Inspection result display device and inspection result display program for vibration elements

Abstract

To reduce the display on a display unit of a signal value variation between vibration elements in a signal value range indicating that the vibration element is problem-free when displaying signal values obtained from received signals received by each vibration element as inspection results of the plurality of vibration elements.SOLUTION: A display limit value setting unit 32 sets a display upper limit value as a display limit value based on the signal intensities of a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of vibration elements, respectively, acquired by a transmission / reception unit 14. A display controller 20 causes a display 22 to display a graph G indicating the signal intensities of each reception signal corresponding to each vibration element. When the signal intensity of the reception signal of a certain vibration element is larger than the display upper limit value, the display controller 20 displays the display upper limit value in the graph G as the signal intensity of the reception signal. On the other hand, when the signal intensity of the reception signal of the certain vibration element is equal to or less than the display upper limit value, the display controller 20 displays the signal intensity itself of the reception signal in the graph G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses an improved vibration element inspection result display device and inspection result display program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an ultrasound diagnostic device capable of forming an ultrasound tomographic image and performing various measurements based on the waves reflected from a subject when ultrasound is transmitted to the subject. The ultrasound diagnostic device is equipped with an ultrasound probe that is brought into contact with the subject and transmits and receives ultrasound to the subject. The ultrasound probe is provided with multiple transducer elements, and ultrasound is transmitted from the multiple transducer elements toward the subject by supplying a transmission signal to each of the multiple transducer elements from the ultrasound diagnostic device main body. The multiple transducer elements also receive the reflected waves from the subject, convert the reflected waves into electrical signals, and transmit the received signals to the device main body.

[0003] Before starting to use an ultrasound diagnostic device or at a predetermined timing, an inspection is generally performed to check whether an ultrasound probe (especially a plurality of transducer elements) is operating properly. Conventionally, techniques for inspecting a plurality of transducer elements have been proposed.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic device having an inspection function for a plurality of transducer elements of an ultrasonic probe, which acquires the reception level of each transducer element by emitting ultrasonic waves into the air from the ultrasonic probe, and displays a bar-shaped image extending in one direction according to the arrangement of the plurality of transducer elements, in which the reception level of each transducer element is expressed by color gradation, etc. Furthermore, the ultrasonic diagnostic device described in Patent Document 1 is capable of outputting a warning regarding the need for repair of the ultrasonic probe by comparing the reception level of each transducer element with a predetermined threshold, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-178120 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, when inspecting multiple vibration elements (for example, when ultrasonic waves are emitted into the air from multiple vibration elements as in Patent Document 1), it is rare that the signal values ​​(for example, the signal strength of the received signals) of multiple received signals corresponding to each vibration element operating normally are the same, and it is common for the signal values ​​of multiple received signals to vary between vibration elements operating normally.

[0007] Here, presenting the variation in the signal values ​​of the multiple reception signals between the vibration elements to the user may cause problems. For example, if the signal value of a reception signal of a certain vibration element satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold), the vibration element can be determined to be normal, so slight variations in the signal values ​​of the multiple reception signals between the vibration elements are often not a problem. However, when the variation in the signal values ​​of the multiple reception signals between the vibration elements is presented to the user, even if the multiple vibration elements with varying signal values ​​of the multiple reception signals can all be determined to be normal, the user who sees the variation may become anxious, wondering whether an abnormality has occurred in one of the multiple vibration elements.

[0008] The purpose of the vibration element inspection result display device disclosed in this specification is to reduce the display of variation in signal values ​​between vibration elements in the signal value range indicating that the vibration elements are problem-free when displaying signal values ​​obtained from the received signals received by each vibration element as the inspection results of multiple vibration elements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The device for displaying inspection results for a vibration element disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising: a reception signal acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of reception signals corresponding to a plurality of vibration elements, which are obtained by the plurality of vibration elements transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in order to inspect the plurality of vibration elements of an ultrasonic probe; a display limit value setting unit that sets a display limit value based on a plurality of signal values ​​corresponding to the plurality of vibration elements, which are obtained from the plurality of reception signals; and a display control unit that displays the plurality of signal values ​​on the display unit in a manner that makes it possible to see their correspondence with the plurality of vibration elements, and which displays the display limit value as the signal value if the signal value exceeds the display limit value.

