Ultrasonic contrast imaging method and ultrasonic imaging equipment

Abstract

According to the ultrasonic contrast imaging method and the ultrasonic imaging equipment, in a variable frame rate imaging mode, under the condition that a contrast agent is injected into a target object, the ultrasonic imaging equipment obtains ultrasonic data with a first imaging frame rate according to an imaging parameter corresponding to the first imaging frame rate, and when the contrast agent is injected and a preset condition is met, the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate is obtained. The ultrasonic imaging device obtains ultrasonic data with a corresponding imaging frame rate according to imaging parameters pre-configured by the imaging frame rate corresponding to a preset condition, and obtains the ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate according to the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with at least one pre-configured imaging frame rate except the first imaging frame rate. And generating a contrast image with at least two imaging frame rates. By means of the mode, different imaging frame rates can be adopted in the ultrasonic contrast imaging process to generate the contrast images, and the requirement for observing the focus under different contrast time phases is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of ultrasonic imaging technology, and particularly relates to an ultrasonic contrast imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging device. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasonic contrast imaging is an imaging method that utilizes the non-linear vibration characteristics of microbubbles under specific sound field conditions to distinguish and extract the non-linear signals generated by microbubbles from the linear signals generated by tissues in the ultrasonic echo signals through techniques such as pulse inversion and amplitude modulation, thereby obtaining ultrasonic contrast images with high sensitivity and high contrast. Compared with conventional ultrasonic imaging, ultrasonic contrast imaging can clearly display the blood perfusion in blood vessels and tissues, enhance the contrast resolution of the images, more accurately distinguish lesions from normal tissues, and greatly improve the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonic diagnosis.

[0003] A large amount of clinical research data shows that ultrasonic contrast imaging significantly improves the detection rate of ultrasonic for liver diseases. The results have important value for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions, and also play an important role in aspects such as tumor localization and postoperative efficacy evaluation in liver interventional therapy. In order to distinguish the hemodynamic differences between normal tissues and malignant lesion tissues, it is required that ultrasonic contrast has a certain imaging frame rate. At the same time, in order to reduce the damage to microbubbles to extend the contrast duration as much as possible, the frame rate of commonly used ultrasonic imaging devices is usually set to 10 frames per second (fps) to 15 fps, and the frame rate cannot be changed during each use process.

[0004] However, the currently adopted ultrasonic imaging devices can only maintain a fixed imaging frame rate (such as 10 fps to 15 fps). When diagnosing certain diseases (such as small hypervascular lesions), it may be difficult to obtain more accurate or satisfactory contrast images if the above fixed imaging frame rate is used, which increases the difficulty of diagnosing diseases to a certain extent. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention proposes an ultrasonic contrast imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging device, which adopt different imaging frame rates during the ultrasonic imaging contrast process to meet the observation requirements for lesions in different contrast phases.

[0006] According to a first aspect, an embodiment provides an ultrasonic contrast imaging method, including:

[0007] In response to an instruction to enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode. The fixed frame rate imaging mode is pre-configured with a fixed imaging frame rate, and the fixed imaging frame rate is pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters;

[0008] In the fixed frame rate imaging mode:

[0009] In the case where a contrast agent is injected into a target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an area of interest of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured at a fixed imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data having the fixed imaging frame rate; a contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data having the fixed imaging frame rate;

[0010] In response to an instruction to enter a variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is pre-configured with at least a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate, and the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate;

[0011] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0012] In the case where a contrast agent is injected into a target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an area of interest of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data having the first imaging frame rate;

[0013] After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an area of interest of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured at the second imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data having the second imaging frame rate;

[0014] A contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data having the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data having the second imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0015] According to a second aspect, an embodiment provides an ultrasonic contrast imaging method, including:

[0016] In response to an instruction to enter a variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is pre-configured with at least a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate, and the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate;

[0017] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0018] In the case where a contrast agent is injected into a target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an area of interest of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data having the first imaging frame rate;

[0019] After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an interested area of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured with a second imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate;

[0020] A contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0021] According to a third aspect, an embodiment provides an ultrasonic contrast imaging method, including:

[0022] In response to an instruction to enter a variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode pre-configures at least two imaging frame rates, and the pre-configured imaging frame rates at least include a first imaging frame rate, and corresponding imaging parameters are pre-configured for each imaging frame rate;

[0023] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0024] Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an interested area of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate;

[0025] After the contrast agent is injected and when a preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to an interested area of the target object according to imaging parameters pre-configured with the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate; wherein, each imaging frame rate corresponds to one or more preset conditions;

[0026] A contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with at least one imaging frame rate pre-configured other than the first imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least two imaging frame rates.

