Vascular wall elasticity imaging method and ultrasonic imaging equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a vascular wall elasticity imaging method and ultrasonic imaging equipment, and the method comprises the steps: transmitting excitation waves and detection waves for a period of time to target vascular tissue in a multiplex imaging mode, and receiving ultrasonic echoes obtained after the detection waves are reflected by the target vascular tissue, so as to obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data containing at least one cardiac cycle; performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the multiple frames of ultrasonic data to obtain a shear wave elastic image and a pulse wave conduction velocity, and at least displaying the shear wave elastic image and the pulse wave conduction velocity at the same time; therefore, according to the invention, the pulse wave technology and the shear wave elasticity imaging technology are utilized to carry out vascular tissue ultrasonic imaging together, and the pulse wave measurement result and the shear wave measurement result are output at the same time, so that the vascular elasticity is evaluated more accurately.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and particularly to a method for vascular wall elastography and an ultrasonic imaging device. Background Art

[0002] Vascular elasticity is an important basis for maintaining normal vascular function. Early warning and assessment of the degree of vascular sclerosis are of great significance in avoiding cardiovascular events, disease treatment, and monitoring the efficacy of medications.

[0003] Currently, vascular elasticity measurement mostly uses imaging techniques, such as ultrasonic imaging techniques. In ultrasonic imaging techniques, the pulse wave technique and the shear wave elastography technique are two commonly used methods for vascular elastography. The method of measuring vascular elasticity using the pulse wave is to capture the pulsation information of the vascular wall based on high-frame-rate imaging in a straight section of the blood vessel, and then automatically identify the pulse waves in the early systolic and late systolic phases and calculate their propagation velocities. The calculated propagation velocity can be converted into a vascular elasticity value according to a known formula. Shear wave elastography, on the other hand, uses acoustic radiation force to excite shear waves in a suitable imaging plane and captures the propagation process of the shear waves through high-frame-rate imaging, thereby obtaining the vascular elasticity value based on the shear wave propagation velocity.

[0004] For vascular elasticity assessment, the pulse wave technique can obtain the vascular elasticity values at two typical phases, namely the early systolic and late systolic phases, during the cardiac cycle. For one cardiac cycle, the sampling at these two typical phases is representative but not comprehensive, and the calculated propagation velocity is the average pulse wave propagation velocity within a certain length range. When the shear wave elastography technique is applied to blood vessels, it is usually insensitive to the cardiac cycle, that is, the acquisition may occur at any phase of the cardiac cycle, and it is usually difficult to ensure that elastic measurements are obtained at the same phase of each cardiac cycle.

[0005] In summary, both the single pulse wave technique or the shear wave elastography technique have some deficiencies, resulting in an inability to accurately assess vascular elasticity. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Considering the above problems, the present invention provides a method for vascular wall elastography and an ultrasonic imaging device, which will be specifically described below.

[0007] According to a first aspect, in one embodiment, a method for vascular wall elastography is provided, including:

[0008] In response to an instruction to enter the simplex imaging mode, enter the simplex imaging mode; in the simplex imaging mode, transmit ultrasonic waves to the target vascular tissue at a first scanning frame rate and receive ultrasonic echoes, and process the ultrasonic echoes to obtain a B image;

[0009] In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode;

[0010] In the multiplexed imaging mode:

[0011] Detect the region of interest on the B image;

[0012] Emit an excitation wave to the region of interest and emit a detection wave for a period of time at a second scanning frame rate, where the second scanning frame rate is greater than the first scanning frame rate;

[0013] Receive the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the region of interest to obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle;

[0014] Based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data, perform shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest;

[0015] At least simultaneously display the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity.

[0016] In one embodiment, the performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest includes:

[0017] Perform shear wave imaging on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest;

[0018] Perform pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest.

[0019] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic data used for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation is at least partially the same ultrasonic data.

[0020] In one embodiment, the performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest includes:

[0021] Perform a first calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest;

[0022] Perform a second calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest.

[0023] In one embodiment, in the multiplexed imaging mode, it further includes:

[0024] Generate and display a B image based on at least part of the multi-frame ultrasound data.

[0025] In one embodiment, in the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes:

[0026] Detect a measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image;

[0027] Perform shear wave elasticity calculation on the measurement area based on the ultrasound data, and obtain and display the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement area.

[0028] In one embodiment, in the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes:

[0029] Visually express the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest, and generate and display a pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map.

[0030] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0031] Detect a measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image;

[0032] Calculate the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment based on the ultrasound data; wherein, the sampling moment is the sampling moment corresponding to the ultrasound data or a pre-selected sampling moment;

[0033] Generate and display an image of the blood vessel diameter change curve of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment according to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment, and / or, obtain and display the statistical value of the blood vessel diameter measurement results within a preset duration according to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment.

[0034] In one embodiment, when the measurement area is a surface area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the average value of the blood vessel diameter measurement values of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the surface area;

[0035] When the measurement area is a point area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the blood vessel diameter measurement value of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the point area.

[0036] In one embodiment, at least one moment corresponding to the early systolic phase and the moment corresponding to the late systolic phase in at least one cardiac cycle are marked in the blood vessel diameter change curve image, and / or, the sampling moment is marked in the blood vessel diameter change curve image.

