JP6823966B2 - Ultrasonic image display device and its control program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic image display device having an ultrasonic probe capable of changing an ultrasonic beam width in an elevation direction and a control program thereof.

The so-called 1.25D array probe, 1.5D array probe, 1.75D array probe, and 2D array probe are ultrasonic probes in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in the elevation direction (for example,). , Patent Document 1). In this type of ultrasonic probe, the slice width of the ultrasonic image can be changed by changing the ultrasonic beam width in the elevation direction. In this way, with a probe whose beam formation is variable in the elevation direction, a more uniform sound field can be realized in the depth direction. However, in the area directly below the ultrasonic vibrator or in a relatively shallow portion of the subject, the width of the ultrasonic vibrator driven for transmission becomes a substantial ultrasonic beam width. For example, in an ultrasonic probe in which three or three channels of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in the elevation direction, when ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in one central channel, the slice of the ultrasonic image obtained is three channels. It becomes thinner than when ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received. Ultrasound images with thinner slices have higher spatial and contrast resolutions than ultrasound images with thicker slices.

On the other hand, an ultrasonic image obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves on three channels has a spatial compounding effect as compared with an ultrasonic image obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves on one channel, and therefore, a structure in a living tissue. The visibility of the connection is improved and the artifacts of acoustic shadows are reduced.

JP-A-2015-33409

As described above, an ultrasonic image having a thinner slice has high spatial resolution and contrast resolution, but may have acoustic shadows generated from a structure or the like in a superficial portion of a living tissue. On the other hand, ultrasonic images with thicker slices are inferior in terms of spatial resolution and contrast resolution, although they improve the visibility of structural connections and reduce acoustic shadow artifacts, as described above, and the visibility of fine structures. Decreases. For this reason, the displayed image did not always match the diagnostic purpose.

The invention of one viewpoint made to solve the above-mentioned problems is the reception of the first ultrasonic beam having the first beam width in the elevation direction and the invention of the first beam width in the elevation direction. Data of the first ultrasonic image is created based on the ultrasonic probe for receiving the second ultrasonic beam having a wide second beam width and the echo signal of the first ultrasonic beam, and the above-mentioned Based on the data creation unit that creates the data of the second ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the second ultrasonic beam and the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image, the first A correction information creation unit that creates correction information for the data of the second ultrasonic image, and a correction unit that corrects the data of the second ultrasonic image using the correction information and creates the data of the corrected ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image display device is characterized by comprising a compositing unit for creating composite image data by adding the data of the first ultrasonic image and the data of the corrected ultrasonic image. ..

According to the invention of the above viewpoint, the data of the first ultrasonic image is data for a thin slice as compared with the data of the second ultrasonic image. The data of the second ultrasonic image is corrected by using the correction information created based on the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image, and the corrected ultrasonic image data is obtained. Will be created. Then, since the data of the composite image is created by adding the data of the corrected ultrasonic image and the data of the first ultrasonic image, the advantages of the ultrasonic image of the thinner slice and the super of the thicker slice are created. It is possible to obtain a composite image having the advantages of an ultrasonic image. This makes it possible to obtain an image that matches the purpose of diagnosis.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the schematic structure of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the display processing part in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 1st ultrasonic beam. It is a figure which shows the second ultrasonic beam. It is a figure which shows the 1st B mode image based on the 1st B mode image data. It is a figure which shows the 2nd B mode image based on the 2nd B mode image data. It is a figure explaining the first function. It is a figure explaining the creation of the second function. It is a figure explaining the creation of the corrected B mode image data. It is a figure explaining the creation of the composite B mode image data.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described as an example of the ultrasonic image display apparatus in the present invention.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an ultrasonic probe 2, a transmission / reception beam former 3, an echo data processing unit 4, a display processing unit 5, a display device 6, an operation device 7, a control unit 8, and a storage device 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 has a configuration as a computer.

