Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and control method of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of performing comprehensive observation of an organ of an observation object easily and accurately regardless of a user's level of skills, and to provide a control method of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: a template memory (26) in which a plurality of organ templates are stored; a three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit (31) for acquiring a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam using an ultrasonic probe (1); a template selection unit (27) for selecting one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of a subject's body; and a scanning progress state output unit (28) for specifying and outputting a scanning progress state of the ultrasonic probe (1) for the organ by performing positioning between the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit (31) and the one organ template selected by the template selection unit (27).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used for comprehensively observing an organ of a subject and a control method for the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, observation of a subject has been performed by taking an ultrasonic image representing a tomogram of the subject using a so-called ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. In this case, for example, comprehensive observation of a specific organ of the subject is performed by a user such as a doctor.

[0003] At this time, the user usually takes ultrasonic images sequentially while judging the imaged part in the subject by checking the taken ultrasonic images. However, a user with low proficiency in observation using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may have difficulty determining which part of the subject is imaged even when checking the ultrasonic images. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, by comparing data obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to an organ to be observed with data representing a standard shape of the organ to be observed, a technique has been developed for specifying and displaying a scanned area or an area not yet scanned in the organ to be observed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, depending on the size of the subject's body, the size and shape of organs within the subject may vary. In the technique of Patent Document 1, since the size of the subject's body is not taken into account, the data used as a reference may be inappropriate for some subjects, making it impossible to accurately identify the scanned area and the area that has not yet been scanned, and it may be difficult to accurately perform a comprehensive observation of the organs depending on the user's proficiency.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that enable a user to easily and accurately perform a comprehensive observation of an organ to be observed regardless of proficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The above object can be achieved according to the following configuration. 〔1〕 An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing an organ of a subject by performing scanning with an ultrasonic probe, a template memory storing a plurality of organ templates, a three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit that acquires a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of an organ by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic beams using the ultrasonic probe, a template selection unit that selects one organ template from a plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body, a scanning progress status output unit that identifies and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the organ by aligning the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit and the one organ template selected by the template selection unit, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the same. 〔2〕 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔1〕, wherein the plurality of organ templates each consist of three-dimensional data representing the contour of an organ according to the size of the subject's body. 〔3〕 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔1〕, wherein the plurality of organ templates each consist of three-dimensional data representing the contour of an organ and the internal structure of the organ according to the size of the subject's body. 〔4〕 The template selection unit selects one organ template based on subject information related to the size of the subject's body. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔1〕 or 〔2〕. 〔5〕 The template selection unit calculates the degree of fitness for each of a plurality of organ templates with respect to the subject information, and selects the organ template having the highest degree of fitness as one organ template. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔4〕. 〔6〕 The subject information includes at least one of the subject's height, weight, and age. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4. 〔7〕 The subject information includes the subject's gender. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔6〕. 〔8〕 It includes an input device for the user to perform an input operation. The template selection unit selects one organ template based on the subject information specified by the user via the input device. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔4〕. 〔9〕 The template selection unit selects one organ template based on the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔1〕 or 〔2〕. 〔10〕 The template selection unit calculates the similarity for each of a plurality of organ templates with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and selects the organ template having the highest similarity as one organ template. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔9〕. 〔11〕 The template selection unit selects one organ template using a learned model that has learned the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ according to the size of the subject's body. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔9〕. 〔12〕 The template selection unit selects one organ template based on the subject information related to the size of the subject's body and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔1〕. 〔13〕The template selection unit calculates, for each of a plurality of organ templates, the degree of fitness with respect to the subject information and the degree of similarity with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and calculates an evaluation value by weighted-averaging the calculated degree of fitness and degree of similarity, and selects, as one organ template, the organ template having the highest evaluation value. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔12〕. 〔14〕The template selection unit narrows down a plurality of candidate templates from a plurality of organ templates based on the subject information, calculates, for each of the plurality of narrowed-down candidate templates, the degree of similarity with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and selects, as one organ template, the candidate template having the highest degree of similarity. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔12〕. 〔15〕Comprising a monitor, The scanning progress status output unit displays, on the monitor, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of 〔1〕 to 〔14〕. 〔16〕The scanning progress status output unit displays, on the monitor, the scanned area or the unscanned area by the ultrasonic probe as the scanning progress status. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔15〕. 〔17〕The scanning progress status output unit divides an organ into a plurality of regions, numerically values the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe in the plurality of regions, and outputs the values. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of 〔1〕 to 〔15〕. 〔18〕The scanning progress status output unit outputs, based on the numerically valued scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe in the plurality of regions, the region in which further scanning by the ultrasonic probe is recommended among the plurality of regions. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 〔17〕. 〔19〕A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that observes an organ of a subject by performing scanning with an ultrasonic probe, Stores a plurality of organ templates in a template memory, Acquires a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic beams using the ultrasonic probe, Selects one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body, By aligning the acquired three-dimensional ultrasonic image with one selected organ template, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the organ is specified and output. A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] In the present invention, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a template memory storing a plurality of organ templates, a three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit that acquires a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of an organ by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic beams using an ultrasonic probe, a template selection unit that selects one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body, and a scanning progress status output unit that specifies and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the organ by aligning the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit with the one organ template selected by the template selection unit. Therefore, a user can easily and accurately perform comprehensive observation of an organ to be observed regardless of proficiency.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The description of the constituent elements described below is based on typical embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. In this specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values described before and after "~" as the lower limit value and the upper limit value. In this specification, "identical" and "the same" shall include an error range generally acceptable in the technical field.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 1 and a device main body 2 connected to the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic probe 1 and the device main body 2 are connected to each other by so-called wired communication or so-called wireless communication.