[0037] In one embodiment, the corresponding shear wave elasticity result is displayed beside the sampling moment marked on the blood vessel diameter change curve image.

[0038] In one embodiment, in response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, entering the multiplex imaging mode includes:

[0039] In response to a user's operation on a control for enabling the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode;

[0040] Alternatively, in response to a command for enabling the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment, enter the multiplex imaging mode.

[0041] According to a second aspect, in one embodiment, a method for vascular wall elastography is provided, including:

[0042] In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode;

[0043] In the multiplex imaging mode:

[0044] Emit an excitation wave and a detection wave for a period of time to the target vascular tissue;

[0045] Receive the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the target vascular tissue, and obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle;

[0046] Perform shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively, and obtain the shear wave elastogram and the pulse wave velocity respectively;

[0047] Display at least the shear wave elastogram and the pulse wave velocity simultaneously.

[0048] In one embodiment, the performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively, and obtaining the shear wave elastogram and the pulse wave velocity respectively includes:

[0049] Perform shear wave imaging on some or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elastogram;

[0050] Perform pulse wave calculation on some or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave velocity.

[0051] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic data used for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation is at least partially the same ultrasonic data.

[0052] In one embodiment, the performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively, and obtaining the shear wave elastogram and the pulse wave velocity respectively includes:

[0053] Perform a first calculation on some or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elastogram;

[0054] Perform a second calculation on some or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave velocity.

[0055] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0056] Generate and display a B image based on at least part of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data.

[0057] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0058] Detect the measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image;

[0059] Perform shear wave elasticity calculation on the measurement area based on the ultrasonic data, and obtain and display the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement area.

[0060] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0061] Visually express the pulse wave velocity, and generate and display a pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map.

[0062] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0063] Detect the measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image;

[0064] Calculate the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment based on the ultrasonic data; wherein, the sampling moment is the sampling moment corresponding to the ultrasonic data or a pre-selected sampling moment;

[0065] Generate and display the blood vessel diameter change curve image of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment according to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment, and / or obtain and display the statistical value of the blood vessel diameter measurement results within a preset duration according to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment.

[0066] In one embodiment, the entering the multiplex imaging mode in response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode includes:

[0067] In response to the user's operation on the control for turning on the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode;

[0068] Or, in response to a command for turning on the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment, enter the multiplex imaging mode.

[0069] According to a third aspect, a method for vascular wall elasticity imaging is provided in one embodiment, including:

[0070] In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode;

[0071] In the multiplexed imaging mode, the display interface displays at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity of the target vascular tissue.

[0072] In one embodiment, the instruction in response to entering the multiplexed imaging mode includes:

[0073] In response to the user's operation on the control for turning on the multiplexed imaging mode; or, in response to a command for turning on the multiplexed imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment.

[0074] In one embodiment, the display interface further displays one or more of: the B image of the target vascular tissue, the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image, the spatio-temporal map of pulse wave conduction, and the image of the change curve of the blood vessel diameter corresponding to the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image.

[0075] According to a fourth aspect, in one embodiment, an ultrasonic imaging device is provided, including: an ultrasonic probe, a transmitting and receiving control circuit, a processor, and a display component; the ultrasonic probe is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to an interested area of a blood vessel to be measured and receive corresponding ultrasonic echo signals; the transmitting and receiving control circuit is configured to control the probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echo signals; the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0076] According to a fifth aspect, in one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a program is stored, and the program can be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0077] According to the method for elastic imaging of blood vessel walls and the ultrasonic imaging device of the above embodiments, in the multiplexed imaging mode, an excitation wave and a detection wave are transmitted to the target vascular tissue for a period of time, and the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the target vascular tissue is received to obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle. Shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation are respectively performed on the multiple frames of ultrasonic data to obtain a shear wave elasticity image and a pulse wave velocity, and at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity are simultaneously displayed; thereby, the present invention uses the pulse wave technology and the shear wave elasticity imaging technology to jointly perform ultrasonic imaging of blood vessels, and outputs the pulse wave measurement result and the shear wave measurement result at the same time to more accurately evaluate the blood vessel elasticity. Description of the Drawings

[0078] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device according to an embodiment;

[0079] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a method for elastic imaging of blood vessel walls according to an embodiment;

[0080] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of B image for an embodiment;

[0081] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of plane wave mode;

[0082] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of detection wave for an embodiment;

[0083] Figure 6 Flowchart of a method for performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation respectively based on multi-frame ultrasound data for an embodiment;

[0084] Figure 7 Flowchart of a method for obtaining shear wave elasticity results for an embodiment;

[0085] Figure 8 Flowchart of a method for obtaining an image of blood vessel diameter change curve for an embodiment;

[0086] Figure 9 Flowchart of a method for blood vessel wall elasticity imaging for an embodiment;

[0087] Figure 10 Flowchart of a method for blood vessel wall elasticity imaging for an embodiment;

[0088] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of a display interface for an embodiment;

[0089] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of an image of blood vessel diameter change curve for an embodiment;

[0090] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of a display interface for another embodiment;

[0091] Figure 14 Schematic diagram of a display interface for yet another embodiment;

[0092] Figure 15 Schematic diagram of a display interface for yet another embodiment;

[0093] Figure 16 Schematic diagram of a display interface for yet another embodiment. Detailed implementation manners

[0094] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings through specific embodiments. Similar elements in different embodiments are denoted by related similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can readily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, which is to avoid overwhelming the core part of the present application with excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations based on the descriptions in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0095] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be reordered or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are only for clearly describing a certain embodiment and do not mean a necessary sequence, unless it is stated that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0096] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in the present application, unless otherwise specified, both include direct and indirect connection (coupling).