[0010] The signal value may be a value indicating the signal strength of a reflected wave from a predetermined depth.

[0011] The signal value may be a value indicating one of the frequency, phase, or variance of a Doppler signal.

[0012] The display limit value setting unit may set the display limit value based on a parameter representing a variation in the plurality of signal values.

[0013] It is preferable that the device further includes a judgment threshold setting unit that sets a judgment threshold based on the plurality of signal values, and a judgment unit that judges the quality of the plurality of vibration elements based on a comparison between each of the plurality of signal values ​​and the judgment threshold.

[0014] The device may further include a memory having stored therein an examination result database that stores and associates the examination result, which indicates the correspondence between the plurality of vibration elements and the plurality of signal values, and in which, when the signal value exceeds the display limit value, the display limit value is set to the corresponding signal value, with a probe ID that uniquely identifies the ultrasonic probe, and the display control unit may cause the display unit to display the past examination results for the ultrasonic probe stored in the examination result database.

[0015] Furthermore, the program for displaying inspection results for vibration elements disclosed in this specification is characterized in that it causes a computer to function as a received signal acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of received signals corresponding to a plurality of vibration elements, obtained by the plurality of vibration elements transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in order to inspect the plurality of vibration elements that an ultrasonic probe has; a display limit value setting unit that sets a display limit value based on a plurality of signal values ​​corresponding to the plurality of vibration elements, obtained from the plurality of received signals; and a display control unit that displays the plurality of signal values ​​on a display unit in a manner that allows the correspondence with the plurality of vibration elements to be seen, and that displays the display limit value as the signal value when the signal value exceeds the display limit value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the vibration element inspection result display device disclosed in this specification, when the signal values ​​obtained from the received signals received by each vibration element are displayed as the inspection results of multiple vibration elements, it is possible to reduce the display of the variation in signal values ​​between each vibration element in the signal value range indicating that the vibration element is problem-free. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a basic embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the signal strengths of a plurality of received signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an examination result screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an examination result history. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a modified embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the frequencies of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the phases of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the dispersion of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the frequency characteristics of the frequency of a Doppler signal of a certain transducer element. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of plot results for each transducer element in a two-dimensional space of center frequency and peak signal intensity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] <Basic embodiment> 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 as an apparatus for displaying the test results of a transducer element according to a basic embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is a medical device installed in a medical institution such as a hospital.

[0019] The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 scans an object with an ultrasound beam and generates ultrasound images as medical images and performs various measurements based on the received signals. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 has an inspection function for inspecting an ultrasound probe 12 (described later), particularly the multiple transducer elements of the ultrasound probe 12.

[0020] The transmitter / receiver 14, signal processor 16, image generator 18, display controller 20, display limit value setting unit 32, judgment threshold setting unit 34, and judgment unit 36 ​​of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10 are configured by a processor. The processor includes at least one of a general-purpose processing device (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) and a dedicated processing device (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic device). The processor may not be a single processing device, but may be configured by the cooperation of multiple processing devices located at physically separate locations. Furthermore, each of the above units may be realized by the cooperation of hardware, such as a processor, and software.

[0021] The ultrasonic probe 12 is a device that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and has a plurality of transducer elements that each transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the subject.

[0022] The transmitter / receiver 14 transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasound probe 12 (specifically, to each transducer element) under the control of the controller 30 (described later). As a result, ultrasound waves are transmitted from each transducer element toward the subject. The transmitter / receiver 14 also receives reflected waves from the subject and converts them into electrical signals to form received signals. As a result, the transmitter / receiver 14 obtains a plurality of received signals corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements, respectively.

[0023] In particular, in this embodiment, the transmitter / receiver 14 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves from the multiple transducer elements in order to inspect the multiple transducer elements of the ultrasonic probe 12. For example, the transmitter / receiver 14 radiates ultrasonic waves into the air from the multiple transducer elements in order to inspect the multiple transducer elements, and acquires multiple received signals corresponding to the multiple transducer elements. In this way, the transmitter / receiver 14 corresponds to a received signal acquisition unit.