[0012] The ultrasonic probe 1 has a transducer array 11. A transmission / reception circuit 12 is connected to the transducer array 11. Further, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a probe tracking sensor 13. The probe tracking sensor 13 may be built into the ultrasonic probe 1 or may be attached to the housing of the ultrasonic probe 1. Also, when using a sensor device that measures the ultrasonic probe 1 from the outside, such as a so-called optical sensor, as the probe tracking sensor 13, the probe tracking sensor 13 may be arranged at a position separated from the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0013] The apparatus main body 2 has an image generation unit 21 connected to the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1. A display control unit 22 and a monitor 23 are sequentially connected to the image generation unit 21. An image memory 24 is connected to the image generation unit 21. A three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 is connected to the image memory 24. The apparatus main body 2 also includes a template memory 26. A template selection unit 27 is connected to the template memory 26. A scanning progress status output unit 28 is connected to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 and the template selection unit 27. The scanning progress status output unit 28 is connected to the display control unit 22. A main body control unit 29 is connected to the probe tracking sensor 13, the transmission / reception circuit 12, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the image memory 24, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, the template memory 26, the template selection unit 27, and the scanning progress status output unit 28. An input device 30 is connected to the main body control unit 29.

[0014] The three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31 is constituted by the transmission / reception circuit 12, the image generation unit 21, and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25. The processor 32 for the apparatus main body 2 is constituted by the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, the template selection unit 27, the scanning progress status output unit 28, and the main body control unit 29.

[0015] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. These ultrasonic transducers transmit ultrasonic waves according to drive signals supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 12, receive ultrasonic echoes from the subject, and output signals based on the ultrasonic echoes. Each ultrasonic transducer is configured, for example, by forming electrodes at both ends of a piezoelectric body made of a piezoelectric ceramic typified by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element typified by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), and a piezoelectric single crystal typified by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate solid solution).

[0016] The three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31, which is composed of the transmission / reception circuit 12, the image generation unit 21, and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, acquires a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the subject's organ by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic beams using the ultrasonic probe 1. The method for acquiring the three-dimensional ultrasonic image will be described later.

[0017] Under the control of the main body control unit 29, the transmission / reception circuit 12 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 11 and generates a beam signal based on the reception signal acquired by the transducer array 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission / reception circuit 12 has a pulsar 41 connected to the transducer array 11, and an amplification unit 42, an AD (Analog to Digital) conversion unit 43, and a beamformer 44 sequentially connected in series from the transducer array 11.

[0018] The pulsar 41 includes, for example, a plurality of pulse generators, and supplies drive signals to a plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11 while adjusting the delay amount so that ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers form an ultrasonic beam based on a transmission delay pattern selected according to a control signal from the main body control unit 29. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous-wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric body expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous-wave ultrasonic waves from each ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0019] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected, for example, by an object such as a part of a subject and propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 in this way is received by each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11. At this time, each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11 expands and contracts by receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generates a received signal that is an electrical signal, and outputs these received signals to the amplifier unit 42.

[0020] The amplifier unit 42 amplifies the signals input from each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 43. The AD conversion unit 43 converts the signals transmitted from the amplifier unit 42 into digital reception data. The beamformer 44 performs so-called reception focusing processing by giving respective delays to and adding the respective reception data received from the AD conversion unit 43. By this reception focusing processing, an acoustic line signal is obtained in which the respective reception data converted by the AD conversion unit 43 are coherently added and the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed down.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the image generation unit 21 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 45, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 46, and an image processing unit 47 are sequentially connected in series.

[0022] The signal processing unit 45 corrects the attenuation due to distance according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic wave using the speed of sound value set by the main body control unit 29 for the sound beam signal received from the transmission / reception circuit 12, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate a B-mode image signal which is tomographic image information regarding the tissue in the subject.

[0023] The DSC 46 converts (raster-converts) the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing unit 45 into an image signal conforming to the scanning method of a normal television signal. The image processing unit 47 performs various necessary image processes such as gradation processing on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 46, and then sends the B-mode image signal to the display control unit 22 and the image memory 24. Hereinafter, the B-mode image signal subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 47 is referred to as an ultrasonic image.

