Ultrasonic system and method for controlling the ultrasonic system

Abstract

To enable patients to safely perform scans of the examination site at home or other locations. [Solution] In the ultrasonic system and control method of the ultrasonic system of the present invention, a ticket acquisition unit acquires an electronic ticket containing information on the upper limit time when scanning an inspection area using an ultrasonic probe, and a scan control unit controls the scan time from the start to the end of the scan to the upper limit time included in the electronic ticket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic system having a function of controlling an expiration date, a scan time, etc. when a patient scans an examination site at home or the like, and a method for controlling the ultrasonic system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a doctor scans an examination site of a patient who is a subject using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and a diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image or the like is performed. On the other hand, a handheld ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is cheaper than a stationary type and a portable type ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and is easy to carry. Therefore, in recent years, as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, there has been a demand for self-echography in which a patient himself / herself scans an examination site using a handheld ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus at home or the like.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that when continuously observing the progress of fetal growth using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus applicable to home medical care, a subject (pregnant woman) who is also an operator of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus collects image data of an examination target region including a fetus using an ultrasonic probe.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an ultrasonic system including a smart device, a substrate having an ultrasonic array, and a communication component that enables two-way communication between the system and an external device, in which a doctor or a patient using the system transmits an image or video to a medical center or a doctor's computer when monitoring the internal organs of a pregnant patient at home from the doctor's office.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes an ultrasonic image system in which a user performs an ultrasonic scan of an ovary at the user's home, generates an ultrasonic image including follicles, and transmits this ultrasonic image to a remote receiver of a doctor located at a remote location.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-094245 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-504185 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2020-536666 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, ultrasound diagnostic equipment typically used in medical settings is medical device intended for use by physicians who are proficient in ultrasound diagnostic techniques, and patients are generally not familiar with ultrasound diagnostic techniques or the use of ultrasound diagnostic equipment.

[0008] Furthermore, patients are often told that ultrasound examinations are safe because, unlike radiation-based examinations such as chest X-rays, they pose no risk of radiation exposure and can be repeated. However, medical societies and other organizations have called for confirmation of the safety of ultrasound examinations before their use, including the need to avoid irradiating patients with ultrasound when unnecessary and to confirm the safety of ultrasound examinations for fetuses and other vulnerable individuals susceptible to external stimuli.

[0009] Thus, if patients can freely perform scans at home or elsewhere based on their own judgment without receiving direct instructions from a doctor, there is a risk that ultrasound may be unnecessarily applied to the patient, potentially leading to harm to the patient's health. Patent documents 1-3 do not describe any safety issues related to the use of ultrasound diagnostic equipment by patients who are not familiar with ultrasound diagnostic techniques or the use of ultrasound diagnostic devices.

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound system and a control method for the ultrasound system that enable patients to safely scan examination sites at home or elsewhere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an ultrasound system in which an ultrasound diagnostic device used by a patient and an external control device used by a physician are connected via a network, The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises an ultrasound probe and a main unit of the diagnostic device. The diagnostic device itself is A ticket acquisition unit that acquires an electronic ticket containing information on the maximum time limit when scanning an inspection area using an ultrasound probe, The present invention provides an ultrasonic system comprising a scan control unit that controls the scan time from the start to the end of the scan to limit it to the maximum time included in the electronic ticket.

[0012] Here, the diagnostic device itself is An ultrasound image generation unit that generates an ultrasound image from the signal obtained by scanning, It includes a diagnostic communication unit that transmits ultrasound images from the ultrasound diagnostic device to an external control device in response to instructions from the patient, The external control unit comprises a control unit body and a control-side monitor. The control unit is A control-side communication unit that receives ultrasound images transmitted from an ultrasound diagnostic device, Preferably, the system includes a control-side display control unit that displays the ultrasonic image received by the control-side communication unit on the control-side monitor.

[0013] Furthermore, the control unit itself is A ticket count detection unit that detects the number of electronic tickets the patient possesses, Preferably, the system includes a ticket distribution control unit that controls whether or not to distribute electronic tickets from an external control device based on information about the number of electronic tickets.

[0014] Further, the scan control unit satisfies the prerequisite that the ultrasonic probe and the diagnostic device main body are connected, the diagnostic device main body is connected to the network, and the scan time is controlled based on the date and time information acquired from the network, and controls so that the scan can be started when the patient has an electronic ticket. Preferably, the diagnostic device main body includes a notification unit that notifies the patient of an error message when at least one of the prerequisite conditions is not satisfied and the patient does not have an electronic ticket.

[0015] Further, the diagnostic device main body includes a diagnostic monitor, displays a menu screen including a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of functions included in the ultrasonic diagnosis application on the diagnostic monitor, and a diagnostic side display control unit that switches an icon corresponding to the scan function from an active state to an inactive state when at least one of the prerequisite conditions is not satisfied and the patient does not have an electronic ticket. Preferably, it is provided.

[0016] Preferably, the notification unit notifies the patient of an error message when the patient selects an icon corresponding to the scan function in an inactive state.

[0017] Further, when the scan time reaches the upper limit time, the scan control unit forcibly terminates the scan. Preferably, when the scan is forcibly terminated, the notification unit notifies the doctor that the scan has been forcibly terminated.

[0018] Preferably, the control device main body includes a control side ticket generation unit that generates an electronic ticket in response to an instruction from a doctor.

[0019] Preferably, when the patient's symptoms progress along a plurality of stages, the control side ticket generation unit sets a default value of the upper limit time for each stage.

[0020] In addition, it is preferable that the control - side ticket generation unit changes the default value of the upper - limit time according to an instruction from a doctor.

[0021] In addition, it includes an ultrasonic diagnostic device, an external control device, and a server connected via a network. The control - side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control - side ticket generation unit to the server according to an instruction from a doctor. The diagnostic - side communication unit receives the electronic ticket from the server according to an instruction from a patient. It is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic - side communication unit.

[0022] In addition, it includes an ultrasonic diagnostic device, an external control device, and a server connected via a network. The server includes a server - side ticket generation unit that generates an electronic ticket according to an instruction from a doctor. The diagnostic - side communication unit receives the electronic ticket generated by the server - side ticket generation unit from the server according to an instruction from a patient. It is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic - side communication unit.

[0023] In addition, the control - side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control - side ticket generation unit to the ultrasonic diagnostic device according to an instruction from a patient. The diagnostic - side communication unit receives the electronic ticket transmitted from the external control device. It is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic - side communication unit.