The ultrasonic probe 2 is configured to have a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in the azimuth direction and the elevation direction, and the ultrasonic transducer transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject. And receive the echo signal. The ultrasonic probe 2 is, for example, a 1.5D array, a 1.75D array, or a 2D array probe. The ultrasonic probe 2 is an example of the embodiment of the ultrasonic probe in the present invention.

The transmission / reception beam former 3 supplies an electric signal for transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe 2 under predetermined scanning conditions to the ultrasonic probe 2 based on the control signal from the control unit 8. Further, the transmission / reception beam former 3 performs signal processing such as A / D conversion and phase adjustment addition processing on the echo signal received by the ultrasonic probe 2, and outputs the echo data after the signal processing to the echo data processing unit 4. To do.

The echo data processing unit 4 performs processing for creating an ultrasonic image on the echo data output from the transmission / reception beam former 3. For example, the echo data processing unit 4 creates B-mode data by performing B-mode processing such as logarithmic compression processing and envelope detection processing. Data such as this B-mode data before being processed by the scan converter described later is called raw data.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display processing unit 5 includes an image data creation unit 51, a correction information creation unit 52, a corrected image data creation unit 53, and an image display control unit 54. The image data creation unit 51 creates ultrasonic image data by scanning and converting the data (raw data) input from the echo data processing unit 4 by a scan converter (Scan Converter). For example, as ultrasonic image data, the image data creation unit 51 scans and converts the B mode data to create the B mode image data. The image data creation unit 51 creates a first ultrasonic image data and a second ultrasonic image data, as will be described later. The image data creation unit 51 is an example of an embodiment of the data creation unit in the present invention. Further, the function of the image data creation unit 51 is an example of the embodiment of the data creation function in the present invention.

The correction information creation unit 52 creates correction information for the second ultrasonic image data based on the information indicating the brightness obtained from the first ultrasonic image data. Details will be described later. The correction information creation unit 52 is an example of the embodiment of the correction information creation unit in the present invention. Further, the function of the correction information creation unit 52 is an example of the embodiment of the correction information creation function in the present invention.

The corrected image data creation unit 53 corrects the second ultrasonic image data by using the correction information to create the corrected ultrasonic image data. Details will be described later. The corrected image data creation unit 53 is an example of the embodiment of the correction unit in the present invention. The function of the corrected image data creating unit 53 is an example of the embodiment of the correction function in the present invention.

The image display control unit 54 adds the first ultrasonic image data and the corrected ultrasonic image data to create composite image data. Further, the image display control unit 54 causes the display device 6 to display the composite image based on the composite image data. The image display control unit 54 is an example of the embodiment of the synthesis unit in the present invention. A part of the functions of the image display control unit 54 is an example of the embodiment of the synthesis function in the present invention.

The display device 6 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or the like.

The operation device 7 includes a button and a keyboard (keyboard) for receiving instructions and information input from the operator, and further includes a pointing device (pointing device) such as a trackball.

The control unit 8 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 8 reads out the program stored in the storage device 9 and controls each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. For example, the control unit 8 reads out the program stored in the storage device 9, and causes the functions of the transmission / reception beam former 3, the echo data processing unit 4, and the display processing unit 5 to be executed by the read program.

The control unit 8 may programmatically execute all the functions of the transmission / reception beam former 3, all the functions of the echo data processing unit 4, and all the functions of the display processing unit 5. Only some functions may be performed programmatically. When the control unit 8 executes only a part of the functions, the remaining functions may be executed by hardware such as a circuit.

The functions of the transmission / reception beam former 3, the echo data processing unit 4, and the display processing unit 5 may be realized by hardware such as a circuit.

