Ultrasound diagnostic system

Abstract

The goal is to reduce power consumption while minimizing data volume during ultrasound examinations using an ultrasound probe. [Solution] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to the embodiment comprises a biological information collection device, an ultrasound probe, and a control unit. The biological information collection device is a biological information collection device that collects biological information of a subject and is attached to the subject. The ultrasound probe is an ultrasound probe that has a subject contact portion including an ultrasound transducer that transmits ultrasound toward the subject and receives reflected waves reflected within the subject's body and is attached to the subject. The control unit determines whether or not to drive the ultrasound transducer based on the biological information or the input operation of a medical professional to the biological information, and if it determines to drive the ultrasound transducer, it generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasound transducer and controls the driving of the ultrasound transducer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings relate to an ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the medical field, ultrasonic examinations of a subject are performed using ultrasonic waves generated by an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic probe. This ultrasonic examination is performed in an examination room by medical personnel such as a doctor or an ultrasonic technician operating the ultrasonic probe and bringing the ultrasonic probe into contact with the subject to check the ultrasonic image of the contact location (affected part) of the ultrasonic probe.

[0003] In recent years, in ultrasonic examinations, wearable ultrasonic probes that transmit ultrasonic waves by attaching an ultrasonic transducer to a subject and receive reflected waves reflected inside the subject have been used. By using such an ultrasonic probe, medical personnel can acquire reflected wave data of the subject outside the examination room without operating the ultrasonic probe. However, if a wearable ultrasonic probe constantly transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, a large amount of data capacity and a large amount of power consumption are required. For this reason, in order to control the ultrasonic probe to be driven when data acquisition is necessary, a method of attaching a wearable ultrasonic probe to at least two locations and controlling other ultrasonic probes based on ultrasonic image data based on the reflected waves obtained from one ultrasonic probe is available.

[0004] However, in such a method, in order to control other ultrasonic probes, it is necessary to constantly acquire data based on the reflected waves obtained from one ultrasonic probe. Therefore, in ultrasonic examinations, a large amount of data capacity and a large amount of power consumption are still required. For this reason, in ultrasonic examinations using an ultrasonic probe, it is desired to suppress both the data capacity and the power consumption.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 277159 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] One of the problems that the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings aim to solve is to reduce power consumption while reducing data volume in ultrasound examinations using an ultrasound probe. However, the problems that the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings aim to solve are not limited to the above problem. Problems corresponding to the effects of each configuration shown in the embodiments described later can also be positioned as other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to the embodiment comprises a biological information acquisition device, an ultrasound probe, and a control unit. The biological information acquisition device is a biological information acquisition device that collects biological information of a subject and is attached to the subject. The ultrasound probe is an ultrasound probe that has a subject contact portion including an ultrasound transducer that transmits ultrasound toward the subject and receives reflected waves reflected within the subject's body and is attached to the subject. The control unit determines whether or not to drive the ultrasound transducer based on the biological information or the input operation of a medical professional to the biological information, and if it determines to drive the ultrasound transducer, it generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasound transducer and controls the driving of the ultrasound transducer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a biological information collection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 2. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the content of the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 3. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating the content of the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 4. [Figure 9] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of a biological information collection device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 5. [Figure 16] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a biological information collection device according to Modification 6. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of ultrasound images before and after changing the transmission and reception conditions in Modification Example 6. [Figure 18] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of ultrasonic images before and after changing transmission / reception conditions in Modification 6. [Figure 19] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the content of trigger generation processing executed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 6. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an ultrasonic diagnostic system will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and configurations will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be given only when necessary.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 10, a biological information collection device 30, and a terminal device 50. The ultrasonic probe 10, the biological information collection device 30, and the terminal device 50 are communicably connected to each other via a network NW.

[0011] The ultrasonic probe 10 is a device that transmits ultrasonic waves toward a subject and receives reflected waves reflected inside the subject. This ultrasonic probe 10 is a device to be attached to the subject, that is, a wearable device. Further, the ultrasonic probe 10 is, for example, a 1D array probe that scans a two-dimensional region inside the subject, a mechanical 4D probe or a 2D array probe that scans a three-dimensional region inside the subject, and the like. In FIG. 1, an example is illustrated in which the ultrasonic probe 10 is connected to the biological information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 by wireless communication via the network NW, but the ultrasonic probe 10 may be configured to be connected to the biological information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 by wired communication via a cable or the like. In the following description, the ultrasonic probe 10 will be described in detail in the present embodiment as being configured to be connected to the biological information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 by wireless communication via the network NW.

[0012] The biological information collection device 30 is a device that collects the biological information of a subject. This biological information collection device 30 is a device attached to the subject, that is, a wearable device. The biological information collection device 30 is, for example, a smartwatch worn on the subject's wrist or a mobile delivery monitoring device worn around the subject's abdomen. This biological information collection device 30 collects, as biological information, at least any one of, for example, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen concentration, blood pressure, body temperature, sleep state, calorie consumption, the amount of movement of the subject, and the amount of movement of the subject. Note that the heart rate may be the heart rate of the subject, or may be the heart rate of the fetus if the subject is a pregnant woman. This biological information collection device 30 is a device that collects biological information by a method other than collecting ultrasonic images.

[0013] The terminal device 50 is a device that displays the biological information collected by the biological information collection device 30 and the ultrasonic image based on the reflected wave. The terminal device 50 is a device operated by medical staff, such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, and a personal computer.

[0014] The network NW means the entire information communication network using telecommunication technology. The network NW includes, for example, wireless / wired LANs such as hospital backbone LAN (Local Area Network) and the Internet, as well as telecommunication circuit networks, optical fiber communication networks, cable communication networks, and satellite communication networks.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment. The ultrasonic probe 10 according to the present embodiment includes a subject contact portion 101, a transmission / reception circuit 103, a processing circuit 105, a battery 107, a communication circuit 109, and a memory 111.

[0016] The subject contact portion 101 includes an ultrasonic transducer that transmits ultrasonic waves toward the subject P and receives the reflected waves reflected within the subject P. The subject contact portion 101, for example, transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject P via a subject contact surface that contacts the subject P on the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving side, and receives the reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject P. The ultrasonic probe 10 is attached to the subject P by attaching the subject contact portion 101 to the subject P. For this reason, the subject contact portion 101 includes an elastic adhesive layer made of an elastic polymer material.

[0017] The ultrasonic transducer is, for example, a piezoelectric transducer made of piezoelectric ceramic. Multiple ultrasonic transducers are arranged at the tip of the subject contact portion 101, and they transmit ultrasonic waves based on a drive signal supplied from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103, and receive reflected waves from inside the subject P and convert them into electrical signals.

[0018] The transmitting / receiving circuit 103 is a processor that controls the transmission directivity and reception directivity in ultrasonic transmission and reception, and includes a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit.

[0019] The transmitting circuit includes a pulse generator, a transmit delay circuit, and a pulser circuit, and supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer. The pulse generator repeatedly generates rate pulses at a predetermined rate frequency to form the transmitted ultrasonic waves. The transmit delay circuit provides a delay time for each ultrasonic transducer necessary to focus the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic transducers into a beam and determine the transmission directivity, to each rate pulse generated by the pulse generator. The pulser circuit also applies a drive pulse to the ultrasonic transducer at a timing based on the rate pulse. The transmit delay circuit arbitrarily adjusts the transmission direction of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer surface by changing the delay time provided to each rate pulse.

[0020] The receiving circuit includes an amplifier circuit, an A / D (Analog / Digital) converter, a receiving delay circuit, an adder, and a quadrature detection circuit. It receives the reflected wave signal based on the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic transducer and performs various processing on this reflected wave signal to generate reflected wave data. The amplifier circuit amplifies the reflected wave signal for each channel and performs gain correction processing. The A / D converter performs A / D conversion of the gain-corrected reflected wave signal. The receiving delay circuit provides the digital data with the delay time necessary to determine the receiving directivity. The adder performs summing processing on the reflected wave signals to which the receiving delay time has been given by the receiving delay circuit. Through the summing processing of the adder, the reflected component from the direction corresponding to the receiving directivity of the reflected wave signal is emphasized. Note that the process of adjusting the phase of each element's reflected wave signal by the receiving delay and then adding them is also called phase-correcting summing or beamforming processing. A quadrature detection circuit converts the A / D-converted reflected wave signal into a baseband in-phase signal (I signal, I) and a quadrature-phase signal (Q signal, Q). The quadrature detection circuit outputs the I signal and Q signal as reflected wave data. Hereafter, the I signal and Q signal will be collectively referred to as the IQ signal. Also, since the IQ signal is A / D-converted digital data, it will also be called IQ data.