[0027] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment provides an ultrasonic imaging device, including:

[0028] A probe;

[0029] A transmitting circuit that excites the probe to emit ultrasonic waves to a target object;

[0030] A receiving circuit that receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal;

[0031] A processor that processes the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target object;

[0032] A display that displays the ultrasonic image;

[0033] Wherein the processor further performs the following steps:

[0034] In response to an instruction to enter a fixed frame rate imaging mode, enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, the fixed frame rate imaging mode is preconfigured with a fixed imaging frame rate, and the fixed imaging frame rate is preconfigured with corresponding imaging parameters;

[0035] In the fixed frame rate imaging mode:

[0036] In the case where a contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the fixed imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate; A contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data with the fixed imaging frame rate;

[0037] In response to an instruction to enter a variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, the variable frame rate imaging mode is at least preconfigured with a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate, the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively preconfigured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate;

[0038] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0039] In the case where a contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate;

[0040] After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the second imaging frame rate, and ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate;

[0041] A contrast image is generated based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0042] According to the fifth aspect, an ultrasonic imaging device is provided in an embodiment, including:

[0043] A probe;

[0044] A transmitting circuit that excites the probe to emit ultrasonic waves to a target object;

[0045] A receiving circuit, which receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain ultrasonic echo signals;

[0046] A processor, which processes the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain ultrasonic images of the target object;

[0047] A display, which displays the ultrasonic images;

[0048] Wherein the processor further performs the following steps:

[0049] In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode is at least pre-configured with a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate. The first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate;

[0050] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0051] When a contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate;

[0052] After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the second imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate;

[0053] Generate a contrast image according to the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate. The contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0054] According to the sixth aspect, an ultrasonic imaging device is provided in an embodiment, including:

[0055] A probe;

[0056] A transmitting circuit, which excites the probe to emit ultrasonic waves to a target object;

[0057] A receiving circuit, which receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain ultrasonic echo signals;

[0058] A processor, which processes the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain ultrasonic images of the target object;

[0059] A display, which displays the ultrasonic images;

[0060] Wherein the processor further performs the following steps:

[0061] In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is preconfigured with at least two imaging frame rates, and the preconfigured imaging frame rates at least include a first imaging frame rate, and corresponding imaging parameters are preconfigured for each imaging frame rate;

[0062] In the variable frame rate imaging mode:

[0063] Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured for the first imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate;

[0064] After the contrast agent is injected and when a preset condition is satisfied, emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured for the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate; wherein, each imaging frame rate corresponds to one or more preset conditions;

[0065] Generate a contrast image according to the ultrasonic data of the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data of at least one imaging frame rate preconfigured other than the first imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least two imaging frame rates.

[0066] According to a seventh aspect, in one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and a program is stored on the medium, and the program can be executed by a processor to implement the method described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0067] According to the ultrasonic contrast imaging method and the ultrasonic imaging device of the above embodiments, in the variable frame rate imaging mode, when the contrast agent is injected into the target object, the ultrasonic imaging device acquires ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate according to the imaging parameters corresponding to the first imaging frame rate. After the contrast agent is injected and when a preset condition is satisfied, the ultrasonic imaging device acquires ultrasonic data with the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition according to the imaging parameters preconfigured for the preset condition. According to the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data of at least one imaging frame rate preconfigured other than the first imaging frame rate, a contrast image with at least two imaging frame rates is generated. In this way, different imaging frame rates can be used to generate contrast images during the ultrasonic contrast imaging process, meeting the observation requirements for lesions in different contrast phases. Description of the Drawings

[0068] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device according to an embodiment;

[0069] Figure 2 Flow chart of a contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging method according to an embodiment;

[0070] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the contrast imaging process in a variable frame rate imaging mode according to an embodiment;

[0071] Figure 4 Flow chart of a method for automatically detecting the first time according to an embodiment;

[0072] Figure 5 Control display interface for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging according to an embodiment;

[0073] Figure 6 Flow chart of a contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging method according to another embodiment;

[0074] Figure 7 Flow chart of a contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging method according to still another embodiment. Detailed implementation manners

[0075] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings through specific implementation manners. Similar elements in different implementation manners are labeled with related similar element numbers. In the following implementation manners, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can easily 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 to avoid overshadowing the core part of the present application. 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 description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0076] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementation manners. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be reordered or adjusted in an obvious manner by 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.

