schematic view of the ultrasonic image according to the tenth embodiment. The conceptual block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on eleventh embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on eleventh embodiment. The schematic diagram explaining the blood vessel identification method of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on eleventh embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the probe adapter, the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment relates to an ultrasonic probe provided with a marker for marking the skin surface of a subject, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes an ultrasonic probe 1, a main body apparatus 10, a monitor 4, an input device 5, an external storage device 6, and a communication control device 7.

The ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of vibrators. The vibrator converts the transmitted wave as an electric signal output from the main body device 10 into an ultrasonic transmitted wave, and applies the ultrasonic transmitted wave to the subject. Further, the vibrator converts the ultrasonic signal reflected from the subject into a received signal as an electric signal and transmits it to the main body device 10. The ultrasonic probe 1 can be attached to and detached from the main body device 10 by a probe cable and a connector.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic probe 1 of the first embodiment further has a marker. The marker marks the skin surface of the subject using, for example, an ink for the skin, a sticking material that adheres to the skin of the subject with an adhesive or the like. The ultrasonic probe 1 provided with the marker will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The ultrasonic probe 1 may be a one-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of vibrators are linearly arranged, or a two-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of vibrators are arranged in a plane. Further, the ultrasonic probe 1 may be a mechanical scanning type probe in which the vibrator is mechanically moved by a motor or the like. For example, it may be a mechanical probe that mechanically swings a one-dimensional array structure in which oscillators are linearly arranged by a motor in a direction perpendicular to the array direction to acquire in-vivo information in a three-dimensional space.

The monitor 4 is a display device composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel or the like. The monitor 4 displays various ultrasonic images generated by the image generation circuit 14, and also displays data and information related to the user interface.

The input device 5 is a user-operated device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, or a trackball. When the monitor 4 includes a touch panel, this touch panel is also included in the input device 5.

The external storage device 6 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory (Flash Memory), a hard disk, an optical disk, or the like. The external storage device 6 may be configured as a detachable circuit of a portable medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and a DVD (Digital Video Disk).

The communication control device 7 implements various communication protocols according to the network form. Here, the electronic network 18 means an entire information communication network using telecommunications technology, and in addition to a hospital backbone LAN, wireless / wired LAN, and Internet network, a telephone communication line network, an optical fiber communication network, and a cable communication network. And satellite communication networks, etc. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 can send and receive image data to and from an external storage device such as an image server via an electronic network 18.

The main body device 10 includes a transmission / reception circuit 11, a B mode processing circuit 12, a Doppler mode processing circuit 13, an image generation circuit 14, a control circuit 15, an internal storage device 16, and a temporary storage device 17. The control circuit 15 is interconnected to each hardware component constituting the main unit 10 via a bus 19 as a common signal transmission line.

The transmission / reception circuit 11 generates a transmission wave, amplifies the transmission wave to a predetermined voltage, and then supplies the amplified transmission wave to each vibrator of the ultrasonic probe 1.

Further, the transmission / reception circuit 11 generates a reception signal based on the reflected wave from the subject detected by each vibrator. The transmission / reception circuit 11 includes a preamplifier, an analog-digital converter, a reception delay circuit, and an adder (not shown).

The preamplifier amplifies the received signal output from each vibrator of the ultrasonic probe 1 to a predetermined voltage. The analog-to-digital converter converts the amplified received signal into a digital quantity. The reception delay circuit delays the received signal converted into a digital amount by a delay amount different for each oscillator. The delay amount is calculated based on information such as the scanning direction and the receiving focal position of the received ultrasonic beam instructed by the control circuit 15. The adder phase-aligns and adds the received signals delayed by a different delay amount for each oscillator. The received signal that has been phase-aligned is called scanline data.

Since the reception delay circuit and the adder form a reception beam pointing in a predetermined direction, the reception delay circuit and the adder may be collectively referred to as a beam former. Further, the output signal of the adder can also be said to be a received signal received by the formed receiving beam.

The B mode processing circuit 12 is a circuit that operates when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is set to the B mode, and the amplitude of the reflected wave is obtained by performing signal processing such as amplitude detection and logarithmic compression on the scan line data. Get information.

The Doppler mode processing circuit 13 is a circuit that operates when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is set to the Doppler mode. The Doppler mode processing circuit 13 acquires velocity information of a fluid such as blood flow in a designated direction or position by performing signal processing such as Fourier transform on the scan line data. In particular, in the color Doppler mode, the Doppler mode processing circuit 13 applies signal processing such as an MTI (Moving Target Indicator) filter and autocorrelation to the received signal to add the fluid velocity information and the average value of the velocity such as blood flow. And get information about distribution and power information.

The scan line data image-processed by the B-mode processing circuit 12 or the Doppler-mode processing circuit 13 is called frame data. The frame data is temporarily stored in the frame memory storage area of the temporary storage device 17, for example. The frame memory storage area may be provided in the internal storage device 16, or may be separately provided as a circuit dedicated to the frame memory storage area.

The image generation circuit 14 scan-converts the frame data image-processed according to the operation mode such as the B mode or the Doppler mode according to the beam direction and the distance (depth). The image generation circuit 14 generates display data to be displayed on the monitor 4, that is, an ultrasonic image, by performing predetermined image processing on the frame data after scan conversion.

Here, if the original data for one ultrasonic image is defined as one frame data, a number of frame data corresponding to the frame rate are sequentially generated in chronological order. Therefore, the image generation circuit 14 updates the ultrasonic image displayed on the monitor 4 in real time by performing image processing on the number of frame data corresponding to the frame rate per unit time.

The control circuit 15 includes a processor, and the processor executes a predetermined program stored in the internal storage device 16 to control the operation of the main body device 10 as a whole.

The above processors include a dedicated or general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device, and field programmable gate array (FPGA: Field). It means a circuit such as Programmable Gate Array). Examples of the programmable logic device include a simple programmable logic device (SPLD: Simple Programmable Logic Device) and a compound programmable logic device (CPLD: Complex Programmable Logic Device). The control circuit 15 realizes each function by reading and executing a program stored in the internal storage device 16 or a program directly incorporated in the processor of the control circuit 15.

Further, the control circuit 15 may be composed of a single processor or a combination of a plurality of independent processors. In the latter case, a plurality of storage circuits corresponding to the plurality of processors may be provided, and the program executed by each processor may be stored in the storage circuit corresponding to the processor. As another example, one storage circuit may collectively store programs corresponding to each function of a plurality of processors.

The internal storage device 16 and the temporary storage device 17 are composed of, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a flash memory (Flash Memory), a hard disk, an optical disk, and the like.

The internal storage device 16 stores data and image data necessary for executing various programs executed in the control circuit 15.

The ultrasonic probe 1 provided with the marker according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment. The ultrasonic probe 1 of FIG. 2 shows an example of a one-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of vibrators are linearly arranged.

In the following description, the plane perpendicular to the array direction of the ultrasonic probe 1, that is, the plane in the front direction of the paper surface of the ultrasonic probe 1 in FIG. 2A is referred to as the "front surface" of the ultrasonic probe 1. Further, a surface perpendicular to the elevation direction, that is, a surface in the lateral direction of the paper surface of the ultrasonic probe 1 in FIG. 2A is referred to as a "side surface" of the ultrasonic probe 1.

FIG. 2A is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1, FIG. 2B is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1, and FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1.

The marker MA of the ultrasonic probe 1 of FIG. 2A includes a button 1c and an ink tank 1e. The ultrasonic probe 1 is connected to the main body device 10 by the probe cable 1d. The probe head 1a is a bottom surface portion of the ultrasonic probe 1 that comes into contact with the skin surface of the subject, and is made of a flexible material such as silicone in order to protect the skin of the subject.