[0021] The processing circuit 105 is, for example, a control circuit that performs overall control of the ultrasonic probe 10, and is composed of a processor such as a CPU or GPU. In this embodiment, the processing circuit 105 controls the transmitting and receiving circuit 103 and the battery 107.

[0022] The battery 107 supplies power to each component of the ultrasonic probe 10. This battery 107 is composed of a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The battery 107 supplies power to, for example, the transmitting / receiving circuit 103, the processing circuit 105, the communication circuit 109, etc. Note that the battery 107 may use a non-rechargeable battery instead of a rechargeable battery.

[0023] The communication circuit 109 implements various protocols for wireless communication and enables communication with the biometric information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, for example, the communication circuit 109 transmits IQ data, which is reflected wave data generated by the receiving circuit of the transmitting / receiving circuit 103, to the biometric information collection device 30 via wireless communication. If communication between the ultrasonic probe 10 and the biometric information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 is performed via wired communication, the communication circuit 109 may implement various protocols for wired communication and enable communication between the ultrasonic probe 10 and the biometric information collection device 30 and the terminal device 50 via wired communication through a cable or the like.

[0024] Memory 111 is a memory that temporarily stores reflected wave data generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 103. For example, memory 111 stores reflected wave data for several frames or for several volumes. For example, memory 111 stores a predetermined number of reflected wave data frames under the control of the processing circuit 105. When memory 111 has stored a predetermined number of reflected wave data frames, and a new frame of reflected wave data is generated by the receiving circuit, memory 111, under the control of the processing circuit 105, discards the oldest frame of reflected wave data and stores the newly generated frame of reflected wave data. For example, memory 111 can be implemented using semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory. Note that the reflected wave data for one frame generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 refers to the reflected wave data for one acquisition frame. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 10 is provided with memory 111, but it does not have to be provided with memory 111. In this case, the reflected wave data generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 may be sequentially transmitted to the biological information collection device 30 via the communication circuit 109.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment. The biological information collection device 30 according to this embodiment comprises a biological sensor 301, a battery 303, a communication circuit 305, a memory 307, an input interface 309, an output interface 311, and a processing circuit 313.

[0026] The biosensor 301 is a sensor that detects biological information of the subject P. This biosensor 301 outputs a biological signal in real time corresponding to the biological information of the subject P that it has detected. For example, if the biosensor 301 is a heart rate sensor, it detects the heart rate as biological information and outputs the detected heart rate to the processing circuit 313. Also, if the biosensor 301 is an SpO2 sensor that measures blood oxygen concentration, it detects the blood oxygen concentration as biological information.

[0027] Battery 303 supplies power to each component of the biological information collection device 30. In this embodiment, battery 303 is composed of a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. Battery 107 supplies power to, for example, the biological sensor 301, the communication circuit 305, the memory 307, the input interface 309, the output interface 311, the processing circuit 313, etc. Note that battery 303 may use a non-rechargeable battery instead of a rechargeable battery.

[0028] The communication circuit 305 implements various protocols for wireless communication and enables communication with the ultrasound probe 10 and the terminal device 50 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, for example, the communication circuit 305 transmits the ultrasound image data generated by the processing circuit 313 to the terminal device 50 via wireless communication. If communication between the biological information acquisition device 30 and the ultrasound probe 10 and the terminal device 50 is performed via wired communication, the communication circuit 305 may implement various protocols for wired communication and enable communication between the biological information acquisition device 30 and the ultrasound probe 10 and the terminal device 50 via wired communication through a cable or the like.

[0029] Memory 307 stores reflected wave data transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 and biological information acquired by the biosensor 301. For example, memory 307 stores biological information for a predetermined period of time. When new biological information is acquired while memory 307 is storing biological information for a predetermined period of time, it discards the oldest biological information and stores the newly generated biological information. For example, memory 307 can be implemented using semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory.

[0030] The input interface 309 receives various instructions and information input operations from the subject P. Specifically, the input interface 309 converts the input operations received from the subject P into electrical signals and outputs them to the processing circuit 313. For example, the input interface 309 can be implemented by a trackball, switch buttons, mouse, keyboard, touchpad that performs input operations by touching the operating surface, touchscreen that integrates a display screen and a touchpad, a non-contact input circuit using an optical sensor, and an audio input circuit. Note that the input interface 309 is not limited to those equipped with physical operating components such as a mouse or keyboard. For example, an electrical signal processing circuit that receives electrical signals corresponding to input operations from an external input device provided separately from the device and outputs these electrical signals to a control circuit is also included as an example of the input interface 309. This input interface 309 corresponds to the input unit in this embodiment.

[0031] The output interface 311 outputs various types of information and images. Specifically, if the output interface 311 is a display, it converts the information, data, and images sent from the processing circuit 313 into electrical signals for display and outputs them. This display can be implemented as, for example, an LCD monitor, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor, or a touch panel. The output interface 311 is not limited to a display; for example, it may also be equipped with a speaker. For example, the speaker may output a predetermined sound, such as a beep, to notify the subject P of the processing status of the biological information collection device 30.

[0032] The processing circuit 313 implements various processing functions in the biological information acquisition device 30. In this embodiment, the processing circuit 313 monitors biological information and generates ultrasonic image data. The processing circuit 313 includes a B-mode processing function 3131, a Doppler processing function 3132, an image generation function 3133, a contact failure detection function 3134, a positional misalignment detection function 3135, a control function 3136, a transmission function 3137, a monitoring function 3138, and a notification function 3139. The B-mode processing function 3131 corresponds to the B-mode processing unit in this embodiment, the Doppler processing function 3132 corresponds to the Doppler processing unit in this embodiment, the image generation function 3133 corresponds to the image generation unit in this embodiment, the contact failure detection function 3134 corresponds to the contact failure detection unit in this embodiment, the misalignment detection function 3135 corresponds to the misalignment detection unit in this embodiment, the control function 3136 corresponds to the control unit in this embodiment, the transmission function 3137 corresponds to the transmission unit in this embodiment, the monitor function 3138 corresponds to the monitor unit in this embodiment, and the notification function 3139 corresponds to the contact failure notification unit and the misalignment notification unit in this embodiment.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the processing circuit 313 according to this embodiment has the following processing functions: B-mode processing function 3131, Doppler processing function 3132, image generation function 3133, contact failure detection function 3134, position misalignment detection function 3135, control function 3136, transmission function 3137, monitoring function 3138, and notification function 3139. Each of these processing functions is stored in memory 307 in the form of a program that can be executed by a computer. The processing circuit 313 is a processor that reads and executes programs from memory 307 to realize the functions corresponding to each program. In other words, the processing circuit 313, in the state where each program has been read, has the functions shown in the processing circuit 313 of Figure 3. In Figure 3, the B-mode processing function 3131, Doppler processing function 3132, image generation function 3133, contact failure detection function 3134, positional misalignment detection function 3135, control function 3136, transmission function 3137, monitoring function 3138, and notification function 3139 are explained as being realized by a single processing circuit 313. However, these functions may also be realized by combining multiple independent processors to form the processing circuit 313, with each processor executing a program.

[0034] The B-mode processing function 3131 generates B-mode data based on reflected wave data received from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 of the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 305. The B-mode processing function 3131 performs, for example, envelope detection and logarithmic compression on the reflected wave data from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 to generate data (B-mode data) in which signal strength is expressed as brightness. The generated B-mode data is stored as B-mode RAW data on a two-dimensional ultrasonic scan line (raster) in a RAW data memory (not shown).