[0024] The signal processing unit 16 performs various processes on the received signals formed by the transmitting / receiving unit 14. For example, the signal processing unit 16 performs a phasing addition process in which the phases of the received signals from the transducer elements are aligned and added. This results in the formation of a received beam signal in which information indicating the signal strength of the reflected waves from the subject is aligned in the depth direction of the subject. The signal processing unit 16 also performs various signal processing such as various filtering processes, detection processes, and logarithmic compression processes.

[0025] The image forming unit 18 forms an ultrasonic tomographic image (B-mode image) based on the received beam signals that have been signal-processed in the signal processing unit 16.

[0026] The display control unit 20 controls the display 22 to display the ultrasonic tomographic image formed by the image forming unit 18. The display control unit 20 also controls the display 22 to display the inspection results of the multiple transducer elements. The display control unit 20 controls the display 22 to display the signal values ​​of the multiple received signals as the inspection results of the multiple transducer elements in a manner that allows the correspondence with the multiple transducer elements to be seen. Details of the display manner of the inspection results of the multiple transducer elements will be described later.

[0027] The display 22 as a display unit is a display device configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0028] The input interface 24 is configured by, for example, a button, a trackball, a touch panel, etc. The input interface 24 is used to input user commands to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10.

[0029] The memory 26 includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an embedded multi-media card (eMMC), a read-only memory (ROM), or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 26 stores an inspection result display program for the transducer elements for operating each unit of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10. The inspection result display program can also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory or a CD-ROM. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10 can read and execute the inspection result display program from such a storage medium.

[0030] 1, the memory 26 also stores an examination result DB (DataBase) 28. The examination result DB 28 accumulates and stores past examination results of the ultrasound probe 12 in the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10. Details of the examination result DB 28 will be described later.

[0031] The control unit 30 is configured to include at least one of a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU) and a dedicated processor (e.g., a GPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a programmable logic device). The control unit 30 may not be configured by a single processing device, but may be configured by the cooperation of multiple processing devices located in physically separate locations. The control unit 30 controls each part of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10 in accordance with an examination result display program stored in the memory 26.

[0032] The display limit value setting unit 32 sets a display limit value based on a plurality of signal values ​​corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements obtained from a plurality of received signals corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements acquired by the transmitting / receiving unit 14. The display limit value is a display limit value related to the signal value of each transducer element when the display control unit 20 causes the display 22 to display the inspection results of the plurality of transducer elements.

[0033] In this embodiment, the signal value used is a value indicating the signal strength of a reflected wave from a predetermined depth, i.e., the signal strength of a received signal corresponding to a predetermined depth (which may also be referred to as a brightness value because the signal strength is converted into a brightness value when imaged). The predetermined depth may be predetermined, such as 1 cm or 4 cm. In the following description, the signal strength of a received signal refers to the signal strength of a received signal corresponding to a predetermined depth. Therefore, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets an upper display limit value as a display limit value based on the signal strength of multiple received signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements. The signal strength of the multiple received signals may be the signal strength of the received signals before signal processing by the signal processing unit 16, the signal strength of the received signals after signal processing by the signal processing unit 16, or the signal strength (brightness value) in the ultrasound image data formed by the image forming unit 18.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the signal strengths of multiple received signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements. More specifically, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets a display upper limit value based on a representative value of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals. In this embodiment, the average value is used as the representative value, but the representative value may also be, for example, a median or a mode. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets X% of the representative value of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals as the display upper limit value. Here, X may be set in advance by a program designer of the transducer element test result display device, and is set to a value such as 20 to 80. In the example of FIG. 2, the display upper limit value is set to 50% of the average value of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals (i.e., X=50).

[0035] Furthermore, the display limit value setting unit 32 may further set the display limit value based on a parameter representing the variation in the signal strength of the plurality of received signals. The parameter representing the variation is a concept that includes the variance or standard deviation of the signal strength of the plurality of received signals.

[0036] For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 may calculate the variance σ of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals, and set a value obtained by subtracting a value based on the variance σ from a representative value of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals as the display upper limit value. For example, the value of ((average value of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals) - βσ) is set as the display upper limit value. Here, β may be set in advance by a program designer of the device for displaying the test results of the vibration element, and may be set to a value of, for example, 1 to 5.

[0037] Furthermore, for example, the display limit value setting unit 32 calculates the standard deviation of the signal strengths of the plurality of received signals, and sets the value of ((average value of the signal strengths of the plurality of received signals) - α × (standard deviation)) as the display upper limit value. Here, α may also be set in advance by the designer of the program for the vibration element inspection result display device.