[0097] Some explanations will be given below for the pulse wave technology and shear wave elastography technology respectively.

[0098] The pulse wave is a pulsed mechanical wave that pulsates radially and propagates axially on the blood vessel wall generated by the heart pumping blood. The pulse wave is specifically manifested as two vascular expansions when the left ventricle starts pumping blood and when the blood pumping ends respectively. The two vascular expansions correspond to the pulse waves in the early systolic and late systolic phases respectively. The pulse wave will conduct along the artery from the proximal end to the distal end, and the elasticity of the blood vessel wall is evaluated by measuring the pulse wave velocity. Among them, the elasticity of the blood vessel wall can be evaluated by the following expression according to the pulse wave velocity:

[0099]

[0100] where PWV is the pulse wave velocity, E is the Young's modulus, h is the blood vessel thickness, and R is the inner diameter of the blood vessel.

[0101] Shear wave elastography generates shear waves within vascular tissue, causing the vascular tissue to undergo a certain displacement. Subsequently, ultrasonic images are acquired by transmitting ultrasonic waves to the vascular tissue, and the displacement field generated by the vascular tissue is monitored. The elasticity of the vascular wall of the vascular tissue is evaluated by measuring, for example, the propagation speed of shear waves within the vascular tissue.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present invention, an excitation wave and a detection wave of a certain duration are transmitted to the target vascular tissue. Shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation are performed on the ultrasonic data obtained from the ultrasonic echoes received after transmitting the detection wave, and a pulse wave elasticity image and a pulse wave conduction velocity are output simultaneously.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 1 , the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention includes an ultrasonic probe 10, a transmission and reception control circuit 20, and a processor 40. In some embodiments, an echo processing module 30 and / or a display component 50 may also be included. Each component will be described below.

[0104] The ultrasonic probe 10 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest and receive corresponding ultrasonic echo signals to obtain ultrasonic data, such as two-dimensional ultrasonic data or three-dimensional ultrasonic data. In some specific embodiments, the ultrasonic probe 10 includes a plurality of array elements, which are used to realize the mutual conversion between electrical pulse signals and ultrasonic waves, so as to transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest and receive corresponding ultrasonic echo signals. The array elements can transmit ultrasonic waves according to the excitation electrical signals, or convert the received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each array element can be used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the biological tissue in the region of interest and also to receive the ultrasonic echo waves returned from the tissue. During ultrasonic detection, which array elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves and which are used to receive ultrasonic waves can be controlled through the transmission sequence and the reception sequence, or the array elements can be controlled to be used for transmitting ultrasonic waves or receiving ultrasonic echoes in time slots. All the array elements participating in ultrasonic wave transmission can be simultaneously excited by electrical signals to transmit ultrasonic waves simultaneously; or the array elements participating in ultrasonic wave transmission can also be excited by several electrical signals with a certain time interval to continuously transmit ultrasonic waves with a certain time interval.

[0105] The transmitting and receiving control circuit 20 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echo signals. For example, on the one hand, the transmitting and receiving control circuit 20 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest, and on the other hand, it is used to control the ultrasonic probe 10 to receive the ultrasonic echo signals reflected by the ultrasonic waves passing through the region of interest. In some specific embodiments, the transmitting and receiving control circuit 20 is used to generate a transmitting sequence and a receiving sequence and output them to the ultrasonic probe 10. The transmitting sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple array elements in the ultrasonic probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the biological tissue 60. The parameters of the transmitting sequence include the number of array elements used for transmission and the ultrasonic wave transmitting parameters (such as amplitude, frequency, number of wave emissions, transmission interval, transmission angle, waveform, and / or focusing position, etc.). The receiving sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple array elements to receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves after passing through the tissue. The parameters of the receiving sequence include the number of array elements used for reception and the echo receiving parameters (such as receiving angle, depth, etc.). Depending on the different uses of the ultrasonic echoes or the different images generated based on the ultrasonic echoes, the ultrasonic parameters in the transmitting sequence and the echo parameters in the receiving sequence are also different.

[0106] The echo processing module 30 is used to process the ultrasonic echo signals received by the ultrasonic probe 10. For example, it processes the ultrasonic echo signals such as filtering, amplifying, beamforming, etc. to obtain ultrasonic echo data. In a specific embodiment, the echo processing module 30 can output the ultrasonic echo data to the processor 40, or it can first store the ultrasonic echo data in a memory. When it is necessary to perform operations based on the ultrasonic echo data, the processor 40 reads the ultrasonic echo data from the memory. Those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, when there is no need to perform processing such as filtering, amplifying, beamforming, etc. on the ultrasonic echo signals, the echo processing module 30 can also be omitted.