[0035] The Doppler processing function 3132 is a function that generates data (Doppler information) that extracts motion information based on the Doppler effect of moving objects within the ROI (Region of Interest) set in the scan area by frequency analysis of the reflected wave data received from the transmitting and receiving circuit 103. The generated Doppler information is stored as Doppler RAW data (also called Doppler data) on a two-dimensional ultrasonic scan line in a RAW data memory (not shown).

[0036] Specifically, the Doppler processing function 3132 estimates, for example, the average velocity, mean variance, and average power value as motion information of a moving object at each of multiple sample points, and generates Doppler data showing the estimated motion information. The moving object is, for example, blood flow, tissue such as the heart wall, or contrast agent. In this embodiment, the Doppler processing function 3132 estimates, for example, the average velocity of blood flow, the variance of blood flow velocity, and the power value of the blood flow signal as motion information of blood flow (blood flow information) at each of multiple sample points, and generates Doppler data showing the estimated blood flow information.

[0037] The image generation function 3133 generates B-mode image data based on the data generated by the B-mode processing function 3131. For example, the image generation function 3133 converts the scan line signal sequence of an ultrasound scan into a scan line signal sequence of a video format, such as that used in televisions, and generates image data for display. Specifically, the image generation function 3133 generates two-dimensional B-mode image data (also called ultrasound image data) composed of pixels by performing a RAW-to-pixel conversion on the B-mode RAW data stored in the RAW data memory, for example, a coordinate transformation according to the ultrasound scanning pattern by the ultrasound probe 10. In other words, the image generation function 3133 generates multiple ultrasound images (medical images) corresponding to multiple consecutive frames through the transmission and reception of ultrasound.

[0038] Furthermore, the image generation function 3133 also has the function of generating Doppler image data based on the data generated by the Doppler processing function 3132. For example, the image generation function 3133 generates Doppler image data in which blood flow information is visualized by performing a RAW-to-pixel conversion on the Doppler RAW data stored in the RAW data memory. The Doppler image data is average velocity image data, variance image data, power image data, or image data that combines these. The image generation function 3133 generates color Doppler image data in which blood flow information is displayed in color, and pulsed wave Doppler data or continuous wave Doppler data in which a single blood flow information is displayed in grayscale as a wave shape. In other words, the image generation function 3133 generates at least one of B-mode image data, color Doppler image data, pulsed wave Doppler data, and continuous wave Doppler data as ultrasound image data based on reflected waves. Color Doppler image data is generated when the blood flow imaging mode described above is executed.

[0039] The contact failure detection function 3134 detects contact failures in the ultrasonic probe 10. For example, the contact failure detection function 3134 detects contact failures based on ultrasonic image data generated by the image generation function 3133. Specifically, the contact failure detection function 3134 may detect contact failures in the subject contact portion 101 of the ultrasonic probe 10 by determining whether or not there are areas on the B-mode image data where the tissue image is not displayed, or by determining whether or not the integrated value of the brightness of the B-mode image data exceeds a preset threshold, or whether or not the calculated variance value is greater than a set variance value (threshold). Furthermore, the contact failure detection function 3134 detects that when air bubbles are present, the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer do not enter the bubbles but are returned to the ultrasonic transducer side as total internal reflection. These reflected waves undergo some reflection on the ultrasonic transducer side and are attenuated by repeatedly reflecting between the ultrasonic transducer and the bubbles. In other words, because the ultrasound repeatedly enters the ultrasonic transducer, an incorrect image appears on the image in the direction of ultrasound transmission. This means that information is lost in that region, making it impossible to obtain information about the subject P correctly. For this reason, the contact failure detection function 3134 may detect a contact failure by determining whether or not an incorrect image is displayed in the direction of ultrasound transmission.

[0040] The misalignment detection function 3135 detects any misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10. For example, the misalignment detection function 3135 compares and analyzes the ultrasound image data from when the ultrasound probe 10 was attached to the subject with the current ultrasound image data to calculate the image agreement rate and determine whether the image agreement rate is above a threshold. If the image agreement rate falls below the threshold, the misalignment detection function 3135 may calculate the amount of misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10 based on the ultrasound image from when the ultrasound probe 10 was attached to the subject.

[0041] The control function 3136 determines whether or not to drive the ultrasonic transducer based on biological information or input operations by a medical professional on the biological information. If it determines to drive the ultrasonic transducer, it generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasonic transducer and controls the driving of the ultrasonic transducer. In this embodiment, the control function 3136 drives the ultrasonic transducer by transmitting the generated trigger to the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 305.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the monitoring function 3138 detects that the biological information has exceeded a predetermined threshold, the control function 3136 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information to decide whether or not to drive the ultrasonic transducer. If the ultrasonic transducer is to be driven, that is, if there is an abnormality in the biological information, the control function 3136 generates a trigger to control the driving of the ultrasonic transducer. The control function 3136 uses a threshold for determining whether or not the biological information is abnormal in order to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information. This threshold for determining whether the biological information is abnormal may be set according to the state of the subject P and the surrounding environment. For example, if heart rate is being collected and the subject P is climbing stairs, the control function 3136 may use a heart rate threshold based on climbing stairs to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information. Thresholds for determining whether or not the biological information is abnormal, such as a heart rate threshold based on climbing stairs, are stored in memory 307, for example.

[0043] The transmission function 3137 transmits ultrasound image data to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305. The transmission function 3137 also transmits biological information to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305.

[0044] The monitoring function 3138 monitors biological information acquired from the biosensor 301. The monitoring function 3138 also detects when the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold used by the monitoring function 3138 to detect biological information is a value set according to the biological information. In the following explanation, the monitoring function 3138 is used as an example to describe when the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold; however, the control function 3136 may be configured to detect when the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0045] The notification function 3139 notifies the subject P and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134. The notification function 3139 also notifies the subject P and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the misalignment detection function 3135. For example, when the notification function 3139 notifies the subject P of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134 or the detection result of the misalignment detection function 3135, it notifies the subject P via the output interface 311. When the notification function 3139 notifies medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134 or the detection result of the misalignment detection function 3135, it notifies medical personnel by transmitting the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134 or the detection result of the misalignment detection function 3135 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305.

[0046] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device 50 according to the first embodiment. The terminal device 50 according to this embodiment is configured to include an input interface 501, an output interface 503, a communication circuit 505, a memory 507, and a processing circuit 509.

[0047] The input interface 501 receives various instructions and information input operations from medical personnel. Specifically, the input interface 501 converts the input operations received from medical personnel into electrical signals and outputs them to the processing circuit 509. For example, the input interface 501 can be implemented by a trackball, switch buttons, mouse, keyboard, touchpad that performs input operations by touching the operating surface, touchscreen that integrates a display screen and a touchpad, a non-contact input circuit using an optical sensor, and an audio input circuit. Note that the input interface 501 is not limited to those equipped with physical operating components such as a mouse or keyboard. For example, an electrical signal processing circuit that receives electrical signals corresponding to input operations from an external input device provided separately from the device and outputs these electrical signals to a control circuit is also included as an example of the input interface 501.

[0048] The output interface 503 outputs various types of information and images. Specifically, if the output interface 503 is a display, it converts the information, data, and images sent from the processing circuit 509 into electrical signals for display and outputs them. This display can be implemented, for example, by an LCD monitor, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor, a touch panel, etc. Note that the output interface 503 is not limited to a display; for example, it may also be equipped with a speaker. For example, the speaker may output predetermined sounds, such as beeps, to notify medical personnel of the processing status of the terminal device 50.

[0049] The communication circuit 505 implements various protocols for wireless communication and enables communication with the ultrasound probe 10 and the biological information acquisition device 30 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication circuit 505, for example, receives ultrasound image data generated by the biological information acquisition device 30 via wireless communication. If communication between the terminal device 50 and the ultrasound probe 10 and the biological information acquisition device 30 is performed via wired communication, the communication circuit 505 may implement various protocols for wired communication and enable communication between the terminal device 50 and the ultrasound probe 10 and the biological information acquisition device 30 via wired communication through a cable or the like.