[0077] 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).

[0078] Taking liver contrast imaging as an example, the phases of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging will be described below.

[0079] The contrast agent enters the liver through two pathways: the celiac artery - hepatic artery and the portal vein - hepatic sinusoids. During real-time contrast imaging, three typical vascular phases can be observed (if Sonazoid contrast agent is used, one more phase - "Kupffer phase" will be added): 1. Arterial phase: It starts 10 - 20 seconds after the injection of the contrast agent and ends 30 - 45 seconds later. In the arterial phase, the arterial vessels in the liver parenchyma are visualized and rapidly enhanced, the process of vascular branching perfusion is obvious, and the echo of the liver parenchyma gradually increases as the contrast agent enters the microvessels and hepatic sinusoids. The contrast performance in the early arterial phase is very important for the differential diagnosis of tumors, especially for liver malignancies. 2. Portal venous phase: It starts 30 - 45 seconds after the injection of the contrast agent and ends after 120 seconds. In the portal venous phase, the portal vein and its main branches in the liver are filled with the contrast agent, the signal intensity reaches the peak and remains for a period of time and then gradually weakens. 3. Delayed phase: It starts 120 seconds after the injection of the contrast agent until the microbubbles rupture (disappear). The contrast signal in the liver vessels and tissues gradually weakens to the level before the injection of the contrast agent. In summary, according to the characteristic contrast performance of different liver diseases in different phases, the results can provide important auxiliary functions and diagnostic basis for clinical differential diagnosis of different diseases.

[0080] In liver contrast imaging, the perfusion of some small hypervascular lesions in the early arterial phase is very rapid, and it is often difficult to clearly display the perfusion process and vascular morphology of such lesions at the conventional frame rate (10 fps). Therefore, compared with other phases, a higher frame rate is required in the arterial phase or the early arterial phase to obtain higher temporal resolution to clearly observe the perfusion details of small lesions. For the portal venous phase and the delayed phase, the focus is on observing the differences in the contrast signal intensity in different parts of the liver and its trend of change over time, the requirement for temporal resolution is reduced, and more attention is paid to the duration and sensitivity of the contrast signal. Although the high-frame-rate contrast imaging technology can significantly increase the frame rate, such as more than 4 times the conventional frame rate, to meet the observation requirements for the perfusion details of small lesions. However, since high-frame-rate imaging is maintained throughout the process, it may cause more damage to the contrast microbubbles, resulting in a decrease in the contrast signal intensity and duration, which is not conducive to the observation of the portal venous phase and the delayed phase. In addition, the increase in the frame rate of the high-frame-rate contrast imaging technology is sometimes at the cost of reducing the signal-to-noise ratio of the echoes of deep tissues, which is also not conducive to observing deep lesions.

[0081] Based on the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a variable frame rate imaging mode for an ultrasonic imaging device. In the variable frame rate imaging mode, when a contrast agent is injected into a target object, first, ultrasonic imaging is performed according to the imaging parameters corresponding to the first imaging frame rate to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate. Then, after the contrast agent is injected and a preset condition (entering a different phase) is satisfied, ultrasonic imaging is performed according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition (different phase) to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate. Finally, based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with at least one imaging frame rate preconfigured other than the first imaging frame rate, a contrast image with at least two imaging frame rates is generated. In this way, different imaging frame rates can be adopted at different phases during the contrast imaging process to meet the observation requirements for lesions at different contrast phases.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 1 , an ultrasonic imaging device 10 according to an embodiment may include a probe 100, a transmitting circuit 101, a transmit / receive selection switch 102, a receiving circuit 103, a beam synthesis circuit 104, a processor 105, and a display 106. The transmitting circuit 101 can excite the probe 100 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object. The receiving circuit 103 can receive the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe 100 to obtain ultrasonic echo signals. After the ultrasonic echo signals are subjected to beam synthesis processing by the beam synthesis circuit 104, they are sent to the processor 105. The processor 105 processes the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target object. The ultrasonic image obtained by the processor 105 can be stored in the memory 107. These ultrasonic images can be displayed on the display 106.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present invention, the display 106 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 can be a touch display screen, a liquid crystal display screen, etc., or an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display or a television outside the ultrasonic imaging device 10, or a display screen on an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer, and so on.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present invention, the memory 107 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 can be a flash card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc.

[0085] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing multiple program instructions. After the multiple program instructions are called and executed by the processor 105, some steps or all steps or any combination of the steps in the contrast imaging method in the foregoing various embodiments can be executed.

