Ultrasonic device and control method thereof

Abstract

An ultrasonic device includes: a data generator that generates a predetermined number of time-series data, each representing a temporal change in voltage generated by a predetermined number of transducers among a plurality of transducers; and a data storage unit that stores the time-series data generated by the data generator. The ultrasonic device selects the time-series data from the data generator or the data storage unit, extracts data with a predetermined delay from each of the selected predetermined number of time-series data, and generates image data based on the sum of the extracted data. The ultrasonic device stops the operation of the data generator while selecting the time-series data from the data storage unit. This reduces the power consumption of the ultrasonic device without compromising the quality of the ultrasonic image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic device and a control method of the ultrasonic device. Background Art

[0002] An ultrasound device is known that generates ultrasound waves toward a living body and generates ultrasound image data based on the ultrasound waves reflected by the living body. For example, in such an ultrasound device, multiple receiving beams are generated for each transmission beam transmitted toward the living body from multiple vibration elements (also called transducers), thereby improving the image quality of the ultrasound image.

[0003] [Reference Document]

[0004] [Patent Document]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] (Japanese) Patent Publication No. 2005-323894

[0006] [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2005 / 065547

[0007] [Patent Document 3] (Japanese) Patent Publication No. 2004-166745 Summary of the Invention

[0008] [Technical problems to be solved]

[0009] In recent years, ultrasound devices have become increasingly miniaturized and wireless. For example, ultrasound probes with built-in processing functions for generating ultrasound images have been developed. In ultrasound devices, the greater the number of receiving channels (also called the number of receiving channels), that is, the number of received ultrasound signals (the number of transducers (also called the number of transducers)) used to generate ultrasound image data, the higher the ultrasound image quality, but the greater the power consumption. For example, in mobile (also called portable) ultrasound devices, which require low power consumption due to battery operation, the fewer receiving channels they have, the lower the ultrasound image quality compared to fixed ultrasound devices.

[0010] The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to reduce the power consumption of an ultrasound device without reducing the image quality of the ultrasound image.

[0011] [Technical solution]

[0012] An ultrasonic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a plurality of transducers for generating ultrasonic waves toward an object and generating a voltage based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the object; a data generating unit for generating a predetermined number of time series data respectively representing temporal changes of the voltages generated by a predetermined number of transducers among a plurality of voltages generated by each of the plurality of transducers; a data accumulating unit for accumulating (also referred to as storing) the time series data generated by the data generating unit; a selecting unit for selecting the time series data generated by the data generating unit or the time series data stored by the data accumulating unit; a delay adjusting unit for extracting data of a predetermined delay amount from the predetermined number of time series data selected by the selecting unit; an adding unit for adding the data of the predetermined delay amount extracted by the delay adjusting unit; an image generating unit for generating image data of any one of a plurality of positions of a measurement site of the object based on the data added by the adding unit; and a control unit for causing the data generating unit to stop generating time series data (also referred to as operating) while the selecting unit is selecting the time series data stored in the data accumulating unit.

[0013] [Beneficial Effects]

[0014] According to the disclosed technology, the power consumption of an ultrasound device can be reduced without reducing the image quality of an ultrasound image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] [ Figure 1 ] A block diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic system including an ultrasonic device according to a first embodiment.

[0016] [ Figure 2 ]right Figure 1 A block diagram showing an example of an AMP&ADC unit and a digital signal processing unit.

[0017] [ Figure 3 ]right Figure 1 A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic device.

[0018] [ Figure 4 ]right Figure 1 Another example of the operation of the ultrasonic device is shown in a flow chart.

[0019] [ Figure 5 ] A block diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic system including an ultrasonic device according to a second embodiment.

[0020] [ Figure 6 ] A block diagram showing an example (comparative example) of the AMP&ADC unit and digital signal processing unit of another ultrasonic device.

[0021] [ Figure 7 ]right Figure 6Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic device 200B.

[0022] [ Figure 8 ]right Figure 6 Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ultrasonic device 200C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, signal lines for transmitting information such as signals are denoted by the same symbols as the signal names. In addition, a single signal line shown in the drawings may be composed of multiple bits.

[0024] (First embodiment)

[0025] Figure 1 An example of an ultrasonic diagnostic system 100 including an ultrasonic device 200 according to a first embodiment is shown. The ultrasonic diagnostic system 100 includes the ultrasonic device 200 and a terminal device 300. The ultrasonic device 200 and the terminal device 300 communicate with each other wirelessly. For example, the terminal device 300 is a portable (also called portable) general-purpose terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone, or a general-purpose terminal such as a personal computer.

[0026] Ultrasonic device 200 is integrated with an ultrasonic probe, for example, and housed within the probe's housing (also called a casing). Ultrasonic device 200 includes a transducer 210, a pulse generator and switch unit 220, an AMP (Amplifier) and ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) unit 230, a digital signal processing unit 240, a control unit 250, a wireless communication unit 260, and a battery 270. Terminal device 300 includes a wireless communication unit 310, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 320, memory 330, and a display 340.

[0027] The ultrasound device 200 generates ultrasound waves toward a living body P (a subject), receives reflected waves (ultrasound waves) from the living body P, and generates ultrasound image data based on the received reflected waves. The ultrasound device 200 wirelessly transmits the generated ultrasound image data to the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 displays the ultrasound image data received from the ultrasound device 200 as an ultrasound image on the display 340.