In the example of FIG. 2A, the marker MA is provided integrally with the ultrasonic probe 1 in the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the ink ejection port 1b is provided in the same plane as the probe head 1a so as to come into contact with the surface of the subject. In such a configuration of the marker MA, when the button 1c is pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 2B, the pressure in the ink tank 1e rises, and the ink ejection port 1b reaches the skin surface of the subject. Ink is applied. The arrow b in FIG. 2B indicates the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe 1 at the time of marking. A user such as a doctor can apply ink to the skin surface of the subject by pressing the button 1c at the position to be marked while sliding the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of the arrow b.

Note that FIG. 2 shows an example in which the button 1c is provided on the upper part of the ink tank 1e. However, the button 1c may be provided in the ink tank 1e, and its position is not limited to the aspect shown in FIG. For example, the button 1c may be provided at a position where the user can easily press the ultrasonic probe 1 when the ultrasonic probe 1 is gripped and operated. Further, FIG. 2B shows an example in which the ink tank 1e is provided so as to protrude from the ultrasonic probe 1, but the ink tank 1e is housed inside the housing of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the button 1c is an ultrasonic wave. It may be configured to be provided on the housing surface of the probe 1.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the ink ejection port 1b is provided in the plane of the probe head 1a so as to come into contact with the skin surface of the subject. FIG. 2C shows an example in which a notch region 1f is provided in a part of the probe head 1a in order to bring the ink ejection port 1b into contact with the skin surface of the subject.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the vibrator row of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 in which the vibrator row of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment is observed from the probe head 1a side.

In the housing of the ultrasonic probe 1, a plurality of vibrators 1g are arranged in the array direction (azimuth direction). In the example of FIG. 3, 14 oscillators are arranged in the array direction, and the two oscillators in the center have lengths in the direction perpendicular to the array direction as long as they do not affect the image. It is constructed shorter than. This point is one of the features of the first embodiment. With this configuration, the ultrasonic probe 1 is provided with a notch region 1f shown by a broken line in FIG. In the first embodiment, the probe and the marking, which are the configurations for imaging, are cleverly integrated by the epoch-making configuration in which the ink ejection port 1b is provided in the notch region 1f. With the above configuration, it is possible to mark the skin surface which is the outer edge of the cross section of the subject observed in real time in the ultrasonic image.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a usage example of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a case where the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in the direction of arrow b on the skin surface of the arm of the subject Q. For example, when the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved to the upper arm side of the subject Q in the direction of the arrow b in FIG. 4, that is, in the direction on the paper surface of FIG. 4, the skin of the subject is moved according to the movement of the ultrasonic probe 1. Ink is applied from the ink ejection port 1b. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink applied from the ink ejection port b1 becomes a locus of passage of the ink ejection port 1b provided in the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. As a result, the locus of movement of the ultrasonic probe 1 is marked on the skin surface of the arm of the subject Q.

For example, when observing the blood vessels of the arm of the subject Q in the minor axis direction, as shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic probe 1 is brought into contact with the skin surface of the subject so that the array direction is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the blood vessels. Let me use it. By imaging the blood vessel in the minor axis direction, the shape and size of the cross section of the blood vessel can be observed. In the observation of the blood vessel in the minor axis direction, for example, the area of the cross section narrowed by the narrowing of the blood vessel is obtained. The skin surface located above the narrowest position of the blood vessel can be marked to indicate where in the subject's arm the constriction is located.

As an example of the operation method, the user grasps the ultrasonic probe 1 with four fingers from the index finger of the dominant hand and sequentially moves it to the place to be imaged, and presses the button 1c with the thumb of the dominant hand. The moving work and the marking work can be performed at the same time. This work can be done comfortably with only one hand.

As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 provided with the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment, the user can move the ultrasonic probe 1 and mark the skin surface of the subject. , Can be done comfortably with one hand. It is also effective for marking when moving the ultrasonic probe 1 in the elevation direction.

Although the marking means using ink has been described in the above example, the marking means is not limited to ink. For example, the ultrasonic probe 1 may be configured so that it can be marked with a sticking material having an adhesive coated on one side, or a sticking material that exerts an adhesive force with water, ultrasonic jelly, or the like.

Further, in the first embodiment, an example in which the marker MA is integrally provided on the ultrasonic probe 1 is shown, but the marker MA may be configured to be detachably attached to the ultrasonic probe 1. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 1 may be configured to be usable with the marker MA removed from the ultrasonic probe 1. Further, a part of the marker MA may be configured to be removable. That is, the button 1c and the ink tank 1e may be configured to be removable from the marker MA. By making the marker MA removable from the ultrasonic probe 1 in this way, operations such as cleaning and sterilization become easy.

[Second Embodiment]
A second embodiment relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a probe adapter with a marker for marking the skin surface of a subject and an ultrasonic probe to which the adapter is attached.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment. The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that the ultrasonic probe 1 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the second embodiment uses a probe adapter 20 provided with a marker for marking as an ultrasonic probe. This is a point to be prepared separately from 1. The probe adapter 20 is detachably attached to the ultrasonic probe 1.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6A is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 6B is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached. c) is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the probe adapter 20 includes a case 20d for attaching to the ultrasonic probe 1 and a marker MB for marking the skin surface of the subject. The marker MB includes an ink ejection port 1a, an ink tank 20b, and a button 20c, as in the first embodiment. FIG. 6A shows an example in which the marker MB is provided at the center of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction.

Note that FIG. 6 shows an example in which the button 20c is provided on the upper portion of the ink tank 20b as in the first embodiment, but the position of the button 20c is not limited as long as it is provided on the ink tank 20b. Further, FIG. 6 shows an example in which the ink tank 20b protrudes from the adapter 20 and is provided as a pen-shaped structure as in FIG. 2, but the shape of the ink tank 20b is not limited to the aspect of FIG. For example, the case 20d and the ink tank 20b may be integrally configured.

In the marker MB having the above configuration, when the button 20c is pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 6B, the pressure in the ink tank 20b rises and the ink is applied to the skin surface of the subject from the ink ejection port 20a. Will be done. The arrow b in FIG. 6B indicates the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe 1 at the time of marking. A user such as a doctor can apply ink to the skin surface of the subject by pressing the button 20c at the position to be marked while sliding the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of the arrow b.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the ink ejection port 20a is provided along the outer frame of the probe head 1a so as to come into contact with the skin surface of the subject.

The position of the marker MB is not limited to the position of the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1, and the marker MB may be attached to the case 20d in a movable manner. For example, the marker MB may be slidably attached to the probe adapter 20 so that the ink ejection port 20a can move on a surface parallel to the skin surface of the subject. For example, when observing a tumor in the liver from below the ribs, the presence of the ribs may prevent the ultrasonic probe 1 from moving to the position where the tumor is present. Even in such a case, the position of the tumor may be marked by manually sliding only the marker MB. The marker MB may be configured to slide electrically.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment.

Further, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment, the probe adapter 20 can be easily attached to and detached from the ultrasonic probe 1. Further, by using an elastic material such as silicone or rubber for the case 20d of the probe adapter 20, the probe adapter 20 can be attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 regardless of the shape of the ultrasonic probe 1. Even if the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a conventional product, the above effect can be obtained only by attaching the probe adapter 20 of the second embodiment to the conventional ultrasonic probe, so that the manufacturing cost can be saved.

Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which the case 20d covers the outer peripheral surface of the ultrasonic probe 1, the shape and material of the case 20d have a structure in which the probe adapter 20 is securely fixed to the ultrasonic probe 1. As long as it is, the present invention is not particularly limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the case 20d may be shaped so as to sandwich both side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 1.

[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a probe adapter having a marking function on the body surface of a subject and an ultrasonic probe to which the probe adapter is attached, as in the second embodiment.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the third embodiment, the probe adapter 20 includes a medical marking pen as a marker instead of the ink ejection port, the ink tank, and the button in the second embodiment. The marking pen is detachably attached to the case 20d. Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described differently from the second embodiment, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 (a) is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 7 (b) is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached. ) Is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the third embodiment, unlike the second embodiment, the probe adapter 20 includes a marking pen 30 instead of ink as a marking means. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the marking pen 30 is provided in the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. The case 20d is provided to hold the marking pen 30. In the example of FIG. 7, the marking pen 30 can be attached and detached in a direction perpendicular to the array direction, and the case 20d is provided with a tubular structure capable of accommodating the marking pen 30.