[0024] The probe tracking sensor 13 is a sensor device that acquires the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 under the control of the main body control unit 29. Here, generally, when a user performs an examination of a subject using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the user often changes the orientation, that is, the tilt angle and the rotation angle, of the ultrasonic probe 1 while keeping the ultrasonic probe 1 in contact with the body surface of the subject, and performs the examination while moving the position of the ultrasonic probe 1. The position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13 includes information regarding the orientation and position of the ultrasonic probe 1. The probe tracking sensor 13 can include, for example, at least one of a so-called inertial sensor, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, or an optical camera. The inertial sensor can include, for example, at least one of a so-called acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

[0025] The image memory 24 is a memory that stores the ultrasonic image generated by the image generation unit 21, the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13, and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31. As the image memory 24, for example, recording media such as flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disk), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disk), MT (Magnetic Tape), RAM (Random Access Memory), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory) can be used.

[0026] Here, the ultrasonic image generated by the image generation unit 21 and the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13 when this ultrasonic image is generated are associated with each other and stored in the image memory 24.

[0027] The three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the subject's organ based on a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images generated by the image generation unit 21. The three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ, for example, by arranging a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images according to the position and orientation information of the corresponding ultrasonic probe 1.

[0028] In addition, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can sequentially perform a process of generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image every time an ultrasonic image is generated by the image generation unit 21. Further, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can also perform a process of generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image collectively for a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images stored in the image memory 24.

[0029] The template memory 26 is a memory that stores a plurality of organ templates for a specific organ of a subject, such as the organ template M1 for the liver shown in FIG. 4. The plurality of organ templates represent a plurality of three-dimensional shapes of organs having sizes and shapes corresponding to various body sizes of the subject. Each of the plurality of organ templates is stored, for example, in association with subject information related to the body size of the subject. The subject information related to the body size of the subject can include at least one of, for example, the height, weight, age, gender, and BMI (Body Mass Index) of the subject.

[0030] For example, when the subject information includes the height, weight, age, and gender of the subject, the template memory 26 has a database that classifies a plurality of organ templates for each height of the subject, a database that classifies a plurality of organ templates for each weight of the subject, a database that classifies a plurality of organ templates for each age of the subject, and a database that classifies a plurality of organ templates for each gender of the subject, and can store the plurality of organ templates together with these databases.

[0031] In addition, each of the plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26 may be composed of three-dimensional data representing the contour of the organ according to the body size of the subject, or may be composed of three-dimensional data representing the contour of the organ and the internal structure of the organ according to the body size of the subject.

[0032] As the template memory 26, for example, recording media such as flash memory, HDD, SSD, FD, MO disk, MT, RAM, CD, DVD, SD card, or USB memory can be used.

[0033] The template selection unit 27 selects one organ template from a plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26 according to the size of the subject's body. The template selection unit 27 can select one organ template, for example, based on the subject information input by the user of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus such as a doctor via the input device 30. The subject information input from the user can include at least one of, for example, the height, weight, age, gender, and BMI of the subject.

[0034] At this time, the template selection unit 27 can calculate, for example, for each of the plurality of organ templates for the organ to be observed stored in the template memory 26, the degree of adaptation representing the degree to which the organ template is adapted to the subject information, and select the organ template having the highest degree of adaptation. For example, when the height of the subject is input as the subject information, the template selection unit 27 refers to the height of the subject associated with the plurality of organ templates in the template memory 26, and can calculate the degree of adaptation so that the organ template having a height value closer to the input height of the subject has a larger value.

[0035] When the input subject information is one of height, weight, and age, the template selection unit 27 can also select, for example, instead of calculating the degree of adaptation, the organ template associated with the subject information closest to the input subject information.

[0036] In addition, when the height and weight of the subject are input as subject information, the template selection unit 27 calculates the degree of fitness of a plurality of organ templates for each of the height and weight of the subject by referring to the height and weight of the subject associated with the plurality of organ templates in the template memory 26, for example, and calculates the sum of the degrees of fitness of height and weight for each organ template, thereby calculating the final degree of fitness of the plurality of organ templates. Note that the template selection unit 27 can similarly calculate the degree of fitness of a plurality of organ templates even when three or more types of subject information are input.

[0037] The scanning progress status output unit 28 identifies and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 with respect to the organ to be observed by aligning the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31 with one organ template selected by the template selection unit 27.

[0038] The scanning progress status output unit 28 can align the three-dimensional ultrasonic image and one organ template with each other by, for example, algorithms such as so-called RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus) and ICP (Iterative Closest Point), methods of machine learning, or combinations thereof. Note that the alignment process can include, for example, a process of deforming the three-dimensional ultrasonic image or one organ template.

[0039] Here, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 represents how far the scanning of the organ to be observed by the ultrasonic probe 1 has progressed. The scanning progress status output unit 28 can identify the region scanned by the ultrasonic probe 1 in the organ to be observed as the scanning progress status and display it on the monitor 23. For example, when the organ to be observed is the liver, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can display the scanned region R1 on the monitor 23 by superimposing it on the organ template of the liver selected by the template selection unit 27 as shown in FIG. 5. In this example, it is shown that a part of the right lobe A1 of the liver has been scanned.