[0050] Memory 507 can be implemented using, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory, a hard disk, or an optical disc. Memory 507 stores various types of data, such as ultrasound image data and biological information transmitted from the biological information acquisition device 30.

[0051] The processing circuit 509 is a control circuit that performs overall control of the terminal device 50 and is composed of a processor such as a CPU or GPU. The processing circuit 105 according to this embodiment controls the output interface 503 based on input operations of a medical professional via the input interface 501.

[0052] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to the first embodiment. In this trigger generation process, when an abnormality is detected in the biological information, a trigger is generated, the trigger is sent to the ultrasound probe 10, ultrasound image data is generated, and the ultrasound image data is sent to the terminal device 50. For example, the trigger generation process is performed when an abnormality is detected in the biological information.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, first, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information (step S11). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information when the monitoring function 3138 detects that the biological information acquired from the biological sensor 301 has exceeded a predetermined threshold. More specifically, when the monitoring function 3138 detects that subject P, whose normal heart rate is 72, has a heart rate of 150 due to climbing stairs and that the heart rate has exceeded a predetermined threshold, the control function 3136 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the biological information based on the heart rate threshold based on climbing stairs. Then, in step S11, if there is no abnormality in the biological information (step S11: No), the control function 3136 repeats the process in step S11 until it is determined that there is an abnormality in the biological information.

[0054] On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the biological information in step S11 (step S11: Yes), the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 generates a trigger (step S13). Specifically, the control function 3136 generates a trigger to drive the ultrasonic probe.

[0055] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 transmits a trigger (step S15). Specifically, the control function 3136 transmits the generated trigger to the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 305. Upon receiving this trigger, the ultrasonic probe 10 begins transmitting ultrasound to the subject and receiving reflected waves.

[0056] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not IQ data has been received (step S17). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not IQ data transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 has been received. If IQ data has not been received in step S17 (step S17: No), the control function 3136 repeats the process in step S17 until IQ data is received.

[0057] On the other hand, if IQ data is received in step S17 (step S17: Yes), the image generation function 3133 in the processing circuit 313 generates ultrasonic image data (step S19). Specifically, the image generation function 3133 works in cooperation with the B-mode processing function 3131 or the Doppler processing function 3132 to generate ultrasonic image data based on the reflected wave data, which is the IQ data received in step S17, via the communication circuit 305.

[0058] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 analyzes the ultrasonic image data (step S21). Specifically, the control function 3136 works in cooperation with the contact failure detection function 3134 and the positional misalignment detection function 3135 to analyze the ultrasonic image data generated in step S19. More specifically, the contact failure detection function 3134 in this embodiment analyzes the ultrasonic image data generated in step S21 and determines whether or not there are areas on the ultrasonic image data where a tissue image is not displayed, thereby detecting a contact failure of the ultrasonic probe 10. The positional misalignment detection function 3135 compares and analyzes the ultrasonic image data when the ultrasonic probe 10 is attached to the subject P with the ultrasonic image data generated in step S21, calculates the image agreement rate, and determines whether or not the image agreement rate is above a threshold, thereby detecting a misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the contact failure detection function 3134 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not a contact failure has been detected (step S23). Specifically, the contact failure detection function 3134 determines whether or not a contact failure of the ultrasonic probe 10 has been detected based on the detection result in step S21.

[0060] On the other hand, if a poor contact is detected in step S23 (step S23: Yes), the misalignment detection function 3135 determines whether or not a misalignment has been detected (step S25). Specifically, the misalignment detection function 3135 determines whether or not a misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasonic probe 10 has been detected based on the detection result in step S21.

[0061] Then, in step S25, if a misalignment is detected (step S25: Yes), the notification function 3139 in the processing circuit 313 notifies of the poor contact and misalignment (step S27). Specifically, the notification function 3139 notifies of the poor contact and misalignment by transmitting the detection results of the poor contact and misalignment of the ultrasound probe 10 in step S21 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305 to notify the medical personnel, and / or by outputting it via the output interface 311 to notify the subject. When notifying of misalignment, if the detection result of the misalignment detection function 3135 includes the amount of misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10, the notification function 3139 may also notify the amount of adjustment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10, or it may output the amount of adjustment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10 on the ultrasound image via the output interface 311.

[0062] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not the correction of poor contact and misalignment has been completed (step S29). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not the correction of poor contact and misalignment has been completed by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of correction of poor contact and misalignment from the subject P via the input interface 309, or by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of correction of poor contact and misalignment from a medical professional via the communication circuit 305. If the correction of poor contact and misalignment has not been completed in step S29 (step S29: No), the process in step S29 is repeated until the correction of poor contact and misalignment is completed. On the other hand, if the correction of poor contact and misalignment has been completed in step S29 (step S29: Yes), the control function 3136 in the processing circuit returns to step S13 and repeats the process from step S13.

[0063] On the other hand, if no misalignment is detected in step S25 (step S25: No), the notification function 3139 in the processing circuit 313 notifies of poor contact (step S31). Specifically, the notification function 3139 notifies of poor contact of the ultrasound probe 10 by transmitting the detection result of poor contact of the ultrasound probe 10 in step S21 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305 to notify the medical professional, and / or by outputting it via the output interface 311 to notify the subject P.

[0064] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not the contact failure has been corrected (step S33). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not the contact failure has been corrected by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of the contact failure correction from the subject P via the input interface 309, or by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of the contact failure correction from a medical professional via the communication circuit 305. If the contact failure has not been corrected in step S33 (step S33: No), the process in step S33 is repeated until the contact failure is corrected. On the other hand, if the contact failure and misalignment have been corrected in step S33 (step S33: Yes), the control function 3136 in the processing circuit returns to step S13 and repeats the process from step S13.

[0065] On the other hand, if no contact failure of the ultrasonic probe 10 is detected in step S23 (step S23: No), the misalignment detection function 3135 determines whether or not it has detected a misalignment (step S35). Specifically, the misalignment detection function 3135 determines whether or not it has detected a misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasonic probe 10 based on the detection result in step S21.

[0066] Then, in step S35, if a misalignment is detected (step S35: Yes), the notification function 3139 in the processing circuit 313 notifies the misalignment (step S57). Specifically, the notification function 3139 notifies the misalignment by transmitting the detection result of the misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10 in step S21 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305 to notify the medical professional, and / or by outputting it via the output interface 311 to notify the subject.

[0067] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not the positional misalignment correction has been completed (step S39). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not the positional misalignment correction has been completed by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of positional misalignment correction from the subject P via the input interface 309, or by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of positional misalignment correction from a medical professional via the communication circuit 305. If the positional misalignment correction has not been completed in step S29 (step S39: No), the process in step S39 is repeated until the positional misalignment correction is completed. On the other hand, if the positional misalignment correction has been completed in step S39 (step S39: Yes), the control function 3136 in the processing circuit returns to step S13 and repeats the process from step S13.

[0068] On the other hand, if no positional misalignment is detected in step S35 (step S35: No), the transmission function 3137 in the processing circuit 313 transmits the ultrasonic image data (step S41). Specifically, the transmission function 3137 transmits the ultrasonic image data generated in step S19 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305. In step S41, the transmission function 3137 may also associate the ultrasonic image data with biological information when the ultrasonic probe 10 receives a reflected wave, that is, when there is an abnormality in the biological information, and transmit this information to the terminal device 50. The transmission function 3137 may also transmit layout information regarding the layout when displaying the ultrasonic image data to the terminal device 50 along with the ultrasonic image data. The control function 3136 may also store the ultrasonic image data associated with the biological information in the memory 307.

[0069] In step S41, the trigger generation process is terminated by transmitting ultrasonic image data.

[0070] As described above, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first embodiment, the biological information acquisition device 30 generates a trigger when an abnormality is detected in the biological information and transmits it to the ultrasound probe 10 to drive the ultrasound probe 10. Therefore, in ultrasound examinations using the ultrasound probe, power consumption can be reduced while keeping the data volume down.

[0071] Furthermore, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first embodiment, the biological information acquisition device 30 notifies the subject P or medical professional of poor contact or misalignment when such misalignment is detected, allowing them to correct the misalignment. Therefore, even if the ultrasound probe 10 is unintentionally misaligned during daily life, ultrasound image data can be acquired by reattaching it to the correct position.