[0028] The transducer 210 includes a transducer array (not shown) arranged in an array at a position opposite to the measurement site of an ultrasound image of a living body P (subject). The transducer 210 outputs ultrasound waves generated by a predetermined number of transducers in the transducer array toward the living body P in response to a pulse signal generated by a pulse generator and switch unit 220. In this embodiment, the transducer array includes N transducers and outputs ultrasound waves of M channels (M ch (i.e., M channels)) out of N channels (N ch (i.e., N channels)) to the living body.

[0029] Ultrasonic waves entering a living body P are reflected at boundaries with different acoustic impedances. Transducer 210 receives the ultrasonic waves (reflected waves) reflected from the living body P via its N transducers. The N transducers convert the received ultrasonic waves into voltage and output this voltage signal as an N-channel voltage signal to the pulse generator & switch unit 220. Transducer 210 and pulse generator & switch unit 220 are connected via an N-channel signal line.

[0030] The pulse generator & switch unit 220 includes a pulse generator and a switch, and operates according to a control signal CNT1 output from the control unit 250. When the transducer 210 transmits ultrasound waves toward a living body P, the pulse generator & switch unit 220 transmits M pulse signals generated by the pulse generator to the M transducers of the transducer 210 via the switch at predetermined timing. Although not particularly limited, for example, "N" is 128 and "M" is 32. Alternatively, "N" may be 196 or 256, and "M" may be 16 or 64.

[0031] Furthermore, when the transducer 210 receives ultrasound waves from a living body P, the pulse generator & switch unit 220 selects the M-channel voltage signal from the N-channel voltage signals output from the transducer 210 via a switch. The M-channel selected by the pulse generator & switch unit 220 is the same as the M-channel from which the pulse signal is output. The pulse generator & switch unit 220 then outputs the selected M-channel voltage signal to the AMP & ADC unit 230.

[0032] The AMP & ADC unit 230 operates based on a control signal CNT2 output from the control unit 250. The AMP & ADC unit 230 includes M amplifiers (hereinafter referred to as AMPs) and M analog-to-digital converters (hereinafter referred to as ADCs), not shown. Each AMP amplifies each voltage signal representing the reflected wave of the M channels of ultrasound received from the pulser & switch unit 220 and outputs the amplified voltage signal to the corresponding ADC. The number of channels of voltage signals received by the AMP & ADC unit 230 from the pulser & switch unit 220 is also referred to as the number of received channels.

[0033] Each ADC sequentially converts the voltage signal (analog signal) amplified by the corresponding AMP into digital data and outputs M channels of digital data to digital signal processing unit 240. Here, the M ADCs generate time-series digital data representing the temporal changes in the voltages generated by the M transducers based on the reflected waves. Hereinafter, this time-series digital data is also referred to as time-series data.

[0034] The digital signal processing unit 240 operates according to a control signal CNT3 output from the control unit 250. The digital signal processing unit 240 performs various processes on the time-series data of the M channels received from the AMP & ADC unit 230 to generate image data representing an ultrasound image, and outputs the generated image data to the wireless communication unit 260. For example, the digital signal processing unit 240 and the wireless communication unit 260 are connected to each other via an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus.

[0035] For example, the digital signal processing unit 240 uses the timing data of the M channels from the pulse generator & switch unit 220 to perform processing such as adjusting the delay amount of each voltage signal of the M channels corresponding to the reflected wave from the living body P, averaging (phase addition), gain correction taking into account the attenuation of the reflected wave in the living body P, and envelope processing for extracting luminance information. An example of the configuration and operation of the digital signal processing unit 240 will be described in detail. Figure 2 The following will be explained.

[0036] The wireless communication unit 260 communicates with the wireless communication unit 310 of the terminal device 300 via a wireless network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark: Wireless LAN (Local Area Network)). It should be noted that the wireless communication between the wireless communication units 260 and 310 is not limited to Wi-Fi, and can also be carried out using a wireless network of other wireless specifications (standards). The wireless communication unit 260 uses, for example, I 2 The C (Inter Integrated Circuit) interface bus outputs ultrasound irradiation instructions and the like received from the terminal device 300 to the control unit 250. Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 260 transmits image data received from the digital signal processing unit 240 to the wireless communication unit 310 of the terminal device 300. The image data representing the ultrasound image transmitted from the ultrasound device 200 to the terminal device 300 is digital data.

[0037] The control unit 250 controls the entire ultrasonic device 200. For example, the control unit 250 is implemented by a control program executed by a processor such as a CPU that controls the operation of the ultrasonic device 200. In this case, the control unit 250 may be included in a processor (not shown) mounted on the ultrasonic device 200.

[0038] It should be noted that the control unit 250 can also be implemented by hardware such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). In this case, the FPGA or ASIC may include the AMP & ADC unit 230 and the digital signal processing unit 240. It should be noted that the control unit 250 can also be implemented through the collaborative cooperation of hardware and software.