[0040] In addition, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can also identify, as the scanning progress status, an area of the organ to be observed that has not yet been scanned by the ultrasonic probe 1 and display it on the monitor 23. For example, when the organ to be observed is the liver, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can display the un-scanned area R2 on the monitor 23 by superimposing it on the organ template of the liver selected by the template selection unit 27 as shown in FIG. 6. In this example, it is shown that the scanning of a part of the right lobe A1 and the entire left lobe A2 of the liver has not been completed.

[0041] The display control unit 22 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasonic image sent from the image generation unit 21, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 output by the scanning progress status output unit 28, etc. under the control of the main body control unit 29 and displays it on the monitor 23.

[0042] The monitor 23 is for displaying the ultrasonic image and the scanning progress status, etc. under the control of the display control unit 22, and has, for example, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0043] The main body control unit 29 controls each part of the apparatus main body 2, the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1, and the probe tracking sensor 13 based on a control program stored in advance, etc.

[0044] The input device 30 is for the user to perform input operations, and is composed of, for example, devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, and a touch sensor arranged superimposed on the monitor 23.

[0045] Note that the processor 32 having the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, the template selection unit 27, the scanning progress status output unit 28, and the main body control unit 29 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a control program for causing the CPU to perform various processes. However, it may be configured using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or other ICs (Integrated Circuits), or may be configured by combining them.

[0046] Also, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, the template selection unit 27, the scanning progress status output unit 28, and the main body control unit 29 can be configured by being partially or entirely integrated into one CPU or the like.

[0047] Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described. Hereinafter, a case where the organ to be observed of the subject is the liver will be described.

[0048] In step ST1, subject information related to the size of the subject's body is input by the user via the input device 30. At this time, the main body control unit 29 receives the subject information input by the user.

[0049] In step ST2, the template selection unit 27 selects one organ template corresponding to the subject information input by the user in step ST1 and accepted by the main body control unit 29 from among the plurality of organ templates of the liver stored in the template memory 26. At this time, the template selection unit 27 can calculate the adaptability of each of the plurality of organ templates of the liver with respect to the subject information input by the user in step ST1, and select one organ template having the highest adaptability.

[0050] In step ST3, the image generation unit 21 generates an ultrasonic image of the subject's liver. At this time, under the control of the main body control unit 29, transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves are started from a plurality of vibrators of the vibrator array 11 according to a drive signal from the pulsar 41 of the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1. Ultrasonic echoes from inside the subject are received by the plurality of vibrators of the vibrator array 11, and a received signal, which is an analog signal, is output to the amplifier unit 42 and amplified. The received data is obtained by performing AD conversion by the AD conversion unit 43.

[0051] Reception focus processing is performed on this received data by the beamformer 44, and the beam signal generated thereby is sent to the image generation unit 21 of the apparatus main body 2, and an ultrasonic image representing the tomographic image information of the subject is generated by the image generation unit 21. At this time, the signal processing unit 45 of the image generation unit 21 performs correction of attenuation and envelope detection processing on the beam signal according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic wave. The DSC 46 converts it into an image signal according to the scanning method of a normal television signal, and various necessary image processing such as gradation processing is performed by the image processing unit 47. The ultrasonic image generated in step ST3 is displayed on the monitor 23 via the display control unit 22.

[0052] Also, when the ultrasonic image is generated in step ST3, the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 is acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13. The ultrasonic image generated in step ST3 and the acquired position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 are associated with each other and stored in the image memory 24.

[0053] In step ST4, the main control unit 29 determines whether a sufficient ultrasonic image has been obtained in generating the three-dimensional ultrasonic image. The main control unit 29 can determine whether a sufficient ultrasonic image has been acquired by, for example, determining whether a predetermined time has elapsed since step ST1 was started. More specifically, the main control unit 29 can determine that a sufficient ultrasonic image has been acquired when a predetermined time has elapsed since step ST1 was started, and can determine that a sufficient ultrasonic image has not been acquired when the predetermined time has not yet elapsed.

[0054] Also, the main control unit 29 can determine whether a sufficient ultrasonic image has been obtained by, for example, referring to the position and orientation information acquired in step ST3 and determining whether the movement of the ultrasonic probe 1 has stopped after being moved by the user. More specifically, the main control unit 29 can determine that a sufficient ultrasonic image has been acquired when the movement of the ultrasonic probe 1 has stopped after being moved by the user, and can determine that a sufficient ultrasonic image has not been acquired when the ultrasonic probe 1 continues to move.

[0055] If it is determined in step ST4 that the ultrasonic image used for generating the three-dimensional ultrasonic image has not been sufficiently obtained, the process returns to step ST3, a new ultrasonic image is generated, and it is stored in the image memory 24 together with the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1. In this way, the processing of steps ST3 and ST4 is repeated until it is determined in step ST4 that a sufficient ultrasonic image has been obtained.

