JP7077004B2 - Ultrasound diagnosis support program - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic diagnostic support program.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves to an object (patient), receives reflected waves (echo) from the object, and images the inside of the object. In recent years, a two-dimensional array is used. Formula ultrasonic probes are mainly used.
Since the two-dimensional array probe has a large number of ultrasonic transducers (also simply referred to as elements) arranged two-dimensionally in a grid pattern, all the elements are directly driven from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body to control the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves. That is difficult. Therefore, a dedicated IC (ASIC) that divides the element into sub-arrays and performs partial delay addition for each sub-array is provided in the ultrasonic probe.
The setting of the delay pattern for each element in the sub-array needs to be performed between the end of the echo signal reception period and the transmission timing of the next ultrasonic wave, which is called the blanking time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-152432 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-187833

When the ultrasonic probe is, for example, a typical sector type, the amount of communication data related to the delay pattern of each element is small, so that the data transmission for ultrasonic transmission can be completed in the blanking time. However, in the case of a large-area, large-scale two-dimensional array probe such as a linear type, the amount of communication data related to the delay pattern of each element is several tens of times larger, so that the transfer time is required accordingly. In order to transmit data related to the delay pattern of each element in a shorter time, it is necessary to perform high-speed communication or significantly expand the data transfer lane.
However, in order to perform high-speed communication, it is necessary to increase the circuit scale by increasing the clock frequency of the CPU. Also, in order to expand the data lane, the number of cables must be increased. Therefore, it cannot be said that each is a realistic solution.

An object of the present embodiment is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic diagnostic support program capable of transferring data in a shorter time than before.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe and a communication control unit. The ultrasonic probe has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged two-dimensionally along a first arrangement direction and a second arrangement direction. The communication control unit has the first column delay data indicating the delay amount for each row of the ultrasonic transducers along the second arrangement direction, and each row of the ultrasonic transducers along the first arrangement direction. The second column delay data indicating the delay amount of the above is transmitted to the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe further has a setting unit for setting the delay amount of each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers by using the transmitted first column delay data and the second column delay data. ..

The block diagram which shows the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic probe. The block diagram which shows the structure of a transmission / reception IC. A block diagram showing the configuration of a sub-array unit. A diagram showing the concept of blanking time. The conceptual diagram about the calculation of the delay amount of each element calculated in a transmission / reception IC. The figure which shows an example of the two-dimensional arrangement of the element assumed in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the delay amount setting process of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the 1st comparison result between the conventional method and the processing by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. The figure which shows the second comparison result between the conventional method and the processing by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the sound pressure intensity of the main beam. The figure which shows an example of setting of the transmission opening in the communication control circuit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The figure explaining the column delay data which concerns on the modification of embodiment. The figure explaining the calculation of the delay amount when the MUT (Micromachining Ultrasound Transducer) element is arranged two-dimensionally.

Hereinafter, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the parts with the same reference numerals perform the same operation, and duplicate description will be omitted as appropriate.

(First Embodiment)
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a main body apparatus 10 and an ultrasonic probe 30. The main body device 10 is connected to the external device 40 via the network 100. Further, the main body device 10 is connected to the display device 50 and the input device 60. In the figure below, the solid line indicates an analog signal and the broken line indicates a digital signal.

The ultrasonic probe 30 has a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators (hereinafter, also simply referred to as an element), a matching layer provided on the element, a backing material for preventing the propagation of ultrasonic waves from the element to the rear, and the like. The ultrasonic probe 30 is detachably connected to the main body device 10. Details of the ultrasonic probe 30 will be described later.

The main body device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that generates an ultrasonic image based on a reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body device 10 includes an ultrasonic transmission circuit 11, an ultrasonic reception circuit 12, a B mode processing circuit 13, a Doppler processing circuit 14, a three-dimensional processing circuit 15, a display processing circuit 16, and an internal storage circuit 17. , Image memory 18 (cine memory), image database 19, input interface circuit 20, communication interface circuit 21, and control circuit 22.

The ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 is a processor that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 30. The ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 is realized by, for example, a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, a pulser circuit, or the like. The trigger generation circuit repeatedly generates rate pulses for forming transmitted ultrasonic waves at a predetermined rate frequency. The delay circuit sets the transmission delay time for each element required to focus the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic probe 30 in a beam shape and determine the transmission directivity for each rate pulse generated by the trigger generation circuit. give. The pulser circuit applies a drive signal (drive pulse) to the ultrasonic probe 30 at a timing based on the rate pulse. By changing the transmission delay time given to each rate pulse by the delay circuit, the transmission direction from the element surface can be arbitrarily adjusted.