[0086] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium can be the memory 107, which can be a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash card, a solid-state memory, or a hard disk.

[0087] In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor 105 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof, and circuits, single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), single or multiple general integrated circuits, single or multiple microprocessors, single or multiple programmable logic devices, or a combination of the aforementioned circuits or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices can be used, so that the processor 105 can execute the corresponding steps of the contrast imaging method in the foregoing various embodiments.

[0088] The ultrasonic contrast imaging method of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Please refer to Figure 2 , an ultrasonic contrast imaging method of an embodiment, which is applied to the ultrasonic imaging device 10. The ultrasonic imaging method may include the following steps:

[0089] Step 201: In response to a command to enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode. The fixed frame rate imaging mode is pre-configured with a fixed imaging frame rate, and the fixed imaging frame rate is further pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters.

[0090] In some embodiments, the command to enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode may be an operation instruction input by the user through a touch display screen or an external input device, or a control instruction input by the user through voice input.

[0091] Step 202: In the fixed frame rate imaging mode: when a contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the fixed imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate; a contrast image is generated according to the ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate. In this embodiment, the processor 105 may emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object at a fixed imaging frame rate, and then receive the ultrasonic waves returned by the target object, or the processor 105 emits ultrasonic waves to the target object at a fixed imaging frame rate, and then also receives the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object at a fixed imaging frame rate, or the processor 105 emits ultrasonic waves to the target object and receives the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object at a fixed imaging frame rate. Finally, ultrasonic echoes will be obtained.

[0092] It should be noted that the target object specifically refers to a physiological structure to be detected, such as the liver, heart, stomach, or spleen, etc., which is not limited herein.

[0093] Step 203: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode is preconfigured with at least a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate. The first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively preconfigured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate.

[0094] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic imaging device 10 may be preconfigured with two contrast imaging modes, namely a fixed frame rate imaging mode and a variable frame rate imaging mode, and the user can select one of the imaging modes as the current ultrasonic contrast imaging mode. In the fixed frame rate imaging mode, an imaging frame rate (fixed imaging frame rate) is used for ultrasonic contrast imaging throughout the contrast imaging process; in the variable frame rate imaging mode, at least two imaging frame rates can be used for ultrasonic contrast imaging during the contrast imaging process.

[0095] In some embodiments, the instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode may be an operation instruction input by the user through a touch display screen or an external input device, or a control instruction input by the user through voice input.

[0096] In some embodiments, taking the variable frame rate imaging mode with two imaging frame rates as an example, the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are different, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate. For example, the first imaging frame rate is from 0 frames per second (fps) to 10 fps, and the second imaging frame rate is from 10 fps to 20 fps. Of course, in practical applications, the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate can also be set, and no limitation is made here.

[0097] Step 204: In the variable frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate. The process of emitting ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate and receiving the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object can refer to the specific process of emitting ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the fixed imaging frame rate as described above.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first imaging frame rate in the variable frame rate imaging mode is equal to the fixed imaging frame rate in the fixed frame rate imaging mode.

[0099] Step 205: After the contrast agent is injected and when the first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured at the second imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate. The process of emitting ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured at the second imaging frame rate and receiving the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object can refer to the specific process of emitting ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured at a fixed imaging frame rate as described above.

[0100] When the contrast agent starts to be injected into the target object and the first preset condition is not satisfied, the processor 105 first performs ultrasonic contrast imaging at the first imaging frame rate (fixed imaging frame rate). When the processor 105 detects that the first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic contrast imaging is performed at the second imaging frame rate. That is, except when the first preset condition is satisfied and ultrasonic contrast imaging is performed at the second imaging frame rate, ultrasonic contrast imaging is performed at the first imaging frame rate at other times.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first preset condition may include: the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase during the contrast agent imaging process. From the above liver contrast imaging process, it can be seen that there are three specific phases, namely the arterial phase, the portal venous phase, and the delayed phase. Since the contrast performance during the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase is very important for the differential diagnosis of tumors, ultrasonic contrast imaging is performed at the second imaging frame rate with a higher imaging frame rate during the corresponding time period of the arterial phase.