[0038] The display control unit 20 causes the display 22 to display the test results of the multiple transducer elements based on the display limit value set by the display limit value setting unit 32. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a test result screen showing the test results of the multiple transducer elements. In the test result screen shown in FIG. 3, graph G shows the signal strength of each received signal corresponding to each transducer element. Graph G is a graph in which the horizontal axis represents the transducer element and the vertical axis represents the signal strength.

[0039] In graph G, when the signal strength of a received signal from a certain vibration element exceeds the display limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the display limit value as the signal strength of the received signal. In this embodiment, since the display limit value is the display upper limit value, when the signal strength of a received signal from a certain vibration element is greater than the display upper limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the display upper limit value as the signal strength of the received signal. On the other hand, when the signal strength of a received signal from a certain vibration element is equal to or less than the display upper limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the signal strength of the received signal itself. For example, when the display upper limit value is x, even if the signal strength of a received signal from a certain vibration element is equal to or greater than x, the display control unit 20 displays the signal strength of the received signal from the certain vibration element as x on graph G. On the other hand, if the signal strength of a received signal from a certain vibration element is equal to or less than x, the display control unit 20 displays the signal strength of the received signal from the certain vibration element as a value equal to or less than x on graph G. In other words, the display control unit 20 does not represent signal strengths equal to or greater than the display upper limit value on graph G, and displays all such signal strengths as the display upper limit value.

[0040] As a result, even if the signal strength of the received signals from the multiple vibration elements varies in a value range above the display upper limit (see FIG. 2), the signal strength of the received signals from the multiple vibration elements will all be displayed as the display upper limit in graph G. In other words, the user will not be notified of the variation in the signal strength of the received signals from the multiple vibration elements in a value range above the display upper limit. This can reduce unnecessary anxiety felt by the user.

[0041] 1, the determination threshold setting unit 34 sets a determination threshold based on the signal values ​​of a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements, which are acquired by the transmitting / receiving unit 14. The determination threshold is a threshold used when the determination unit 36, which will be described later, determines whether the plurality of transducer elements are good or bad based on the signal values ​​of the plurality of reception signals.

[0042] Like the display limit value setting unit 32, in this embodiment, the judgment threshold setting unit 34 sets the judgment threshold based on the signal strength of multiple received signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements (see FIG. 2). More specifically, the judgment threshold setting unit 34 sets the judgment threshold based on a representative value of the signal strength of the multiple received signals. In this embodiment, the average value is used as the representative value, but the representative value may also be, for example, the median or the mode. For example, the judgment threshold setting unit 34 sets Y% of the representative value of the signal strength of the multiple received signals as the judgment threshold. Here, Y may be set in advance by, for example, a designer of a program for displaying the test results of the transducer elements. In the example of FIG. 2, the judgment threshold is set to 20% of the average value of the signal strength of the multiple received signals (i.e., Y=20).

[0043] Similarly to the display limit value setting unit 32, the decision threshold setting unit 34 may further set the decision threshold based on a parameter (variance or standard deviation) that represents the variation in the signal strength of a plurality of received signals.

[0044] The determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the multiple vibration elements are good or bad based on a comparison between each of the signal values ​​of the multiple received signals and the determination threshold set by the determination threshold setting unit 34. Specifically, the determination unit 36 ​​determines that the multiple vibration elements are good (normal) when all of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals are equal to or greater than the determination threshold. On the other hand, the determination unit 36 ​​determines that the multiple vibration elements are bad (abnormal) when any of the signal strengths of the multiple received signals is less than the determination threshold.

[0045] The display control unit 20 may also display the judgment result R of the judgment unit 36 ​​on the inspection result screen (see FIG. 3). In the example of FIG. 3, since there is a transducer element whose signal value is less than the judgment threshold, "Fail" is displayed as the judgment result R of the judgment unit 36, which means a defective product.