The storage device 9 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor memory (Memory) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), or the like.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 may have all of the HDD, RAM, and ROM as the storage device 9. Further, the storage device 9 may be a portable storage medium such as a CD (Compact Disk) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

The program executed by the control unit 8 is stored in a non-transient storage medium such as an HDD or a ROM. Further, the program may be stored in a portable and non-transient storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

Now, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of this example will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S1, the ultrasonic probe 2 transmits and receives the first ultrasonic beam and the second ultrasonic beam, and the first ultrasonic image data and the second ultrasonic image data are combined. Will be created. This will be described in detail. Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultrasonic probe 2 has three ultrasonic transducers 2a, 2b, and 2c in the elevation direction, that is, three channels. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultrasonic vibrators 2a, 2b, and 2c are shown by solid lines for convenience of explanation, but are housed in the housing of the ultrasonic probe 2. Further, in FIGS. 4 and 5, reference numeral X is a structure existing near the surface S of the subject P. This structure X is, for example, a mammary gland structure, a calcified portion, or microbubbles attached to a body surface.

The transmission and reception of the first ultrasonic beam BM1 is performed using the one-channel ultrasonic vibrator 2b in the middle in the elevation direction of the ultrasonic probe 2 as shown in FIG. Further, transmission / reception of the second ultrasonic beam BM2 is performed using ultrasonic transducers 2a, 2b, 2c of all three channels in the elevation direction of the ultrasonic probe 2 as shown in FIG. The second beam width in the elevation direction of the second ultrasonic beam BM2 is wider than the first beam width in the elevation direction of the first ultrasonic beam BM1. The transmission and reception openings of the second ultrasonic beam BM2 are larger than the transmission and reception openings of the first ultrasonic beam BM1. The first ultrasonic beam BM1 is an example of the embodiment of the first ultrasonic beam in the present invention. The second ultrasonic beam BM2 is an example of the embodiment of the second ultrasonic beam in the present invention.

The transmission and reception of the first ultrasonic beam BM1 and the transmission and reception of the second ultrasonic beam BM2 are performed separately. The transmission and reception of the second ultrasonic beam BM2 may be performed after the transmission and reception of the first ultrasonic beam BM1 and vice versa.

The echo data processing unit 4 creates the first B mode data based on the echo signal of the first ultrasonic beam BM1, and based on the echo signal of the second ultrasonic beam BM2, the second B mode. Create data. Then, the image data creation unit 51 creates the first B mode image data based on the first B mode data, and creates the second B mode image data based on the second B mode data. The first B-mode image data is an example of the embodiment of the first ultrasonic image data in the present invention, and the second B-mode image data is the data of the second ultrasonic image in the present invention. It is an example of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a first B-mode image BI1 based on the first B-mode image data. Further, FIG. 7 shows a second B-mode image BI2 based on the second B-mode image data. The first B-mode image BI1 is a sliced image thinner than the second B-mode image BI2, and although it has higher spatial resolution and contrast resolution than the second B-mode image BI2, it is acoustic due to the influence of the structure X. There is a shadow AT. On the other hand, the acoustic shadow AT does not exist in the second B mode image BI2.

Next, in step S2, the correction information creation unit 52 creates correction information for the second B-mode image data. This will be described in detail. First, the correction information creation unit 52 obtains information indicating the brightness of each sound line in the first B-mode image BI1 from the first B-mode image data of one frame. As shown in FIG. 8, the information indicating the brightness of each sound line is the first function F1 having the sound line on the horizontal axis and the brightness on the vertical axis. This first function F1 consists of the average value of the luminance in each of the sound lines in the first B mode image BI1. In the first B mode image BI1, the correction information creation unit 52 calculates the average value of the luminance in one sound line (the average value of the luminance of each pixel) for all the sound lines, and obtains the first function F1. In FIG. 8, the position of the sound line on the horizontal axis of the first function F1 coincides with the position of the sound line in the first B-mode image BI1. In the first function F1, the portion corresponding to the acoustic shadow AT has a lower brightness than the other portions.

When the first function F1 is obtained, the correction information creation unit 52 creates the correction information based on the first function F1. As shown in FIG. 9, this correction information is a second function F2 that indicates the gain for each sound line. In the second function F2, the horizontal axis is the sound line and the vertical axis is the gain. The gain in the second function F2 is the gain to be multiplied by the second B-mode image data in a certain sound line. The second function F2 is an example of the embodiment of the correction function in the present invention. In the correction information creating unit 52, the higher the brightness of the sound line in the first function F1, the more the corresponding sound in the second function F2. The second function based on the first function F1 so that the gain on the line is smaller and the sound line with lower brightness in the first function F1 is larger in the corresponding sound line in the second function F2. Create F2. Therefore, in the second function F2, the portion corresponding to the acoustic shadow AT has a larger gain than the other portions.