[0102] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 , the specific process of contrast imaging in the variable frame rate imaging mode can be: when the contrast agent starts to be injected into the target object but the microbubbles corresponding to the contrast agent have not arrived, the processor 105 uses the first imaging frame rate F0 (for example, 10 fps for contrast imaging); when the microbubbles corresponding to the contrast agent start to arrive (i.e., the early arterial phase starts), the processor 105 uses the second imaging frame rate F1 (for example, 20 fps) for ultrasonic contrast imaging, and automatically resumes to the first imaging frame rate F0 after a period of time (the end of the early arterial blood phase), and continues to maintain the first imaging frame rate F0 for ultrasonic contrast imaging until the end in the subsequent ultrasonic contrast imaging.

[0103] In some embodiments, the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase includes a first time and a second time. The first time is the time when the arterial phase early starts from the start of timing after injecting the contrast agent, that is, the starting time of the early arterial phase. In this embodiment, this time is denoted as t0; the second time is the time when the early arterial phase ends from the start of timing after injecting the contrast agent, that is, the ending time of the early arterial phase. In this embodiment, this time is denoted as t1.

[0104] The above-mentioned first time and second time can be manually set by the user or automatically set by the system. The ultrasonic imaging device 10 is preset with two functions of manual setting and automatic setting, and the user can determine whether it is manual setting or automatic setting by selection. When it is selected to be manually set by the user, in response to the time parameters pre-configured by the user, the first time and / or the second time are obtained; wherein, the manual setting by the user can be an operation instruction input by the user through a touch display screen or an external input device, or a control instruction input by the user through voice input; that is, the first time and the second time are manually input by the user. When it is selected to be automatically set by the system, the processor 105 automatically detects the first time and / or the second time according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate.

[0105] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 , according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, the automatic detection of the first time includes the following steps:

[0106] Step 2051: Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, the processor 105 obtains ultrasonic data according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate to obtain reference ultrasonic data.

[0107] Step 2052: After the reference ultrasonic data is obtained, at fixed time intervals, the processor 105 obtains the current ultrasonic data once according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, and takes the currently obtained current ultrasonic data as the target ultrasonic data; or, after the reference ultrasonic data is obtained, each frame of ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate is taken as the target ultrasonic data.

[0108] Step 2053: The processor 105 takes the time when the average intensity difference between the currently obtained target ultrasonic data and the reference ultrasonic data is greater than or equal to a threshold Th as the first time.

[0109] The above are some descriptions of two setting methods for the first time and the second time corresponding to the early arterial phase.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first imaging frame rate and / or the second imaging frame rate can also be adjusted by the user within a certain range. The processor 105 adjusts the first imaging frame rate and / or the second imaging frame rate in response to the user's instruction to adjust the imaging frame rate.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5The control display interface for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging is shown. The functions implemented by the controls displayed in this control display interface may include: automatic / manual selection, arrival time t0, end time t1, conventional frame rate (first imaging frame rate) FR0, high frame rate (second imaging frame rate) FR1, detection threshold Th, variable frame rate imaging mode selection, and other functions. Below, according to the control display interface shown in the figure, the manual setting of relevant parameters by the user and the automatic setting of relevant parameters by the system in the above variable frame rate imaging mode will be described separately.

[0112] When manually set by the user: First, enter the contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, then select to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, and then select the manual setting of relevant parameters through the automatic / manual control. At this time, the controls corresponding to these relevant parameters in the display interface change from non-selectable (gray) to changeable (white). After setting the relevant parameters, start the normal contrast imaging process, and at this time, variable frame rate contrast imaging can be achieved. In one embodiment, t0 and t1 can be judged whether t0 or t1 is reached by the processor 105 opening a preset default timer for timing. For the contrast imaging of the liver, the starting time t0 in the early arterial blood phase is 10s, t1 is 20s, the first imaging frame rate FR0 is 10fps, and the second imaging frame rate is 20fps. The user can adjust the above relevant parameters within a certain range. For example, t0 can be taken from 0 - 10s, t1 can be taken from 5s - 30s, and FR0 and FR1 can be taken from 0 - 10fps and 10 - 20fps. In one embodiment, the user can manually set the relevant parameters by means of operation instructions input through a touch display screen or an external input device, or control instructions input by the user through voice input.