[0046] The test results of the multiple transducer elements may be accumulated and stored in the test result DB 28. In this embodiment, if the test result indicates a correspondence between the multiple transducer elements and the signal values ​​of the multiple received signals and the signal value is equal to or greater than the upper display limit, the test result in which the upper display limit is set to the signal value (i.e., information corresponding to graph G in FIG. 3 ) is associated with a probe ID that uniquely identifies the ultrasonic probe 12 having the multiple transducer elements to be tested, and these are stored in the test result DB 28 as test result history. The probe ID may be stored in the memory of the ultrasonic probe 12, and the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 can acquire the probe ID from the connected ultrasonic probe 12. In addition, the test result and the probe ID may be further associated with the test date and time or the determination result by the determination unit 36, and these may be stored in the test result DB 28 as test result history.

[0047] The display control unit 20 may display the past examination results for the ultrasound probe 12 stored in the examination result DB 28 on the display 22. Specifically, the display control unit 20 acquires a probe ID from the ultrasound probe 12 connected to the main body of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 10, and extracts an examination result history having the acquired probe ID from the examination result DB 28. Then, the display control unit 20 displays the examination result history extracted from the examination result DB 28 on the display 22.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the examination result history. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the display control unit 20 displays a list of combinations of examination dates and times and judgment results from the examination result history extracted from the examination result DB 28. This allows the user to grasp the past judgment results for the ultrasound probe 12 at a glance. The display control unit 20 also displays a details button B in association with the examination dates and times and the judgment results. When the details button B is selected by the user, the display control unit 20 displays the examination results (i.e., graph G (see FIG. 3)) corresponding to the examination dates and times and judgment results associated with the details button B on the display 22. This allows the user to grasp the signal values ​​of each transducer element in the past.

[0049] <Modified embodiment> 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10' according to a modified embodiment, which functions as a display device for displaying the results of an inspection of a transducer element. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10' according to the modified embodiment, components that perform the same functions as those in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the basic embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1, and their description will be omitted. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the basic embodiment, the signal strength of the received signal of each transducer element is displayed as the inspection result of the multiple transducer elements of the ultrasonic probe 12, and the display upper limit value, the judgment threshold value, and the pass / fail judgment of the multiple transducer elements are performed based on the signal strength of the received signal of each transducer element. In contrast, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10' according to the modified embodiment, the display upper limit value, the judgment threshold value, and the pass / fail judgment of the multiple transducer elements are performed based on the Doppler signal corresponding to each transducer element obtained from the received signal of each transducer element.

[0050] The Doppler signal processing unit 40 performs a quadrature detection process on the received signal from the transmitting / receiving unit 14 to separate the received signal into a complex signal (a real part signal (I component) and an imaginary part signal (Q component)), a filtering process on the complex signal obtained by the quadrature detection process to apply a wall filter to remove noise (clutter components) caused by the body movement of the subject, and an autocorrelation calculation to calculate the correlation between the I component and the Q component, thereby obtaining a Doppler signal. The Doppler signal is a signal that indicates the variance of the frequency (shift frequency (the difference between the transmission frequency and the reception frequency)), phase, and velocity component (i.e., the shift frequency) for each received signal corresponding to each transducer element.

[0051] The display limit value setting unit 42 sets a display limit value based on the signal values ​​of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements, which are acquired by the Doppler signal processing unit 40 based on a plurality of received signals.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the frequencies of multiple Doppler signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements. The display limit value setting unit 42 can set an upper display limit value as a display limit value based on the frequency as a signal value of the Doppler signal. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets the upper display limit value based on a representative value (average value in this embodiment) of multiple frequencies corresponding to multiple transducer elements. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets X% (X is, for example, 20 to 80) of the representative value of the frequencies of the multiple Doppler signals as the upper display limit value. In the example of FIG. 6, the upper display limit value is set to 50% of the average value of the frequencies of the multiple Doppler signals (i.e., X=50).

[0053] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the phases of multiple Doppler signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements. The display limit value setting unit 42 can set an upper display limit value as a display limit value based on the phases as signal values ​​of the Doppler signals. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets the upper display limit value based on a representative value (average value in this embodiment) of multiple phases corresponding to multiple transducer elements. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets X% (X is, for example, 20 to 80) of the representative value of the phases of the multiple Doppler signals as the upper display limit value. In the example of FIG. 7, the upper display limit value is set to 50% of the average value of the phases of the multiple Doppler signals (i.e., X=50).