[0056] When it is determined in step ST4 that a sufficient ultrasonic image for generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image has been obtained, the process proceeds to step ST5. In step ST5, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver of the subject based on the plurality of position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the ultrasonic images of a plurality of frames obtained by repeating steps ST3 and ST4. At this time, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver, for example, by arranging the ultrasonic images of a plurality of frames according to the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 associated with each ultrasonic image.

[0057] In step ST6, the scanning progress status output unit 28 identifies the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 with respect to the liver by aligning one organ template selected in step ST2 and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver obtained in step ST5 with each other by an algorithm such as RANSAC or ICP, a machine learning method, or a combination thereof.

[0058] In this way, since an organ template of the liver corresponding to the size of the subject's body is used for alignment with the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver, alignment between the organ template and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image can be accurately performed for subjects having various body sizes. As a result, for example, as the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1, the scanned area R1 or the unscanned area R2 of the liver can be accurately identified.

[0059] In step ST7, the scanning progress status output unit 28 outputs the scanning progress status identified in step ST6. The scanning progress status output unit 28 can display the scanned area R1 or the unscanned area R2 of the liver on the monitor 23 as the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 by superimposing it on one organ template selected in step ST2, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6.

[0060] In step ST8, the main control unit 29 determines whether to end the observation of the subject's liver. For example, when the main control unit 29 determines that the user has comprehensively observed the subject's liver by checking the scanning progress status output in step ST7 and an instruction to end the observation is input via the input device 30, it can be determined that the observation of the liver is ended. Also, for example, when the main control unit 29 determines that the user has not yet comprehensively observed the subject's liver by checking the scanning progress status output in step ST7 and no instruction to end the observation is specifically input, it can be determined that the observation of the liver is continued.

[0061] As long as it is determined in step ST8 that the observation of the liver is to be continued, the processes of steps ST3 to ST8 are repeated. In step ST5 in this repetition of steps ST3 to ST8, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 adds data corresponding to a plurality of newly acquired frames of ultrasonic images to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver already acquired, and generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver. Therefore, by repeating steps ST3 to ST8, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 identified in step ST6 and output in step ST7 is updated at any time. By continuing the scanning while the user checks the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 updated at any time by repeating steps ST3 to ST8, the user can easily and accurately perform a comprehensive observation of the subject's liver regardless of the user's proficiency.

[0062] When it is determined in step ST8 that the observation of the liver is ended, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 is completed.

[0063] As described above, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 1, the template memory 26 stores a plurality of organ templates for the organ to be observed, the template selection unit 27 selects one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body, and the scanning progress status output unit 28 performs alignment between the acquired three-dimensional ultrasonic image and the selected one organ template, thereby specifying and outputting the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 with respect to the organ to be observed. Therefore, the user can easily and accurately perform a comprehensive observation of the organ to be observed regardless of their proficiency level.

[0064] Although it has been described that the transmission / reception circuit 12 is provided in the ultrasonic probe 1, the transmission / reception circuit 12 may be provided in the apparatus main body 2. Also, although it has been described that the image generation unit 21 is provided in the apparatus main body 2, the image generation unit 21 may be provided in the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0065] Further, the apparatus main body 2 may be a so-called stationary type, a portable type that is easy to carry, or a so-called handheld type configured by, for example, a smartphone or a tablet-type computer. Thus, the type of device constituting the apparatus main body 2 is not particularly limited.

[0066] Also, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can also output the scanning progress status for each area, such as dividing the organ to be observed into a plurality of areas, quantifying and outputting the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 in each of the plurality of areas. For example, the scanning progress status output unit 28 divides the subject's liver into two areas, the right lobe A1 and the left lobe A2, and can output the ratio of the scanned area R1 or the ratio of the unscanned area R2 in each area as a percentage, such as "right lobe: ○○%, left lobe: ○○%".

[0067] In addition, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can also divide, for example, the liver into four regions: a posterior region T1, an anterior region T2, an inner region T3, and an outer region T4, as shown in FIG. 8, or can divide it into eight sub-regions S1 to S8 (sub-region S1 is not shown because it is inside the liver), as shown in FIG. 9.

[0068] The scanning progress status output unit 28 can display the scanning progress status specified for each of the plurality of regions in this way on the monitor 23 as, for example, numerical values. Also, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can display the scanning progress status specified for each of the plurality of regions on the monitor 23 by illustration, such as by displaying a so-called progress bar on the monitor 23. Further, when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a speaker (not shown), the scanning progress status output unit 28 can output the scanning progress status specified for each of the plurality of regions as sound via the speaker, for example.