[0072] [Variation 1] In step S11 of the trigger generation process described above, a trigger is generated in step S13 if an abnormality is detected in the heart rate. However, the biometric information used to determine whether or not there is an abnormality is not limited to the heart rate. In other words, any biometric information can be used to determine whether or not there is an abnormality. For example, the control function 3136 may generate a trigger in step S13 if an abnormality is detected in the electrocardiogram waveform.

[0073] [Variation 2] The processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment described above generates a trigger and drives the ultrasonic probe 10 when an abnormality is detected in the biological information, but is not limited to this. In the second modification, the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 may instruct the subject P to move, generate a trigger and drive the ultrasonic probe 10 when the biological information reaches a threshold due to the movement.

[0074] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device 30 according to Modification 2, and corresponds to Figure 5. In the trigger generation process shown in Figure 6, when the subject P selects the stress echocardiography mode for measuring exercise stress echocardiography, a trigger is generated, and the generated trigger is transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10 to acquire data at resting IQ. After outputting an exercise instruction, a trigger is generated when the biological information reaches a threshold, and the generated trigger is transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10 to acquire data at exercise IQ. The resting ultrasound image data and the exercise ultrasound image data are then transmitted to the terminal device 50. For example, the trigger generation process is performed when the selection of the stress echocardiography mode is received from the subject P.

[0075] As shown in Figure 6, first, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 determines whether or not it has received a selection of the stress echo mode (step S51). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received a selection of the stress echo mode from the subject P via the input interface 309. If the selection of the stress echo mode has not been received in step S51 (step S51: No), the process in step S51 is repeated until the selection of the stress echo mode is received.

[0076] On the other hand, if the selection of the stress echo mode is accepted in step S51 (step S51: Yes), the control function 3136 generates a trigger (step S53). Specifically, the control function 3136 generates a trigger to drive the ultrasound probe.

[0077] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 transmits a trigger (step S55). Specifically, the control function 3136 transmits the generated trigger to the ultrasound probe 10 via the communication circuit 305. Upon receiving this trigger, the ultrasound probe 10 begins transmitting ultrasound to the subject and receiving reflected waves to acquire resting IQ data.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not IQ data has been received (step S57). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not resting IQ data transmitted from the ultrasound probe 10 has been received. If IQ data has not been received in step S57 (step S57: No), the processing circuit 313 repeats the process in step S57 until IQ data is received.

[0079] On the other hand, if IQ data is received in step S57 (step S57: Yes), the control function 3136 outputs an exercise instruction (step S59). Specifically, the control function 3136 outputs an exercise instruction to the subject via the output interface 311. More specifically, the control function 3136 outputs an exercise instruction to the subject P via the output interface 311, such as exercises that increase heart rate, such as pedaling a bicycle or climbing stairs while lying supine.

[0080] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not the biological information has reached a threshold (step S61). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not the biological information has reached a threshold by determining whether or not the biological information has exceeded a threshold, based on the biological information being monitored by the monitor function 3138, in order to determine whether or not to drive the ultrasonic transducer. If the biological information has not reached the threshold in step S61 (step S61: No), the process returns to step S59, and the processing in step S59 and step S61 is repeated until the biological information reaches the threshold.

[0081] On the other hand, in step S61, if the ultrasonic transducer is driven, that is, if the biological information reaches a threshold (step S61: Yes), the control function 3136 generates a trigger (step S13). The process from step S13 to step S17 is equivalent to the trigger generation process shown in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted.

[0082] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the image generation function 3133 generates ultrasound image data (step S19a). Specifically, the image generation function 3133 works in cooperation with the B-mode processing function 3131 or the Doppler processing function 3132 to generate ultrasound image data based on reflected wave data, which is IQ data received in steps S57 and S17, via the communication circuit 305. More specifically, it generates ultrasound image data based on resting IQ data and ultrasound image data based on exercise IQ data. Note that the processing from steps S21 to S39 after step S19a is equivalent to the trigger generation process shown in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted.

[0083] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the transmission function 3137 transmits ultrasound image data (step S41a). Specifically, the transmission function 3137 transmits the ultrasound image data generated in step S19a, i.e., ultrasound image data based on resting IQ data and ultrasound image data based on exercise IQ data, to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305.

[0084] In step S41a, the trigger generation process is terminated by transmitting ultrasonic image data.

[0085] As described above, in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information acquisition device 30 of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to Modified Example 2, when the selection of stress echo mode is received, a trigger is generated and transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10 to drive the ultrasound probe 10 in order to acquire resting IQ data. After the output of an exercise instruction, when the biological information reaches a threshold, a trigger is also generated and transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10 to drive the ultrasound probe 10 in order to acquire exercise IQ data. Therefore, in exercise stress echocardiography in ultrasound examinations using an ultrasound probe, power consumption can be reduced while keeping data volume down.

[0086] Furthermore, in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information acquisition device 30 of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1, if a poor contact or misalignment is detected, the system will notify the subject P or medical professional of the poor contact or misalignment and allow them to correct it. Therefore, even if the ultrasound probe 10 is unintentionally misaligned during daily activities or exercise, ultrasound image data can be acquired by reattaching it to the correct position.

[0087] In addition, in the modified example 2 described above, after step S57, ultrasound image data may be generated based on the IQ data at rest, and contact failure and / or positional misalignment may be detected by analyzing the ultrasound image data.

[0088] Furthermore, in the modified example 2 described above, if the biological information does not reach the threshold in step S61, in step S59, an exercise instruction may be output, and information regarding the difference between the biological information and the threshold may be output to the output interface 311. This information regarding the difference between the biological information and the threshold may include, for example, information regarding the amount by which the heart rate is insufficient compared to the threshold.

[0089] [Variation 3] The processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment described above generates a trigger and drives the ultrasonic probe 10 when an abnormality is detected in the biological information, but is not limited to this. In the third modified example, the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 may generate a trigger and drive the ultrasonic probe 10 when it detects the start of movement by the subject.

[0090] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the content of the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device 30 according to Modification 3, and corresponds to Figure 5. In the trigger generation process shown in Figure 7, the system receives notification of the start of movement from the subject, generates a trigger when movement is performed, sends the trigger to the ultrasound probe 10, generates ultrasound image data, and sends the ultrasound image data to the terminal device 50. For example, the trigger generation process shown in Figure 7 is executed when the start of movement is received.

[0091] As shown in Figure 7, first, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 determines whether or not it has received a request to start exercise (step S71). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received an input operation related to the start of exercise from the subject P via the input interface 309. More specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received a request to start swimming as the exercise. If, in step S71, the request for the start of exercise has not been received from the subject P (step S71: No), the process in step S71 is repeated until the request for the start of exercise is received from the subject P.

[0092] On the other hand, in step S71, if the control function 3136 receives a request from subject P to start exercise (step S71: Yes), the control function 3136 determines whether or not exercise is being performed (step S73). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not exercise is being performed based on the detection results of various sensors, such as the acceleration sensor, provided by the biological information collection device 30. More specifically, if the control function 3136 receives a request to start swimming as exercise in step S71, it determines whether or not swimming is being performed based on the detection results of various sensors, thereby determining whether or not exercise is being performed. Then, in step S73, if it is determined that exercise is not being performed (step S73: No), the process in step S73 is repeated until exercise is performed.

[0093] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S73 that movement is being performed (step S73: Yes), the control function 3136 generates a trigger (step S13). Note that the process from step S13 to step S41 is equivalent to the trigger generation process shown in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted.

[0094] Next, as shown in Figure 7, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the end of exercise (step S75). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the end of exercise from the subject P via the input interface 309. If, in step S75, the end of exercise has not been received (step S75: No), the process returns to step S73 and repeats the process from step S73 until the end of exercise is received.

[0095] On the other hand, if the end of the exercise is accepted in step S75 (step S75: Yes), the trigger generation process is terminated.