The ultrasonic wave receiving circuit 12 is a processor that performs various processes on the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 30 to generate a received signal. The ultrasonic wave receiving circuit 12 is realized by, for example, an amplifier circuit, an A / D converter, a reception delay circuit, an adder, and the like. The amplifier circuit amplifies the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 30 for each channel and performs gain correction processing. The A / D converter converts the gain-corrected reflected wave signal into a digital signal. The reception delay circuit provides the digital signal with the reception delay time required to determine the reception directivity. The adder adds a plurality of digital signals with a given reception delay time. The addition process of the adder generates a received signal in which the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the reception directivity is emphasized.

The B-mode processing circuit 13 is a processor that generates B-mode data based on the received signal received from the ultrasonic wave receiving circuit 12. The B mode processing circuit 13 performs envelope detection processing, logarithmic amplification processing, and the like on the received signal received from the ultrasonic reception circuit 12, and the signal strength is expressed by the brightness of the brightness (hereinafter, B mode). Data) is generated. The generated B-mode data is stored in a RAW data memory (not shown) as B-mode RAW data on the ultrasonic scanning line. The B-mode RAW data may be stored in the internal storage circuit 17 described later.

The Doppler processing circuit 14 is a processor that generates Doppler waveforms and Doppler data based on the received signal received from the ultrasonic wave receiving circuit 12. The Doppler processing circuit 14 extracts a blood flow signal from a received signal, generates a Doppler waveform from the extracted blood flow signal, and extracts information such as average velocity, dispersion, and power from the blood flow signal at multiple points. (Hereinafter, Doppler data) is generated.

The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 is a processor capable of generating two-dimensional image data or three-dimensional image data (hereinafter, also referred to as volume data) based on the data generated by the B mode processing circuit 13 and the Doppler processing circuit 14. Is. The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 generates two-dimensional image data composed of pixels by executing RAW-pixel conversion.

Further, the three-dimensional processing circuit 15 executes RAW-voxel conversion including interpolation processing in which spatial position information is added to the B-mode RAW data stored in the RAW data memory, thereby performing voxels in a desired range. Generates volume data consisting of. The three-dimensional processing circuit 15 performs rendering processing on the generated volume data to generate rendered image data. Hereinafter, the B mode RAW data, the two-dimensional image data, the volume data, and the rendered image data are collectively referred to as ultrasonic data.

The display processing circuit 16 executes various processes such as dynamic range, luminance (brightness), contrast, γ-curve correction, and RGB conversion on the various image data generated in the three-dimensional processing circuit 15, to obtain the image data. To a video signal. The display processing circuit 16 causes the display device 50 to display the video signal. The display processing circuit 16 may generate a user interface (GUI: Graphical User Interface) for the operator to input various instructions by the input interface circuit 20, and display the GUI on the display device 50. As the display device 50, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display, or any other display known in the art can be appropriately used.

The internal storage circuit 17 has, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, a recording medium that can be read by a processor such as a semiconductor memory, and the like. The internal storage circuit 17 includes a control program related to the delay amount setting method according to the present embodiment, a control program for realizing ultrasonic transmission / reception, a control program for performing image processing, a control program for performing display processing, and the like. I remember. Further, the internal storage circuit 17 is a conversion table or the like in which the range of diagnostic information (for example, patient ID, doctor's findings, etc.), diagnostic protocol, body mark generation program, and color data used for visualization is preset for each diagnostic site. The data group of is memorized. Further, the internal storage circuit 17 may store an anatomical chart related to the structure of an organ in a living body, for example, an atlas.

Further, the internal storage circuit 17 stores the two-dimensional image data, the volume data, and the rendered image data generated by the three-dimensional processing circuit 15 according to the storage operation input via the input interface circuit 20. The internal storage circuit 17 sets the operation order and operation time of the two-dimensional image data, volume data, and rendered image data generated by the three-dimensional processing circuit 15 according to the storage operation input via the input interface circuit 20. You may include it and memorize it. The internal storage circuit 17 can also transfer the stored data to an external device via the communication interface circuit 21.

The image memory 18 has, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium, a recording medium that can be read by a processor such as a semiconductor memory, and the like. The image memory 18 stores image data corresponding to a plurality of frames immediately before the freeze operation input via the input interface circuit 20. The image data stored in the image memory 18 is, for example, continuously displayed (cine display).

The image database 19 stores image data transferred from the external device 40. For example, the image database 19 receives and stores past medical image data about the same patient acquired in the past examination stored in the external device 40. Past medical image data includes ultrasonic image data, CT (Computed Tomography) image data, MR image data, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) -CT image data, PET-MR image data, and X-ray image data.