[0113] When automatic setting is selected: The above parameter t0 does not need to be set, but the system automatically monitors the arrival time of microbubbles, and at the same time, other parameters still divide the time phase period and the corresponding frame rate according to the previous built-in settings. The specific process is as follows:

[0114] After entering the contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, the system starts to perform contrast imaging at the FR0 frame rate, and at the same time uses the ultrasound data within a certain period of time (such as 0.5 s - 1 s or the time of one respiratory cycle) after the timer is turned on as the reference data. After that, the current frame of ultrasound data is collected at fixed intervals (such as 0.5 s) as the target data, or without a fixed interval, and each frame after the reference data is used as the target data. The average intensity difference between the target data and the reference data is compared through a preset algorithm. When the average intensity difference exceeds the detection threshold Th (such as 10% / 15% / 20%), it is considered that the contrast microbubbles have arrived, and the current time is marked as t0. At the same time, the system determines FR1 and t1 according to the built-in parameters, and performs contrast imaging at a high frame rate (the second imaging frame rate) between t0 - t1, and performs contrast imaging at the normal frame rate (the first imaging frame rate) at other times, thus completing the variable frame rate contrast imaging.

[0115] It should be noted that once one of the manual or automatic setting methods is selected, it cannot be changed again while the timer is on. To reset, the timer must be turned off and then the operation can be performed.

[0116] Step 206: Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasound data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasound data with the second imaging frame rate. The contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0117] The contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging method provided by the above embodiments presets two contrast imaging modes, namely the fixed frame rate imaging mode and the variable frame rate imaging mode. In the fixed frame rate imaging mode, contrast imaging is performed at a fixed imaging frame rate throughout the contrast imaging process; in the variable frame rate imaging mode, contrast imaging can be performed at least at the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate during the contrast imaging process.

[0118] Please refer to Figure 6 , a contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging method of an embodiment may include the following steps:

[0119] Step 301: Respond to the instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode and enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. Among them, the variable frame rate imaging mode is at least pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate, and the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate;

[0120] Step 302: In the variable frame rate imaging mode: within a certain period of time after the contrast agent is injected, emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object to obtain the ultrasound data with the first imaging frame rate.

[0121] Step 303: After the contrast agent is injected and when the first preset condition is satisfied, emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the second imaging frame rate, and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate.

[0122] Step 304: Generate a contrast image according to the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate; wherein, the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

[0123] For the specific implementation manners of the method steps in the above steps 301 to 304, reference can be made to some descriptions of steps 203 to 206 in the above embodiments.

[0124] In the above embodiments, the contrast image obtained in the variable frame rate imaging mode has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate. On this basis, please refer to Figure 7 , the embodiment of the present invention further provides an ultrasonic contrast imaging method, and the contrast image obtained in the variable frame rate imaging mode has different imaging frame rates at different contrast phases. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method includes the following steps:

[0125] Step 401: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode is preconfigured with at least two imaging frame rates, and the preconfigured imaging frame rates at least include the first imaging frame rate, and corresponding imaging parameters are preconfigured for each imaging frame rate.

[0126] In some embodiments, the instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode may be an operation instruction input by the user through a touch display screen or an external input device, or a control instruction input by the user through voice input.

[0127] In some embodiments, the imaging frame rates preconfigured in the variable frame rate imaging mode at least include the first imaging frame rate. In addition to the first imaging frame rate, at least one imaging frame rate is further included, and these imaging frame rates are all different, and different imaging frame rates can be set according to the requirements of different phases in the contrast process.

[0128] Step 402: In the variable frame rate imaging mode: within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, emit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate, and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first imaging frame rate may be equal to the fixed imaging frame rate in the fixed frame rate imaging mode, or may be other imaging frame rates set.

[0130] Step 403: After the contrast agent is injected and when a preset condition is satisfied, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition, and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate; wherein, each imaging frame rate corresponds to one or more preset conditions.

[0131] In some embodiments, the preset condition includes: the time periods respectively corresponding to one or more phases during the contrast agent imaging process. For example, the preset condition may include the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase, and may also include: the time periods corresponding to the arterial phase, the portal phase, the Kupffer phase, etc. That is, different imaging frame rates can be set according to the time periods corresponding to the above one or more phases to meet the contrast imaging requirements of different phases. It should be noted that the phases corresponding to the preset conditions in this embodiment may include all phases during the contrast imaging process, or only some of them, which can be specifically determined by the user.

[0132] In some embodiments, the time periods corresponding to each phase during the contrast agent imaging process include the start time and the end time of the corresponding phase, wherein the start time is the time when the corresponding phase starts to be entered since the injection of the contrast agent is started, and the end time is the time when the corresponding phase ends since the injection of the contrast agent is started. The start time and the end time of the corresponding phase can be manually set by the user, or can be automatically set by the system, specifically including: in response to the time parameters pre-configured by the user, obtaining the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each phase; or automatically detecting the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each phase according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate.