[0039] For example, the control unit 250 controls the pulse generator and switch unit 220 in response to a measurement start instruction received from the terminal device 300 via the wireless communication unit 260, thereby causing the transducer 210 to output ultrasound waves. The control unit 250 causes the digital signal processing unit 240 to generate image data for displaying the reflected waves from the living body P as an ultrasound image on the display 340.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 250 stops the operation of the pulse generator & switch unit 220, the digital signal processing unit 240, and the like in response to a measurement stop instruction received from the terminal device 300 via the wireless communication unit 260. It should be noted that the measurement start instruction and the measurement stop instruction can be implemented by operating an operation button or operation switch (not shown) provided on the ultrasound device 200.

[0041] The battery 270 can be charged, for example, via a charging terminal (not shown) provided on the ultrasonic device 200. The battery 270 supplies power to the pulse generator and switch unit 220, the AMP and ADC unit 230, the digital signal processing unit 240, the control unit 250, and the wireless communication unit 260 within the ultrasonic device 200. It should be noted that the battery 270 can also be charged using a contactless (i.e., non-contact) method. Furthermore, the ultrasonic device 200 can be operated using an external power source such as a commercial power source. In this case, the ultrasonic device 200 does not need to include the battery 270.

[0042] The wireless communication unit 310 of the terminal device 300 receives ultrasonic image data and the like from the wireless communication unit 260 of the ultrasonic device 200. Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 310 transmits ultrasonic irradiation instructions and the like to the wireless communication unit 260 of the ultrasonic device 200. The CPU 320 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 300 by, for example, executing a program.

[0043] Memory 330 stores (also known as preserves) image data received by wireless communication unit 310, various programs executed by CPU 320, and data used by these programs. Memory 330 can be SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or flash memory. It should be noted that memory 330 can include at least one of SRAM, DRAM, and flash memory, as well as a storage device.

[0044] The display 340 displays the image data received from the ultrasound device 200 as an ultrasound image. Here, the ultrasound image displayed on the display 340 includes an animation (video) obtained while the ultrasound device 200 is scanning the living body P and a still image obtained when the ultrasound device 200 stops scanning the living body P. In the case where the terminal device 300 is a portable terminal such as a tablet terminal, the display 340 may include a touch panel. It should be noted that in addition to the wireless communication units 260 and 310, the ultrasound device 200 and the terminal device 300 may also be provided with a wired communication unit. In this case, image data and the like can also be sent and received by wire. In addition, a wired communication unit may be provided instead of the wireless communication units 260 and 310.

[0045] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 The AMP & ADC unit 230 and the digital signal processing unit 240 are examples of the AMP & ADC unit 230. The AMP & ADC unit 230 includes M AMPs 231 that operate simultaneously and M ADCs 232 that operate simultaneously. The digital signal processing unit 240 includes a data storage unit 241, a selection unit 242, a delay adjustment unit 243, a phasing and adding unit 244, and an image generation unit 245.

[0046] As described above, the M AMPs 231 each amplify the voltage signal representing the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave in the M channels received from the pulser & switch unit 220, and output the amplified voltage signal to the corresponding ADC 232. The M ADCs 232 each convert the voltage signal in the M channels received from the corresponding AMP 231 into time-series data, and output the converted time-series data to the digital signal processing unit 240. The M ADCs 232 are an example of a data generation unit that generates a predetermined number of time-series data representing the temporal changes in the voltage generated by a predetermined number of transducers.

[0047] Each AMP 231 and each ADC 232 ceases operation and transitions to a power-off state while receiving a control signal CNT2 indicating a power-down instruction from the control unit 250. For example, each time the switch of the pulse generator & switch unit 220 selects a predetermined M-channel signal from the N-channel signals of the transducer 210, the control unit 250 operates each AMP 231 and each ADC 232 for a predetermined (predetermined) period and ceases operation for a predetermined period, the latter being a predetermined period following the former.

[0048] The data storage unit 241 operates based on a read / write signal RW from the control unit 250. For example, the read / write signal RW includes address information indicating the write location or read location of data in the data storage unit 241. The data storage unit 241 includes a register or memory capable of storing M channels of time-series data corresponding to ultrasonic reflection waves at predetermined times.

[0049] The data accumulation unit 241 accumulates (writes) the M-channel time series data output from the M ADCs 232 . The data accumulation unit 241 reads data within the time range specified by the control unit 250 from the accumulated M-channel time series data and outputs it to the selection unit 242 .

[0050] The selector 242 operates based on the selection signal SEL from the control unit 250 . While the AMP & ADC unit 230 is operating, the control unit 250 outputs the selection signal SEL to the selector 242 for causing the selector 242 to select the M-channel time series data output from the ADC 232 .

[0051] While the AMP&ADC unit 230 is stopped (power-off period), the control unit 250 outputs a selection signal SEL to the selection unit 242. This selection signal SEL causes the selection unit 242 to select the M-channel timing data output from the data accumulation unit 241. At this time, the control unit 250 causes the data accumulation unit 241 to output timing data within a predetermined time range from the timing data accumulated therein. The selection unit 242 outputs the selected M-channel timing data to the delay adjustment unit 243.

[0052] For example, the control unit 250 operates the ADC 232 during a period corresponding to the time at which the digital signal processing unit 240 can generate one line of image data. The digital signal processing unit 240 generates one line of image data using the time series data of the M channel output from the ADC 232. Here, one line of image data refers to data used to generate an ultrasonic image of one line from the surface of the living body P toward the depth direction within the body at one of multiple locations of a strip-shaped measurement site on the surface of the living body P that faces the transducer array. Hereinafter, the location in the measurement site where the one line of ultrasonic image is generated is also referred to as a transmission location.