Next, in step S3, the corrected image data creation unit 53 corrects the second B mode image data using the second function F2 and creates the corrected B mode image data. FIG. 10 shows the concept of creating corrected B-mode image data. The corrected image data creation unit 53 has corrected by multiplying the second B-mode image data (second B-mode image BI2 in FIG. 10) by the gain of the corresponding sound line in the second function F2. B-mode image data (corrected B-mode image BI3 based on corrected B-mode image data in FIG. 10) is created. More specifically, the corrected image data creation unit 53 multiplies the second B-mode image data in a certain sound line by the gain of the corresponding sound line in the second function F2, and multiplies this by the gain of the corresponding sound line in all the sound lines. Corrected B-mode image data is obtained by performing this on the data of. The corrected B-mode image data is an example of the embodiment of the corrected ultrasonic image data in the present invention.

In FIG. 10, for convenience of explanation, the corrected B-mode image BI3 obtained by multiplying the second B-mode image BI2 by the second function F2 is shown. In the second B-mode image data, the portion corresponding to the acoustic shadow AT in the first B-mode image BI1 is multiplied by a higher gain than the other portions. Therefore, in the corrected B-mode image BI3, the portion HB corresponding to the acoustic shadow AT in the first B-mode image BI1 has a higher brightness than the other portions.

Next, in step S4, as shown in FIG. 11, the image display control unit 54 uses the first B-mode image data (in FIG. 11 for convenience of explanation, the first B-mode image BI1) and the corrected B-mode image. Data (corrected B-mode image BI3 for convenience of explanation in FIG. 11) is added to create composite B-mode image data (composite B-mode image BI4 based on composite image data in FIG. 11 for convenience of explanation). Here, the image display control unit 54 creates composite B-mode image data by weighting and adding the first B-mode image data and the corrected B-mode image data. In the weighting addition, the weighting coefficients for each of the first B-mode image data and the corrected B-mode image data may be the same or different. The composite B-mode image data is an example of the embodiment of the composite image data in the present invention.

The image display control unit 54 causes the display device 6 to display the composite B-mode image BI4 based on the composite B-mode image data. The composite B-mode image BI4 is an image in which the acoustic shadow AT does not exist while maintaining the high spatial resolution and high contrast resolution of the first B-mode image BI1.

According to this example, from the brightness information (first function) of the first B-mode image data, which is thin slice data as compared with the second B-mode image data, the higher the brightness, the smaller the gain and the lower the brightness. A second function F2 having a larger gain is created as the value increases, and the second function F2 is multiplied by the second B-mode image data to create corrected B-mode image data. In the corrected B-mode image based on the corrected B-mode image data, the brightness of the portion corresponding to the acoustic shadow AT in the first B-mode image BI1 is high, and the brightness of the other portion is low. Therefore, as described above, the composite B-mode image BI4 is an image in which the acoustic shadow AT does not exist while maintaining the high spatial resolution and high contrast resolution of the first B-mode image BI1. For example, in breast cancer ultrasonography, thin slices of ultrasound are desirable for detection of calcifications and detection of small tumors, while thin slices emphasize acoustic shadows from the mammary gland structure. This artifact can impair overall visibility. However, the synthetic B-mode image BI4 is expected to improve the inspection efficiency for detecting calcification and detecting minute tumors.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-described embodiment, it goes without saying that the present invention can be modified in various ways without changing the gist thereof. For example, the above-mentioned processes from step S1 to step S4 are performed for B-mode image data, but may be performed for image data such as B-mode image data. The ultrasonic image data in the present invention includes raw data as well as ultrasonic image data.