[0024] In addition, the control - side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control - side ticket generation unit to the storage on the cloud according to an instruction from a doctor. The diagnostic - side communication unit receives the electronic ticket from the storage on the cloud according to an instruction from a patient. It is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic - side communication unit.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket by reading the electronic ticket information recorded on the 2D code.

[0026] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket by reading the electronic ticket information recorded on a medium mailed from the doctor to the patient.

[0027] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered when the application for ultrasound diagnosis is launched.

[0028] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered based on the electronic ticket information included in the push notification.

[0029] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered based on a notification sent to a pre-registered recipient.

[0030] Furthermore, it is preferable for the scan control unit to consider the scan to have been canceled if the scan time is within a predetermined time.

[0031] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a control method for an ultrasound system in which an ultrasound diagnostic device used by a patient and an external control device used by a physician are connected via a network. The steps include: the ticket acquisition unit of the diagnostic device body of the ultrasound diagnostic device acquires an electronic ticket containing information on the maximum time limit for scanning the examination area using the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound diagnostic device; The present invention provides a method for controlling an ultrasonic system, which includes the step of controlling the scan control unit of the diagnostic device body to limit the scan time from the start to the end of the scan to the maximum time included in the electronic ticket. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] In this invention, by using electronic tickets, the scanning time and other parameters when a patient scans the examination site at home can be controlled. As a result, according to this invention, the scanning of the examination site can be performed safely, and the patient's health can be protected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of one embodiment showing the configuration of the ultrasonic system of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of one embodiment representing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of one embodiment showing the configuration of a transmitting and receiving circuit. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of one embodiment showing the configuration of the ultrasound image generation unit. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram of one embodiment representing the configuration of the ticket processing unit. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram of one embodiment representing the configuration of an external processing unit. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram of one embodiment representing the server configuration. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the operation of an ultrasound diagnostic device when generating an ultrasound image. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of how an ultrasound system works when a doctor creates an electronic ticket. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the operation of an ultrasound system when a patient undergoes a scan. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of another embodiment illustrating the operation of the ultrasound system when a patient undergoes a scan. [Figure 12] This is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment representing the menu screen of an application for ultrasound diagnostics. [Figure 13] This is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment representing the menu screen of an application for ultrasound diagnostics. [Figure 14] This is a conceptual diagram of one embodiment representing an error message display window. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment representing the error message display window. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The ultrasonic system and control method of the ultrasonic system of the present invention will be described in detail below based on preferred embodiments shown in the attached drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment representing the configuration of the ultrasonic system of the present invention. The ultrasonic system shown in Figure 1 comprises an ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 and external control devices 3 and a server 5, which are respectively bidirectionally connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 via a network 7.

[0036] The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is used by patients using the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 at home or elsewhere to scan the area of ​​the patient being examined for ultrasound diagnosis, and to transmit the ultrasound image generated from the signal obtained from the scan to the external control device 3. On the other hand, the external control device 3 is used by a physician using the external control device 3 to view ultrasound images of the patient's examination area transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in a hospital or other facility.

[0037] Although Figure 1 shows only one ultrasound diagnostic device 1, the hospital may be equipped with multiple ultrasound diagnostic devices 1, each used by a different patient. The same applies to the external control devices 3; for example, the hospital may be equipped with multiple external control devices 3, each used by a different physician working at the hospital.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 comprises an ultrasound probe 11 and a diagnostic device body 13 connected to the ultrasound probe 11. The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of this embodiment is realized by the ultrasound probe 11, a handheld diagnostic device body 13, and an ultrasound diagnostic application and an electronic ticket download application that run on the diagnostic device body 13.

[0039] The ultrasound probe 11 scans the patient's examination area with an ultrasound beam and outputs an acoustic signal corresponding to the ultrasound image of the examination area. As shown in Figure 2, the ultrasound probe 11 comprises a transducer array 15, a transmitting / receiving circuit 17, and a battery 19. The transducer array 15 and the transmitting / receiving circuit 17 are connected bidirectionally, and the diagnostic device control unit 47 of the diagnostic device main unit 13, which will be described later, is connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 17.

[0040] The transducer array 15 has multiple ultrasonic transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasound according to a drive signal supplied from the transmit / receive circuit 17 and receives reflected waves from the patient's body to output an analog received signal. Each oscillator is constructed using an element in which electrodes are formed at both ends of a piezoelectric body, such as a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0041] The transmitting / receiving circuit 17, under the control of the diagnostic device control unit 47, causes the transducer array 15 to transmit an ultrasonic beam and generates an ultrasonic signal by performing a reception focus process on the received signal output from the transducer array 15 that has received the ultrasonic echo. As shown in Figure 3, the transmitting / receiving circuit 17 includes a pulser 51 connected to the transducer array 15, and an amplifier 53, an AD (Analog Digital) converter 55, and a beamformer 57 that are sequentially connected in series from the transducer array 15.

[0042] The pulser 51 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators and performs a transmit focus process to supply drive signals to multiple transducers of the transducer array 15, adjusting the delay amount, so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducers form an ultrasonic beam, based on a transmit delay pattern selected by the diagnostic device control unit 47. Through this transmit focus process, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 15, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves from each transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0043] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object, such as a part of the patient's body, and propagates toward the transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 11. Each transducer constituting the transducer array 15 expands and contracts upon receiving the ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 15, generating a received signal, which is an electrical signal, and outputs these received signals to the amplification unit 53.

[0044] The amplification unit 53 amplifies the signals input from each oscillator constituting the oscillator array 15 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 55. The AD conversion unit 55 converts the analog signals transmitted from the amplification unit 53 into digital received data and outputs this received data to the beamformer 57.

[0045] The beamformer 57 performs a reception focus process by adding each received data converted by the AD converter 55 with a corresponding delay, according to the sound velocity or sound velocity distribution set based on the reception delay pattern selected by the diagnostic device control unit 47. This reception focus process generates a sound ray signal in which each received data converted by the AD converter 55 is added in phase and the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed.

[0046] The battery 19 is built into the ultrasonic probe 11 and supplies power to each circuit of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0047] The diagnostic device body 13 generates an ultrasound image of the patient's examination area based on the signal obtained by scanning. The diagnostic device body 13 is a handheld terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet PC (Personal Computer), and as shown in Figure 2, it comprises an ultrasound image generation unit 31, a ticket processing unit 33, a diagnostic communication unit 35, a diagnostic monitor 41, a diagnostic display control unit 43, a diagnostic input device 45, and a diagnostic device control unit 47.