[0133] In this embodiment, the specific setting methods of the start time and the end time corresponding to different phases can refer to the setting methods of the first time and the second time corresponding to the early arterial phase in the above embodiment. In addition, the setting methods of the first imaging frame rate and the imaging frame rates corresponding to each preset condition can also refer to the setting methods of the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate in the above embodiment, wherein each imaging frame rate can be manually adjusted by the user within a certain range during the contrast imaging process.

[0134] Step 404: Generate a contrast image according to the ultrasonic data at the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data at at least one imaging frame rate pre-configured other than the first imaging frame rate, wherein the contrast image has at least two imaging frame rates.

[0135] Thus, according to the above embodiments, different imaging frame rates can be used for contrast imaging for different phases, so as to meet the contrast requirements of different phases.

[0136] The above uses specific examples to illustrate the present invention, which is only for helping to understand the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, based on the idea of the present invention, several simple deductions, deformations or substitutions can also be made.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic contrast imaging method, characterized in that, Comprising: In response to an instruction to enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, where the fixed frame rate imaging mode is pre-configured with a fixed imaging frame rate, and the fixed imaging frame rate is pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters; In the fixed frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the fixed imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate; Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the fixed imaging frame rate; In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is at least pre-configured with a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate, the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is met, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the second imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate; Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate, where the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

2. An ultrasonic contrast imaging method, characterized in that, Comprising: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is at least pre-configured with a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate, the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is met, emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the second imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object, so as to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate; Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate, where the contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed imaging frame rate is equal to the first imaging frame rate.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first preset condition includes: the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase during the imaging process of the contrast agent.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The time period corresponding to the early arterial phase includes a first time and a second time. The first time is the time corresponding to the start of entering the early arterial phase since the injection of the contrast agent is timed, and the second time is the time corresponding to the end of the early arterial phase since the injection of the contrast agent is timed; The method further includes: In response to time parameters pre-configured by the user, obtaining the first time and / or the second time; Alternatively, automatically detecting the first time and / or the second time according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The automatically detecting the first time according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate includes: Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, obtaining ultrasonic data according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate to obtain reference ultrasonic data; After the reference ultrasonic data is obtained, at fixed time intervals, obtaining the current ultrasonic data once according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, and taking the currently obtained current ultrasonic data as the target ultrasonic data; or, after the reference ultrasonic data is obtained, taking each frame of ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate as the target ultrasonic data; Taking the time when the average intensity difference between the currently obtained target ultrasonic data and the reference ultrasonic data is greater than or equal to a threshold as the first time.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the variable frame rate imaging mode, it further includes: In response to an instruction from the user to adjust the imaging frame rate, adjusting the first imaging frame rate and / or the second imaging frame rate.

8. An ultrasonic contrast imaging method, characterized in that, It includes: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, entering the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode pre-configures at least two imaging frame rates, and the pre-configured imaging frame rates at least include a first imaging frame rate, and corresponding imaging parameters are pre-configured for each imaging frame rate; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, emitting ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate and receiving the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; When the contrast agent is injected and a preset condition is satisfied, emitting ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition and receiving the ultrasonic echoes returned by the target object to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate; wherein, each imaging frame rate corresponds to one or more preset conditions; Generating a contrast image according to the ultrasonic data at the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data at at least one imaging frame rate pre-configured other than the first imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least two imaging frame rates.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The preset condition includes: the time periods corresponding to one or more phases during the imaging process of the contrast agent.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein During the imaging process of the contrast agent, the time periods corresponding to each of the time phases include the start time and the end time of the corresponding time phase. The start time is the time when, starting from the injection of the contrast agent, it begins to enter the corresponding time phase, and the end time is the time when, starting from the injection of the contrast agent, the corresponding time phase ends; The method further includes: In response to time parameters pre-configured by the user, obtaining the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each of the time phases; Alternatively, automatically detecting the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each of the time phases based on the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, In the variable frame rate imaging mode, it further includes: In response to an instruction from the user to adjust the imaging frame rate, adjusting one or more of the at least two imaging frame rates.

12. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that, It includes: A probe; A transmitting circuit that excites the probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object; A receiving circuit that receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain ultrasonic echo signals; A processor that processes the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target object; A display that displays the ultrasonic image; Wherein the processor further performs the following steps: In response to an instruction to enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode, enter the fixed frame rate imaging mode. The fixed frame rate imaging mode pre-configures a fixed imaging frame rate, and the fixed imaging frame rate pre-configures corresponding imaging parameters; In the fixed frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the fixed imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate; Generating a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with a fixed imaging frame rate; In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode pre-configures at least a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate. The first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate respectively pre-configure corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the first imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; After the contrast agent is injected and when a first preset condition is met, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured at the second imaging frame rate, and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate; Generating a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate. The contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

13. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that, It includes: A probe; A transmitting circuit that excites the probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object; A receiving circuit that receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal; A processor that processes the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target object; A display that displays the ultrasonic image; Wherein the processor further performs the following steps: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode. The variable frame rate imaging mode is at least pre-configured with a first imaging frame rate and a second imaging frame rate. The first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate are respectively pre-configured with corresponding imaging parameters, and the second imaging frame rate is greater than the first imaging frame rate; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: When the contrast agent is injected into the target object, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; After the contrast agent is injected and when the first preset condition is satisfied, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the second imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object are received to obtain ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate; Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with the second imaging frame rate. The contrast image has at least the first imaging frame rate and the second imaging frame rate.

14. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The fixed imaging frame rate is equal to the first imaging frame rate.

15. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first preset condition includes: the time period corresponding to the early arterial phase during the contrast agent imaging process.

16. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 15, wherein, The time period corresponding to the early arterial phase includes a first time and a second time. The first time is the time when entering the early arterial phase corresponding to the start of timing from the injection of the contrast agent, and the second time is the time when the early arterial phase ends corresponding to the start of timing from the injection of the contrast agent; The processor further performs the following steps: In response to the time parameters pre-configured by the user, obtain the first time and / or the second time; Or, automatically detect the first time and / or the second time according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate.

17. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 16, characterized in that, The automatically detecting the first time according to the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate includes: Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, obtain ultrasonic data according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate to obtain reference ultrasonic data; After obtaining the reference ultrasonic data, at fixed time intervals, obtain the current ultrasonic data once according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate, and use each obtained current ultrasonic data as the target ultrasonic data; or, after obtaining the reference ultrasonic data, use each frame of ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters pre-configured with the first imaging frame rate as the target ultrasonic data; Take the time when the average intensity difference between the currently obtained target ultrasonic data and the reference ultrasonic data is greater than or equal to a threshold as the first time.

18. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The processor further performs the following steps: In the variable frame rate imaging mode, in response to a user instruction to adjust the imaging frame rate, the first imaging frame rate and / or the second imaging frame rate is adjusted.

19. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that, Comprising: A probe; A transmitting circuit that excites the probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object; A receiving circuit that receives ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object through the probe to obtain ultrasonic echo signals; A processor that processes the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain ultrasonic images of the target object; A display that displays the ultrasonic images; Wherein the processor further performs the following steps: In response to an instruction to enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, enter the variable frame rate imaging mode, where the variable frame rate imaging mode is preconfigured with at least two imaging frame rates, and the preconfigured imaging frame rates at least include a first imaging frame rate, and each imaging frame rate is preconfigured with corresponding imaging parameters; In the variable frame rate imaging mode: Within a period of time after the contrast agent is injected, transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object to obtain ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate; After the contrast agent is injected and when a preset condition is satisfied, transmit ultrasonic waves to the region of interest of the target object according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the imaging frame rate corresponding to the preset condition and receive the ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object to obtain ultrasonic data with the corresponding imaging frame rate; wherein each imaging frame rate corresponds to one or more preset conditions; Generate a contrast image based on the ultrasonic data with the first imaging frame rate and the ultrasonic data with at least one imaging frame rate preconfigured other than the first imaging frame rate, and the contrast image has at least two imaging frame rates.

20. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 19, wherein The preset condition includes: a period corresponding to one or more time phases during the contrast agent imaging process.

21. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 20, wherein, The periods corresponding to the respective time phases during the contrast agent imaging process include the start time and the end time of the corresponding time phase. The start time is the time when the corresponding time phase starts counting from the start of injecting the contrast agent, and the end time is the time when the corresponding time phase ends counting from the start of injecting the contrast agent; The processor further performs the following steps: In response to a time parameter preconfigured by the user, obtain the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each of the time phases; Or, automatically detect the start time and / or the end time corresponding to each of the time phases based on the ultrasonic data obtained according to the imaging parameters preconfigured with the first imaging frame rate.

22. The ultrasonic imaging device according to any one of claims 19-21, characterized in that, The processor further performs the following steps: In the variable frame rate imaging mode, in response to a user instruction to adjust the imaging frame rate, adjust one or more of the at least two imaging frame rates.

23. 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 1-11.

Images