[0107] The processor 40 is used to obtain the ultrasonic echo data or signals and use relevant algorithms to obtain the required parameters or images. The processor 40 in some embodiments of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a digital signal processing (DSP), etc., which are devices used to interpret computer instructions and process data in computer software. In some embodiments, the processor 40 is used to execute each computer application program in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, so that the sample analysis device executes the corresponding detection process.

[0108] The display component 50 can be used to display information, such as parameters and images calculated by the processor 40. Those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system itself may not integrate a display module, but instead be connected to a computer device (such as a computer), and the information is displayed through the display module (such as a display screen) of the computer device.

[0109] Based on the above-provided ultrasound imaging device, the basic processes of shear wave elastography and pulse wave imaging are described respectively.

[0110] In the process of shear wave elastography, the array elements in the ultrasound probe 10 apply an acoustic radiation force pulse to the region of interest to generate a shear wave excitation wave (S); the transmit and receive control circuit 20 sends the transmit pulse that has undergone delay focusing to the ultrasound probe 10, and the ultrasound probe 10 is excited by the transmit pulse to emit an ultrasonic beam to the tissue in the target region of the object to be measured, and this ultrasonic beam can be called a shear wave detection wave (D) to track the shear wave excitation wave (S); after a certain time delay, the ultrasound probe 10 receives the ultrasonic echo with tissue information reflected from the region of interest and reconverts this ultrasonic echo into an electrical signal. The echo processing module 30 receives the electrical signal converted by the ultrasound probe 10 to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal, and sends these ultrasonic echo signals into the echo processing module 30. The echo processing module 30 performs processing such as focusing delay, weighting, and channel summation on the ultrasonic echo data, and then sends it to the processor 40. The processor 40 performs elastography processing on the ultrasonic echo data, calculates the elastic parameters for generating an elastic image, and generates a corresponding shear wave elastogram according to the elastic parameters.

[0111] In the process of pulse wave imaging, similar to the conventional B-image imaging process, the ultrasound probe 10 emits ultrasonic waves to the blood vessels of the target object, which can be called a pulse wave detection wave (Pulse), and receives the corresponding ultrasonic echo signals to obtain ultrasonic echo data; the processor 40 acquires the ultrasonic echo data and performs processing to obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic echo data; the processor 40 also obtains the pulse wave conduction velocity that propagates along the axial direction of the blood vessel on the blood vessel wall from the ultrasonic echo data, and this pulse wave conduction velocity can be used to obtain the blood vessel wall elasticity value through color conversion. Visualize the blood vessel wall hardness characterization quantity along the axial direction of the blood vessel.

[0112] It should be noted that during the above shear wave elastography or pulse wave imaging process, the processor 40 can also perform conventional B-mode ultrasound image processing on the ultrasound echo data to generate a B image. The shear wave elastogram or B image obtained by the processor 40 can be displayed on the display component 50 or stored in the memory. In addition, the pulse wave velocity can also be visually expressed, thereby generating and displaying a pulse wave propagation state diagram, so that a doctor can intuitively observe the propagation of the pulse wave along the blood vessel wall through the pulse wave propagation state diagram.

[0113] Some embodiments also disclose a method for blood vessel wall elastography. In some embodiments, the processor 40 is used to execute one step, multiple steps, or all steps in the method for blood vessel wall elastography.

[0114] Please refer to Figure 2 , the method for blood vessel wall elastography in some embodiments includes the following steps:

[0115] Step 11: The processor 40 enters the simplex imaging mode in response to an instruction to enter the simplex imaging mode; in the simplex imaging mode, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the target blood vessel tissue at a first scanning frame rate and the ultrasonic echoes are received, and after processing the ultrasonic echoes, a B image is obtained.

[0116] Generally, ultrasonic images can be divided into A-mode, B-mode, C-mode, M-mode, D-mode, and color Doppler flow imaging mode. Among them, the B image refers to the B-mode ultrasonic image. The B image can reflect the two-dimensional sectional tomographic image of human tissues. It shows a real-time sectional image with strong authenticity, good intuitiveness, and is easy to master; the scanning methods of the B image include: linear (straight line) scanning, fan-shaped scanning, trapezoidal scanning, arc scanning, radial scanning, circumferential scanning, and compound scanning, etc.

[0117] The ultrasonic imaging device can have multiple imaging modes, such as B imaging mode, color flow imaging mode, M imaging mode, or D imaging mode, etc. In some embodiments, the simplex imaging mode is the B imaging mode, that is, the conventional ultrasonic imaging mode, and the way to enter the simplex imaging mode is the same as that of conventional ultrasonic imaging, which will not be elaborated here. In the B imaging mode, the parameters of the transmission sequence and the reception sequence in the transmission and reception control circuit 20 are the same as those of the traditional B image, and the B image corresponding to the target blood vessel tissue is generated and provided to the user.

[0118] Step 12: Enter the multiplex imaging mode in response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode. The multiplex imaging mode is an imaging process in which the imaging processes of two or more imaging modes are embedded and cross each other so that the two or more imaging modes are generally realized simultaneously. In this embodiment, the multiplex imaging mode refers to the two imaging modes of pulse wave and shear wave elastography.