[0048] The ultrasound image generation unit 31 is connected to the transmitting and receiving circuit 17 of the ultrasound probe 11, and the diagnostic display control unit 43 and the diagnostic monitor 41 are sequentially connected to the ultrasound image generation unit 31. The diagnostic communication unit 35 is also connected to the ultrasound image generation unit 31, and the diagnostic communication unit 35 is bidirectionally connected to the network 7. The diagnostic communication unit 35 is bidirectionally connected to the ticket processing unit 33, and the diagnostic display control unit 43 is connected to the ticket processing unit 33. The diagnostic device control unit 47 is connected to the diagnostic input device 45, and the ultrasound image generation unit 31, the ticket processing unit 33, the diagnostic communication unit 35, and the diagnostic display control unit 43 are connected to the diagnostic device control unit 47, respectively.

[0049] The ultrasound probe 11 and the diagnostic device main unit 13 are connected wirelessly via Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) or via a wired connection using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable.

[0050] The ultrasound image generation unit 31 generates an ultrasound image (ultrasound image signal) of the patient's examination site from the signal obtained by scanning, that is, from the received signal obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam to the patient's examination site using the ultrasound probe 11 (more precisely, the transducer array 15), and more specifically, from the sound line signal generated from the received signal by the transmitting and receiving circuit 17. As shown in Figure 4, the ultrasound image generation unit 31 has a configuration in which the signal processing unit 21, DSC 23, and image processing unit 25 are connected in series in sequence.

[0051] The signal processing unit 21 generates image information data corresponding to the ultrasound image based on the sound line signal generated by the transmitting and receiving circuit 17. More specifically, the signal processing unit 21 performs signal processing on the sound line signal generated by the beamformer 57 of the transmitting and receiving circuit 17, for example, correcting for attenuation due to propagation distance according to the depth of the position where the ultrasound is reflected, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate image information data representing tomographic image information about the tissue inside the patient's body.

[0052] The DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 23 converts the image information data generated by the signal processing unit 21 into a raster image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal.

[0053] The image processing unit 25 applies various image processing to the image signal input from the DSC 23, such as brightness correction, gradation correction, sharpness correction, image size correction, refresh rate correction, scanning frequency correction, and color correction, in accordance with the display format of the diagnostic monitor 41, thereby generating an ultrasound image, and outputs the processed ultrasound image to the diagnostic display control unit 43.

[0054] The ticket processing unit 33, under the control of the diagnostic device control unit 47, uses electronic tickets to control the deadline for performing scans, the scan time from start to finish, and other parameters, and performs various processes to transmit ultrasound images of the patient's examination area to the external control device 3. As shown in Figure 5, the ticket processing unit 33 includes a ticket acquisition unit 61, a scan control unit 63, and a notification unit 67.

[0055] The ticket acquisition unit 61 is connected to the diagnostic communication unit 35, and the scan control unit 63 is connected to the ticket acquisition unit 61. The scan control unit 63 is connected to the diagnostic communication unit 35. The notification unit 67 is bidirectionally connected to the diagnostic communication unit 35. The notification unit 67 is also connected to both the ticket acquisition unit 61 and the scan control unit 63, and the notification unit 67 is connected to the diagnostic display control unit 43.

[0056] The ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires the electronic ticket that the patient needs when scanning the examination site. The electronic ticket contains information such as its expiration date and the maximum time limit for scanning. Patients obtain an electronic ticket and use it to scan the inspection site. In other words, patients cannot scan without an electronic ticket. After each scan is completed, for example, one electronic ticket is consumed.

[0057] The scan control unit 63 performs various controls related to scanning. The scan control unit 63 controls the system so that the scan can be started, for example, when the prerequisites for using the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are satisfied and the patient has an electronic ticket. The prerequisites for using the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment they include the following (1) to (3), etc. (1) The ultrasound probe 11 and the diagnostic device main unit 13 are connected. This allows the ultrasound probe 11 to be used to perform a scan and generate an ultrasound image. (2) The diagnostic device unit 13 is connected to the network 7. This allows the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to receive electronic tickets from the server 5 and to transmit ultrasound images from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to the server 5. (3) The scan time from start to finish is controlled based on the date and time information obtained from network 7; in other words, the date and time settings of the diagnostic device 13 are automatically set based on the date and time information obtained from network 7. This prevents the date and time settings of the diagnostic device 13 from being changed by the patient, and prevents the scan time from being tampered with. Furthermore, the scan control unit 63 controls the electronic ticket so that scanning can only be performed within the expiration period specified in the ticket. In addition, the scan control unit 63 controls the scanning time to be limited to the maximum time specified in the electronic ticket.

[0058] The notification unit 67 provides various types of information to at least one of the patient and the physician. The notification unit 67 notifies the patient of an error message, for example, if the prerequisites are not met, or if the patient does not have an electronic ticket. The method of notification is not particularly limited, but for example, information such as error messages may be displayed on the diagnostic monitor 41, or it may be spoken from a speaker (not shown), or both may be done simultaneously. Also, when the notification unit 67 notifies the physician of information, this information is transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to the external control device 3.

[0059] The diagnostic communication unit 35 transmits and receives various types of information between the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and the external control device 3 and the server 5, respectively, under the control of the diagnostic device control unit 47. In this embodiment, the diagnostic communication unit 35 receives an electronic ticket from the server 5 and transmits the ultrasound image generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 31 to the server 5. The diagnostic communication unit 35 and the network 7 are connected, for example, by the internet or a communication line.

[0060] The diagnostic monitor 41 displays various information under the control of the diagnostic display control unit 43. The diagnostic monitor 41 is not particularly limited, but examples include LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and OLED (Electro-Luminescence) displays.

[0061] The diagnostic display control unit 43, under the control of the diagnostic device control unit 47, displays various information on the diagnostic monitor 41.

[0062] The diagnostic input device 45 receives various instructions input from the patient. The diagnostic input device 45 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, various buttons and a touch panel provided on the display screen of the diagnostic monitor 41 for inputting various instructions by the patient's touch operation.

[0063] The diagnostic device control unit 47 controls the ultrasound probe 11 and the main unit of the diagnostic device 13 according to a pre-stored program and instructions from the patient input from the diagnostic input device 45.