The image database 19 may store desired image data by reading image data recorded on a storage medium (media) such as MO, CD-R, or DVD.

The input interface circuit 20 receives various instructions from the user via the input device 60. The input device 60 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a panel switch, a slider switch, a trackball, a rotary encoder, an operation panel, and a touch command screen (TCS). The input interface circuit 20 is connected to the control circuit 22 via, for example, a bus, converts an operation instruction input from an operator into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the control circuit 22. In the present specification, the input interface circuit 20 is not limited to those connected to physical operation parts such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, processing of an electric signal that receives an electric signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 as a radio signal and outputs this electric signal to the control circuit 22. The circuit is also included in the example of the input interface circuit 20. For example, it may be an external input device capable of transmitting an operation instruction corresponding to an instruction by an operator's gesture as a wireless signal.

The communication interface circuit 21 is connected to the external device 40 via the network 100 or the like, and performs data communication with the external device 40. The external device 40 is, for example, a database of a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) which is a system for managing data of various medical images, a database of an electronic medical record system for managing an electronic medical record to which a medical image is attached, and the like. Further, the external device 40 includes various medical images other than the ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 according to the present embodiment, such as an X-ray CT device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device, a nuclear medicine diagnostic device, and an X-ray diagnostic device. It is a diagnostic device. The standard for communication with the external device 40 may be any standard, and examples thereof include DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine).

The control circuit 22 is, for example, a processor that functions as the center of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The control circuit 22 realizes a function corresponding to the program by executing the control program stored in the internal storage circuit 17. Specifically, the control circuit 22 executes the column delay data generation function 101.

By executing the column delay data generation function 101, the control circuit 22 generates column delay data regarding the two-dimensionally arranged elements. The column delay data and its generation will be described later with reference to FIG. Further, the control circuit 22 generates a delay time (sub-array delay data) for each sub-array regarding the delay of the entire system, and transfers the sub-array delay data as an analog signal to the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11.

The column delay data generation function 101 may be incorporated as a control program, or the control circuit 22 itself or the main unit 10 may incorporate a dedicated hardware circuit capable of executing each function.

The control circuit 22 includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) incorporating these dedicated hardware circuits, a field programmable logic device (FPGA), and other complex programmable logic devices. It may be realized by (Complex Programmable Logic Device: CPLD) or a simple programmable logic device (Simple Programmable Logic Device: SPLD).

Next, the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 30 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The ultrasonic probe 30 includes a connection portion 200 (also referred to as POD), a cable 230, and a probe main body 250 (also referred to as HEAD).

The connection portion 200 is a connector portion connected to the main body device 10, and includes a communication control circuit 201 and a storage circuit 202. The probe main body 250 includes a plurality of transmission / reception ICs 251 and a plurality of elements 252.
The communication control circuit 201 receives the column delay data from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 of the main body device 10, and stores the column delay data in the storage circuit 202. The communication control circuit 201 transmits column delay data to the probe body 250 via the cable 230.
The storage circuit 202 is, for example, a memory, and receives and stores column delay data.
Each of the plurality of transmission / reception ICs 251 receives column delay data from the communication control circuit 201 and a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11. Each of the plurality of transmission / reception ICs 251 sets the delay amount of the element for each subarray to be controlled based on the column delay data and the drive signal, and controls the transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves at a predetermined timing.

In the plurality of elements 252, the delay amount of each element is set by the transmission / reception IC 251 and the ultrasonic wave generated based on the drive signal is transmitted to the living body P at the timing according to the delay amount.
When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 30 to the living body P, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are reflected one after another on the discontinuity surface of the acoustic impedance in the body tissue of the living body P, and are reflected by a plurality of elements 252 as reflected waves. Received. The amplitude of the received reflected wave depends on the difference in acoustic impedance in the discontinuity where the ultrasonic waves are reflected. When the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is reflected on a moving bloodstream or a surface such as a heart wall, the reflected wave depends on the velocity component of the moving object with respect to the ultrasonic transmission direction due to the Doppler effect. , Subject to frequency shift. The ultrasonic probe 30 receives the reflected wave from the living body P, converts it into an electric signal, and transmits it to the main body device 10.

Next, the configuration of the transmission / reception IC 251 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The transmission / reception IC 251 includes an IC control circuit 301 and a plurality of sub-array units 350.