[0119] In some embodiments, the method of switching from the above-mentioned simplex imaging mode to the multiplex imaging mode can be performed manually or automatically by the user. For example, the multiplex imaging mode can be entered in response to the user's operation on the control for enabling the multiplex imaging mode. In one embodiment, the user can turn on the multiplex imaging mode by triggering a relevant button in the device. This button can be a physical button in the device, such as a panel button, or a virtual button integrated in the display interface of the display component 50. For another example, the multiplex imaging mode can also be entered in response to a command for enabling the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment. In one embodiment, the processor 40 can obtain the average cardiac cycle of the current patient through prior data analysis and select an appropriate moment to start the multiplex imaging mode.

[0120] In addition, after switching from the simplex imaging mode to the multiplex imaging mode, the device also needs to configure various parameters of the transmission sequence and the reception sequence in the transmission and reception control circuit 20, mainly configuring the timing of the excitation wave, the shear wave detection wave, and the pulse wave detection wave.

[0121] After the above step 12, the device switches from the conventional simplex imaging mode to the multiplex imaging mode. In the multiplex imaging mode:

[0122] Step 13: Detect the region of interest on the B image. The region of interest in the B image can be automatically selected by the user or by the system. As Figure 3 shown, Figure 3 (a) in is the B image obtained in the simplex imaging mode, and (b) is the B image marked with the region of interest. The region of interest ① and the region of interest ② are marked in this B image, and both are marked with a rectangular box. It can be understood that in order to distinguish different regions of interest, different rectangular boxes corresponding to different regions of interest can be marked with different colors.

[0123] Step 14: The processor 40 controls the ultrasonic probe 10 to emit an excitation wave to the detected region of interest, and emit a detection wave for a period of time at a second scanning frame rate, where the second scanning frame rate is greater than the first scanning frame rate. After the ultrasonic imaging device switches from the conventional simplex imaging mode to the multiplex imaging mode, some parameters in the transmission and reception control circuit 20 also need to be configured so that the ultrasonic probe 10 can emit the detection wave at the second scanning frame rate, where the second scanning frame rate is greater than 100 Hz.

[0124] In some embodiments, there can be multiple ways to implement emitting a detection wave for a period of time at the second scanning frame rate. A common way is the plane wave mode. Please refer to Figure 4, the plane wave mode can complete the scanning of the entire area in one transmission and reception, thereby improving the scanning frame rate. The plane wave scanning mode can adopt the single-angle plane wave or multi-angle plane wave emission mode. In addition to the plane wave mode, high-frame-rate scanning acquisition can also be achieved by scanning methods such as the sparse focused wave mode, wide focus mode, or traditional focused wave mode.

[0125] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic probe 10 emits excitation light to the detected induction area region, that is, the ultrasonic probe 10 applies an acoustic radiation force pulse to the region of interest to generate a shear wave excitation wave (S).

[0126] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic probe 10 emits a detection wave for a period of time at a second scanning frame rate. Among them, the detection wave is an ultrasonic wave, and the echo signals corresponding to these emitted detection waves are used for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation in subsequent steps. It should be noted that the detection wave (abbreviated as D wave) for shear wave imaging and the detection wave (abbreviated as Pulse wave) for pulse wave calculation may not be reused at all, may be partially reused, or may be fully reused. For example Figure 5 As shown, in a sequence of detection waves shown in the figure, the three parts T1, T2, and T3 respectively show the cases of full reuse, partial reuse, and non-full reuse of the D wave and the Pulse wave.

[0127] Step 15: The processor 40 receives the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the region of interest, and obtains multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle.

[0128] Step 16: The processor 40 performs shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on the multiple frames of ultrasonic data respectively, and obtains the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest respectively.

[0129] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 , in step 16, performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on the multiple frames of ultrasonic data respectively, and obtaining the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest respectively includes:

[0130] Step 161: Perform shear wave imaging on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data, and obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest. That is, perform a first calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest.

[0131] Step 162: Perform pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data, and obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest. That is, perform a second calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest.

[0132] The above can be divided into the following three cases:

[0133] (1) All the ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation in the region of interest are the same, corresponding to the case where the above D wave and Pulse wave are fully multiplexed.

[0134] (2) Some of the ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation in the region of interest are the same, that is, there are some same but some different parts in the ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and the ultrasonic data for pulse wave calculation, corresponding to the case where the above D wave and Pulse wave are not fully multiplexed.

[0135] (3) The ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation in the region of interest are completely different, corresponding to the case where the above D wave and Pulse wave are fully multiplexed. This case can be regarded as the two imaging processes of shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation being carried out independently. For example, first carry out the imaging process of pulse wave calculation, and then carry out the process of shear wave imaging.

[0136] It should be noted that whether the ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation are completely the same, partially the same, or completely different, these ultrasonic data used can be all multiple frames of ultrasonic data, or part of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data.

[0137] The above is the case where the regions of interest for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation are the same. It should also be noted that in other embodiments, the regions of interest for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation may also be different.

[0138] Step 17: The processor 40 controls the display component 50 to display at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity simultaneously. In one embodiment, the region of interest is marked in the shear wave elasticity image, and the position of the blood vessel wall is also marked within the region of interest. For example, the position of the blood vessel wall can be marked with dotted lines of different colors. In one embodiment, the pulse wave conduction velocity can be displayed through a separate result window in the display interface.