[0064] In this embodiment, the ultrasound image generation unit 31, ticket processing unit 33, diagnostic communication unit 35, diagnostic display control unit 43, and diagnostic device control unit 47 are all composed of a diagnostic processor 49.

[0065] Next, the external control device 3 generates an electronic ticket and displays the patient's ultrasound image. The external control device 3 is, for example, a desktop PC and, as shown in Figure 6, comprises a control device body 71, a control-side monitor 81, and a control-side input device 85. The control device body 71 also comprises a control-side ticket generation unit 73, a ticket count detection unit 75, a ticket distribution control unit 77, a control-side communication unit 79, a control-side display control unit 83, and a control-side device control unit 87.

[0066] The control-side ticket generation unit 73 is sequentially connected to the ticket distribution control unit 77, the control-side communication unit 79, the control-side display control unit 83, and the control-side monitor 81. The control-side ticket generation unit 73 is also sequentially connected to the ticket count detection unit 75 and the ticket distribution control unit 77. The ticket count detection unit 75 is bidirectionally connected to the control-side communication unit 79, and the control-side communication unit 79 is bidirectionally connected to the network 7. The control-side device control unit 87 is connected to the control-side input device 85, and the control-side device control unit 87 is connected to the control-side ticket generation unit 73, the ticket count detection unit 75, the ticket distribution control unit 77, the control-side communication unit 79, and the control-side display control unit 83, respectively.

[0067] The control-side ticket generation unit 73 generates electronic tickets in response to instructions from a doctor, under the control of the control-side device control unit 87.

[0068] The ticket count detection unit 75, under the control of the control-side device control unit 87, detects the number of electronic tickets held by the patient at regular intervals, such as once a day, or at predetermined timings. For example, when an electronic ticket is generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73, the ticket count detection unit 75 adds to the number of electronic tickets based on the information of the number of electronic tickets generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73. On the other hand, when an electronic ticket is consumed by the scan control unit 63, information on the number of electronic tickets consumed by the scan control unit 63 is transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to the external control device 3. In response, the ticket count detection unit 75 subtracts from the number of electronic tickets based on the information of the number of electronic tickets consumed transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to the external control device 3.

[0069] In this embodiment, the control device body 71 is equipped with a ticket count detection unit 75, but the diagnostic device body 13 may also be equipped with a ticket count detection unit 75. In this case, for example, when an electronic ticket is acquired by the ticket acquisition unit 61, the ticket count detection unit 75 adds to the number of electronic tickets based on the information of the number of electronic tickets acquired by the ticket acquisition unit 61. On the other hand, for example, when an electronic ticket is consumed by the scan control unit 63, the ticket count detection unit 75 subtracts from the number of electronic tickets consumed by the scan control unit 63 based on the information of the number of electronic tickets consumed by the scan control unit 63. The information on the number of electronic tickets detected by the ticket count detection unit 75 is transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to the external control device 3.

[0070] The ticket distribution control unit 77, under the control of the control-side device control unit 87, controls whether or not to distribute electronic tickets from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1, according to the information on the number of electronic tickets detected by the ticket count detection unit 75. The ticket distribution control unit 77 controls the distribution of electronic tickets, for example, if the patient does not have a predetermined number of electronic tickets, for example, the upper limit of two tickets, in other words, if the patient has no electronic tickets or only one electronic ticket. The ticket distribution control unit 77 also controls the distribution of electronic tickets not to the patient if the patient has a predetermined number of electronic tickets.

[0071] The control-side communication unit 79 transmits and receives various types of information between the external control device 3 and the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and the server 5, respectively, under the control of the control-side device control unit 87. The control-side communication unit 79 transmits, for example, an electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73 to the server 5 and receives ultrasound images from the server 5. The control-side communication unit 79 and the network 7 are connected, for example, by the internet or a communication line.

[0072] The control-side monitor 81 displays various information under the control of the control-side display control unit 83. The control-side monitor 81 is not particularly limited, but examples include LCDs and organic EL displays.

[0073] The control-side display control unit 83 displays various types of information on the control-side monitor 81 under the control of the control-side device control unit 87.

[0074] The control-side input device 85 receives various instructions from the physician. The control-side input device 85 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, a keyboard and a mouse.

[0075] The control unit 87 controls each part of the control device body 71 according to a pre-stored program and instructions from a physician input via the control input device 85.

[0076] In this embodiment, the control-side ticket generation unit 73, ticket count detection unit 75, ticket distribution control unit 77, control-side communication unit 79, control-side display control unit 83, and control-side device control unit 87 are all composed of a control-side processor 89.

[0077] Server 5 acts as an intermediary between the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and the external control device 3 for sending and receiving electronic tickets and ultrasound images, etc. Server 5 is, for example, a workstation, and as shown in Figure 7, comprises a server-side ticket generation unit 91, a server-side communication unit 93, and a server-side device control unit 95. The server-side ticket generation unit 91 is connected to the server-side communication unit 93, which is bidirectionally connected to the network 7. The server-side device control unit 95 is connected to both the server-side ticket generation unit 91 and the server-side communication unit 93, respectively.

[0078] The server-side ticket generation unit 91 generates electronic tickets in response to instructions from a physician, under the control of the server-side device control unit 95. In this embodiment, it is not essential that the server 5 includes the server-side ticket generation unit 91.

[0079] The server-side communication unit 93, under the control of the server-side device control unit 95, transmits and receives various types of information between the server 5 and the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and the external control device 3, respectively. In this embodiment, the server-side communication unit 93 receives an electronic ticket from the external control device 3 and transmits this electronic ticket to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. The server-side communication unit 93 also receives an ultrasound image from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and transmits this ultrasound image to the external control device 3. The server-side communication unit 93 and the network 7 are connected, for example, by the internet or a communication line.

[0080] The server-side device control unit 95 controls each part of the server 5 according to pre-stored programs, instructions from patients and doctors, etc.

[0081] In this embodiment, the server-side ticket generation unit 91, the server-side communication unit 93, and the server-side device control unit 95 are all comprised of a server-side processor 97.

[0082] Next, referring to the flowchart in Figure 8, we will explain the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 when generating an ultrasound image.

[0083] When generating an ultrasound image, first, the transmitting / receiving circuit 17 starts transmitting ultrasound when the ultrasound probe 11 is in contact with the patient's examination site, and an ultrasound signal is generated (step S1).