[0069] In addition, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can also output a region that recommends further scanning of the ultrasonic probe 1 among the plurality of regions based on the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the plurality of digitized regions. For example, the scanning progress status output unit 28 can output, as a region that recommends further scanning, a region in which the ratio of the scanned region R1 is the smallest (the region in which the ratio of the non-scanned region R2 is the largest) among the plurality of regions of the organ to be observed. By checking the output of the region that recommends further scanning, the user can grasp the regions where the scanning has not been sufficiently performed. The user can easily and surely perform comprehensive observation by performing the scanning of the ultrasonic probe 1 so as to cover the output regions while preferentially scanning the regions where the scanning has not been sufficiently performed.

[0070] In general, when an ultrasonic probe 1 scans a location where an object through which ultrasonic waves hardly penetrate, such as bone, is located, it is known that a so-called acoustic shadow is generated by the bone or the like in the captured ultrasonic image. The three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can detect, for example, a region representing an acoustic shadow in the generated three-dimensional ultrasonic image, and the scanning progress status output unit 28 can exclude the region representing the acoustic shadow from the scanned region R1, or output the region representing the acoustic shadow as an unscanned region R2. Here, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can detect a region representing an acoustic shadow in the three-dimensional ultrasonic image, for example, by using a learned model in machine learning that has learned a large number of ultrasonic images including acoustic shadows.

[0071] In this way, by excluding the region representing the acoustic shadow from the scanned region R1 or outputting the region representing the acoustic shadow as the unscanned region R2, the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 can be output more accurately, so that the user can more reliably perform an exhaustive observation of the organ to be observed.

[0072] Also, generally, in a so-called air emission state, that is, a state in which the ultrasonic probe 1 is separated from the body surface of the subject and ultrasonic waves are emitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 into the air, it is known that an air emission image, which is an ultrasonic image entirely filled with a specific color such as black, can be obtained. The main body control unit 29 can determine whether an air emission image has been generated, for example, by determining whether the entire ultrasonic image generated by the image generation unit 21 is filled with a specific color such as black. If it is determined that an air emission image has been generated, it can be determined that the observation of the organ to be observed has stopped. In this case, the main body control unit 29 can stop the processing of the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, for example.

[0073] This prevents the air emission image from being taken into account when generating the three-dimensional ultrasonic image, and since the scanning progress status output unit 28 can output the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 more accurately, the user can more reliably perform an exhaustive observation of the organ to be observed.

[0074] Also, although it has been described that the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image based on the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13 and a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images generated by the image generation unit 21, the method for generating the three-dimensional ultrasonic image is not particularly limited thereto.

[0075] For example, when a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images are generated while the ultrasonic probe 1 is translated in a certain direction or while the ultrasonic probe 1 is tilted within a certain angular range while being placed at a fixed position, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic image by arranging the plurality of frames of ultrasonic images generated by the image generation unit 21 in chronological order without using the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 acquired by the probe tracking sensor 13.

[0076] Also, when the oscillator array 11 has a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators arranged two-dimensionally, a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images can be acquired by the transmission / reception circuit 12 performing so-called electronic scanning. In this case, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 can generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic image from the acquired plurality of frames of ultrasonic images based on the positional relationship of the plurality of tomographic planes scanned by the electronic scanning.

[0077] Also, for example, when the degrees of fitness for a plurality of calculated organ templates are very close and the difference therebetween is within a certain value, the template selection unit 27 can also display on the monitor 23 a plurality of organ templates that may be used by the scanning progress status output unit 28. At this time, the template selection unit 27 can select, for example, one organ template specified by the user via the input device 30 from among the plurality of organ templates displayed on the monitor 23.

[0078] Embodiment 2 In Embodiment 1, it has been described that one organ template is selected based on subject information related to the size of the subject's body. However, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can also select one organ template based on, for example, the acquired three-dimensional ultrasonic image.

[0079] FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 includes an apparatus main body 2A instead of the apparatus main body 2 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus main body 2A includes a template selection unit 27A instead of the template selection unit 27 and a main body control unit 29A instead of the main body control unit 29 in the apparatus main body 2 in Embodiment 1.

[0080] In the apparatus main body 2A, the template selection unit 27A is connected to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 and the template memory 26. The template selection unit 27A is connected to the scanning progress status output unit 28 and the main body control unit 29A. Further, an image generation unit 21, a display control unit 22, a three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, a template selection unit 27A, a scanning progress status output unit 28, and a main body control unit 29A constitute a processor 32A for the apparatus main body 2A.

[0081] The template selection unit 27A selects one organ template based on the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ to be observed acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31. For example, the template selection unit 27A calculates the similarity of each of the plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26 with respect to the organ to be observed with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31, and can select one organ template having the highest similarity. At this time, the template selection unit 27A can calculate the similarity by, for example, an algorithm such as SVM, decision tree, deep learning, or collaborative filtering, or a combination of these algorithms.

[0082] Further, the template selection unit 27A can also select one organ template, for example, using a learned model in machine learning that has learned three-dimensional ultrasonic images of an organ to be observed according to the size of the subject's body.