The IC control circuit 301 executes the delay amount setting function 302. By executing the delay amount setting function 302, the IC control circuit 301 calculates the delay amount of each element belonging to the subarray for each subarray from the column delay data acquired from the communication control circuit 201, and the delay amount of each element belonging to the subarray is calculated for each of the plurality of subarray units 350. Set.
Each of the plurality of sub-array units 350 receives a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11 and a delay amount from the IC control circuit. Each of the plurality of sub-array units 350 controls the timing of ultrasonic wave transmission / reception of the elements in the assigned sub-array based on the drive signal and the delay amount.

Next, the details of the sub-array unit 350 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
Each sub-array unit 350 includes an adder circuit 351 and a plurality of element transmission / reception circuits 352. The element transmission / reception circuit 352 exists for each channel. The element transmission / reception circuit 352 includes a delay circuit 401, a transmission amplification circuit 402, a transmission / reception separation circuit 403, and a reception amplification circuit 404.

The adder circuit 351 adds the received signal delayed by the delay circuit 401.
The delay circuit 401 receives a delay amount from the IC control circuit 301, a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 11, and a reception signal from the vibrator from the reception amplifier circuit 404, and sets the delay amount for the transmission / reception signal.
The transmission amplifier circuit 402 receives a drive signal from the delay circuit 401 and amplifies the drive signal.
The transmission / reception separation circuit 403 separates the drive signal related to transmission and the echo signal received by the element.
The reception amplifier circuit 404 receives an echo signal from the transmission / reception separation circuit 403 and amplifies the echo signal.

(Processing for setting the delay time of each element)
Next, the setting of the delay time of each element realized by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. In this setting process, when a two-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of elements are arranged along the first arrangement direction and the second arrangement direction is used, the determination is made for each element row in each direction within the blanking time. The delayed data (column delay data) is transferred from the main unit 10 to the ultrasonic probe 30. The ultrasonic probe 30 uses the delay data for each element row in each direction received from the main unit 10 and the delay data for each sub-array to determine the delay amount of each element by the addition process within the same blanking time. By setting, the delay time for each element is set. This makes it possible to set delay data for a large-scale two-dimensional array in a short time.

First, the outline of the delay time setting process of each element will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the timing of each process for setting the blanking time and the delay time executed within each blanking time. The timing chart at the top of the figure shows the ultrasonic transmission / reception interval (PRI: Pulse Repetition Interval) of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The period T from one transmission / reception to the next transmission / reception corresponds to the blanking time. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the transfer processing of the data for the two-dimensional array (also simply referred to as data) to be transmitted and received next from the main body apparatus 10 to the ultrasonic probe 30 and the ultrasonic probe 30 in each blanking time. It is necessary to finish the process of setting the delay time of each element.

In addition, in FIG. 5, the transfer period 501 from the main body device 10 to the connection part (POD) and the transfer from the connection part to the probe main body (HEAD) are included in the transfer period from the main body device 10 to the ultrasonic probe 30. The transfer processing period 503 in the probe main body 250 is shown as the period 502 corresponding to the setting processing of the delay time of each element in the ultrasonic probe 30.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating column delay data and sub-array delay data for each sub-array in each direction. In the figure, each cell corresponds to the element position 601 arranged two-dimensionally, and 100 elements of 10 × 10 elements are illustrated for the sake of simplicity. An address (0 to 9) is assigned to each element in the x direction, an address (0 to 9) is assigned in the y direction, and each element can be defined by the x coordinate and the y coordinate. For example, the address of the element at the upper left is (0,0), and the address of the element at the lower right is (9,9).

Further, a 5 × 5 element is defined as one sub-array 602, and the central element in the sub-array 602 is the sub-array position 603. That is, in the example of FIG. 6, there are four subarrays 602. In calculating the delay amount of each element with respect to the focus point of the living body P, the coordinates of the focus point are (xf, yf, zf), the coordinates of the subarray position are (xs, ys), and the coordinates of the element position (xe, yes). Is defined as. The sub-array delay data ds with respect to the focus point is calculated according to the equation (1) in the control circuit 22.

また、フォーカス点に対するｘ方向の列遅延データｄｘ、ｙ方向の列遅延データｄｙは、列遅延データ生成機能１０１において、式（２）および式（３）に従ってそれぞれ計算される。

Further, the column delay data dx in the x direction and the column delay data dy in the y direction with respect to the focus point are calculated by the column delay data generation function 101 according to the equations (2) and (3), respectively.