[0084] In other words, according to the drive signal from the pulser 51, an ultrasonic beam is transmitted from multiple transducers in the transducer array 15 to the patient's examination site. The ultrasonic echo from the inspection site, based on the ultrasonic beam transmitted from Pulsar 51, is received by each transducer of the transducer array 15, and an analog received signal is output from each transducer of the transducer array 15 that has received the ultrasonic echo. The received signals output from each oscillator of the oscillator array 15 are amplified by the amplification unit 53 and converted to AD by the AD conversion unit 55 to obtain the received data. Then, the beamformer 57 performs reception focus processing on this received data, thereby generating a sound ray signal.

[0085] Next, the ultrasound image generation unit 31 generates an ultrasound image of the patient's examination area based on the sound line signal generated by the beamformer 57 of the transmitting / receiving circuit 17 (step S2).

[0086] In other words, the sound line signals generated by the beamformer 57 are subjected to various signal processing by the signal processing unit 21 to generate image information data representing tomographic image information about the tissues inside the patient's body. The image information data generated by the signal processing unit 21 is then rasterized by the DSC 23, and further processed by the image processing unit 25 to generate an ultrasound image.

[0087] Next, the diagnostic display control unit 43 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound image generated by the image processing unit 25 and displays it on the diagnostic monitor 41 (step S3).

[0088] Next, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 9, we will explain the operation of the ultrasound system when a doctor creates an electronic ticket.

[0089] First, the physician logs into a dedicated website on the server 5 for using the ultrasound system via the external control unit 3 (step S11). This allows the physician to use the ultrasound system. Alternatively, instead of logging into a dedicated website, physicians may log in to an ultrasound diagnostic application running on the control unit 71 of the external control unit 3, thereby enabling them to use the ultrasound system in the same way.

[0090] Next, the doctor verifies the patient's information (Step S12).

[0091] In this case, in response to instructions from the physician, the control-side display control unit 83 displays a list of patient information on the control-side monitor 81. The patient information includes the patient's ID (identifier), name, age, stage of illness, and the number of electronic tickets the patient possesses. The patient information may be stored on the server 5 or within the ultrasound diagnostic application. The physician selects the patient information of one patient from the list of patient information displayed on the control monitor 81. In response, the control-side display control unit 83 displays patient information for one patient selected by the physician on the control-side monitor 81.

[0092] Next, the ticket count detection unit 75 detects the number of electronic tickets the patient possesses, for example, based on the information regarding the number of electronic tickets included in the patient information (step S13).

[0093] Next, the ticket distribution control unit 77 determines, for example, whether or not the patient has an electronic ticket based on the information about the number of electronic tickets detected by the ticket count detection unit 75 (step S14). Alternatively, a physician may determine whether a patient has an electronic ticket based on the number of electronic tickets included in the patient information, and input the result of that determination into the ticket distribution control unit 77.

[0094] As a result, if it is determined that the patient has an electronic ticket (Yes in step), distributing further electronic tickets could lead to the patient being exposed to excessive ultrasound by using multiple electronic tickets in succession for scanning, potentially causing harm to the patient's health. Therefore, the ticket distribution control unit 77 prevents the electronic tickets from being distributed from the external control unit 3. The process then proceeds to step S17.

[0095] Even if it is determined that a patient has an electronic ticket, the doctor may create an electronic ticket in advance and distribute the pre-created electronic ticket only after the patient has used up their existing electronic ticket.

[0096] On the other hand, if it is determined that the patient does not have an electronic ticket (No in step S15), the doctor will create an electronic ticket for the patient. In this case, the control-side ticket generation unit 73 generates an electronic ticket in accordance with the instructions from the doctor.

[0097] Here, the control-side ticket generation unit 73 can set default values ​​for the upper limit time for each stage when the patient's symptoms progress along multiple stages. For example, if the patient's symptoms progressing in stages correspond to the stages of follicle measurement, uterine observation in early pregnancy, and fetal observation in mid-to-late pregnancy, the default values ​​for the upper limit time for follicle measurement, uterine observation, and fetal observation can be set to, for example, 30 minutes, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes.

[0098] The control-side ticket generation unit 73 can change the default value of the upper limit time in response to instructions from the physician. The physician may change the default value of the upper limit time one by one, or multiple patterns for changing the default value of the upper limit time may be created in advance according to the patient and the patient's symptoms progressing in stages, and the physician may select and apply one of the multiple patterns.

[0099] Next, the doctor distributes the electronic ticket (Step S16). In this case, the ticket distribution control unit 77 controls the distribution of electronic tickets from the external control device 3 in accordance with instructions from the doctor. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73 to the server 5.

[0100] Furthermore, when a doctor distributes an electronic ticket to a patient, the ticket distribution control unit 77 may determine whether the patient has the maximum number of electronic tickets. In this case, if the ticket distribution control unit 77 determines that the patient has the maximum number of electronic tickets, it will control the system so that no electronic tickets are distributed. If it determines that the patient does not have the maximum number of electronic tickets, it will control the system so that electronic tickets are distributed.

[0101] Next, the doctor prepares comments for the patient (Step S17). While comments to patients are not limited to these, examples include, when sending an electronic ticket to a patient, "Please scan it within two or three days," when there are unused electronic tickets remaining, "Please scan them as soon as possible," or when a certain period has passed since the last visit, "It's been a while since we last saw you, so let's come in for a check-up."

[0102] Next, the doctor forwards the comments to the patient (Step S18). In this case, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the physician's comments from the external control device 3 to the server 5 in response to instructions from the physician, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the physician's comments from the server 5 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in response to instructions from the patient. This allows the patient to view the comments from the physician.

[0103] Finally, the doctor logs out of the dedicated website (Step S19).

[0104] Next, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 10, we will explain the operation of the ultrasound system when a patient undergoes a scan.

[0105] The patient turns on the power to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1, that is, the power to the ultrasound probe 11 and the main unit of the diagnostic device 13, at home or elsewhere (step S21).

[0106] In response, the diagnostic display control unit 43 displays a main menu screen (home menu screen) on the diagnostic monitor 41, which includes multiple icons corresponding to multiple applications installed on the diagnostic device main unit 13. In this embodiment, the main menu screen displays icons for various applications, including icons for ultrasound diagnostic applications and applications for downloading electronic tickets.

[0107] Next, the patient launches the ultrasound diagnostic application by tapping the application icon displayed on the diagnostic monitor 41 (step S22).