[0054] 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the variance of multiple Doppler signals corresponding to multiple transducer elements. The display limit value setting unit 42 can set a lower display limit value as a display limit value based on the variance as a signal value of the Doppler signal. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets the lower display limit value based on a representative value (average value in this embodiment) of multiple variances corresponding to multiple transducer elements. For example, the display limit value setting unit 32 sets a value obtained by adding a predetermined value to the representative value of the variances of the multiple Doppler signals as the lower display limit value.

[0055] As in the basic embodiment, the display limit value setting unit 42 may further set the display limit value based on a parameter that represents the variation in the signal values ​​of a plurality of Doppler signals.

[0056] Even in this modified embodiment, the display control unit 20 causes the display 22 to display the test results of the multiple transducer elements based on the display limit value set by the display limit value setting unit 42. Specifically, when the signal value of the Doppler signal of a certain transducer element exceeds the display limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the display limit value as the signal value of the Doppler signal. When the display limit value is based on the frequency or phase of the Doppler signal, an upper display limit value is set as the display limit value. Therefore, when the frequency or phase of the Doppler signal of a certain transducer element is greater than the display limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the upper display limit value as the frequency or phase of the Doppler signal. On the other hand, when the frequency or phase of the Doppler signal of a certain transducer element is equal to or less than the display limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the frequency or phase of the Doppler signal itself. When the display limit value is based on the variance of the Doppler signal, a lower display limit value is set as the display limit value. Therefore, when the phase of the Doppler signal of a certain transducer element is smaller than the display limit value, the display control unit 20 displays the display limit value as the variance of the Doppler signal. On the other hand, when the variance of the Doppler signal of a certain transducer element is equal to or greater than the lower limit for display, the display control unit 20 displays the variance of the Doppler signal itself.

[0057] Returning to FIG. 5, the decision threshold setting unit 44 sets a decision threshold based on the signal values ​​of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements, which are acquired by the Doppler signal processing unit 40 based on a plurality of received signals.

[0058] Like the display limit value setting unit 42, in this embodiment, the decision threshold setting unit 44 sets the decision threshold based on the signal values ​​of a plurality of Doppler signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements (see FIGS. 6 to 8). More specifically, the decision threshold setting unit 44 sets the decision threshold based on a representative value (e.g., an average value) of the signal values ​​of the plurality of Doppler signals. For example, the decision threshold setting unit 44 sets Y% (Y is, for example, 20) of the representative value of the signal values ​​of the plurality of Doppler signals as the decision threshold.

[0059] Similarly to the display limit value setting unit 42, the decision threshold setting unit 44 may also set the decision threshold based on a parameter (variance or standard deviation) that represents the dispersion of the signal values ​​of a plurality of Doppler signals.

[0060] The determination unit 46 determines whether the multiple transducer elements are good or bad based on a comparison between each signal value of the multiple Doppler signals and the determination threshold set by the determination threshold setting unit 44. Specifically, the determination unit 46 determines that the multiple transducer elements are good (normal) when all of the frequencies or phases of the multiple Doppler signals are equal to or greater than the determination threshold. On the other hand, the determination unit 46 determines that the multiple transducer elements are bad (abnormal) when any of the frequencies or phases of the multiple Doppler signals is less than the determination threshold. Furthermore, the determination unit 46 determines that the multiple transducer elements are good (normal) when all of the variances of the multiple Doppler signals are less than the determination threshold. On the other hand, the determination unit 46 determines that the multiple transducer elements are bad (abnormal) when any of the variances of the multiple Doppler signals is equal to or greater than the determination threshold.

[0061] In a modified embodiment, the determination unit 46 may determine whether the plurality of transducer elements are good or bad, without being based on the determination threshold set by the determination threshold setting unit 44. For example, the determination unit 46 may determine whether the plurality of transducer elements are good or bad, based on the frequency characteristics (see FIG. 9) of the frequency of the Doppler signal of each transducer element. For example, the determination unit 46 calculates the cross-correlation of the frequency characteristics of each transducer element, and determines that the plurality of transducer elements are bad (abnormal) if there is a transducer element whose correlation coefficient is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0062] In addition, the determination unit 46 may acquire the center frequency and peak signal strength of the frequency characteristics of the Doppler signal frequency of each transducer element (see FIG. 9), plot each transducer element on a two-dimensional map of center frequency and peak signal strength as shown in FIG. 10, and determine that multiple transducer elements are defective (abnormal) if there is a transducer element with an outlier.