ここで、列遅延データｄｘは、ｙ方向に配列された素子の列ごとに決定される遅延量であり、列内の素子では同一の遅延量が用られる。同様に、列遅延データｄｙは、ｙ方向に配列された素子の列ごとに決定される遅延量である。

Here, the column delay data dx is a delay amount determined for each column of elements arranged in the y direction, and the same delay amount is used for the elements in the column. Similarly, the column delay data dy is a delay amount determined for each column of elements arranged in the y direction.

According to the above calculation, the same delay amount is used for the elements in the same row. For example, a column having an x-coordinate of "0", that is, a column composed of elements (0,0) to (0,9) is given the same column delay data.

The calculation of each sub-array delay data ds for the focus point, each column delay data dx in the x direction, and each column delay data dy in the y direction is executed and stored at a predetermined timing before the ultrasonic transmission / reception is started. The column delay data generation function 101 transfers the column delay data dx in the x direction and the column delay data dy in the y direction to be used for the transmission to the connection unit 200 (POD) in the transfer period 501 shown in FIG. , The communication control circuit 201 transfers the received column delay data dx in the x direction and the column delay data dy in the y direction to the probe main body 250 (HEAD) in the transfer period 502 shown in FIG.

The transmission / reception IC 251 in the probe main body 250 (HEAD) has the column delay data dx in the x direction and the column delay data in the y direction according to the address of each element in the transfer processing period 503 in the probe main body 250 shown in FIG. The delay amount is set for each element in the sub-array using the value obtained by adding dy. The transmission / reception IC 251 may control the transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves from the element 252 according to the set delay time. For example, for the element positions (1, 3) shown in FIG. 6, the column delay data dx ₁ in the second column in the x direction (the address in the x direction is 1) and the fourth column in the y direction (the address in the y direction is 3). ) Is added to the column delay data dy ₃ to set the delay amount of the element position (1, 3) which is the intersection. In the element transmission / reception circuit 352 that controls the element at the element position (1, 3), at the time of transmission, a delay is applied to the drive signal from the main body device based on the calculated element delay amount, and ultrasonic waves are generated from the element. At the time of reception, the reception signal from the element 252 is amplified by the reception amplifier circuit 404, multiplied by a delay based on the calculated delay amount, and output to the addition circuit 351. The output of the adder circuit 351 is subjected to a system delay based on the sub-array delay ds by the ultrasonic wave receiving circuit 12 of the main body apparatus 10, and further added to form an ultrasonic beam.

The above is the outline of the setting of the delay time according to the present embodiment, but it is not bound by the content. For example, in the above description, it is assumed that the transmission sub-array delay setting is performed by an analog drive signal, but the sub-array delay data may be transmitted to the ultrasonic probe 30 as a digital signal. The IC control circuit 301 may calculate the delay time of the element using the sub-array delay data and the column delay data, and set it in each sub-array unit 350.

Next, an example of the two-dimensional arrangement of the elements assumed in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
FIG. 7 shows a two-dimensional array of elements in the ultrasonic probe grasped by the main body device 10. It is assumed that a total of 4000 elements, 100 elements in the x direction and 40 elements in the y direction, are arranged.

The sub-array size is 5 × 5 elements. One transmission / reception IC 251 has an input of 20 × 20 elements and is in charge of controlling 400 elements. Further, one transmission / reception IC 251 has a 4 × 4 sub-array output. Here, it is assumed that a total of 10 transmission / reception ICs 251 (IC0 to IC9), five in the x direction and two in the y direction, are arranged. Each transmission / reception IC is provided with one data reception terminal and one data transmission terminal, and in IC1 to IC9, each output terminal is connected to an adjacent input terminal. Data is transferred between the transmission / reception ICs to the adjacent ICs connected by the bucket brigade method. Specifically, when data is input from IC0 to IC1, the data input to IC1 at the previous clock is transferred to IC2, and so on.

The arrangement of the transmission / reception ICs 251 in FIG. 7 shows the arrangement on the acoustic array. In reality, the transmission / reception ICs are not arranged in one plane but are dispersed in the ultrasonic probe in the vertical direction and are arranged in the FPC. A signal may be extracted from each transmission / reception IC 251 using (Flexible Printed Circuit).

Next, the delay amount setting process of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As a description of the operation, it is assumed that processing is performed on the two-dimensional array shown in FIG. 7.

In step S801, the control circuit 22 of the main unit 10 calculates column delay data (dx, dy) in the x-direction and y-direction for 100 × 40 elements in advance, and connects the calculated column delay data to the connection unit. It is transmitted to the communication control circuit 201 of 200. The column delay data includes 100 columns of column delay data dx, that is, dx [0:99], and 40 columns of column delay data dy, that is, dy [0:39].