[0108] When the ultrasound diagnostic application is launched, the diagnostic display control unit 43 displays a menu screen on the diagnostic monitor 41 that includes multiple icons corresponding to the various functions of the ultrasound diagnostic application. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the menu screen of the ultrasound diagnostic application displays multiple icons in active states corresponding to various functions such as follicle measurement, review, instruction manual, exit, and settings.

[0109] Next, the scan control unit 63 determines whether or not the prerequisites for using the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are met (step S23).

[0110] If, as a result, it is determined that the prerequisites are not met (No in step S23), the notification unit 67 will display an error message window overlaid on the menu screen to inform the patient that scanning is not possible because the prerequisites for using the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are not met, as shown in Figure 14 (step S24).

[0111] Next, when the patient taps the "OK" button in the error message display window, the diagnostic display control unit 43, as shown in Figure 13, hides the error message display window and switches the icon corresponding to the scan function—in this embodiment, the follicle measurement icon—from the active state to the inactive state. Therefore, in this case, the patient cannot perform a scan. The process then returns to step S23.

[0112] In addition, icons other than those corresponding to the scanning function, such as those corresponding to review, instruction manual, exit, and settings, remain active, and patients can execute the functions corresponding to these active icons.

[0113] On the other hand, if it is determined that the prerequisites are met (Yes in step S23), the scan control unit 63 then determines whether or not the patient has an electronic ticket (step S25).

[0114] As a result, if it is determined that the patient does not have an electronic ticket (No in step S25), the notification unit 67 will display an error message window overlaid on the menu screen to inform the patient that scanning is not possible because the patient does not have an electronic ticket, as shown in Figure 15 (step S26).

[0115] Next, when the patient taps the "OK" button in the error message display window, the diagnostic display control unit 43 similarly closes the error message display window and switches the follicle measurement icon from active to inactive, as shown in Figure 13. Therefore, in this case as well, the patient cannot perform a scan, but can execute the functions corresponding to the other active icons.

[0116] Thus, if the prerequisites are not met, or if the patient does not have an electronic ticket, the diagnostic display control unit 43 switches the icon corresponding to the scan function from the active state to the inactive state. If the patient taps and selects an inactive icon, the notification unit 67 will display an error message window overlaid on the menu screen, such as "Scanning conditions could not be confirmed" or "Please close the app and check for setting errors or the presence of tickets."

[0117] Next, the patient, for example, returns to the main menu screen and launches the application for downloading the electronic ticket by tapping the application icon for downloads (step S27).

[0118] When the download application is launched, the diagnostic display control unit 43 displays the download menu for the download application on the diagnostic monitor 41. In this embodiment, the download menu displays a list of electronic tickets that have already been sent from the external control device 3 to the server 5 in response to instructions from the physician.

[0119] Next, the patient downloads the electronic ticket displayed in the download menu (Step S28). In this case, the server-side communication unit 93 transmits an electronic ticket to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in response to instructions from the patient, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket transmitted from the server 5. Then, the ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires (downloads) the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic communication unit 35.

[0120] Next, the patient, for example, closes the download menu (step S29), returns to the main menu screen, and launches the ultrasound diagnostic application (step S22). The subsequent actions are as described above.

[0121] In this embodiment, a separate application for downloading electronic tickets is used from the application for ultrasound diagnosis. This allows, for example, when the application for ultrasound diagnosis is frequently updated, but the application for downloading electronic tickets is rarely updated, to update only the application for ultrasound diagnosis, thereby saving download capacity and update time for the application.

[0122] Furthermore, an application for downloading electronic tickets may be included as one of the functions of the ultrasound diagnostic application. This eliminates the need to switch between applications.

[0123] In this case, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 11, the patient performs the electronic ticket download function by tapping the icon corresponding to the electronic ticket download function (not shown) on the menu screen (step S27'). Once the download function is performed, the diagnostic display control unit 43 displays the download menu for the download function on the diagnostic monitor 41. Next, the patient downloads the electronic ticket displayed in the download menu (step S28'). When the patient closes the download menu (step S29'), the process proceeds to step S30.

[0124] On the other hand, if it is determined that the patient has an electronic ticket (Yes in step S25), the patient then activates the follicle measurement function by, for example, tapping the follicle measurement icon on the menu screen of the ultrasound diagnostic application, and starts scanning with the ultrasound probe 11 in contact with the patient's own examination site, for example, the abdomen (step S30).

[0125] In response, the ultrasound image generation unit 31 generates an ultrasound image of the patient's examination area from the signal obtained by the scan.

[0126] Here, if the scan time after the start of the scan is within a predetermined time, for example, within 10 seconds, the scan control unit 63 considers the scan to be canceled. In this case, the electronic ticket is not consumed. This provides relief even if the patient accidentally taps the icon corresponding to the scan function and starts the scan, especially when performing a scan for the first time or after a long time.

[0127] After the scan starts, the scan control unit 63 determines whether the scan time has reached the maximum time included in the electronic ticket (step S31).

[0128] As a result, if the scan time reaches the upper limit included in the electronic ticket without generating a suitable ultrasound image (Yes in step S31), the scan control unit 63 forcibly terminates the scan (step S32), and one electronic ticket is consumed. An appropriate ultrasound image is one obtained by follicle measurement within the time the scan time reaches the upper limit for follicle measurement, and is suitable for use by a physician for diagnosis, etc. An appropriate ultrasound image may be determined, for example, by determining whether the ultrasound image is blurred due to hand tremors, or by determining the degree of matching with ultrasound images of the same examination site in the past, or by the patient pressing the freeze button or save button.

[0129] In this case, the diagnostic display control unit 43 displays the menu screen for the ultrasound diagnostic application on the diagnostic monitor 41, as shown in Figure 13, and switches the follicle measurement icon from the active state to the inactive state. In addition, the notification unit 67 notifies the patient and the physician that the scan has been forcibly terminated. This allows the patient and the physician to know that the scan may not have been completed properly. The process then proceeds to step S34.

[0130] On the other hand, if a suitable ultrasound image is generated before the scan time reaches the upper limit included in the electronic ticket (Yes in step S31), in this embodiment, the diagnostic communication unit 35 transmits the ultrasound image generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 31 to the server 5 in response to instructions from the patient (step S33). Once the transmission of the ultrasound image is complete, for example, one electronic ticket is consumed.