[0096] As described above, in the processing circuit 313 of the biological information acquisition device 30 of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1, when movement is detected and movement is performed, a trigger is generated and transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10 to drive the ultrasound probe 10. Therefore, in ultrasound examinations using the ultrasound probe 10, power consumption can be reduced while keeping data volume down.

[0097] In the trigger generation process in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to Modification 3, the biological information collection device 30 generates a trigger and ultrasound image data while the exercise is being performed until the end of the exercise is received. However, the biological information collection device 30 does not have to generate a trigger and ultrasound image data for the entire duration of the exercise. That is, the timing and number of times a trigger is generated and ultrasound image data is generated while the exercise is being performed is arbitrary. A trigger may be generated and ultrasound image data may be generated at regular intervals while the exercise is being performed, or a predetermined number of triggers may be generated randomly while the exercise is being performed and ultrasound image data may be generated.

[0098] [Variation 4] The processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment described above can also be configured to notify the user, who is the subject P, of the abnormality in the biological information and to accept feedback from the user regarding the biological information.

[0099] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the content of the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 4, and corresponds to Figure 5. In the trigger generation process shown in Figure 8, if an abnormality is detected in the biological information, the user is notified of the abnormality and feedback input from the user is accepted. The trigger generation process shown in Figure 8 is the process that is executed when an abnormality is detected in the biological information. Note that the processes from step S11 to step S17 are equivalent to the trigger generation process shown in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.

[0100] On the other hand, if IQ data is received in step S17 (step S17: Yes), the notification function 3139 notifies the user (step S81). Specifically, the notification function 3139 notifies the user via the output interface 311 that there was an abnormality in the biometric information in step S11. More specifically, if the notification function 3139 determines in step S11 that there is an abnormality because the blood oxygen saturation, which is an example of biometric information, has decreased from 98% to 80%, it notifies the user via the output interface 311 that the blood oxygen saturation has become 80%.

[0101] Next, as shown in Figure 8, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received user input (step S83). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received user input by receiving input operations related to user feedback regarding an abnormality in biological information via the input interface 309. More specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not it has received user input by receiving input operations related to the situation and symptoms regarding the blood oxygen saturation reaching 80% as user feedback regarding an abnormality in biological information via the input interface 309. If user input has not been received (step S83: No), the process in step S83 is repeated until user input is received.

[0102] On the other hand, if user input is received (step S83: Yes), ultrasound image data is generated (step S19). The processing from step S19 onward is equivalent to the processing from steps S19 to S39 of the trigger generation process in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.

[0103] Next, as shown in Figure 8, the transmission function 3137 transmits the ultrasonic image data (step S41b). Specifically, the transmission function 3137 transmits the ultrasonic image data to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305, and also transmits the user input received in step S83 to the terminal device 50.

[0104] As described above, in the biological information collection device 30 of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to Modification 4, if there is an abnormality in the user, who is the subject P, the device notifies the user of the abnormality and accepts user input. Therefore, if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the user, it is possible to receive feedback regarding that abnormality.

[0105] In step S83 of the trigger generation process shown in Figure 8, the biometric information collection device 30 may accept an input operation from the user to call an ambulance, or it may accept an input operation to output a notification sound via the output interface 311 to notify that there is an abnormality in the surroundings.

[0106] Furthermore, in the trigger generation process shown in Figure 8, in step S19, after generating ultrasound image data, it may be possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the user based on the ultrasound image data, and if there is an abnormality in the subject P, to notify the user (step S81) and to determine whether or not the user's input has been received (step S83). In addition, if there is no abnormality in the subject, the biological information used when an abnormality was determined to be present may be deleted from memory. In this way, by performing the process of notifying the user (step S81) and the process of determining whether or not the user's input has been received (step S83) when there is an abnormality in the subject, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the user based on the ultrasound image data before requesting user input. Also, since the biological information is deleted when there is no abnormality, the capacity in memory can be saved.

[0107] [Second Embodiment] In the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the processing circuit 313 of the biological information acquisition device 30 generates ultrasound image data, detects poor contact, detects misalignment, generates triggers related to the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10 and controls the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10, transmits ultrasound image data to a terminal device, notifies of the results of poor contact detection, notifies of misalignment, etc. However, these processes are not limited to the biological information acquisition device. In the second embodiment, these processes may be performed by the processing circuit of the ultrasound probe. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0108] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 9, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the second embodiment, the configuration and function of the ultrasound probe and the bio-information acquisition device differ from those of the first embodiment, and are therefore referred to as the ultrasound probe 10a and the bio-information acquisition device 30a. Note that the configurations other than the ultrasound probe 10a and the bio-information acquisition device 30a are the same as those in Figure 1, so their explanation is omitted.

[0109] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 10a according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 10, the configuration and function of the processing circuit in the ultrasonic probe 10a according to the second embodiment differ from the configuration of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment, so it is referred to as the processing circuit 105a. Note that the configuration and function other than the processing circuit 105a are the same as in Figure 2, so their explanation is omitted.

[0110] As shown in Figure 10, the processing circuit 105a of the ultrasonic probe 10a according to the second embodiment is a control circuit that performs overall control of the ultrasonic probe 10 and also generates ultrasonic image data. The processing circuit 105a of the ultrasonic probe 10a has a B-mode processing function 1051, a Doppler processing function 1052, an image generation function 1053, a contact failure detection function 1054, a positional misalignment detection function 1055, a control function 1056, a transmission function 1057, and a notification function 1058. The B-mode processing function 1051 corresponds to the B-mode processing unit in this embodiment, the Doppler processing function 1052 corresponds to the Doppler processing unit in this embodiment, the image generation function 1053 corresponds to the image generation unit in this embodiment, the contact failure detection function 1054 corresponds to the contact failure detection unit in this embodiment, the misalignment detection function 1055 corresponds to the misalignment detection unit in this embodiment, the control function 1056 corresponds to the control unit in this embodiment, the transmission function 1057 corresponds to the transmission unit in this embodiment, and the notification function 1058 corresponds to the notification unit in this embodiment.

[0111] In other words, in general terms, the B-mode processing function 1051, Doppler processing function 1052, image generation function 1053, contact failure detection function 1054, position misalignment detection function 1055, control function 1056, transmission function 1057, and notification function 1058 are equivalent in function to the B-mode processing function 3131, Doppler processing function 3132, image generation function 3133, contact failure detection function 3134, position misalignment detection function 3135, control function 3136, transmission function 3137, and notification function 3139 of the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0112] Specifically, the B-mode processing function 1051 in the processing circuit 105a of the ultrasound probe 10a generates B-mode data based on reflected wave data received from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103. The Doppler processing function 1052 generates data (Doppler information) that extracts motion information based on the Doppler effect of moving objects within the ROI (Region of Interest) set in the scan area by performing frequency analysis on the reflected wave data received from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103. The image generation function 1053 generates B-mode image data based on the data generated by the B-mode processing function 3131. The image generation function 1053 also has the function of generating Doppler image data based on the data generated by the Doppler processing function 1052.

[0113] The contact failure detection function 1054 detects contact failures in the ultrasonic probe 10a. For example, the contact failure detection function 1054 detects contact failures based on ultrasonic images generated by the image generation function 1053.

[0114] The positional misalignment detection function 1055 detects any misalignment in the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10a. For example, the positional misalignment detection function 1055 compares and analyzes the ultrasound image when the ultrasound probe 10a was attached to the subject with the current ultrasound image, calculates the image agreement rate, and determines whether the image agreement rate is above a threshold. The control function 1056 generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10a from the biological information acquisition device 30 via the communication circuit 109 and controls the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10a.

[0115] The transmission function 1057 transmits the ultrasonic image data generated by the image generation function 1053 to the terminal device 50.

[0116] The notification function 1058 notifies the subject and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 1054. The notification function 1058 also notifies the subject and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the misalignment detection function 1055. For example, when the notification function 1058 notifies the subject of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 1054 or the misalignment detection function 1055, it notifies the subject by transmitting the detection result of the contact failure detection function 1054 or the misalignment detection function 1055 to the biometric information collection device 30 via the communication circuit 109. Also, when the notification function 1058 notifies medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 1054 or the misalignment detection function 1055, it notifies the medical personnel by transmitting the detection result of the contact failure detection function 1054 or the misalignment detection function 1055 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 109.