[0063] The determination unit 46 may also determine whether the multiple transducer elements are good or bad based on the fractional bandwidth of the frequency characteristics of the Doppler signal frequency of each transducer element. The fractional bandwidth is a parameter expressed as ((frequency bandwidth / center frequency)×100). If there is a transducer element whose fractional bandwidth is less than a predetermined threshold, the multiple transducer elements are determined to be defective (abnormal).

[0064] As in the basic embodiment, in the modified embodiment, the display control unit 20 may also display the determination result of the determination unit 46 on the test result screen.

[0065] The above describes the inspection result display device for vibration elements according to the present disclosure, but the inspection result display device for vibration elements according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the spirit thereof.

[0066] For example, in the above embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 is used as the test result display device for the transducer elements, but the test result display device is not limited to the ultrasound diagnostic device 10. For example, the test result display device may be a personal computer (PC (Personal Computer)) or a server having a processor, memory, a communication interface, an input interface, and a display. In this case, the processor of the PC or server serving as the test result display device performs the functions of the display limit value setting units 32, 42, the judgment threshold setting units 34, 44, the judgment units 36, 46, and the display control unit 20, acquires a plurality of reception signals corresponding to a plurality of transducer elements from the ultrasound diagnostic device or the like, and performs an inspection of the ultrasound probe 12 (a plurality of transducer elements) based on the acquired plurality of reception signals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10,10' Ultrasound diagnostic device, 12 Ultrasound probe, 14 Transmitter / receiver unit, 16 Signal processing unit, 18 Image forming unit, 20 Display control unit, 22 Display, 24 Input interface, 26 Memory, 28 Examination result DB, 30 Control unit, 32,42 Display limit value setting unit, 34,44 Judgment threshold setting unit, 36,46 Judgment unit, 40 Doppler signal processing unit.

Claims

1. a reception signal acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements, the reception signals being obtained by the plurality of transducer elements transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in order to inspect the plurality of transducer elements included in the ultrasonic probe; a display limit value setting unit that sets a display limit value based on a plurality of signal values ​​obtained from the plurality of received signals and corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements; a display control unit that displays the plurality of signal values ​​on a display unit in a manner that allows the correspondence relationship with the plurality of vibration elements to be understood, and that, when the signal value exceeds the display limit value, displays the display limit value as the signal value; An inspection result display device for a vibration element, comprising:

2. The signal value is a value indicating the signal strength of a reflected wave from a predetermined depth.

2. The inspection result display device for a vibration element according to claim 1.

3. the signal value is a value indicating any one of frequency, phase, or variance of a Doppler signal; 2. The inspection result display device for a vibration element according to claim 1.

4. the display limit value setting unit sets the display limit value based on a parameter representing a variation in the plurality of signal values.

2. The inspection result display device for a vibration element according to claim 1.

5. a determination threshold setting unit that sets a determination threshold based on the plurality of signal values; a determination unit that determines whether the plurality of vibration elements are good or bad based on a comparison between each of the plurality of signal values ​​and the determination threshold; The inspection result display device for a vibration element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

6. a memory that stores an inspection result database that stores and associates inspection results indicating a correspondence relationship between the plurality of transducer elements and the plurality of signal values, in which, when the signal value exceeds the display limit value, the inspection result is set to the display limit value, with a probe ID that uniquely identifies the ultrasonic probe; and Furthermore, the display control unit causes the display unit to display the past examination results for the ultrasound probe stored in the examination result database. The inspection result display device for a vibration element according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Computer, a reception signal acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements, the reception signals being obtained by the plurality of transducer elements transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in order to inspect the plurality of transducer elements included in the ultrasonic probe; a display limit value setting unit that sets a display limit value based on a plurality of signal values ​​obtained from the plurality of received signals and corresponding to the plurality of transducer elements; a display control unit that displays the plurality of signal values ​​on a display unit in a manner that allows the correspondence relationship with the plurality of vibration elements to be understood, and that, when the signal value exceeds the display limit value, displays the display limit value as the signal value; A program for displaying inspection results of a vibration element, characterized in that the program functions as:

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