[0131] Next, the patient exits the ultrasound diagnostic application (step S34) and turns off the power to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 (step S35).

[0132] Meanwhile, doctors receive ultrasound images of the patient's examination area from the patient at the hospital or other medical facility.

[0133] In this case, the external control device 3 receives ultrasound images from the server-side communication unit 93 in response to instructions from the physician, and the control-side communication unit 79 receives ultrasound images transmitted from the server 5. The ultrasonic image received by the control-side communication unit 79 is then displayed on the control-side monitor 81 by the control-side display control unit 83.

[0134] The physician can view the ultrasound images of the patient's examination area displayed on the control monitor 81 and make a diagnosis.

[0135] In this embodiment, the electronic ticket is transmitted from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 via the server 5. Specifically, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73 to the server 5 in response to instructions from the physician, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket from the server 5 in response to instructions from the patient. The ticket acquisition unit 61 then acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic-side communication unit 35. Meanwhile, ultrasound images are transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to an external control device via the server 5. Specifically, the diagnostic communication unit 35 transmits ultrasound images to the server 5 in response to instructions from the patient, and the control communication unit 79 receives ultrasound images from the server 5 in response to instructions from the physician.

[0136] In ultrasound systems, using electronic tickets allows patients to control the scan time and other parameters when scanning the examination area at home. As mentioned above, if patients can freely perform scans at home based on their own judgment without direct instructions from a doctor, there is a risk of unnecessarily exposing the patient to ultrasound, which could lead to health problems. In contrast, controlling the scan time allows for safe scanning of the examination area, thus protecting the patient's health.

[0137] It should be noted that it is not mandatory for the ultrasonic system to have server 5. In this case, the electronic ticket is transmitted directly from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. For example, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the electronic ticket to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in response to instructions from the physician, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket transmitted from the external control device 3. Then, the ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic-side communication unit 35. Furthermore, ultrasound images are transmitted directly from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 to an external control device. For example, the diagnostic communication unit 35 transmits ultrasound images to the external control device 3 in response to instructions from the patient, and the control communication unit 79 receives the ultrasound images transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1.

[0138] The methods for distributing and obtaining electronic tickets are not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0139] For example, in response to instructions from a doctor, an electronic ticket may be generated on server 5 and distributed to the patient. In this case, the server-side ticket generation unit 91 generates an electronic ticket in response to instructions from the physician, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket generated by the server-side ticket generation unit 91 from the server 5 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in response to instructions from the patient. Then, the ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic-side communication unit 35.

[0140] Alternatively, the patient may obtain an electronic ticket remotely from the external control device 3. In this case, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73 from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in response to instructions from the patient via remote control, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket transmitted from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. Then, the ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic-side communication unit 35.

[0141] Furthermore, electronic tickets may be sent and received between the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and the external control device 3 using cloud storage (online storage). In this case, the control-side communication unit 79 transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit 73 from the external control device 3 to storage on the cloud in response to instructions from the physician, and the diagnostic-side communication unit 35 receives the electronic ticket from the cloud storage to the ultrasound diagnostic device 3 in response to instructions from the patient. Then, the ticket acquisition unit 61 acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic-side communication unit 35.

[0142] Alternatively, the ticket acquisition unit 61 may acquire an electronic ticket by reading the electronic ticket information recorded in a two-dimensional code such as a QR (Quick Response) code transmitted from the external control device 3 or the server 5.

[0143] Alternatively, the ticket acquisition unit 61 may acquire an electronic ticket by reading the electronic ticket information recorded on a medium mailed from the doctor to the patient. The medium used to record electronic ticket information is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, semiconductor memory such as USB memory and SD memory cards, or a card with a 2D code printed on it. The method for reading electronic ticket information from the medium is also not particularly limited, but for example, NFC (Near Field Communication) can be used to read the electronic ticket information from the medium.

[0144] The timing for checking whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered is not particularly limited, but for example, the ticket acquisition unit 61 can check whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered when the application for ultrasound diagnosis is started.

[0145] Furthermore, the method for confirming whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered is not particularly limited. For example, when a doctor instructs that an electronic ticket be delivered, a push notification indicating that the electronic ticket has been delivered can be sent from the external control device 3 to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. This allows the ticket acquisition unit 61 to confirm whether or not an electronic ticket has been delivered based on the electronic ticket information contained in this push notification.

[0146] Alternatively, the ticket acquisition unit 61 may check whether an electronic ticket has been delivered based on a notification sent to a pre-registered recipient, such as an email address or a Social Networking Service (SNS) account.

[0147] The diagnostic device body 13 may include an ultrasound image generation unit 31, but is not limited to this; the entire ultrasound image generation unit 31 or only the signal processing unit 21 may be provided on the ultrasound probe 11 side.

[0148] In the apparatus of the present invention, the hardware configuration of the processing unit that performs various processes, such as the transmitting / receiving circuit 17, the ultrasound image generation unit 31, the ticket processing unit 33, the diagnostic display control unit 43, and the diagnostic device control unit 47, may be dedicated hardware, or it may be various processors or computers that execute programs.

[0149] Various types of processors include CPUs (Central Processing Units), which are general-purpose processors that execute software (programs) and function as various processing units; Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which are processors whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing; and Dedicated Electrical Circuits, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed for performing particular processing.

[0150] A single processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or it may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types, such as a combination of multiple FPGAs, or a combination of an FPGA and a CPU. Furthermore, multiple processing units may be composed of one of these various processors, or two or more of the multiple processing units may be combined and composed of a single processor.

[0151] For example, as exemplified by servers and client computers, one processor is composed of a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as multiple processing units. Alternatively, as exemplified by System on Chip (SoC), a processor is used that realizes the functions of the entire system, including multiple processing units, on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip.

[0152] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit (Circuitry) made up of circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0153] Furthermore, the method of the present invention can be implemented, for example, by a program that causes a computer to execute each of its steps. A computer-readable recording medium on which this program is recorded can also be provided.