[0053] While the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, the digital signal processing unit 240 uses the M-channel time-series data read from the data storage unit 241 to generate image data for one line at at least one other location of the measurement site. While generating image data using the time-series data read from the data storage unit 241, the AMP & ADC unit 230 is stopped. This reduces power consumption in the ultrasound device 200 compared to a scenario where the AMP & ADC unit 230 is constantly operating. Since image data for different transmission locations can be generated while the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, power consumption in the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced without compromising image quality.

[0054] Furthermore, since the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, the operating time of the battery 270 can be extended, and thus the operating time of the ultrasound device 200 driven by the battery 270 can be extended. Furthermore, since the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, the heat generated by the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the ultrasound device 200. Therefore, in the ultrasound device 200 integrated with the ultrasound probe, the discomfort caused by the temperature of the ultrasound probe to the operator holding the ultrasound probe and the subject (living body P) in contact with the ultrasound probe can be reduced.

[0055] For example, when generating two lines of image data using one M-channel of timing data from ADC 232, the operating frequency of AMP 231 and ADC 232 is halved. When generating four lines of image data using one M-channel of timing data from ADC 232, the operating frequency of AMP 231 and ADC 232 can be reduced to one-fourth.

[0056] The AMP & ADC unit 230 consumes most of the power used during operation of the ultrasound device 200. Therefore, when generating two lines of image data based on one M-channel of time-series data, the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced to approximately one-quarter when generating four lines of image data based on one M-channel of time-series data.

[0057] For example, when the control unit 250 uses the time series data from the data storage unit 241 to cause the digital signal processing unit 240 to generate three lines of image data, the control unit 250 causes the data storage unit 241 to output time series data for three M channels with different time ranges. The digital signal processing unit 240 then generates one line of image data corresponding to each of three adjacent positions within the measurement area.

[0058] The delay adjustment unit 243 operates under the control of the control unit 250. The delay adjustment unit 243 extracts data of a predetermined delay amount for each channel from the time series data of the M channels output from the selection unit 242, and outputs the extracted data of the M channels to the phasing and adding unit 244. In other words, the delay adjustment unit 243 adjusts the delay amount of the data representing the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave of the M channels by extracting the data of the predetermined delay amount from the time series data of the M channels.

[0059] The control unit 250 outputs different delay adjustment signals ADJ to the delay adjustment unit 243 for the M-channel timing data from the ADC 232 and the M-channel timing data from the data accumulation unit 241. Consequently, the delay amount of the data extracted by the delay adjustment unit 243 for each channel differs between the M-channel timing data from the ADC 232 and the M-channel timing data from the data accumulation unit 241. Furthermore, when using the M-channel timing data outputted multiple times from the data accumulation unit 241, the control unit 250 outputs a delay adjustment signal ADJ to the delay adjustment unit 243 for each used timing data. This delay adjustment signal ADJ can cause the delay amount of the data extracted by the delay adjustment unit 243 to differ.

[0060] The delay amount for each piece of data in the M channels is determined based on the relationship between the positions of the M transducers in the transducer array that generate ultrasound waves toward the living body P and the position at which image data for one line is generated in the measurement site of the living body P. Furthermore, the delay amount for each piece of data in the M channels is also determined based on the position at which image data is generated on a line extending from the surface of the measurement site (transmission position) of the living body P toward the inside of the body.

[0061] The phasing and adding unit 244 sequentially adds the M-channel data corresponding to one transmission position and having its delay adjusted by the delay adjusting unit 243 , thereby generating one line of data (1 ch) in the depth direction of the living body P at the transmission position. The phasing and adding unit 244 then outputs the generated one line of data to the image generating unit 245 .

[0062] The image generating unit 245 generates image data of one line in the depth direction of the living body P at the transmission position based on the data received from the phasing and adding unit 244, and outputs the generated image data to the image generating unit 245. Figure 1 The wireless communication unit 260 then transmits image data for one line corresponding to the transmission position to the terminal device 300 and displays it as an ultrasound image on the display 340. It should be noted that the image generation unit 245 may generate image data after performing signal processing such as gain correction and envelope processing.

[0063] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 An example of the operation of the ultrasonic device 200. For example, Figure 3 The operation flow shown can be realized by the control unit 250 (processor) executing the control program. Figure 3 This section shows an example of a control method and control program for ultrasound device 200. Note that in the following description, channels (ch) are sometimes used to represent the identification numbers of the transducers arranged in the transducer array (1, 2, 3, ..., 128, starting from the transducer at one end). Lines (line) represent the transmission positions within the measurement area of a living body P, where a single line of ultrasound images is generated.

[0064] For example, Figure 3 The operation flow shown is based on Figure 1 The ultrasound image measurement is started when the terminal device 300 receives an instruction to start the ultrasound image measurement. It should be noted that the number of channels N (e.g., 128 channels) of the transducer 210 and the number of transducers selected by the pulse generator and switch unit 220, i.e., the number of channels M (e.g., 32 channels), can be determined when the ultrasound device 200 is designed.