The marking pen 30 of FIG. 7A includes an adjusting mechanism 30a composed of an elastic body such as a spring on the pen tip 30b side. The adjusting mechanism 30a is provided inside a tubular structure capable of accommodating the marking pen 30. When marking the skin surface of the subject, the adjusting mechanism 30a adjusts so that the tip of the marking pen comes into contact with the skin surface of the subject. On the other hand, when marking is not performed, the adjusting mechanism 30a adjusts the position of the tip 30b of the marking pen 30 so as to be away from the skin surface of the subject.

For example, when the marking pen 30 is pushed in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 7B, the tip 30b of the marking pen 30 comes into contact with the skin surface of the subject by the adjusting mechanism 30a. On the other hand, when the pushing of the marking pen 30 is stopped, the tip 30b of the marking pen is separated from the skin surface of the subject by the adjusting mechanism 30a.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the pen tip 30b of the marking pen 30 is provided along the outer frame of the probe head 1a so as to come into contact with the skin surface of the subject.

Although the example in which the marking pen 30 is located in front of the ultrasonic probe 1 is shown, the marking pen 30 is probed so that the tip 30b of the marking pen 30 can move on a surface parallel to the skin surface of the subject. It may be slidably attached to the adapter 20. The marking pen 30 may be configured to slide manually or may be configured to slide electrically.

Further, the adjusting mechanism 30a is configured so that when the marking pen 30 is pushed in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 7B, the tip 30b of the marking pen 30 is fixed in contact with the skin surface of the subject. You may. Further, when the marking pen is pushed in the direction of the arrow a again while the tip of the marking pen 30 is in contact with the skin surface of the subject, the tip 30b of the marking pen can be separated from the skin surface of the subject. The adjusting mechanism 30a may be configured.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the third embodiment. Further, in the third embodiment, since the probe adapter 20 includes the adjusting mechanism 30a, the marking pen can be adjusted so as to come into contact with the skin surface only at the time of marking. Further, since the marking pen is used as the marking means, the color of the ink and the thickness of the tip of the pen can be easily changed. Further, since the probe adapter 20 of the third embodiment can use a disposable marking pen, it can be easily used in a situation where a sterilized instrument such as an operation is used.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the second and third embodiments, the marker in the probe adapter 20 is arranged in front of the ultrasonic probe 1, but in the fourth embodiment, the marker is arranged in the side surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. .. Regarding the fourth embodiment, only the difference from the second embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the fourth embodiment. 8 (a) is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 8 (b) is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached. ) Is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the fourth embodiment, the probe adapter 20 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 so that the marker MC is arranged on the left side surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. The probe adapter 20 has an ink ejection port 20a, an ink tank 20b, a button 20c, and a case d.

The arrow b in FIG. 8A indicates the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe 1 at the time of marking. A user such as a doctor slides the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of the arrow b, presses the button 20c at the position to be marked, and applies ink to the skin surface of the subject.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a usage example of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a case where the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in the direction of arrow b on the skin surface of the arm of the subject Q as in FIG. When the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow b in FIG. 9, that is, toward the upper arm side of the subject Q while pressing the button 20c of the ultrasonic probe 1, the ultrasonic probe 1 is similarly to the first embodiment. The trajectory of the movement is marked.

FIG. 9 shows a case where the blood vessels of the arm are observed in the long axis direction, unlike the example of FIG. In the observation in the long axis direction, it is possible to observe how the narrowed portion of the blood vessel spreads. The start and end of the stenosis can be identified by observation in the long axis direction. For example, by marking the start and end of the stenosis, the range of the stenosis can be shown on the skin surface. Can be done.

In the fourth embodiment, an example of a marker using ink as the marking means has been described, but the marking means is not limited. It may be configured by using a magic pen or a sticking material instead of the ink. This point is the same for the fifth to eleventh embodiments.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the fourth embodiment. Further, in the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the marker MC of the probe adapter 20 is arranged on the side surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. Therefore, the fourth embodiment is effective for marking when the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in the array direction, such as when observing a blood vessel in the long axis direction.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Although the fourth embodiment shows an example in which one marker is used, the number of markers may be two or more. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the fifth embodiment, the probe adapter 20 includes two markers. Hereinafter, only the difference between the fifth embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the fifth embodiment. 10 (a) is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 10 (b) is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached. ) Is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 10, the probe adapter 20 of the fifth embodiment is provided with marker MDs on both side surfaces thereof. Each marker MD includes an ink ejection port 20a, an ink tank 20b, and a button 20c.

Therefore, in the state where the probe adapter 20 is attached, the ultrasonic probe 1 has marker MDs arranged on both side surfaces thereof. As shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, in the mounted state of the probe adapter 20, the buttons 20c are arranged so as to surround the ultrasonic probe 1, and thus are provided on both side surfaces of the probe adapter 20. Ink can be output from the generated ink tank 20b at the same time. The button 20c can simultaneously and evenly apply pressure to the ink tanks 20b on both sides of the probe adapter 20 to apply ink from the ink ejection ports 20a on both sides at the same time.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a usage example of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 shows a case where the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved on the skin surface of the abdomen of the subject Q in the direction of the arrow b in the drawing, that is, in the lateral direction of the paper surface. When the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved on the skin surface of the abdomen of the subject Q in the direction of arrow b, that is, in the lateral direction of the paper surface while pressing the button 20c of the ultrasonic probe 1, the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in response to the movement of the ultrasonic probe 1. Ink is applied to the skin of the subject from the ink ejection port 20a. At this time, as described above, two lines indicating the movement loci of both side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 1 are marked on the skin surface of the abdomen of the subject Q.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the fifth embodiment. Further, in the fifth embodiment, two markings can be applied simultaneously with one hand. Further, by showing the movement loci of both side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 1 with two lines, it is possible to more accurately reproduce the imaging location in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

[Sixth Embodiment]
The sixth embodiment is an example provided with a configuration for removing an ultrasonic mediator such as ultrasonic jelly in addition to the marker. Hereinafter, only the difference between the sixth embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the sixth embodiment. 12 (a) is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 12 (b) is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached. ) Is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 12, the probe adapter 20 attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 20 is provided with a wiper 20e for removing an ultrasonic mediator such as an ultrasonic jelly. When collecting an ultrasonic image, an ultrasonic mediator such as ultrasonic jelly is applied to the skin surface of the subject. Ultrasonic jelly is a water-soluble lubricant whose composition is approximately 90% water. By applying this ultrasonic jelly to the skin surface of the subject, it is possible to prevent air from being mixed between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the skin surface of the subject, and sound waves are emitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 into the body. It becomes easier to convey. Further, by applying the ultrasonic jelly to the skin surface of the subject, the sliding of the ultrasonic probe 1 on the skin surface of the subject is improved, and the operability of the ultrasonic probe 1 is improved.

However, when marking the skin surface of a subject to which the ultrasonic jelly is applied by a marking means such as ink, the ink may not adhere to the skin surface of the subject due to the presence of the ultrasonic jelly. In addition, due to the presence of water-soluble ultrasonic jelly, ink may bleed and accurate marking may not be performed.

Therefore, on the inner wall of the probe adapter 20, a wiper 20e for removing ultrasonic mediators such as ultrasonic jelly is provided at a position closest to the marker ME. As a result, the ultrasonic wave mediator is used at the time of imaging, and the ultrasonic wave mediator is removed at the time of marking, so that the ink can be easily adhered to the skin surface of the subject.