[0139] In some embodiments, in the multiplexed imaging mode, the processor 40 also generates and displays a B image based on at least part of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data. That is, during the pulse wave calculation and shear wave imaging processes, the B image can also be interspersed. It can be seen that the ultrasonic imaging device provided in this embodiment can display the B image, the shear wave elasticity image, and the pulse wave conduction velocity simultaneously.

[0140] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 , in the multiplexed imaging mode, it further includes:

[0141] Step 181: Detect the measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image. An area of interest is shown in the shear wave elasticity image. Within the area of interest, the user can set a measurement area, the range of which can be from a single point to the entire area of interest, and the shape of the boundary of the measurement area is not restricted. If the user does not set a measurement area, the system can also default to setting the measurement area as the area of interest for shear wave imaging or the area of interest for pulse wave calculation (the smaller of the two).

[0142] Step 182: Perform shear wave elasticity calculation on the measurement area based on the ultrasonic data, and obtain and display the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement area.

[0143] When the measurement area is a single-point area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the blood vessel diameter measurement value of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the single-point area.

[0144] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 8 , in the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes:

[0145] Step 191: Detect the measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image. An area of interest is shown in the shear wave elasticity image. Within the area of interest, the user can set a measurement area, the range of which can be from a single point to the entire area of interest, and the shape of the boundary of the measurement area is not restricted. If the user does not set a measurement area, the system can also default to setting the measurement area as the area of interest for shear wave imaging or the area of interest for pulse wave calculation (the smaller of the two).

[0146] Step 192: Calculate the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment based on the ultrasonic data; wherein, the sampling moment is the sampling moment corresponding to the ultrasonic data or a pre-selected sampling moment.

[0147] Step 193: Generate and display the blood vessel diameter change curve image of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment based on the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment, and / or, obtain and display the statistical value of the blood vessel diameter measurement results within a preset time period based on the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment.

[0148] In one embodiment, when the measurement area is a planar area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the average value of the blood vessel diameter measurement values of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the planar area; when the measurement area is a single-point area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the blood vessel diameter measurement value of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the single-point area.

[0149] In other embodiments, the pulse wave velocity of the area of interest can also be visually expressed to generate and display a pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map.

[0150] The above are some descriptions of a method for vascular wall elastography in an embodiment. In this embodiment, before the device enters the multiplex imaging mode, it needs to first enter the simplex imaging mode. In the simplex imaging mode, a B-image is scanned and obtained to provide a basis for subsequent detection of the region of interest. In some other embodiments, before entering the multiplex imaging mode, it is not necessary to enter the simplex imaging mode. The user can select the target vascular tissue to be imaged during the acquisition preparation stage, where the acquisition preparation stage is extremely similar to that of existing ultrasound imaging.

[0151] Please refer to Figure 9 , the method for vascular wall elastography in some other embodiments includes the following steps:

[0152] Step 21: The processor 40 responds to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode and enters the multiplex imaging mode.

[0153] In the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes:

[0154] Step 22: The processor 40 controls the ultrasonic probe 10 to emit an excitation wave and a detection wave for a certain duration to the target vascular tissue. It should be noted that the way of emitting the excitation wave and the detection wave is the same as that in the above embodiment, and the scanning frame rate of emitting the detection wave can be the second scanning frame rate.

[0155] Step 23: The processor 40 receives the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the target vascular tissue, and obtains multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle.

[0156] Step 24: The processor 40 performs shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the multiple frames of ultrasonic data respectively, and obtains a shear wave elasticity image and a pulse wave conduction velocity respectively.

[0157] Step 25: The processor 40 displays at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity simultaneously. In one embodiment, the processor 40 can also generate and display a B-image based on at least part of the multiple frames of ultrasonic data.

[0158] The specific implementation manners of the above steps 21 to 25 have been described in detail in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0159] Please refer to Figure 10 , the method for vascular wall elastography in still some other embodiments includes the following steps:

[0160] Step 31: In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode. In some embodiments, the multiplex imaging mode can be entered manually or automatically by the user. For example, the multiplex imaging mode can be entered in response to the user's operation on the control for enabling the multiplex imaging mode. In one embodiment, the user can trigger a relevant button in the device to enable the multiplex imaging mode. The button can be a physical button in the device, such as a panel button, or a virtual button integrated in the display interface of the display component 50. For another example, the multiplex imaging mode can also be entered in response to a command for enabling the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment. In one embodiment, the processor 40 can obtain the average cardiac cycle of the current patient through prior data analysis and select an appropriate moment to start the multiplex imaging mode.

[0161] Step 32: In the multiplex imaging mode, the display interface displays at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity of the target vascular tissue. The display of the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity of the target vascular tissue on the display interface can refer to the description of the above embodiments.

[0162] Thus, it is possible to "one-key" output the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity of the target vascular tissue simultaneously.

[0163] In some embodiments, in addition to the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity, the display interface of the display component 50 can also display one or more of a B image, the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image, a pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map, and a blood vessel diameter change curve image corresponding to the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image. Some embodiments of the display interface of the display component 50 displaying at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity are given below.