[0154] Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] 1 Ultrasound diagnostic device, 3 External control device, 5 Server, 7 Network, 11 Ultrasound probe, 13 Diagnostic device main unit, 15 Transducer array, 17 Transmit / receive circuit, 19 Battery, 21 Signal processing unit, 23 DSC, 25 Image processing unit, 31 Ultrasound image generation unit, 33 Ticket processing unit, 35 Diagnostic side communication unit, 41 Diagnostic side monitor, 43 Diagnostic side display control unit, 45 Diagnostic side input device, 47 Diagnostic side device control unit, 49 Diagnostic side processor, 51 Pulsar, 53 Amplifier unit, 55 AD conversion unit, 57 Beamformer, 61 Ticket acquisition unit, 63 Scan control unit, 67 Notification unit, 71 Control device main unit, 73 Control side ticket generation unit, 75 Ticket count detection unit, 77 Ticket distribution control unit, 79 Control side communication unit, 81 Control side monitor, 83 Control side display control unit, 85 Control side input device, 87 Control side device control unit, 89 Control-side processor, 91 server-side ticket generation unit, 93 server-side communication unit, 95 server-side device control unit, 97 server-side processor.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system comprising an ultrasound diagnostic device used by a patient and a ticket generation device capable of communicating with the ultrasound diagnostic device, connected via a network, The aforementioned ultrasound diagnostic device comprises an ultrasound probe and a diagnostic device body. The ticket generation device receives information based on the physician's instructions, and based on the information based on the instructions, generates an electronic ticket containing information on the maximum time for scanning the examination site using the ultrasound probe, and transmits it to the ultrasound diagnostic device. The diagnostic device body is A ticket acquisition unit that acquires the electronic ticket transmitted from the ticket generation device, An ultrasonic system comprising: a scan control unit that controls the scan time from the start to the end of the scan to limit it to the upper limit time included in the electronic ticket.

2. The diagnostic device body is An ultrasonic image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image from the signal obtained by the scan, The system includes a diagnostic communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image from the ultrasound diagnostic device to an external control device capable of communicating with the ultrasound diagnostic device, in response to instructions from the patient. The external control device comprises a control device body and a control-side monitor. The control device body is A control-side communication unit that receives the ultrasound image transmitted from the ultrasound diagnostic device, The ultrasonic system according to claim 1, further comprising a control-side display control unit that displays the ultrasonic image received by the control-side communication unit on the control-side monitor.

3. The control device body is A ticket count detection unit that detects the number of electronic tickets held by the patient, The ultrasonic system according to claim 2, further comprising: a ticket distribution control unit that controls whether or not to distribute the electronic tickets from the ticket generation device based on information regarding the number of electronic tickets.

4. The scan control unit satisfies the preconditions that the ultrasound probe and the diagnostic device body are connected, the diagnostic device body is connected to the network, and the scan time is controlled based on date and time information obtained from the network, and controls the scan so that it can be started when the patient has the electronic ticket. The ultrasound system according to claim 3, wherein the diagnostic device body includes a notification unit that notifies the patient of an error message when the preconditions are not met, or when the patient does not have the electronic ticket.

5. The diagnostic device body is Diagnostic monitor and The ultrasound system according to claim 4, comprising: a diagnostic monitor that displays a menu screen on the diagnostic monitor that includes a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of functions included in an application for ultrasound diagnosis; and a diagnostic display control unit that switches the icon corresponding to the scan function from an active state to an inactive state when the preconditions are not met, or when the patient does not have the electronic ticket, or at least one of the above.

6. The ultrasound system according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit notifies the patient of an error message when the patient selects an icon corresponding to the scan function which is inactive.

7. The scan control unit forcibly terminates the scan when the scan time reaches the upper limit time. The ultrasound system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the notification unit notifies the physician that the scan has been forcibly terminated when the scan is forcibly terminated.

8. The external control device is the ticket generation device, The ultrasound system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the control device body includes a control-side ticket generation unit that generates the electronic ticket in response to instructions from the physician.

9. The ultrasonic system according to claim 8, wherein the control-side ticket generation unit sets a default value for the upper limit time for each of the stages in which the patient's symptoms progress.

10. The ultrasound system according to claim 9, wherein the control-side ticket generation unit changes the default value of the upper limit time in accordance with instructions from the physician.

11. The system comprises the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the external control device, and a server connected via the network, The control-side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit to the server in response to instructions from the physician. The diagnostic communication unit receives the electronic ticket from the server in response to instructions from the patient. The ultrasonic system according to claim 8, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic communication unit.

12. The system comprises the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the external control device, and a server connected via the network, The server is the ticket generation device, The server includes a server-side ticket generation unit that generates the electronic ticket in response to instructions from the physician. The diagnostic communication unit receives the electronic ticket generated by the server-side ticket generation unit from the server in response to instructions from the patient. The ultrasonic system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic communication unit.

13. The control-side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit to the ultrasound diagnostic device in response to instructions from the patient. The diagnostic communication unit receives the electronic ticket transmitted from the external control device, The ultrasonic system according to claim 8, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic communication unit.

14. The control-side communication unit transmits the electronic ticket generated by the control-side ticket generation unit to storage on the cloud in response to instructions from the physician. The diagnostic communication unit receives the electronic ticket from the cloud storage in response to instructions from the patient. The ultrasonic system according to claim 8, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket received by the diagnostic communication unit.

15. The ultrasonic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket by reading the information of the electronic ticket recorded in the two-dimensional code.

16. The ultrasound system according to claim 8, wherein the ticket acquisition unit acquires the electronic ticket by reading the information of the electronic ticket recorded on a medium mailed from the doctor to the patient.

17. The ultrasound system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not the electronic ticket has been delivered when the application for ultrasound diagnosis is started.

18. The ultrasonic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not the electronic ticket has been delivered based on the information of the electronic ticket included in the push notification.

19. The ultrasonic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ticket acquisition unit checks whether or not the electronic ticket has been delivered based on a notification sent to a pre-registered notification recipient.

20. The ultrasonic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the scan control unit deems the scan to have been canceled if the scan time is within a predetermined time.

21. A method for controlling an ultrasound system in which an ultrasound diagnostic device used by a patient and a ticket generation device capable of communicating with the ultrasound diagnostic device are connected via a network, The ticket generation device receives information based on a physician's instructions, and based on the information based on the instructions, generates an electronic ticket that includes information on the maximum time for scanning the examination site using the ultrasound probe provided by the ultrasound diagnostic device, and transmits it to the ultrasound diagnostic device. The step of the ticket acquisition unit of the diagnostic device body of the ultrasound diagnostic device acquires the electronic ticket transmitted from the ticket generation device, A method for controlling an ultrasonic system, comprising the step of controlling the scan control unit of the diagnostic device body to limit the scan time from the start to the end of the scan to the upper limit time included in the electronic ticket.

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