The arrow b in FIG. 12B indicates the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe 1 at the time of marking. A user such as a doctor slides the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of arrow b to apply ink to the skin surface of the subject. At this time, the probe head 1a passes through the skin surface of the subject with the ultrasonic jelly applied. Then, the ultrasonic jelly is removed from the skin surface of the subject by the wiper 20e, and the ink is applied from the marker ME. In this way, the ultrasonic jelly is removed from the skin surface of the subject by the wiper 20e, so that marking can be performed efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 12, a wiper head 20f made of silicone, rubber, or the like is provided on the surface where the wiper 20e comes into contact with the skin surface of the subject to protect the skin of the subject. can. In addition, since the wiper head 20f is in close contact with the skin of the subject, the ultrasonic mediator applied to the skin surface of the subject can be efficiently removed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, the wiper 20e is provided from between the marker ME and the probe head 1a with a predetermined spread along both side surfaces of the marker ME. The bottom view of FIG. 12C shows a V-shaped shape starting from the ink ejection port 20a when the shape of the wiper 20e is viewed from the probe head 1a side. However, the shape of the wiper 20e is not limited to the mode shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to a modified example of the wiper 20e in the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the probe adapter 20.

In FIG. 13, unlike FIG. 12 (c), the wiper 20e is provided between the marker ME and the probe head 1a in parallel with the array direction of the vibrators in the ultrasonic probe 1. When the direction parallel to the array direction of the wiper 20e is the major axis direction, it is desirable that the length of the wiper 20e in the major axis direction is at least equal to or larger than the size of the ink ejection port 20a of the marker. If this condition is satisfied, the ultrasonic mediator applied to the skin surface of the subject can be removed more reliably.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the sixth embodiment. Further, the probe adapter 20 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the sixth embodiment includes a wiper 20e for removing the ultrasonic mediator applied to the skin surface of the subject. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the ink applied from the marker from being smeared or repelled by the water-soluble ultrasonic mediator and unable to be applied to the skin surface of the subject. As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the skin surface of the subject can be accurately marked by applying the ink while removing the ultrasonic wave mediator from the skin surface of the subject.

[7th Embodiment]
The seventh embodiment is an example including an angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting the angle between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the wiper 20e, in addition to the configuration of the sixth embodiment. Hereinafter, only the difference between the seventh embodiment and the sixth embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

When collecting an ultrasonic image, a user such as a doctor may use the ultrasonic probe 1 at a predetermined angle with respect to the skin surface of a subject. By tilting the ultrasonic probe 1, the transmission direction of ultrasonic waves can be easily changed, so that structures at different depths and positions in the subject can be visualized.

If the wiper 20e is separated from the skin surface of the subject due to the change in the angle of the ultrasonic probe 1, the ultrasonic mediator cannot be efficiently removed. Therefore, the probe adapter 20 of the seventh embodiment includes an angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting the angle between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the wiper 20e, and the wiper 20e comes into contact with the skin surface of the subject even if the ultrasonic probe 1 is tilted. Can be maintained.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the seventh embodiment. The left side of FIG. 14 shows a side view when the ultrasonic probe 1 is tilted in the direction of arrow c, and the right side of FIG. 14 shows a case where the ultrasonic probe 1 is tilted in the direction of arrow d. The center of FIG. 14 shows an example in which the alternate long and short dash line indicating the central axis of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the skin surface s of the subject are substantially perpendicular to each other.

The marker of the probe adapter 20 shown in FIG. 14 includes an ink tank 20b, a button 20c, and an ink ejection port (not shown). The probe adapter 20 of FIG. 14 shows an example in which an angle adjusting portion 20 g such as a spring is provided at a connecting portion between the marker and the wiper 20e. As shown in FIG. 14, the angle adjusting unit 20g is provided with the angle adjusting unit 20g so that the wiper head 20f is maintained in contact with the skin surface s of the subject even if the angle between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the skin surface s changes. Adjust the angle between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the wiper 20e.

In the example of FIG. 14, when the ultrasonic probe is tilted in the tilt direction c and the tilt direction d, there is a region where the probe head 1a and the skin surface s are not in close contact with each other. An ultrasonic mediator such as jelly is present in the region where the probe head 1a and the skin surface s are not in close contact with each other. Therefore, the ultrasonic image can be collected even when the probe head 1a is not in close contact with the skin surface s. On the other hand, the wiper head 20f cannot efficiently remove ultrasonic mediators such as jelly from the skin surface s unless it is in close contact with the skin surface s. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the wiper head 20f is brought into close contact with the skin surface s by the angle adjusting portion 20g regardless of the inclination of the ultrasonic probe.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the seventh embodiment. Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 in the seventh embodiment does not depend on the inclination of the ultrasonic probe 1, and the wiper 20e is always maintained in contact with the skin surface s of the subject. Even if the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved while tilting the ultrasonic probe 1, the ultrasonic mediator can be efficiently removed by the wiper 20e, so that the skin surface of the subject can be moved at any angle. Can be marked.

[8th Embodiment]
The eighth embodiment is an example in which the wiper 20e can be brought into contact with the skin surface of the subject when marking is applied, and the wiper 20e can be kept away from the skin surface of the subject when marking is not applied. ..

Therefore, the probe adapter 20 of the eighth embodiment includes a slide mechanism for sliding the wiper 20e. If the ultrasonic mediator does not need to be removed, the slide mechanism separates the wiper 20e from the skin surface of the subject. On the other hand, when removing the ultrasonic mediator, the slide mechanism brings the wiper 20e into contact with the skin surface of the subject. Only the part different from the sixth embodiment will be described with respect to the eighth embodiment, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 15 shows side views of the ultrasonic probe 1, respectively. The right side of FIG. 15 shows the position of the wiper 20e when marking is applied, and the left side of FIG. 15 shows the position of the wiper 20e when marking is not applied.

In the example of FIG. 15, unlike the sixth embodiment, an example in which the marker is configured by a magic pen is shown. As described in the third embodiment, the magic pen 30 has an adjusting mechanism 30a composed of an elastic body such as a spring. Therefore, when marking the skin surface of the subject, the adjusting mechanism 30a adjusts the tip of the marking pen so as to come into contact with the skin surface of the subject. On the other hand, when marking is not performed, the tip 30b of the marking pen is adjusted by the adjusting mechanism 30a so as to be at a position away from the skin surface of the subject.

An example is shown in which the wiper 20e slides in the direction of the arrow c in conjunction with the pushing of the magic pen in the pushing direction of the arrow a on the left side of FIG. The right side of FIG. 15 shows the pushing direction of the magic pen along the axial direction of the magic pen. The left side of FIG. 15 shows a side view of the probe adapter 20 after the magic pen is pushed in.

For example, the wiper 20e may be provided with a protrusion structure capable of sliding the wiper 20e toward the skin surface side of the subject along a groove provided in a tubular structure capable of accommodating the magic pen. Further, in the groove provided in the tubular structure for accommodating the magic pen 20, a stopper that can be hooked and stopped at a position where the wiper 20e is in contact with the skin surface or a position away from the skin surface is provided. May be good. The wiper 20e may be configured to slide separately from the magic pen.

When ink or a patch is used instead of the magic pen as the marking means, the ink is applied to the skin surface of the subject by pressing the button, so that the wiper 20e may be slid in conjunction with the button. ..

Further, although the example in which the wiper 20e is manually slid is shown above, the adapter 20 may be configured to electrically slide the wiper 20e.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the eighth embodiment. Further, since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 in the eighth embodiment can be brought into contact with the skin surface of the subject only when the wiper 20e is used, the subject is removed while removing the ultrasonic mediator as necessary. The skin surface can be marked.

[9th Embodiment]
In the first to eighth embodiments, an example in which the skin surface of the subject is marked by the ultrasonic probe 1 provided with the marker or the ultrasonic probe 1 equipped with the probe adapter 20 has been described. In the following, when marking the skin surface of a subject, the ultrasonic probe 1 equipped with a marker or the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 operate in cooperation with each other. An example will be described.

A ninth embodiment is an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 provided with an ultrasonic probe to which a probe adapter 20 having an ink head is attached as a marking means. Only the difference between the ninth embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the ninth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the ninth embodiment includes an ink output device 40 and an ink output control function 151 in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment.