[0065] First, in step S100, the control unit 250 sets the counter value J to "1." Counter value J represents the number of the transmission location and also represents the line number of the image data generated for one line corresponding to the transmission location. Next, in step S110, the control unit 250 causes the selection unit 242 to select the output of the ADC 232 and starts the operation of the AMP 231 and ADC 232.

[0066] Next, in step S120, the control unit 250 instructs the pulser & switch unit 220 to select the voltage signal for channel M, representing the reflected ultrasonic wave from the channel indicated by the counter value J to channel J+M-1. The amplifier 231 amplifies the voltage signal for channel M received from the pulser & switch unit 220. The ADC 232 converts the voltage signal amplified by the AMP 231 into time-series data. The digital signal processing unit 240 receives the time-series data for channels M, from J to J+M-1, output from the ADC 232 and stores it in the data storage unit 241.

[0067] Next, in step S130, control unit 250 uses the timing data from ADC 232 selected by selection unit 242 to cause delay adjustment unit 243 to adjust the delay of the M-channel data to generate image data for line J+(M / 2)-1. Delay adjustment unit 243 extracts data from the timing data received from ADC 232 in step S120 and adjusts the delay of the data.

[0068] The phasing and adding unit 244 performs phasing and addition on the delay-adjusted M-channel data to generate image data for line J+(M / 2)-1. It should be noted that the line number of the generated image data is not limited to J+(M / 2)-1. The image data is then transmitted to the terminal device 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 and displayed as an ultrasound image on the display 340.

[0069] Next, in step S140 , the control unit 250 stops the operations of the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 , and causes the selection unit 242 to select the output of the data storage unit 241 .

[0070] Next, in step S150, control unit 250 causes selection unit 242 to select the output of data storage unit 241. Control unit 250 uses the timing data from data storage unit 241 selected by selection unit 242 to cause delay adjustment unit 243 to adjust the delay of the M-channel data, causing delay adjustment unit 243 to generate image data for the J+(M / 2)th line. Delay adjustment unit 243 extracts data from the timing data stored in data storage unit 241 in step S120 to adjust the delay of the data.

[0071] The phasing and adding unit 244 performs phasing and adding of the delay-adjusted M-channel data to generate the J+(M / 2)th line of data. It should be noted that the line number of the data generated by the phasing and adding unit 244 is not limited to J+(M / 2). The image generating unit 245 generates image data for the J+(M / 2)th line based on the data received from the phasing and adding unit 244 and transmits the generated image data to the terminal device 300 via the wireless communication unit 260. The image data is then displayed as an ultrasound image on the display 340.

[0072] Next, in step S160, the control unit 250 determines whether the value obtained by adding the number of channels M to the counter value J exceeds, for example, the number of channels N (the number of transducers) of the transducer 210. If J + M exceeds the number of channels N, image data has been generated for all transmission positions in the measurement area, and the control unit 250 terminates the image generation operation. If J + M is less than the number of channels N, there are still transmission positions for which image data has not been generated, and the control unit 250 proceeds to step S170.

[0073] In step S170, the control unit 250 increments the counter value J by 2 and returns to step S110. Thereafter, until J + M exceeds the number of channels N, the next two lines of image data are sequentially generated, and the ultrasound image of the measurement site is displayed on the display 340.

[0074] After generating image data using the time-series data accumulated in the data storage unit 241, the control unit 250 increments the counter value J by "2." Furthermore, the range of the transducer selected by the switch is shifted by two. Consequently, in the next processing cycle, image data for the transmission location immediately following the transmission location for which image data was generated can be sequentially generated. This allows the display 340 to display an ultrasound image with continuous lines (i.e., without line breaks).

[0075] In this embodiment, the digital signal processing unit 240 uses the time series data accumulated in the data accumulation unit 241 when generating image data for the J+(M / 2)th line. Accordingly, the control unit 250 can stop the operations of the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 when generating image data for the J+(M / 2)th line.

[0076] Therefore, the operation of the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 can be stopped for approximately half of the period of the image data generation operation. Consequently, the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced by approximately half compared to a case where the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 are always in operation. In other words, the power consumption of the ultrasound device can be reduced without degrading the image quality of the ultrasound image.

[0077] Figure 4 Shown Figure 1 Other examples of the operation of the ultrasonic device 200. Figure 3 The same operation gives Figure 3 The same steps are numbered and their detailed descriptions are omitted. Figure 4 The operation flow shown can also be realized by the control unit 250 (processor) executing the control program. Figure 4 An example of a control method of the ultrasonic device 200 and a control program of the ultrasonic device 200 is shown.

[0078] Figure 4 In the embodiment, the ultrasonic device 200 can generate image data of an arbitrary number of lines L using the time series data of M channels generated by one conversion of the ADC 232. Figure 4 in Figure 3 Step S102 is inserted between steps S100 and S110. In addition, step S132 is executed to replace Figure 3 Step S130 is replaced by executing steps S152, S154, and S156. Figure 3 Step S150. In addition, Figure 4 In step S172, step S172 is also executed to replace Figure 3 Step S170.

[0079] In step S102, the control unit 250 sets the counter value K to "1" and sets the line number L. For example, the line number L is the number of lines of image data generated using the time series data output from the ADC 232. The counter value K indicates the number of lines of image data to be generated among the L lines.