1 Ultrasonic diagnostic device 2 Ultrasonic probe 2a, 2b, 2c Ultrasonic oscillator 51 Image data creation unit 52 Correction information creation unit 53 Corrected image data creation unit 54 Image display control unit

Claims (7)

Possess a reception of the first ultrasonic beam having a first beam width in the elevation direction, the wider second beam width than the first beam width in the elevation direction, the first ultrasonic beam a second ultrasonic probe to perform the reception of the ultrasound beam to include in elevation direction,
Data for creating data of the first ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the first ultrasonic beam and creating data of the second ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the second ultrasonic beam. With the creation department
Correction to create correction information for correcting the data of the second ultrasonic image corresponding to the data of the first ultrasonic image based on the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image. In the information creation unit , as the correction information, the higher the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image, the lower the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image, and the second. A correction information creation unit that creates correction information that increases the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image as the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of one ultrasonic image becomes lower .
A correction unit that corrects the data of the second ultrasonic image using the correction information to create the corrected ultrasonic image data, and
A compositing unit that creates composite image data by adding the data of the first ultrasonic image and the data of the corrected ultrasonic image, and
An ultrasonic image display device comprising. The correction information creating unit is characterized in that a correction function indicating a gain for each sound line is created as the correction information based on information indicating the brightness of each sound line in the first ultrasonic image of one frame. The ultrasonic image display device according to claim 1. The ultrasonic image display device according to claim 2, wherein the correction information creating unit creates, as the correction function, a correction function in which the gain is smaller as the brightness is higher and the gain is larger as the brightness is lower. The information indicating the brightness of each sound line in the first ultrasonic image of one frame comprises the average value of the brightness of each of the sound lines in the first ultrasonic image of one frame. Item 2. The ultrasonic image display device according to Item 2. The ultrasonic probe has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers in the elevation direction, and has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
The difference between the number of ultrasonic transducers in the elevation direction used for receiving the first ultrasonic beam and the number of ultrasonic transducers in the elevation direction used for receiving the second ultrasonic beam. The ultrasonic image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is characterized. Possess a reception of the first ultrasonic beam having a first beam width in the elevation direction, the wider second beam width than the first beam width in the elevation direction, the first ultrasonic beam a second ultrasonic probe to perform the reception of the ultrasound beam to include in elevation direction,
With the processor
It is an ultrasonic image display device characterized by being provided with
The processor
Data for creating data of the first ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the first ultrasonic beam and creating data of the second ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the second ultrasonic beam. Creation function and
Correction to create correction information for correcting the data of the second ultrasonic image corresponding to the data of the first ultrasonic image based on the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image. In the information creation function , as the correction information, the higher the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image, the lower the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image, and the second. A correction information creation function that creates correction information that increases the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image as the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image becomes lower .
A correction function that corrects the data of the second ultrasonic image using the correction information to create the corrected ultrasonic image data, and
A compositing function that creates composite image data by adding the data of the first ultrasonic image and the data of the corrected ultrasonic image, and
An ultrasonic image display device characterized in that the program is executed. Possess a reception of the first ultrasonic beam having a first beam width in the elevation direction, the wider second beam width than the first beam width in the elevation direction, the first ultrasonic beam a second ultrasonic probe to perform the reception of the ultrasound beam to include in elevation direction,
With the processor
It is a control program of an ultrasonic image display device characterized by being provided with
To the processor
Data for creating data of the first ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the first ultrasonic beam and creating data of the second ultrasonic image based on the echo signal of the second ultrasonic beam. Creation function and
Correction to create correction information for correcting the data of the second ultrasonic image corresponding to the data of the first ultrasonic image based on the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image. In the information creation function , as the correction information, the higher the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image, the lower the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image, and the second. A correction information creation function that creates correction information that increases the brightness in the data of the second ultrasonic image as the brightness in the information indicating the brightness obtained from the data of the first ultrasonic image becomes lower .
A correction function that corrects the data of the second ultrasonic image using the correction information to create the corrected ultrasonic image data, and
A compositing function that creates composite image data by adding the data of the first ultrasonic image and the data of the corrected ultrasonic image, and
A control program for an ultrasonic image display device, which is characterized by executing.