In step S802, the communication control circuit 201 stores the column delay data in the storage circuit 202. The communication control circuit 201 rearranges the column delay data in the storage order (data transfer order) in the probe main body 250 for data transfer, and then stores the data. In order to save memory, the communication control circuit 201 stores the column delay data in the order of receiving the column delay data from the main unit 10 at the time of data storage, and extracts the column delay data from the storage circuit 202 in the order of data transfer at the time of data transfer. good.

In step S803, the communication control circuit 201 reads the column delay data addressed to “IC9” from the storage circuit 202 so that the column delay data is filled in order from “IC9” which is the first destination in the data transfer order in the transmission / reception array. And send the column delay data to the probe body. When each transmission / reception IC receives column delay data at the data reception terminal, the reception data one clock before is output from the data transmission terminal.

In step S804, the communication control circuit 201 determines whether or not the column delay data has been transmitted to all the transmission / reception ICs. The determination may be made, for example, by whether or not an enable signal has been received from the "IC9" which is the last destination in the data transfer order. Here, the column delay data addressed to "IC9" (40 column delay data of dx [80:99] and dy [20:39]) are transmitted in order, and the column delay data is transferred to "IC9". Is completed, the column delay data addressed to "IC8" is transferred, and the column delay data addressed to "IC0" is transmitted in order up to (dx [0:19], dy [0:19]). To.
When the transmission of the column delay data is completed, the process proceeds to step S805, and when the transmission of the column delay data is not completed, the process returns to step S803 and the same process is repeated.

In step S805, the transmission / reception IC 251 sets the delay amount of each element based on the column delay data as described above with reference to FIG. This completes the delay amount setting process of the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

By expanding the data lane to a plurality of data lanes, that is, by expanding the data reception terminal and the data transmission terminal to a plurality of data lanes, the column delay data can be transferred in parallel, so that higher speed data transfer is possible.

Next, FIG. 9 shows the first comparison result between the conventional method and the processing by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 9 shows an array scale of elements that can be controlled with the same amount of data communication, and FIG. 9 (a) shows an array scale that can be controlled by a conventional method. In the conventional method, delay data for each element of the sub-array is communicated. Therefore, for example, if the sub-array is 20 × 20 elements, 400 delay data are required.

On the other hand, FIG. 9B shows an array scale that can be controlled by comparison with the transfer method according to the present embodiment. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment, if there are 20 column delay data in each of the x direction and the y direction, the delay amount can be calculated for all the elements of one subarray, so that 20 + 20 = 40 delay data can be obtained. All you need is. That is, when the communication amount is the same as the data communication amount of the conventional method, the delay amount related to the elements for 10 sub-arrays can be communicated. Therefore, the controllable array scale can be dramatically improved as compared with the conventional case.

Next, FIG. 10 shows a second comparison result between the conventional method and the processing by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 10A shows the sound pressure intensity of the echo signal by the conventional method in which the delay amount is calculated for each channel, and FIG. 10B shows the sound pressure intensity of the echo signal by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment. Is shown. The vertical axis shows the angle in the azimuth direction, and the horizontal axis shows the angle in the elevation direction.

Comparing FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the grating lobe in the 45-degree direction is slightly increased in FIG. 10 (b), but the effect is small because the level is originally small. Therefore, it can be seen that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment also maintains the same accuracy as the conventional method in which the delay amount is calculated for each channel.

Next, an enlarged view of the sound pressure intensity of the main beam in FIG. 10 is shown in FIG.
FIG. 11A shows the result by the conventional method, and FIG. 11B shows the result by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment. Comparing FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b), there is almost no decrease in sound pressure, and there is almost no effect on the sidelobes. Therefore, it can be said that the delay amount setting method of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment does not affect the resolution as compared with the conventional method.

According to the first embodiment shown above, the column delay data in two directions of the two-dimensional array is transferred to the ultrasonic probe, and the delay amount of each element is set by a simple addition process on the probe side. Delay data for a large 2D array can be set in a short time. That is, even if the array scale increases, the transfer of the two-dimensional array control data to the probe main body can be completed within the blanking time.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment has a practical advantage in that the effect of reducing the amount of data communication is further improved as the array structure becomes larger, such as when the number of channels of the system increases.

(Second embodiment)
It is also possible to set the transmission aperture by using the method of setting the delay amount by the column delay data.
The setting of the transmission opening in the communication control circuit according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 12 shows an array structure similar to that of FIG. 7, and also shows a transmission opening 1201 showing a region of an element used for transmission.