The ink output device 40 is provided in the case of the probe adapter 20, and includes, for example, an ink tank, an ink head, and a button. Further, the ink output device 40 includes a power supply cable for supplying power to the ink head, and is connected to the device main body 10 via the power supply cable. The detailed configuration of the probe adapter 20 including the ink output device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 17 described later. The ink output device 40 may be provided integrally with the ultrasonic probe 1 as in the first embodiment.

The ink output control function 151 receives the ink output request signal from the ink output device 40 and transmits the ink output permission signal to the ink output device 40. The ink output request signal is transmitted to the ink output control function 151 via the power supply cable by pressing a button included in the ink output device 40, for example. Similarly, the ink output permission signal from the ink output control function 151 is transmitted to the ink output device 40 via the power supply cable.

More specifically, the ink output control function 151 determines whether or not the following two conditions are satisfied, and if all of the conditions are satisfied, an ink output permission signal is transmitted to the ink output device 40. The first condition is immediately after receiving the ink output request signal. The second condition is that the remaining amount of ink in the ink output device 40 is sufficient. When at least one of the above two conditions is not satisfied, the ink output control function 151 outputs, for example, a beep sound and displays the contents of the unsatisfied condition on the monitor 4. This makes it possible to inform the user of the reason why the ink cannot be output.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the probe adapter 20 according to the ninth embodiment. 17 (a) is a front view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, FIG. 17 (b) is a side view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the probe adapter 20 is attached, and FIG. 17 (c) is a probe. It is a bottom view of the ultrasonic probe 1 to which the adapter 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 17, the ink output device 40 includes an ink tank 40a, an ink head 40d, and a button 40c, via a power supply cable 40b for acquiring power required for operation of the ink head 40d from the device main body 10. Is connected to the device body 10.

As shown in FIG. 17C, the ink head 40d includes an ink head nozzle 40e, and the ink in the ink tank 40a is ejected from the ink head nozzle 40e, and the ink is applied to the skin surface of the subject.

A thin tube made of a piezoelectric material is provided in the ink head 40d, and the ink in the ink tank 40a is filled in the tube of the ink head 40d due to the capillary phenomenon. The tube of the ink head 40d is connected to the ink head nozzle 40e. When the ink head 40d receives an ink output permission signal from the ink output function 151, a voltage is applied to a thin tube made of a piezoelectric material in the ink head 40d, and the ink head 40d is deformed in a direction in which the internal pressure of the tube rises. Ink is ejected from the ink head nozzle 40e.

Although FIG. 17 shows an example in which the ink tank 40a is separately provided above the ink head 40d, the ink tank 40a may be integrally configured with the ink head 40d.

Next, an example of the operation when the ink output device 40 operates in cooperation with the ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 will be described.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the ninth embodiment.

In step ST901, the user presses the button 40c of the ink output device 40. When the button 40c is pressed, the ink output request signal is transmitted from the ink output device 40 to the main body device 10 via the power supply cable 40b.

In step ST903, the ink output control function 151 of the main body device 10 receives the ink output request signal from the ink output device 40.

In step ST905, the ink output control function 151 transmits an ink output permission signal to the ink output device 40 via the power supply cable 40b.

In step ST907, the ink head 40d ejects ink from the ink head nozzle 40e based on the ink output permission signal, and applies the ink to the skin surface of the subject.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 18 shows a case where ink is ejected from the ink head 40d each time the button 40c is pressed, the operation of the ink output control function 151 is not limited to the aspect of FIG. For example, the ink output control function 151 may be configured to be able to determine an ink output state and an ink stop state. When the ink output control function 151 receives the ink output request signal in the ink stop state, the ink output control function 151 transmits the ink output permission signal to the ink output device 40 via the power supply cable 40b, and receives the ink output request signal in the ink output state. If so, the ink output stop signal is transmitted to the ink output device 40 via the power supply cable 40b.

The ink output request signal may be directly transmitted to the ink head 40d, and the ink head 40d may be configured to operate by receiving power supply for ink output via the power supply cable 40b.

Further, a wiper for removing the ultrasonic wave mediator described in the sixth embodiment may be provided between the ink head nozzle 40e and the probe head 1a.

Further, the ink head 40d may be slidably attached to the adapter 20 so that the ink head nozzle 40e can move on a surface parallel to the skin surface of the subject. The ink head 40d may be configured to slide manually or may be configured to slide electrically. For example, the ink head 40d may further include a scanning mechanism that moves the ink head nozzle 40e in the array direction and the direction perpendicular to the array direction (elevation direction) while ejecting ink from the ink head nozzle 40e. By providing the ink head 40d with a scanning mechanism, the thickness of marking on the skin surface of the subject can be freely changed according to the input from the input device 5, and figures, characters, and the like can be marked.

Further, the ink tank 40a may include a plurality of inks corresponding to a plurality of chromatic colors. The control signal regarding the shape and color of the marking is transmitted to the ink head 40d via the power supply cable 40b.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the ninth embodiment. Further, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the ninth embodiment, the user can mark the skin surface of the subject by a simple operation of pressing the button 40c with one hand without using force. Further, when changing the type or color of the marking, for example, the user can easily change the marking by inputting the setting to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 before executing the marking via the input device 5.

[10th Embodiment]
A tenth embodiment is an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 that determines the ink output position of the probe adapter 20 by a magnetic sensor and displays the ink application position on an ultrasonic image. Only the difference between the tenth embodiment and the ninth embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

In the following description, the "ink output position" indicates a position where ink or the like, which is a marking means, is output to the skin surface of a subject, such as an ink ejection port or an ink head nozzle. The "ink application position" includes a virtual ink application position in addition to the position where the ink is actually applied to the skin surface of the subject. The virtual ink application position is a position where it is predicted that the ink will be applied to the skin surface of the subject when the ink is output from the ink output position to the skin surface of the subject.

FIG. 19 is a conceptual block diagram showing an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 according to the tenth embodiment. The tenth embodiment differs from the ninth embodiment (FIG. 16) in the following three points. First, the ultrasonic probe 1 further includes a magnetic sensor 21. Second, the probe adapter 20 further comprises a magnet 22. Thirdly, the control circuit 15 of the main body device 10 further includes an ink output position determination function 153 and an ink application position display function 155.

The magnetic sensor 21 is composed of a Hall element or the like, and is provided inside the housing of the ultrasonic probe 1. A plurality of magnetic sensors 21 are provided at predetermined intervals, and detect the magnetism generated by the magnets 22 provided in the probe adapter 20. The magnetic sensor 21 is a device that generates an induced current by a change in magnetic flux caused by the presence of a magnet 22 and converts the detected magnetism into an electric signal. The magnetic sensor 21 transmits an ink output position detection signal to the ink output position determination function 153 of the main body device 10.

The magnet 22 is provided at the ink output position of the marker provided on the probe adapter 20. The magnet 22 may be configured to move with the movement of the ink output position. The configurations of the magnet 22 and the magnetic sensor 21 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 20 described later. Further, the method of determining the ink output position of the probe adapter 20 is not limited to the above aspect. For example, it may be configured to detect the position of the marker by an infrared sensor.

The ink output position determination function 153 determines the ink output position of the probe adapter 20 based on the ink output position detection signal detected by the magnetic sensor 21. Further, the ink output position determination function 153 may determine whether or not the probe adapter 20 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 based on the ink output position detection signal detected by the magnetic sensor 21.

The ink output position for each type of the adapter 20 may be stored in the internal storage device 16. Further, when a plurality of magnetic sensors 21 are provided, the ink output position may be determined based on the position of the magnetic sensor 21 that has detected the magnet 22.

The ink application position display function 155 displays the ink application position on the skin surface of the subject as a line or a figure on the ultrasonic image. The method of displaying the ink application position on the ultrasonic image will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23.

First, the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 1 having the magnetic sensor 21 and the configuration of the probe adapter having a magnet will be described.

FIG. 20 is a schematic bottom view of the probe adapter according to the tenth embodiment. FIG. 20 illustrates a case where the ink head 40d is used as the marking means. In FIG. 20, a plurality of magnetic sensors 21 are installed in the housing of the ultrasonic probe 1. The alphabets shown at the installation positions of the respective magnetic sensors 21 are shown for convenience in order to distinguish the plurality of installed magnetic sensors 21.