[0164] Please refer to Figure 11 , the display interface is a three-window display mode, namely: Window ①: B image, Window ②: Shear wave elasticity image, and Window ③: Blood vessel diameter change curve image. The pulse wave velocity and the shear wave elasticity result can be displayed in a separate result window. The position and internal configuration of the result window are not fixedly limited. For example Figure 11 , it can be displayed beside Window ②. In addition, Window ② and Window ③ support further measurement or adjustment by the user.

[0165] When Window ② is the case where the region of interest (ROI) for pulse wave calculation and shear wave elasticity imaging is consistent, the position of the blood vessel wall automatically identified by the color dot line marking system is adopted within the region of interest (ROI), and the measurement region (S) is a rectangular frame within the region of interest (ROI).

[0166] Window ③ shows the blood vessel diameter change curve over a period of time, and marks the sampling moments of the pulse wave and the shear wave above the blood vessel diameter change curve. The triangular marks identify the early systolic and late systolic phases, and the circular marks identify the sampling moments of the shear wave. Among them, the early systolic and late systolic phases are automatically recognized and marked by the system, and the sampling moments of the shear wave support manual selection by the user or automatic equal-interval setting of several sampling moments by the system. In some embodiments, in addition to the form shown in Figure 11 as shown, please refer to Figure 12 , it also supports directly displaying the shear wave elasticity results next to the marked sampling moments. The measurement of the shear wave elasticity within a single cardiac cycle defaults to several sampling moments at equal time intervals, and also supports the user to manually select some time points for measurement.

[0167] Above the result window, the mean values (PWV, m / s) of the pulse wave conduction velocity corresponding to the early systolic (BS) and late systolic (ES) phases, as well as the standard deviations (SD, m / s) of the pulse wave conduction velocity corresponding to the early systolic (BS) and late systolic (ES) phases, are also displayed.

[0168] The content displayed in the result window can be one or several of the statistical results such as the mean value, maximum value, and minimum value of the pulse wave conduction velocity and the shear wave elasticity results. For the pulse wave conduction velocity, its display result is the statistical data of several cardiac cycles. For the shear wave elasticity results, its display result can match the sampling moments marked in Window ③, or can be based on the data within part or all of the time period.

[0169] Under the structure of the display interface shown in Figure 11 , the content that can be displayed can be summarized into the following categories: B image, shear wave elasticity image, blood vessel diameter change curve, and pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map. The user can adjust the layout and display content according to actual needs. The following provides the display interfaces of several examples. It can be understood that it is not limited to the display content and display structure of the display interface provided in this embodiment.

[0170] Please refer to Figure 13 , some adjustments have been made to the display of the shear wave elasticity image in Window ②. In the shear wave elasticity image of Window ②, the region of interest is not displayed, and only the measurement region (S) is displayed.

[0171] Please refer to Figure 14 , replace the blood vessel diameter change curve in Window ③ in Figure 11 with the pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map.

[0172] Please refer to Figure 15 , replace the B image in Window ① with the shear wave elasticity image, and display the blood vessel diameter change curves and blood vessel diameter measurement results at multiple blood vessel positions in Figure Window ②, which can support the situation of multiple measurement regions.

[0173] In addition to the structures of the above three windows, one or several types of display content can be selected to form a single-window or multi-window display mode. The pulse wave velocity or shear wave elasticity results that the user is interested in are displayed in the result window in the form of measurement items. A simplest example of a two-window display is as follows Figure 16 shown.

[0174] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the functions of the various methods in the above embodiments can be implemented in a hardware manner or in a computer program manner. When all or part of the functions in the above embodiments are implemented in a computer program manner, the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can include: read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, etc. The above functions are implemented by a computer executing the program. For example, the program is stored in the memory of the device, and when the processor executes the program in the memory, the above all or part of the functions can be achieved. In addition, when all or part of the functions in the above embodiments are implemented in a computer program manner, the program can also be stored in a storage medium such as a server, another computer, magnetic disk, optical disk, flash drive or mobile hard disk, and saved to the memory of the local device by downloading or copying, or the system of the local device is updated. When the processor executes the program in the memory, the above all or part of the functions in the embodiments can be achieved.

[0175] The above uses specific examples to elaborate on the present invention, which is only used to help understand the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, based on the idea of the present invention, several simple deductions, deformations or substitutions can also be made.

Claims

1. A method for vascular wall elastography, characterized in that, Including: In response to an instruction to enter the simplex imaging mode, enter the simplex imaging mode; in the simplex imaging mode, emit ultrasonic waves to a target vascular tissue at a first scanning frame rate and receive ultrasonic echoes, and obtain a B image after processing the ultrasonic echoes; In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode; In the multiplex imaging mode: Detect a region of interest on the B image; Emit an excitation wave to the region of interest and emit a detection wave for a period of time at a second scanning frame rate, where the second scanning frame rate is greater than the first scanning frame rate; Receive the ultrasonic echoes reflected by the region of interest after the detection wave, and obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle; Based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data, perform shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest respectively, and obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest respectively; At least simultaneously display the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity.

2. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, wherein, The performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively, and obtaining the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest respectively includes: Performing shear wave imaging on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest; Performing pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest.

3. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, wherein The ultrasonic data for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation is at least partially the same ultrasonic data.

4. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on the region of interest based on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively, and obtaining the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest and the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest respectively includes: Performing a first calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image of the region of interest; Performing a second calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest.

5. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, wherein In the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes: Generating and displaying a B image based on at least part of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data.

6. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, wherein In the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes: Detecting a measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image; Performing shear wave elasticity calculation on the measurement region based on the ultrasonic data, and obtaining and displaying the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement region.

7. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, wherein, In the multiplex imaging mode, it further includes: Performing a visual expression on the pulse wave conduction velocity of the region of interest, and generating and displaying a pulse wave conduction spatio-temporal map.

8. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes: Detecting a measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image; Calculating the blood vessel diameter measurement result of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement region at each sampling moment based on the ultrasonic data; wherein, the sampling moment is the sampling moment corresponding to the ultrasonic data or a pre-selected sampling moment; Generate and display the blood vessel diameter change curve image of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment based on the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment, and / or obtain and display the statistical value of the blood vessel diameter measurement results within a preset time period based on the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement area at each sampling moment.

9. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 8, wherein When the measurement area is an area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the average value of the blood vessel diameter measurement values of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the area. When the measurement area is a point area, the blood vessel diameter measurement result is the blood vessel diameter measurement value of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the point area.

10. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one moment corresponding to the early systolic phase and the moment corresponding to the late systolic phase in at least one cardiac cycle are marked in the blood vessel diameter change curve image, and / or the sampling moment is marked in the blood vessel diameter change curve image.

11. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 10, wherein Display the corresponding shear wave elasticity result beside the sampling moment marked on the change curve image of the blood vessel diameter.

12. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 1, characterized in that, The entering the multiplex imaging mode in response to the instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode includes: Enter the multiplex imaging mode in response to the user's operation on the control for enabling the multiplex imaging mode. Or, enter the multiplex imaging mode in response to the command for enabling the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at the first moment.

13. A method for vascular wall elastography, characterized in that, Include: Enter the multiplex imaging mode in response to the instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode. In the multiplex imaging mode: Emit an excitation wave and a detection wave for a period of time to the target blood vessel tissue. Receive the ultrasonic echo after the detection wave is reflected by the target blood vessel tissue to obtain multiple frames of ultrasonic data including at least one cardiac cycle. Perform shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity respectively. Display at least the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity simultaneously.

14. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, characterized in that, The performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity respectively includes: Perform shear wave imaging on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image. Perform pulse wave calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity.

15. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, characterized in that, The ultrasonic data used for shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation is at least partially the same ultrasonic data.

16. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13 or 15, characterized in that, The performing shear wave imaging and pulse wave calculation on multiple frames of the ultrasonic data respectively to obtain the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave conduction velocity respectively includes: Perform a first calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the shear wave elasticity image. Perform a second calculation on part or all of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data to obtain the pulse wave conduction velocity.

17. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, wherein Also include: Generate and display a B image based on at least part of the multiple frames of the ultrasonic data.

18. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, wherein, Also include: Detect the measurement area in the shear wave elasticity image. Perform shear wave elasticity calculation on the measurement area based on the ultrasonic data to obtain and display the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement area.

19. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, characterized in that, Also include: Visually represent the pulse wave velocity, generate and display a spatio-temporal map of pulse wave conduction.

20. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 13, wherein Further comprising: Detect the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image; Based on the ultrasonic data, calculate the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement region at each sampling moment; wherein, the sampling moment is the sampling moment corresponding to the ultrasonic data or a pre-selected sampling moment; According to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement region at each sampling moment, generate and display an image of the blood vessel diameter change curve of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement region at each sampling moment, and / or, according to the blood vessel diameter measurement results of the blood vessel tissue corresponding to the measurement region at each sampling moment, obtain and display the statistical value of the blood vessel diameter measurement results within a preset duration.

21. The vascular wall elastography method according to claim 13, wherein The entering the multiplex imaging mode in response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode includes: In response to the user's operation on the control for turning on the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode; Or, in response to a command for turning on the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment, enter the multiplex imaging mode.

22. A method for vascular wall elastography, characterized in that, Comprising: In response to an instruction to enter the multiplex imaging mode, enter the multiplex imaging mode; In the multiplex imaging mode, the display interface at least displays the shear wave elasticity image and the pulse wave velocity of the target blood vessel tissue.

23. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 22, characterized in that, The instruction in response to entering the multiplex imaging mode includes: In response to the user's operation on the control for turning on the multiplex imaging mode; or, in response to a command for turning on the multiplex imaging mode automatically generated at a first moment.

24. The method for vascular wall elastography according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The display interface further displays one or more of: the B image of the target blood vessel tissue, the shear wave elasticity result of the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image, the spatio-temporal map of pulse wave conduction, and the image of the blood vessel diameter change curve corresponding to the measurement region in the shear wave elasticity image.

25. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that, Comprising: An ultrasonic probe, a transmitting and receiving control circuit, a processor, and a display component; the ultrasonic probe is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the blood vessel to be measured and receive corresponding ultrasonic echo signals; the transmitting and receiving control circuit is used to control the probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echo signals; the processor is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A program is stored on the medium, and the program can be executed by the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-24.

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