In the main body device 10, in addition to the column delay data (dx, dy) according to the first embodiment, on / off data ax (first) regarding ultrasonic transmission is performed for each element column along the y direction. On / off data) and on / off data ay (second on / off data) related to ultrasonic transmission are further transmitted to the communication control circuit 201 for each row of elements along the x direction. The on / off data (ax, ay) may be represented by, for example, 1 bit, and is set to "1" when its own column is used for ultrasonic transmission and "0" when it is not used for ultrasonic transmission. All you need is. In addition to the column delay data dx [0:99] and dy [0:39], the first on / off data is for 100 columns, that is, ax [0:99], and the second on / off data is for 40 columns, that is. ay [0:39] is transmitted.

The communication control circuit 201 stores the column delay data and the on / off data (ax, ay) in the storage circuit 202.
Similar to the first embodiment, the communication control circuit 201 transmits the on / off data ax, ay addressed to the IC 9 and the column delay data to the transmission / reception IC 251 in order. Specifically, (ax [80:99], ay [20:39], dx [80:99], dy [20:39]) in order (ax [80:99], ay [20:39]). , Dx [0:19], dy [0:19]).

The transmission / reception IC 251 can set an element used for ultrasonic transmission by performing a multiplication (AND operation of bit operation) ax * ay between the on / off data ax and the on / off data ay. Specifically, the AND operation of the on-off data ax and the on-off data ay is performed, and the corresponding element is ultrasonically operated only when the value is "1", that is, both the on-off data ax and the on-off data ay are "1". It may be set to be used for transmission. A transmission aperture 1201 can be obtained by performing an AND operation on all the elements of the two-dimensional array.

According to the second embodiment shown above, on / off data in the x direction (azimuth direction) and the y direction (elevation direction) are transmitted, and the AND calculation is performed by the ultrasonic probe main body. As a result, the data for setting the transmission aperture for each channel can be transferred to the ultrasonic probe in a shorter time than in the conventional case.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the communication control circuit 201 and the storage circuit 202 are included in the connection portion connected to the main body device 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication control circuit 201 and the storage circuit 202 are not limited to this. , May be included in the main body device 10.
Further, the configuration, the communication control circuit 201, and the storage circuit 202 included in the main body device 10 according to the present embodiment may be included in the probe main body 250. In this case, the probe main body 250 may be connected to a display device 50 (display, tablet terminal, smartphone, etc.) for displaying an ultrasonic image by USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wirelessly.

(Modified example of the embodiment)
In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the column delay data dx and dy along the arrangement direction of the elements are used as the column delay data, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the diagonal column delay data is further used for delay. The amount may be calculated.
The column delay data generation function 101 includes column delay data (dr) relating to a row of elements existing on the diagonal line rising to the right and column delay data (dl) relating to a row of elements existing diagonally rising to the left of the above-mentioned column delay data. ) Can be calculated.

As a specific example, the four column delay data will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows one of the subarrays 602 shown in FIG.
Here, for convenience, regarding the column delay data dr, the diagonal column delay data in which the element at the address (0,0) is present is dr ₀ , and the diagonal column delay data in which the element at the address (0,1) and (1,0) is present. Column delay data is named based on criteria such as dr ₁ . Similarly, for the column delay data dl, the column delay data on the diagonal where the element at the address ( _0,4 ) is present is the diagonal where the element at the address (0,3) and (1,4) is present. Column delay data is named by a criterion such as dl ₁ .

The transmission / reception IC 251 may set the delay amount for each element in the subarray by using the value obtained by adding the four column delay data dx, dy, dr and dl corresponding to the address of each element.
Specifically, it is assumed that the delay amount of the element at the address (1, 3) is obtained. The transmission / reception IC 251 sets the delay amount for each element in the sub-array using the value obtained by adding the column delay data dx ₁ , the column delay data dy ₃ , the diagonal column delay data dr _4, and the diagonal column delay data dl ₃ . do it.
By calculating the delay amount using the column delay data in four directions in this way, the delay amount can be estimated with higher accuracy as compared with the case where the column delay data in two directions is used.
It should be noted that the delay amount of the element may be calculated by adding the two column delay data of the column delay data dr and dl without using the column delay data dx and dy.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where a plurality of elements are two-dimensionally arranged in a square shape has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, a plurality of MUT (Micromachining Ultrasound Transducer) elements may be formed in a hexagonal shape by a semiconductor process.
The MUT element can be either a CMUT (Capacitive MUT: Capacitive Transducer) element or a PMUT (Piezoelectric MUT: Piezoelectric Transducer) element.