In the example of FIG. 20, six magnetic sensors 21 out of a total of eight are in position A, position B, position C, and position D in order from the front of the ultrasonic probe 1, that is, from the left side of the paper surface along the array direction. , Position E, and position F, respectively. Further, the remaining two magnetic sensors 21 are installed on both side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 1, that is, at positions G and H along the elevation direction, respectively. Although FIG. 20 shows an example in which a plurality of magnetic sensors 21 are provided in the array direction and the elevation direction of the ultrasonic probe 1, the position and number of the magnetic sensors 21 are not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 20. ..

The magnetic sensor 21 can generate a voltage depending on the magnetic flux density. That is, the magnetic sensor 21 can calculate the distance from the magnet 22 according to the magnetic flux density. Therefore, at least two magnetic sensors 21 may be configured to specify the ink output position of the ink head 40d by calculating the distance from the magnet 22.

In the ink head 40d of FIG. 20, a magnet 22 is provided at the position of the ink head nozzle 40e, which is on the ultrasonic probe 1 side of the ink head 40d and outputs ink. In the example of FIG. 20, the magnet 22 of the ink head 40d faces the magnetic sensor 21 at the position D of the probe head 1a. In this case, the magnetic sensor 21 at the position D detects the magnetism generated by the magnet 22 attached to the ink head 40d, converts the detected magnetism into a voltage, and transmits the detected magnetism to the main body device 10 as an ink output position detection signal. The ink output position determination function 153 of the main body device 10 determines the ink output position of the ink head 40d based on the ink output position detection signal from the magnetic sensor 21 at the position D.

The same applies when the ink head 40d is located at a position facing positions A, B, C, E, F, G, or H. By arranging an appropriate number of magnetic sensors 21 apart from each other in the case 20d in this way, the position of the ink head nozzle 40e that outputs ink can be detected.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the tenth embodiment.

In step ST1001, the ink output position determination function 153 receives the ink output position detection signal detected by the magnetic sensor 21.

In step ST1003, the ink output position determination function 153 determines the ink output position. The ink output position is determined based on the position of the magnetic sensor 21 attached to the ultrasonic probe 1. The position of the magnetic sensor 21 is determined based on the magnetic sensor 21 that transmits the ink output position detection signal to the main unit 10.

Further, the ink output position determination function 153 may detect that the probe adapter 20 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 based on the ink output position detection signal from the magnetic sensor 21. The ink output position determination function 153 may determine the ink output position from a list showing the ink output position for each type of probe adapter stored in the internal storage device 16 based on the type of probe adapter input by the user. good.

In step ST1005, the ink output control function 151 receives the ink output request signal generated by pressing the button 40c, and transmits a notification signal to the ink application position display function 155. The notification signal is a signal for notifying the ink application position display function 155 that there is an ink output request from the user.

Further, when the ink output control function 151 receives the ink output request signal, the ink output control function 151 transmits an ink output permission signal to the ink output device 40. Also in the tenth embodiment, as in the ninth embodiment, the ink output control function 151 is immediately after receiving the ink output request signal, and the ink remaining amount in the ink output device 40 is sufficient. When the two conditions are satisfied, the ink output permission signal is transmitted to the ink output device 40.

In step ST1007, the ink application position display function 155 receives the notification signal and generates ink application position drawing information based on the ink output position determined by the ink output position determination function 153. The ink application position drawing information is, for example, information such as a figure indicating the ink application position, information on a position for displaying the figure, and the like. For example, when the skin surface side of the subject is the upper part of the ultrasonic image, the position for displaying the figure indicating the ink application position is how many pixels from the upper part of the ultrasonic image and how many pixels from the left side of the ultrasonic image. Can be specified as.

In step ST1009, the image generation circuit 14 displays the ink application position on the ultrasonic image based on the ink application position drawing information.

The order of processing from step ST1001 to step ST1005 is not limited to the order of the flowchart of FIG. Further, the ink application position display function 155 generates ink application position drawing information in the process of step ST1007 without receiving the ink output permission signal of step ST1005, and the ink application position is displayed on the ultrasonic image in step ST1009. You may. That is, the virtual ink application position corresponding to the current ink output position may be displayed on the ultrasonic image without depending on the ink output request signal from the marker. In addition, the ink application position display image when the ink is actually applied to the skin surface of the subject and the virtual ink application position display image before receiving the ink output request signal are displayed in different modes. May be good.

Next, the ink application position display image will be described.

FIG. 22 is a first schematic view of an ultrasonic image according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. 22 shows an example in which the ink output position 1p is located in the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. The upper part of FIG. 22 shows a state in which the ultrasonic probe 1 is in contact with the skin surface s of the subject, and the lower part of FIG. 22 shows the ultrasonic image 4a. The ultrasonic image 4a is actually displayed on the monitor 4, but in order to make it easier to understand the correspondence with the ultrasonic probe 1, the ultrasonic image 4a is shown directly under the ultrasonic probe in FIG. 22.

FIG. 22 shows an example in which ink is applied from the ink output position 1p to the ink application position 2p on the skin surface s of the subject. As shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 22, in the case of the linear probe, both ends of the ultrasonic image and both side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 1 coincide with each other. The ultrasonic image displays a tomographic image of the skin surface s of the subject in contact with the ultrasonic probe head 1a.

In the example of FIG. 22, ink is applied to the ink application position 2p on the skin surface s of the subject immediately below the ink output position 1p in the center of the front surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. Therefore, the image generation circuit 14 calculates the center position of the ultrasonic image from the width of the ultrasonic image displayed on the monitor 4 and the length of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction, and indicates the ink application position at that position. Display the image m. In FIG. 22, the image m showing the ink application position shown by the broken line is displayed in the center of the ultrasonic image in the depth direction of the ultrasonic image. Information such as the width of the ultrasonic image and the length of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction may be stored in the internal storage device 16 or may be input from the outside of the main body device 10.

FIG. 23 is a second schematic view of the ultrasonic image according to the tenth embodiment. The difference from FIG. 22 in FIG. 23 is that the image m showing the ink application position shown by the broken line is displayed on the right side of the paper surface of the ultrasonic image. As described above, the image m showing the ink application position is displayed on the ultrasonic image corresponding to the ink application position 2p of the skin surface s of the subject immediately below the ink output position 1p.

For example, when the ink output position 1p shown in FIG. 22 is changed to the ink output position 1p shown in FIG. 23 by manually moving the marker, the ink application position determination function 155 moves the ink output position. It may be configured so that the ink application position on the ultrasonic image moves accordingly.

The image showing the ink application position is not limited to the aspects shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. The image showing the ink application position may be shown by a line or a graphic on the upper part or the lower part of the ultrasonic image, for example.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the tenth embodiment. Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the tenth embodiment displays the ink application position on the ultrasonic image showing the inside of the subject. Therefore, the user can easily grasp the positional relationship between the target organ or tissue and the skin surface of the subject. In addition, by displaying the virtual ink application position at the position on the ultrasonic image corresponding to the ink output position before actually outputting the ink, the organ such as the target organ or the tissue directly above or the contour part is displayed. Ink can be applied to a desired position based on the relationship with the tissue or tissue.

[11th Embodiment]
An example will be described in which the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the eleventh embodiment analyzes an ultrasonic image and outputs ink according to the analysis result. In the eleventh embodiment, as an example, a case where an ultrasonic image is analyzed to determine a blood vessel and ink is output to a position where the blood vessel exists will be described. Only the difference between the eleventh embodiment and the tenth embodiment will be described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 24 is a conceptual block diagram showing an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the eleventh embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 of the eleventh embodiment includes a blood vessel determination function 157 in addition to the configuration of the tenth embodiment (FIG. 19).