[0117] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the biological information collection device 30a according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 3. As shown in Figure 11, the configuration and function of the processing circuit of the biological information collection device 30a according to the second embodiment differ from the configuration of the biological information collection device according to the first embodiment, so it is referred to as the processing circuit 313a. Note that the configuration and function other than the processing circuit 313a are the same as those in Figure 3, so their explanation is omitted.

[0118] As shown in Figure 11, the processing circuit 313a of the biological information collection device 30a according to the second embodiment monitors biological information, and the monitoring function 3138 notifies the ultrasonic probe 10a that the biological information has exceeded a predetermined threshold when it detects that the biological information has exceeded a predetermined threshold. The processing circuit 313a has a monitoring function 3138 and a system control function 3140. The monitoring function 3138 corresponds to the monitoring unit in this embodiment, and the system control function 3140 corresponds to the system control unit in this embodiment. Note that the function of the monitoring function 3138 is equivalent to the function of the monitoring function 3138 shown in Figure 3, so its explanation is omitted.

[0119] The system control function 3140 is a control circuit that performs overall control of the biological information acquisition device 30a. For example, the system control function 3140 controls the biological sensor 301, the battery 303, the communication circuit 305, the input interface 309, and the output interface 311. The system control function 3140 also notifies the ultrasound probe 10a when the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold. The system control function 3140 also transmits the biological information to the ultrasound probe 10a or the terminal device 50.

[0120] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, the biological information collection device 30a monitors biological information using the monitoring function 3138 and senses whether the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the biological information exceeds the predetermined threshold, the biological information collection device 30a notifies the ultrasound probe 10 that the biological information has exceeded the predetermined threshold using the system control function 3140. Subsequently, the ultrasound probe 10a executes the trigger generation process described above.

[0121] As described above, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the second embodiment, the ultrasound probe 10a generates a trigger and drives the ultrasound probe 10a when an abnormality is detected in biological information. Therefore, in ultrasound examinations using the ultrasound probe 10a, power consumption can be reduced while keeping data volume down.

[0122] Furthermore, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first embodiment, the ultrasound probe 10a notifies the patient P or medical professional of poor contact or misalignment if such misalignment is detected, allowing them to correct the misalignment. Therefore, even if the ultrasound probe 10a is unintentionally misaligned during daily life, ultrasound image data can be acquired by reattaching it to the correct position.

[0123] [Third Embodiment] In the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the processing circuit 313 of the biological information acquisition device 30 performs tasks such as generating ultrasound image data, detecting poor contact, detecting misalignment, generating triggers related to the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10 and controlling the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10, transmitting ultrasound image data to the terminal device, notifying the results of poor contact detection, and notifying the timing of misalignment. However, these processes are not limited to the biological information acquisition device. In the third embodiment, these processes may be performed by the processing circuit of the terminal device 50. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0124] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the third embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 12, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the third embodiment, the configuration and function of the biological information acquisition device and the terminal device differ from those of the first embodiment, and are therefore referred to as the biological information acquisition device 30a and the terminal device 50a. Note that the ultrasound probe 10 is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description is omitted. Also, the biological information acquisition device 30a is the same as in the second embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0125] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 50a according to the third embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 4. As shown in Figure 13, the configuration and function of the processing circuit in the terminal device 50a according to the third embodiment differ from the configuration of the terminal device 50 according to the first embodiment, so it is referred to as the processing circuit 509a. Note that the configuration and function other than the processing circuit 509a are the same as in Figure 4, so their explanation is omitted.

[0126] As shown in Figure 13, the processing circuit 509a of the terminal device 50a according to the third embodiment is a control circuit that performs overall control of the terminal device 50a and also generates ultrasonic image data. The processing circuit 509a of the terminal device 50a has a B-mode processing function 5091, a Doppler processing function 5092, an image generation function 5093, a contact failure detection function 5094, a position misalignment detection function 5095, a control function 5096, and a notification function 5097. The B-mode processing function 5091 corresponds to the B-mode processing unit in this embodiment, the Doppler processing function 5092 corresponds to the Doppler processing unit in this embodiment, the image generation function 5093 corresponds to the image generation unit in this embodiment, the contact failure detection function 5094 corresponds to the contact failure detection unit in this embodiment, the position misalignment detection function 5095 corresponds to the position misalignment detection unit in this embodiment, the control function 5096 corresponds to the control unit in this embodiment, and the notification function 5097 corresponds to the notification unit in this embodiment.

[0127] In other words, in general terms, the B-mode processing function 5091, the Doppler processing function 5092, the image generation function 5093, the contact failure detection function 5094, the positional misalignment detection function 5095, the control function 5096, and the notification function 5097 are equivalent in function to the B-mode processing function 3131, the Doppler processing function 3132, the image generation function 3133, the contact failure detection function 3134, the positional misalignment detection function 3135, the control function 3136, and the notification function 3139 of the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0128] Specifically, the B-mode processing function 5091 in the processing circuit 509a of the terminal device 50a generates B-mode data based on reflected wave data received from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 of the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 505. The Doppler processing function 5092 generates data (Doppler information) that extracts motion information based on the Doppler effect of moving objects within the ROI (Region of Interest) set in the scan area by performing frequency analysis on the reflected wave data received from the transmitting / receiving circuit 103 of the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 505. The image generation function 5093 generates B-mode image data based on the data generated by the B-mode processing function 5091. The image generation function 5093 also has the function of generating Doppler image data based on the data generated by the Doppler processing function 5092.

[0129] The contact failure detection function 5094 detects contact failures in the ultrasonic probe 10. For example, the contact failure detection function 5094 detects contact failures based on ultrasonic images generated by the image generation function 5093.

[0130] The positional misalignment detection function 5095 detects any misalignment in the mounting position of the ultrasound probe 10. For example, the positional misalignment detection function 5095 compares and analyzes the ultrasound image when the ultrasound probe 10 was attached to the subject with the current ultrasound image, calculates the image agreement rate, and determines whether the image agreement rate is above a threshold. The control function 5096 generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10 based on the input operation of the subject P to the biological information transmitted from the biological information acquisition device 30a via the communication circuit 505, and controls the timing of driving the ultrasound probe 10.

[0131] Notification function 5097 notifies the subject and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 5094. Notification function 5098 also notifies the subject and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the misalignment detection function 1055. For example, when notification function 5098 notifies the subject of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 5094 or the misalignment detection function 5095, it notifies the subject by transmitting the detection result of the contact failure detection function 5094 or the misalignment detection function 5095 to the biological information collection device 30a via the communication circuit 505. When notification function 5098 notifies medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 5094 or the misalignment detection function 5095, it notifies the medical personnel via the output interface 503.

[0132] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a trigger generation process performed in the terminal device 50a according to the third embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 5. In this trigger generation process, when biological information is received from the biological information collection device 30a, the biological information is displayed, input operations from a medical professional regarding the biological information are accepted, and when input operations from a medical professional regarding the biological information are accepted, a trigger is generated to generate ultrasound image data and display the ultrasound image data. For example, the trigger generation process shown in Figure 14 is a process that is executed when biological information is received from the biological information collection device 30a.

[0133] As shown in Figure 14, first, the control function 5096 in the processing circuit 509a of the terminal device 50a determines whether or not biological information has been received (step S91). Specifically, the control function 5096 determines whether or not biological information has been received from the biological information collection device 30a via the communication circuit 505. If biological information has not been received in step S91 (step S91: No), the process in step S91 is repeated until biological information is received.

[0134] On the other hand, if biological information is received in step S91 (step S91: Yes), the control function 5096 displays the biological information (step S93). Specifically, the control function 5096 displays the biological information received in step S91 on the output interface 503.

[0135] Next, as shown in Figure 14, the control function 5096 determines whether or not it has received input from a medical professional (step S95). Specifically, the control function 5096 determines whether or not it has received input from a medical professional by determining whether or not it has received input from a medical professional regarding the biological information displayed on the output interface 503 in step S93. This input operation by the medical professional regarding the biological information is, for example, an input operation related to the selection of whether or not to generate a trigger. If the medical professional's input has not been received in step S95 (step S95: No), the process in step S95 is repeated until input from a medical professional is received.