The calculation of the delay amount when the hexagonal MUT elements are two-dimensionally arranged will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 14 shows an arrangement pattern of the hexagonal MUT element 1401. For convenience of explanation, the x-direction and the y-direction are defined, and an identifier (ID) is defined for each MUT element.
For example, when the delay amount of the MUT element 1401 with the ID “5” indicated by the diagonal line is obtained, the transmission / reception IC 251 may be calculated by adding the column delay data in three directions. Specifically, the first is column delay data d1 relating to the MUT element 1401 (ID = 4, 5, 6, 7) existing in the y direction. The second is column delay data d2 relating to the MUT element 1401 (ID = 2, 5, 8) existing in the upward-sloping column direction. The third is the column delay data d3 relating to the MUT element 1401 (ID = 1, 5, 9) existing in the upward-sloping column direction.
When a plurality of MUT elements as shown in FIG. 14 collectively play the role of one element shown in FIG. 6, the column delay data dx and dy (for the one element) according to the above-described embodiment are used. In the case of four directions, the delay amount may be calculated using dx, dy, dr and dl).

Each function according to the above-described embodiment can also be realized by installing a program for executing the process on a computer such as a workstation and expanding the program on the memory. At this time, the program that allows the computer to execute the method can be stored and distributed in a storage medium such as a magnetic disk (hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), or a semiconductor memory. ..

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 novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, 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, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 ... Ultrasonic diagnostic device, 10 ... Main unit device, 11 ... Ultrasonic transmission circuit, 12 ... Ultrasonic reception circuit, 13 ... B mode processing circuit, 14 ... Doppler processing circuit , 15 ... Dimension processing circuit, 16 ... Display processing circuit, 17 ... Internal storage circuit, 18 ... Image memory, 19 ... Image database, 20 ... Input interface circuit, 21 ...・ Communication interface circuit, 22 ... control circuit, 30 ... ultrasonic probe, 40 ... external device, 50 ... display device, 60 ... input device, 100 ... network, 101 ... -Column delay data generation function, 200 ... connection part (POD), 201 ... communication control circuit, 202 ... storage circuit, 230 ... cable, 250 ... probe body (HEAD), 251.・ ・ Transmission / reception IC, 252 ・ ・ ・ element, 301 ・ ・ ・ IC control circuit, 302 ・ ・ ・ delay amount setting function, 350 ・ ・ ・ sub-array unit, 351 ・ ・ ・ addition circuit, 352 ・ ・ ・ element transmission / reception circuit, 401 ... Delay circuit, 402 ... Transmission amplification circuit, 403 ... Transmission / reception separation circuit, 404 ... Reception amplification circuit, 501, 502 ... Transfer period, 503 ... Transfer processing period, 601 ... -Element position, 602 ... sub-array, 603 ... sub-array position, 1201 ... transmission opening, 1401 ... MUT element.

Claims (5)

It is an ultrasonic diagnosis support program that controls an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged two-dimensionally along a first arrangement direction and a second arrangement direction.
On the computer
The first column delay data showing the delay amount for each row of the ultrasonic transducers along the second arrangement direction and the delay amount for each row of the ultrasonic transducers along the first arrangement direction are shown. A communication control function that transmits the second column delay data to the ultrasonic probe, and
With respect to the ultrasonic probe, a setting function for setting the delay amount of each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers by using the transmitted first column delay data and the second column delay data. ,
Ultrasound diagnosis support program to realize . The setting function of each sub-array adds the first column delay data and the second column delay data of the column corresponding to the address of the ultrasonic transducer belonging to the sub array to each ultrasonic transducer. Set the delay amount and
The ultrasonic probe transmits and receives ultrasonic waves from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers based on the sub-array delay related to the system delay of the sub-array and the delay amount .
The ultrasonic diagnosis support program according to claim 1. The communication control function is for each row of ultrasonic transducers along the first arrangement direction and first on / off data regarding ultrasonic transmission for each row of ultrasonic transducers along the second arrangement direction. The second on / off data regarding the ultrasonic transmission of the above is further transmitted to the ultrasonic probe.
The setting function uses the first on / off data and the second on / off data to set a transmission aperture for the ultrasonic transmission of the ultrasonic probe .
The ultrasonic diagnostic support program according to claim 1 or 2. The setting function sets the transmission aperture by multiplying the first on / off data corresponding to the matrix address of each element belonging to the subarray by the second on / off data .
The ultrasonic diagnosis support program according to claim 3. The communication control function rearranges the first column delay data and the second column delay data received from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body in the order in which they are stored in the ultrasonic probe .
The ultrasonic diagnosis support program according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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