[0080] The operations of steps S110 and S120 are the same as Figure 3 As for step S132, except for the process of generating the image data of the J+(ML) / 2th line, the rest are the same as Figure 3 The processing of step S130 is the same as that of step S152. Except for the processing of generating the image data of the J+(ML) / 2+Kth line, the other processing is the same as that of step S153. Figure 3 The processing of step S150 is the same as that of step S150.

[0081] After step S152, in step S154, the control unit 250 increments the counter value K by "1." Next, in step S156, the control unit 250 determines whether the counter value K exceeds the line number L. If the counter value K exceeds the line number L, the control unit 250 determines that image data for all lines has been generated using the single-pass time-series data output from the ADC 232, and then executes the operation of step S160. If the counter value K is less than the line number L, the control unit 250 determines that there are lines for which image data has not yet been generated using the single-pass time-series data output from the ADC 232, and then returns the process to step S152.

[0082] Next, in step S160, the control unit 250 determines whether the value obtained by adding the number of channels M to the counter value J exceeds, for example, the number of channels N (the number of transducers) of the transducer 210. If J + M is less than the number of channels N, there is a transmission location for which image data has not yet been generated, so the control unit 250 advances the process to step S172.

[0083] In step S172, the control unit 250 adds the line number L to the counter value J to set a new counter value J, and then returns to step S110. Subsequently, until J + M exceeds the channel number N, image data for the next L lines is generated sequentially, and the ultrasound image of the measurement site is displayed on the display 340.

[0084] After generating N-1 lines of image data using the time-series data accumulated in the data storage unit 241, the control unit 250 increments the counter value J by "L." Furthermore, the range of the transducer selected by the switch is shifted by L lines. This allows the next processing cycle to generate image data for the transmission position immediately following the transmission position for which image data was generated. This allows the display 340 to display an uninterrupted ultrasound image.

[0085] Figure 4 In the example, the ultrasonic device 200 can generate L lines of image data using the time series data outputted from the ADC 232 once. To this end, the operation of the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 can be stopped for a period of approximately (L-1) / L during the ultrasonic image generation operation. In this way, the power consumption of the ultrasonic device 200 can be reduced to approximately 1 / L compared to the case where the AMP 231 and the ADC 232 are always in operation. It should be noted that the operation when the line number L is set to "2" is different from the operation when the line number L is set to "2". Figure 3 same.

[0086] As described above, in this embodiment, multiple image data for different transmission positions can be generated while the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, thereby reducing power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 without compromising image quality. By generating multiple image data for different transmission positions while the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be further reduced without compromising image quality.

[0087] The ultrasound device 200 and the terminal device 300 can be connected wirelessly, thereby integrating the functions of the ultrasound device 200 with the ultrasound probe. When the ultrasound device 200, integrated with the ultrasound probe, is battery-powered, the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, thereby extending the operating time of the battery 270 and, in turn, the operating time of the ultrasound device 200.

[0088] Furthermore, since the power consumption of the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, the amount of heat generated by the ultrasound device 200 can be reduced, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the ultrasound device 200. Regardless of whether the ultrasound device 200 is powered by a battery or an external power source, the temperature rise of the ultrasound device 200 can be suppressed. Therefore, in the ultrasound device 200 integrated with the ultrasound probe, the discomfort caused by the temperature of the ultrasound probe to the operator holding the ultrasound probe and the subject (living body P) in contact with the ultrasound probe can be reduced.

[0089] For example, after generating N-1 lines of image data using the time-series data accumulated in the data storage unit 241, the counter value J is incremented by "L." Furthermore, the range of the transducers selected by the switch is shifted by N lines. Consequently, in the next processing cycle, image data for the transmission position immediately following the transmission position for which image data was generated can be sequentially generated. This allows for the display 340 to display an uninterrupted ultrasound image.

[0090] It should be noted that Figure 4 In the operation process of the ultrasonic device 200, the number of lines generated by using the time series data stored in the data storage unit 241 can also be changed based on the remaining capacity of the battery 270. For example, the ultrasonic device 200 can increase the number of lines generated by using the time series data stored in the data storage unit 241 as the remaining capacity of the battery 270 decreases. Figure 4 The number of lines L. Accordingly, the service life of the battery 270 can be further extended.

[0091] (Second embodiment)

[0092] Figure 5 An example of an ultrasonic diagnostic system 100A including an ultrasonic device 200A according to the second embodiment is shown. Figure 1The same elements are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 100A only includes the ultrasonic device 200A. That is, the ultrasonic device 200A includes Figure 1 The functions of the terminal device 300.

[0093] The ultrasonic device 200A includes a transducer 210, a pulse generator & switch unit 220, an AMP & ADC unit 230, a digital signal processing unit 240, a control unit 250, a CPU 280, a memory 282, and a display 284. The CPU 280, the memory 282, and the display 284 are respectively Figure 1 The CPU 320, memory 330, and display 340 of the terminal device 300 are the same. For example, the ultrasonic device 200A operates using commercial power, so the ultrasonic device 200A does not need to be equipped with a battery. It should be noted that the display 284 can also be connected to the outside of the ultrasonic device 200A.

[0094] For example, the probe of the ultrasonic device 200A only includes Figure 5 The transducer 210 is one of the elements shown. To this end, the probe with the built-in transducer 210 and the pulse generator & switch unit 220 can be connected by a cable containing N-channel signal lines. The structure and function of the AMP & ADC unit 230 and the digital signal processing unit 240 are similar to those of the AMP & ADC unit 230 and the digital signal processing unit 240. Figure 2 The configuration and function of the AMP&ADC unit 230 and the digital signal processing unit 240 are the same.