[0083] The scanning progress status output unit 28 identifies and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 by aligning the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generated by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 with one organ template selected by the template selection unit 27A.

[0084] Next, an example of the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 11. Since steps ST3 to ST8 in the flowchart of FIG. 11 are the same as ST3 to ST8 in FIG. 7, detailed descriptions of these steps are omitted. Also, an example in which the organ to be observed is the liver will be described.

[0085] First, in step ST3, the image generation unit 21 generates an ultrasonic image of the subject's liver. At this time, the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 by the probe tracking sensor 13 is also acquired, and the corresponding ultrasonic image and the position and orientation information of the ultrasonic probe 1 are associated and stored in the image memory 24.

[0086] In step ST4, the main body control unit 29A determines whether a sufficient number of ultrasonic images for generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image have been obtained. Here, the processing of steps ST3 and ST4 is repeated until it is determined that a sufficient number of ultrasonic images have been obtained. If it is determined in step ST4 that a sufficient number of ultrasonic images for generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image have been obtained, the process proceeds to step ST5.

[0087] In step ST5, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25 generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver based on the plurality of frames of ultrasonic images obtained by repeating steps ST3 and ST4 and stored in the image memory 24.

[0088] In step ST9, the template selection unit 27A calculates the similarity of each of the plurality of organ templates for the liver stored in the image memory 24 with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver acquired in step ST5, and selects one organ template having the highest similarity. At this time, the template selection unit 27A can calculate the similarity by, for example, an algorithm such as SVM, decision tree, deep learning, or collaborative filtering, or a combination of these algorithms.

[0089] Further, the template selection unit 27A can also select one organ template using, for example, a learned model in machine learning that has learned a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ to be observed according to the size of the subject's body.

[0090] In step ST6 following step ST9, the scanning progress status output unit 28 aligns the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver acquired in step ST5 and the one organ template selected in step ST9 with each other by an algorithm such as RANSAC or ICP, a method of machine learning, or a combination thereof, thereby specifying the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 for the liver.

[0091] In step ST7, the scanning progress status output unit 28 outputs the scanning progress status specified in step ST6.

[0092] In step ST8, the main body control unit 29A determines whether to end the observation of the subject's liver. If it is determined in step ST8 that the observation of the liver is to be continued, the process proceeds to step ST10.

[0093] In step ST10, the image generation unit 21 generates an ultrasonic image of the subject's liver in the same manner as in step ST3.

[0094] In step ST11, the main control unit 29A determines whether a sufficient ultrasonic image for generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image is obtained in the same manner as in step ST4. As long as it is determined that a sufficient ultrasonic image for generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic image has not been obtained, the processes of steps ST10 and ST11 are repeated. When it is determined in step ST11 that a sufficient ultrasonic image has been obtained, the process proceeds to step ST12.

[0095] In step ST12, the three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit 25, in the same manner as in step ST5, adds data corresponding to a plurality of frames of ultrasonic images obtained by repeating steps ST10 and ST11 to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image obtained in step ST5, and generates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the liver. When step ST12 is completed, the process returns to step ST6. In this way, as long as it is determined in step ST8 to continue observing the liver, the processes of steps ST6 to ST8 and ST10 to ST12 are repeated.

[0096] When it is determined in step ST8 to end the observation of the liver, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the flowchart of FIG. 11 is completed.

[0097] From the above, even when one organ template is selected based on the three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ to be observed and a plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26 for the organ to be observed, similar to the case where one organ template is selected based on the subject information related to the size of the subject's body as in the first embodiment, the user can easily and accurately perform a comprehensive observation of the organ to be observed regardless of their proficiency level.

[0098] In the flowchart of FIG. 11, one organ template selected in step ST9 is continuously used in subsequent processing. However, each time a new three-dimensional ultrasonic image is acquired, the processing of step ST9 can be performed to reselect one organ template. By periodically updating one organ template used for alignment in this way, even when the optimal organ template is not selected due to insufficient scanning of the ultrasonic probe 1 for the organ to be observed, etc., the optimal organ template can be selected by updating one organ template after the next time, and the accurate scanning progress status can be output.

[0099] Also, although it has been described that the template selection unit 27A selects one organ template based on the three-dimensional ultrasonic image, the template selection unit 27A can also select one organ template based on both the subject information related to the size of the subject's body and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image.

[0100] For example, based on the subject information input by the user, the template selection unit 27A narrows down a plurality of candidate templates from the plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26, calculates the similarity to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31 for each of the narrowed-down plurality of candidate templates, and can select the candidate template having the highest similarity.

[0101] At this time, for example, the template selection unit 27A has a fitness threshold value regarding the fitness of a plurality of organ templates, calculates the fitness of the plurality of organ templates with respect to the subject information input by the user, and can narrow down the organ templates having a fitness equal to or higher than the fitness threshold value as a plurality of candidate templates.