The blood vessel determination function 157 determines whether or not a blood vessel exists at the ink output position based on at least one scan line data. The blood vessel determination function 157 transmits an ink output request signal to the ink output control function 151 when a blood vessel exists at the ink output position.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the eleventh embodiment.

In step ST1101, the monitor 4 displays an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image displayed on the monitor 4 may display a virtual ink application position assuming that ink is output from the current ink output position to the skin surface of the subject.

In step ST1103, the user specifies the blood vessel region displayed on the ultrasonic image and aligns the ink output position with the blood vessel region. The user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 or marker in the array direction so that the blood vessel is located below the ink output position. At this time, the virtually displayed ink application position can be used as a guide. In this way, the user specifies the marking start position of the blood vessel to be marked, and presses the ink output button to output the ink from the ink output device 40.

In step ST1105, the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 along the traveling direction of the blood vessel.

In step ST1107, the blood vessel determination function 157 determines whether or not a blood vessel exists below the ink output position in a certain frame.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 generates a plurality of ultrasonic images per second and displays them on the monitor 4. The number of ultrasonic images that can be drawn in one second is called the number of frames, and each ultrasonic image is called a frame. The blood vessel determination function 157 analyzes the scan line data at the time of generating the frame for each predetermined frame, and determines whether or not the blood vessel exists at the ink output position. The blood vessel determination method in the blood vessel determination function 157 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 26 described later.

When the blood vessel determination function 157 determines that a blood vessel exists at the ink output position, the process branches to YES in step ST1107, and in step ST1109, the ink output control function 151 transmits an ink output permission signal to the ink output device 40. The ink output device 40 applies ink to the skin surface of the subject in response to the ink output permission signal.

After the ink is applied to the skin surface of the subject, the end determination of marking is performed in step ST1111. When the marking is continued, the process branches to NO in step ST1111 and the processes after step ST1105 are repeated. When the marking is finished, the process branches to YES in step ST1111 and the marking process is finished.

On the other hand, when the blood vessel determination function 157 determines that no blood vessel exists at the ink output position, the process branches to NO in step ST1107, and the marking end determination is performed in step ST1111 without outputting the ink.

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for identifying a blood vessel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the eleventh embodiment. FIG. 26 shows a case where the running state of the blood vessel in the arm of the subject Q is marked by using the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. The left side of FIG. 26 shows a state in which the ultrasonic probe 1 is in contact with the marking start position of the blood vessel v on the arm of the subject Q. The upper part on the right side of FIG. 26 shows a state in which the ultrasonic probe 1 is in contact with the skin surface s of the subject, as in FIGS. 22 and 23, and the lower part on the right side of FIG. 26 shows the ultrasonic image 4a. Shown.

On the left side of FIG. 26, the blood vessel v does not exist immediately below the ink output position 1p of the ultrasonic probe 1 shown by the solid line. Therefore, the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction and moves it to the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 indicated by the broken line.

As shown in FIG. 26, when the ultrasonic probe 1 is brought into contact with the ultrasonic probe 1 so that the array direction of the ultrasonic probe 1 is parallel to the minor axis direction of the blood vessel v of the subject Q, the acquired ultrasonic image is The short axis cross section of the blood vessel is displayed. The user observes the ultrasonic image and moves the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction so that the ink output position is above the short-axis cross section of the blood vessel to be marked. The right side of FIG. 26 shows a state after adjusting the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 so that the ink output position comes to the upper part of the short axis cross section of the blood vessel to be marked.

After determining the marking start position by the above procedure, the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of the arrow b shown on the left side of FIG. 26. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 collects a plurality of frames per second, and the blood vessel determination function 157 determines whether or not a blood vessel exists at the ink output position 1p for each predetermined frame.

The blood vessel determination in the blood vessel determination function 157 is performed based on the scan line data corresponding to the position of the ink output position 1p. One frame data is composed of a plurality of scan line data, and the blood vessel determination function 157 determines whether or not the blood vessel is directly below the ink output position 1p based on at least one scan line data. The right side of FIG. 26 shows an example of determining the presence or absence of blood vessels using three scan line data.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 displays a tomographic image by converting a change in signal intensity of a received signal, which is a reflected wave, into a change in brightness (luminance) and displaying the change. When the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 travels in the living body, the larger the difference in acoustic impedance between tissues, the stronger the ultrasonic wave is reflected and the stronger the signal strength of the received signal is. On the other hand, when the difference in acoustic impedance is small, the amount of ultrasonic waves transmitted without being reflected so much increases. Blood is present in the blood vessels, and the difference in acoustic impedance between tissues becomes small. Therefore, the blood vessel is depicted as a region in which low brightness is continuously present in the tomographic image.

Specifically, the input device 5 specifies an area inside the blood vessel of the target to be tracked by the user. The blood vessel determination function 157 corresponds to the ink output position 1p existing within the range of the region inside the blood vessel specified by the user in the first frame in which the region inside the blood vessel is designated by the user, and is inside the blood vessel. A group of data in a specified depth range is extracted from at least two limited scanline data. However, in the case of a uniform soft tissue structure, the scanline data is attenuated by about 0.3db / cm / MHz in the depth direction, so the scanline data extracted by the equation (1) is corrected.

After that, the blood vessel determination function 157 calculates the average value and the standard deviation of the extracted data group in the specified depth range, and obtains the range of the equation (2).

The constant k in the equation (2) is an inclusion coefficient statistically determined by the number of samplings of the data group designated as the blood vessel internal area by the user.

Similarly, in the second frame, a new average value calculated in the range previously specified by the user is calculated. If the average value calculated in the second frame is within the range obtained in the previous frame (here, the first frame), the blood vessel determination function 157 also scanline data at the same position in the second frame. It can be determined that the blood vessel region is included above. If the range of equation (2) calculated in the second frame continues to include the average value calculated in the third frame, the blood vessel region is included in the scanline data at the same position in the third frame. It can be determined that After that, by repeating the above-mentioned processing, it is determined whether or not a blood vessel exists at the ink output position 1p.

The blood vessel determination function 157 identifies the region where the blood vessel exists according to the above-mentioned processing. Since the blood vessel v shown in FIG. 26 is curved to the right, when the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved from the marking start position in the direction of the arrow b, the ink output position 1p does not pass over the blood vessel.

When the blood vessel determination function 157 determines that the ink output position 1p is out of the blood vessel v, the monitor 4 displays text information or an image warning that the ink output position 1p is out of the blood vessel v. May be good. When the ink output position 1p deviates from the blood vessel v, the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 or the ink output position 1p so that the ink output position 1p is located above the blood vessel v again. At this time, the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 in the array direction. The blood vessel determination function 157 determines the presence or absence of blood vessels by the above method, and when it is determined that blood vessels exist, ink is automatically output. Further, a display indicating that the ink output position 1p has returned to the blood vessel v may be displayed on the monitor 4.

In the eleventh embodiment, an example in which ink is output when the blood vessel v is present at the ink output position 1p is shown, but the ink output conditions are not limited to the above aspects. For example, when the marking start position is first determined, the ink output is started, and when the blood vessel determination function 157 determines that the blood vessel v does not exist at the ink output position 1p, the ink output stop signal is sent to the ink output control function 151. May be transmitted.

Further, the ink may be output while the ink output position 1p is present at the position of the blood vessel v. In such a configuration, ink is applied to the skin surface of the subject only when the blood vessel v is present, and even if the ink output position 1p deviates from the position of the blood vessel v, the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved to the region where the blood vessel travels. As a result, marking can be performed discontinuously.

Further, continuous marking can be performed by moving the ultrasonic probe 1 on the skin surface of the subject while shifting the ink output position 1p. Specifically, after moving the ultrasonic probe 1 in the direction of arrow b in FIG. 26 so as to include the traveling range of the blood vessel to be marked, the ultrasonic probe 1 is moved in the array direction. At this time, the ink is applied to the surface of the subject only when there is a blood vessel at the ink output position 1p. By moving the ultrasonic probe 1 again in the direction of the arrow b in FIG. 26, the ink is applied only when there is a blood vessel under the movement locus of the ink output position 1p. By repeating this operation, continuous marking can be finally applied.