[0095] In this embodiment, the CPU 280 is connected to the 2 The CPU 280 is connected to the control unit 250 via the C interface bus. Therefore, the CPU 280 can output the start and stop instructions of the ultrasonic image measurement to the control unit 250 without going through the wireless communication unit. In addition, the CPU 280 is connected to the digital signal processing unit 240 via the SPI bus. Therefore, the CPU 280 can receive image data from the digital signal processing unit 240 without going through the wireless communication unit. Figure 3 and Figure 4 same.

[0096] As described above, this embodiment also achieves the same effects as the above-described embodiments. For example, while the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, image data for different transmission positions can be generated, thereby reducing power consumption of the ultrasound device 200A without compromising image quality. Furthermore, while the AMP & ADC unit 230 is powered off, multiple image data for different transmission positions can be generated, further reducing power consumption of the ultrasound device 200A without compromising image quality.

[0097] Figure 6 The example (comparative example) of the AMP & ADC unit and the digital signal processing unit of other ultrasonic devices 200B and 200C is shown. Figure 2 The detailed description of the same elements is omitted. As for the AMP & ADC part of the ultrasonic device 200B, 200C, in addition to being always in operation, it has the same Figure 2 The AMP&ADC unit 230 has the same functions.

[0098] The digital signal processing unit of the ultrasonic device 200B has a delay adjustment unit, a phase adjustment and addition unit, and an image generation unit, but does not have Figure 2 The data storage unit 241 and the selection unit 242. The delay adjustment unit and Figure 2 Similarly, the delay adjustment unit 243 extracts data of a predetermined delay amount from the time series data of M channels output from the ADC for each channel, and outputs the extracted data of the M channels to the phasing and adding unit.

[0099] Integer phase addition part and Figure 2 The phasing addition unit 244 similarly adds the data of the M channels whose delay amounts are adjusted by the delay adjustment unit, generates data of one line (1ch) at the transmission position, and outputs the generated data of one line to the image generation unit. Figure 2 The image generating unit 245 similarly generates image data for one line at the transmission position based on the data received from the phasing and adding unit. The image data is then displayed as an ultrasound image on a monitor (not shown).

[0100] The digital signal processing unit of the ultrasound device 200C includes two delay adjustment units, a phasing and adding unit, and an image generation unit. The delay adjustment units operate in parallel to extract data with a predetermined delay from the M-channel timing data output from the ADC, for each channel. The data extracted by the two delay adjustment units is used to generate image data for different transmission locations and is different from each other. The phasing and adding units operate in parallel to add the delay-adjusted data from the corresponding delay adjustment units, thereby generating one line of image data for each line. Subsequently, each time the ultrasound device 200C receives M-channel timing data from the ADC, it generates two lines of image data.

[0101] A known method for generating multiple lines of image data in parallel based on M-channel timing data output from an ADC is the parallel reception method. This method utilizes multiple delay adjustment units and phase adjustment and addition units to generate two lines of image data within the timeframe of one line, thereby increasing the frame rate. However, parallel operation also increases power consumption, shortening the operating time when used in battery-powered ultrasound devices.

[0102] Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 Here, the operation of the ultrasonic device 200B is described. Figure 3 Detailed description of the same operation is omitted. First, in step S200, the ultrasonic device 200B sets the counter value J to "1". Then, in step S220, the digital signal processing unit of the ultrasonic device 200B receives the time series data of M channels from channel J to channel J+M-1 output from the ADC of the AMP&ADC unit. The operation of step S220 is the same as that of step S221, except that the time series data is not stored. Figure 3 The operation of step S120 is the same as that of step S120.

[0103] Next, in step S230, the digital signal processing unit of the ultrasonic device 200B and Figure 3 Similarly, in step S130, the delay adjustment unit 243 adjusts the delay of the M-channel data using the timing data from the ADC 232. The digital signal processing unit of the ultrasound device 200B then performs phase addition on the M-channel data with the adjusted delay using the phase addition unit, thereby generating image data for the J+(M / 2)-1th line.

[0104] Next, in step S260, Figure 3 Similarly, in step S160, if the value J+M exceeds the number of channels N (the number of transducers) of the transducer, the ultrasound device 200B terminates the generation of image data. If the value J+M is less than the number of channels N, the process proceeds to step S270. In step S270, the ultrasound device 200B increments the counter value J by "1" and then returns to the process of step S220.

[0105] Figure 8 Shown Figure 6 Here, the operation of the ultrasonic device 200C is described. Figure 7 The same operation gives Figure 7 The same steps are numbered and their detailed descriptions are omitted. Figure 8 , execute step S232 to replace Figure 7 Step S230 is executed, step S272 is executed instead of Figure 7 Step S270, except for Figure 7 The operation is the same as

[0106] In step S232, the two delay adjustment units of the ultrasonic device 200C adjust the delay of the data corresponding to the J+(M / 2)-1th line and the J+(M / 2)th line, respectively. The two phasing and adding units of the ultrasonic device 200C perform phasing and addition of the M-channel data with adjusted delays output from the corresponding delay adjustment units. The two image generation units of the ultrasonic device 200C generate image data for the J+(M / 2)-1th line and the J+(M / 2)th line based on the data output from the corresponding phasing and adding units.