[0102] In addition, for each of the plurality of organ templates stored in the template memory 26, the template selection unit 27A calculates the degree of fitness with respect to the subject information input by the user and the degree of similarity with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31, and calculates an evaluation value by weighted-averaging the calculated degree of fitness and degree of similarity, and can also select one organ template having the highest evaluation value. Here, weighted-averaging the degree of fitness and the degree of similarity means performing weighting according to the magnitude of the degree of fitness with respect to the degree of similarity.

[0103] In this way, by selecting one organ template based on both the subject information input by the user and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit 31, it is possible to select an organ template that more accurately corresponds to the size of the subject's body, so that the scanning progress status output unit 28 can output the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe 1 more accurately. As a result, the user can more accurately perform a comprehensive observation of the organ to be observed.

[0104] Further, for example, when the template selection unit 27 uses the degree of similarity between the organ template and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image for the selection of the organ template, and when the calculated degrees of similarity of the plurality of organ templates are very close and the difference therebetween is within a certain value, the template selection unit 27 can also display on the monitor 23 a plurality of organ templates that may be used by the scanning progress status output unit 28. At this time, the template selection unit 27 can select, for example, one organ template specified by the user via the input device 30 from among the plurality of organ templates displayed on the monitor 23. Further, for example, when the template selection unit 27 uses a learned model in machine learning for the selection of the organ template and the learned model outputs a plurality of organ templates, the template selection unit 27 can similarly select one organ template specified by the user.

Explanation of Signs

[0105] 1 Ultrasonic probe, 2, 2A Apparatus main body, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmission / reception circuit, 13 Probe tracking sensor, 21 Image generation unit, 22 Display control unit, 23 Monitor, 24 Image memory, 25 Three-dimensional ultrasonic image generation unit, 26 Template memory, 27, 27A Template selection unit, 28 Scanning progress status output unit, 29, 29A Main body control unit, 30 Input device, 31 Three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, 32, 32A Processor, 41 Pulser, 42 Amplification unit, 43 AD conversion unit, 44 Beamformer, 45 Signal processing unit, 46 DSC, 47 Image processing unit, A1 Right lobe, A2 Left lobe, M1 Organ template, R1 Scanned area, R2 Unscanned area, S2~S8 Sub-areas, T1 Rear area, T2 Front area, T3 Inner area, T4 Outer area.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing an organ of a subject by performing scanning with an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a template memory storing a plurality of organ templates; a three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit that acquires a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam using the ultrasonic probe; a template selection unit that selects one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body; a scanning progress status output unit that specifies and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the organ by aligning the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit and the one organ template selected by the template selection unit; An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising the above.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of organ templates is composed of three-dimensional data representing the contour of the organ according to the size of the subject's body.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of organ templates is composed of three-dimensional data representing the contour of the organ and the internal structure of the organ according to the size of the subject's body.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template selection unit selects the one organ template based on subject information related to the size of the subject's body.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the template selection unit calculates the degree of fitness of each of the plurality of organ templates with respect to the subject information, and selects the organ template having the highest degree of fitness as the one organ template.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the subject information includes at least one of the height, weight, and age of the subject.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the subject information includes the gender of the subject.

8. Comprising an input device for a user to perform an input operation, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the template selection unit selects the one organ template based on the subject information specified by the user via the input device.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template selection unit selects the one organ template based on the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the template selection unit calculates a similarity of each of the plurality of organ templates with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and selects an organ template having the highest similarity as the one organ template.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the template selection unit selects the one organ template using a learned model obtained by learning three-dimensional ultrasonic images of the organ according to the body size of the subject.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template selection unit selects the one organ template based on subject information related to the body size of the subject and the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the template selection unit calculates, for each of the plurality of organ templates, a degree of fitness with respect to the subject information and a similarity with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and calculates an evaluation value by weighted-averaging the calculated degree of fitness and similarity, and selects an organ template having the highest evaluation value as the one organ template.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the template selection unit narrows down a plurality of candidate templates from the plurality of organ templates based on the subject information, calculates a similarity of each of the narrowed-down plurality of candidate templates with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired by the three-dimensional ultrasonic image acquisition unit, and selects a candidate template having the highest similarity as the one organ template.

15. Comprising a monitor, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning progress status output unit displays the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe on the monitor.

16. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the scanning progress status output unit displays, on the monitor, a scanned area or an unscanned area by the ultrasonic probe as the scanning progress status.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning progress status output unit divides the organ into a plurality of sections, numerically values and outputs the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe in the plurality of sections respectively.

18. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the scanning progress status output unit outputs an area where further scanning of the ultrasonic probe is recommended among the plurality of areas based on the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe in the plurality of digitized areas. **Claim 19** A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that observes an organ of a subject by performing scanning with an ultrasonic probe, comprising: storing a plurality of organ templates in a template memory; acquiring a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the organ by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam using the ultrasonic probe; selecting one organ template from the plurality of organ templates according to the size of the subject's body; identifying and outputting the scanning progress status of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the organ by performing alignment between the acquired three-dimensional ultrasonic image and the selected one organ template. A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

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