Although the blood vessel is taken as an example in the eleventh embodiment, the blood vessel determination function 157 may use a structure to be treated such as another organ or a tumor as an ink output determination target.

In the eleventh embodiment, a method of determining the ink application position 2p from the scan line data acquired by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has been described. However, the determination of the ink application position 2p is not limited to the method using the scan line data. Even if the ink application position 2p is determined by aligning an ultrasonic image with a medical image acquired by another modality such as an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) image or an MR (Magnetic Resonance) image. good.

For example, there is a technique capable of aligning a medical image acquired by other darities such as an X-ray CT image and an MR image with an ultrasonic image and displaying both side by side on the display of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. By attaching a magnetic position sensor to the ultrasonic probe and matching the inspection position of the ultrasonic image detected by the magnetic position sensor with the tomographic plane of the X-ray CT image or MR image, ultrasonic scanning and X-ray CT image Can be linked with the display of. Since the alignment and display interlocking of the X-ray CT image and the ultrasonic image may be the same as those in the prior art, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 acquires medical images acquired by other modality via the electronic network 18. Medical images are stored in an image server such as PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems).

When the shape and position of a structure such as a blood vessel or tumor to be treated are specified in a medical image acquired by another modality, the ultrasonic image and the medical image are aligned by the above alignment technique. The ink application position 2p can be determined based on the position of the structure specified on the medical image. That is, the ink application position 2p (target position for ink application) is specified in advance on the medical image, and the ink output position 1p of the marker provided on the ultrasonic probe 1 moving on the subject is specified on the medical image. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be configured so that the ink is output when the ink application position 2p coincides with the ink application position 2p. Here, "in advance" is before marking the subject from which the medical image has been acquired by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

Taking a blood vessel as an example, the user identifies the blood vessel to be treated in advance on a medical image such as an X-ray CT image, and inputs information on the treatment target position such as the start position and range of the treatment target blood vessel. do. Here, "in advance" is the same as described above. Next, the X-ray CT image and the ultrasonic image associated with the information about the treatment target are aligned, and the X-ray CT image is displayed following the scanning of the ultrasonic wave. On the ultrasonic image, the ink output position 1p indicating the position of the marker installed on the ultrasonic probe 1 is displayed based on the information detected by the magnetic sensor or the magnetic position sensor. When the user moves the ultrasonic probe 1 and the ink output position 1p matches the treatment target position (target position for ink application) specified on the X-ray CT image, ink is output from the marker.

In this way, the ink application position 2p is specified when the ultrasonic image and the X-ray CT image are aligned. Therefore, the display may indicate in which direction the ultrasonic probe 1 should be moved based on the specified ink application position 2p and the current ink output position 1p. For example, in the case of echo of the lower limbs, the current probe position (ink output position 1p) and the movement of the ultrasonic probe are shown on the schematic diagram of the lower limbs of the subject by using the position information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired from the magnetic position sensor. The target position (target position for ink application) may be indicated by a mark such as a circle. In addition, when observing a blood vessel in the long axis direction, in addition to the ink output position 1p indicating the current position of the ultrasonic probe, a figure such as an arrow indicating in which direction the target position is located can be shown. , The user can easily identify the moving direction of the probe.

In this way, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is such that the treatment target is specified on a medical image other than the ultrasonic image, and the ink is applied when the ultrasonic probe is positioned on the skin surface of the subject in which the treatment target exists. May be configured. For example, when the ultrasonic probe 1 scans a position closest to the start position of the blood vessel to be treated, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may be configured so that ink is applied to the position. Further, among the blood vessels to be treated, the position closest to the skin surface may be specified as the treatment target position of the blood vessel on the X-ray CT image, and the ink may be applied to the position.

The position closest to the skin surface may be specified from the ultrasonic image data. That is, the distance between the blood vessel to be treated specified on the medical image and the bottom surface (skin surface s) of the ultrasonic probe 1 is measured every time the ultrasonic wave is scanned, and the distance between the blood vessel to be treated and the skin surface s is measured. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be configured so that the ink is applied to a position less than an arbitrary distance. Here, the position closest to the skin surface is, for example, the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 (ink) in which the distance of the straight line connecting the bottom surface of the probe in contact with the skin surface s of the subject and an arbitrary point of the blood vessel is the shortest. Output position 1p).

In this way, by using the medical images acquired by other modality, it is possible to determine the ink application position 2p by using the information that cannot be acquired by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. For example, even when a blood vessel is occluded and there is no blood flow, the shape and position of the blood vessel can be specified in detail by using the result of analyzing medical images acquired by other modality.

Further, when marking is performed in the long axis direction of the blood vessel, the user can easily mark by simply moving the probe along the traveling direction of the blood vessel as long as the marking start position is specified. This is because the marking start position can be specified in advance on the medical image, so that the marking start position can be easily specified by linking the display of the ultrasonic image and the medical image. Further, if the marking end position is specified on the medical image, the user can mark a desired marking range by continuing to move the probe along the traveling direction of the blood vessel.

Further, the ink output position 1p is displayed on the ultrasonic image, and further, it is possible to notify the user by characters, images, sounds, or the like that the ink is actually applied to the skin surface of the subject. That is, the user can automatically apply ink to a desired position (ink application position 2p) simply by randomly scanning the vicinity of the ink application position 2p with the ultrasonic probe 1.

As described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the eleventh embodiment. Further, in the eleventh embodiment, the ultrasonic image can be analyzed and ink can be automatically output according to the analysis result.

According to the probe adapter, the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of at least one embodiment described above, the ultrasonic probe can be operated with one hand at the time of marking, and the efficiency and marking accuracy of the marking work are improved.

The correspondence between the terms of the claims and the embodiments is as follows, for example. The correspondence shown below is an interpretation shown for reference only, and does not limit the present invention.

In FIG. 3, the two central oscillators having a short length in the elevation direction are an example of the first oscillator according to the claim, and the remaining oscillators are the second oscillator according to the claim. This is an example.

The blood vessel determination function is an example of the determination unit described in the claim. The image generation circuit is an example of the image generation unit according to the claim. The adjusting mechanism is an example of the adjusting unit according to the claim. The angle adjusting mechanism is an example of the angle adjusting unit according to the claim.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, as well as in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 ... Ultrasonic probe 4 ... Monitor 5 ... Input device 10 ... Main unit 11 ... Transmission / reception circuit 14 ... Image generation circuit 15 ... Control circuit 20 ... Probe adapter 100 ... Ultrasonic diagnostic device 151 ... Ink output control function 153 ... Ink output position Judgment function 155 ... Ink application position display function 157 ... Blood vessel judgment function

Claims (7)

A case that can be attached to and detached from the ultrasonic probe,
With the case attached to the ultrasonic probe, the case is placed at a predetermined position in the array direction of the ultrasonic probe, and a marker for marking the surface of the object with which the ultrasonic probe is in contact.
A wiper that removes the ultrasonic mediator applied to the surface of the object,
Probe adapter with. The probe adapter according to claim 1, wherein the marker includes a button and marks the surface of the object in response to pressing the button. An adjusting unit that adjusts the position so that the tip of the marker comes into contact with the surface of the object during marking by the marker, and adjusts the position so that the tip of the marker is separated from the surface of the object except during marking. The probe adapter according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising. The wiper further includes an angle adjuster.
The probe adapter according to claim 3, wherein the angle adjusting unit adjusts the angle between the ultrasonic probe and the marker so that the wiper is maintained in contact with the surface of the object. The wiper is provided so as to be slidable with respect to the case, and slides toward the surface side of the object at the time of marking, and slides in a direction away from the surface of the object except at the time of marking. Item 4. The probe adapter according to item 4. The probe adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the marker marks the surface of the object with at least one of ink, a marking pen, and an ink head. When scanning on the surface of the object by the ultrasonic probe is performed with the case attached to the ultrasonic probe, the case can be slid parallel to the surface of the object. The probe adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the marker is installed on the case.

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