[0107] As mentioned above, the present invention has been described based on the respective embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0108] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0109] 100 Ultrasound Diagnostic System

[0110] 200, 200A, 200B, 200C ultrasonic devices

[0111] 210 transducer

[0112] 220 Pulse Generator & Switch Unit

[0113] 230AMP&ADC Department

[0114] 231AMP

[0115] 232ADC

[0116] 240 Digital Signal Processing Department

[0117] 241 Data Storage Department

[0118] 242 Selection Department

[0119] 243 Delay Adjustment Department

[0120] 244 Integer Addition Unit

[0121] 245 Image Generation Unit

[0122] 250 Control Department

[0123] 260 Wireless Communications Department

[0124] 270 battery 280 CPU

[0125] 282 memory

[0126] 284 monitors

[0127] 300 terminal devices

[0128] 310 wireless communication unit 320 CPU

[0129] 330 memory

[0130] 340 display

[0131] ADJ delay adjustment signals CNT1, CNT2, CNT3 control signal P

[0132] SEL selection signal.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic device comprising: a plurality of transducers for generating ultrasonic waves toward a subject and generating a voltage based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the subject; a data generating unit configured to generate a predetermined number of time series data, each of which represents temporal changes in voltages generated by a predetermined number of vibrators among a plurality of voltages generated by the plurality of vibrators; a data storage unit for storing the time series data generated by the data generation unit; a selection unit that selects the time series data generated by the data generation unit or the time series data stored by the data accumulation unit; a delay adjustment unit that extracts data of a predetermined delay amount from the predetermined number of time series data selected by the selection unit; an adding unit for adding the data of the predetermined delay amount extracted by the delay adjusting unit; an image generating unit that generates image data of any one of a plurality of positions of the measurement site of the subject based on the data added by the adding unit; and The control unit causes the data generation unit to stop generating the time series data while the selection unit selects the time series data stored in the data accumulation unit, so as to reduce power consumption of the ultrasound device according to the number of lines of image data generated using the time series data.

2. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, wherein: The image generating unit sequentially generates image data of a plurality of positions of the measurement site of the subject using the time series data stored in the data storage unit. The delay adjustment unit changes the data of the predetermined delay amount extracted from the predetermined number of time series data stored in the data accumulation unit for each of the plurality of positions.

3. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, comprising: a switch for selecting voltages generated by the predetermined number of vibrators among the voltages generated by the plurality of vibrators, in, Each time the data generating unit generates data, the control unit moves the positions of the predetermined number of transducers selected by the switch by the same number of transducers as the number of image data generated by the image generating unit.

4. The ultrasonic device according to claim 2, comprising: a switch for selecting voltages generated by the predetermined number of vibrators among the voltages generated by the plurality of vibrators, in, Each time the data generating unit generates data, the control unit moves the positions of the predetermined number of transducers selected by the switch by the same number of transducers as the number of image data generated by the image generating unit.

5. The ultrasonic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The data generating unit includes: a plurality of amplifiers for respectively amplifying voltages generated by the predetermined number of vibrators; and The plurality of analog-to-digital converters sequentially convert the values of the plurality of voltages amplified by the plurality of amplifiers into digital data.

6. The ultrasonic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: The battery supplies power to at least the data generating unit, the data accumulating unit, the selecting unit, the delay adjusting unit, the image generating unit, and the controlling unit.

7. The ultrasonic device according to claim 5, comprising: The battery supplies power to at least the data generating unit, the data accumulating unit, the selecting unit, the delay adjusting unit, the image generating unit, and the controlling unit.

8. The ultrasonic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: The wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits the image data generated by the image generating unit to a terminal equipped with a display for displaying the image data as an ultrasonic image.

9. The ultrasonic device according to claim 5, comprising: The wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits the image data generated by the image generating unit to a terminal equipped with a display for displaying the image data as an ultrasonic image.

10. The ultrasonic device according to claim 6, comprising: The wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits the image data generated by the image generating unit to a terminal equipped with a display for displaying the image data as an ultrasonic image.

11. The ultrasonic device according to claim 7, comprising: The wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits the image data generated by the image generating unit to a terminal equipped with a display for displaying the image data as an ultrasonic image.

12. A method for controlling an ultrasonic device, the ultrasonic device comprising a plurality of transducers and a data generator, the plurality of transducers generating ultrasonic waves toward a subject and generating voltages based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the subject, the data generator generating a predetermined number of time series data, the predetermined number of time series data respectively representing temporal changes in voltages generated by a predetermined number of transducers among a plurality of voltages generated by the plurality of transducers, wherein: storing the time series data generated by the data generating unit in the data accumulating unit; selecting the time series data generated by the data generating unit or the time series data stored by the data accumulating unit; Extracting data of predetermined delay amounts from the selected predetermined number of time series data respectively; adding the extracted data of the predetermined delay amount; generating image data of any one of a plurality of positions of the measurement site of the subject based on the added data; While the time series data stored in the data accumulation unit is being selected, the data generation unit is stopped from generating the time series data so as to reduce power consumption of the ultrasound device according to the number of lines of image data generated using the time series data.

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