[0136] On the other hand, if input from a medical professional is received in step S95 (step S95: Yes), the control function 5096 determines whether or not to generate a trigger (step S97). Specifically, the control function 5096 determines whether or not to generate a trigger based on the input operation from the medical professional received in step S95. Then, in step S97, if a trigger is not generated (step S97: No), this trigger generation process is terminated.

[0137] On the other hand, if a trigger is generated in step S97 (step S97: Yes), the control function 5096 generates the trigger (step S13). The process from step S13 to step S39 is equivalent to that shown in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted.

[0138] Next, as shown in Figure 14, the control function 5096 displays the ultrasound image data (step S41c). Specifically, the control function 5096 displays the ultrasound image data generated in step S19 on the output interface 503.

[0139] In step S41c, the trigger generation process is terminated by displaying the ultrasonic image data.

[0140] As described above, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the third embodiment, the terminal device 50a generates a trigger based on the input operation of a medical professional for biological information and transmits it to the ultrasound probe 10 to drive the ultrasound probe 10. Therefore, in ultrasound examinations using the ultrasound probe, power consumption can be reduced while keeping data volume down.

[0141] Furthermore, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the third embodiment, the terminal device 50a notifies the subject P or medical professional of poor contact or misalignment when such misalignment is detected, allowing them to correct the misalignment. Therefore, even if the ultrasound probe 10 is unintentionally misaligned during daily life, ultrasound image data can be acquired by reattaching it to the correct position.

[0142] [Variation 5] In the ultrasonic diagnostic system 1 according to the first to third embodiments described above, detection of poor contact and detection of misalignment are performed after trigger generation, but these may be performed when instructions for detecting poor contact and detection of misalignment are given. Hereinafter, the case in which this modification is applied to the first embodiment will be referred to as Modification 5, and the differences from the first embodiment will be described. Note that although the case in which this modification is applied to the first embodiment will be described, it can also be applied to the second and third embodiments in the same way.

[0143] Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device 30 according to Modification 5, and corresponds to Figure 5. In this trigger generation process, when a calibration instruction is received, it is determined whether or not a contact failure has been detected and / or a misalignment has been detected. If a contact failure and / or misalignment is detected, the contact failure and / or misalignment are corrected, and if there is an abnormality in the biological information, a trigger is generated, the trigger is sent to the ultrasonic probe 10, ultrasonic image data is generated, and the ultrasonic image data is sent to the terminal device 50. For example, the trigger generation process is a process that is executed when there is an abnormality in the biological information.

[0144] As shown in Figure 15, first, the control function 3136 determines whether or not there is a calibration instruction (step S101). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not there is a calibration instruction from a medical professional. If there is no calibration instruction in step S101 (step S101: No), step S101 is repeated until a calibration instruction is received.

[0145] On the other hand, if there is a calibration instruction in step S101 (step S101: Yes), the control function 3136 generates a trigger (step S103). Specifically, the control function 3136 generates a trigger to drive the ultrasonic probe.

[0146] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 transmits a trigger (step S105). Specifically, the control function 3136 transmits the generated trigger to the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication circuit 305. Upon receiving this trigger, the ultrasonic probe 10 begins transmitting ultrasound to the subject and receiving reflected waves.

[0147] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not IQ data has been received (step S107). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not IQ data transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 has been received. If IQ data has not been received in step S107 (step S107: No), the processing circuit 313 repeats the process in step S107 until IQ data is received.

[0148] On the other hand, if IQ data is received in step S107 (step S107: Yes), the image generation function 3133 in the processing circuit 313 generates ultrasonic image data (step S109). Specifically, the image generation function 3133 works in cooperation with the B-mode processing function 3131 or the Doppler processing function 3132 to generate ultrasonic image data based on the reflected wave data, which is the IQ data received in step S107, via the communication circuit 305.

[0149] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 analyzes the ultrasonic image data (step S21). The processing from step S21 to step S35 is equivalent to that in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted. Also, the processing from step S35 onward, from step S11 to step S19 and the processing in step S41, are equivalent to that in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted. In step S41, the trigger generation process is terminated by transmitting the ultrasonic image data.

[0150] As described above, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to Modification 5, when a calibration instruction is given, contact failure and positional misalignment are detected, and if there is a contact failure and / or positional misalignment, corrections are made. Then, if there is an abnormality in the biological information, a trigger is generated and transmitted to the ultrasound probe 10, thereby driving the ultrasound probe 10. This reduces the need to drive the ultrasound probe 10 again due to contact failure and / or positional misalignment, and thus, in ultrasound examinations using an ultrasound probe, power consumption can be reduced while keeping data volume down.

[0151] [Variation 6] In the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to the first to third embodiments described above, if a positional misalignment is detected, the transmission and reception conditions may be changed instead of notifying the medical personnel and / or the subject. Hereinafter, the case in which this modification is applied to the first embodiment will be referred to as Modification 6, and the differences from the first embodiment will be described. Note that although the case in which this modification is applied to the first embodiment will be described, it can also be applied to the second and third embodiments in the same manner.

[0152] Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a biological information collection device according to Modification 6, and corresponds to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 16, the processing circuit 313 of the biological information collection device 30 according to Modification 6 has an additional transmission / reception condition changing function 3141 added to the processing circuit 313 according to the first embodiment. Also, since the notification function in the processing circuit 313 according to Modification 6 differs from that of the first embodiment, it will be referred to as the notification function 3139a. The transmission / reception condition changing function corresponds to the transmission / reception change unit in this embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration and functions other than the notification function 3139a and the transmission / reception condition changing function 3141 are the same as those in Figure 2, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0153] The notification function 3139a notifies the subject P and / or medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134. For example, when the notification function 3139 notifies the subject P of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134, it notifies the subject P via the output interface 311. Also, when the notification function 3139 notifies medical personnel of the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134, it notifies the medical personnel by transmitting the detection result of the contact failure detection function 3134 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305.

[0154] The transmission / reception condition changing function 3141 changes the ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions based on the detection result of the positional misalignment detection function 3135. Here, the transmission / reception conditions refer to the amplitude of the ultrasonic waves to be transmitted and received, the transmission / reception position of the ultrasonic waves, etc. The method of changing the ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions will be explained using Figures 17 and 18. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of ultrasonic images before and after changing the transmission / reception conditions in Modification 6. Figure 18 is a diagram showing another example of ultrasonic images before and after changing the transmission / reception conditions in Modification 6.

[0155] As shown in Figure 17, when the ultrasound probe 10 is fixed at position 10_1 relative to the subject P1, the cross-sectional image (ultrasound image) CS1 can depict the cross-section desired by the medical professional. However, if the ultrasound probe 10 is moved from position 10_1 to position 10_2, the cross-sectional image (ultrasound image) CS2 cannot depict the cross-section desired by the medical professional. In such cases, the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 may change the transmission / reception conditions and change the position of the ultrasound used for image generation, thereby enabling the depiction of the cross-sectional image (ultrasound image) CS1 that can be depicted when the ultrasound probe 10 is fixed at position 10_1 relative to the subject P1.

[0156] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 18, when the ultrasound probe 10 is fixed to the subject P1a at position 10_1a, the cross-sectional image (ultrasound image) CS1a can depict the cross-section desired by the medical professional. However, if the position 10 of the ultrasound probe 10 shifts to position 10_2a, a cross-sectional image cannot be depicted. In such cases, the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 may change the transmission / reception conditions and change the amplitude of the ultrasound used for image generation, thereby enabling the depiction of the cross-sectional image (ultrasound image) CS1a that can be depicted when the ultrasound probe 10 is fixed to the subject P1a at position 10_1a.

[0157] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the content of the trigger generation process performed in the biological information collection device according to Modification 6, and corresponds to Figure 5. In this trigger generation process, when an abnormality is detected in the biological information, a trigger is generated, the trigger is sent to the ultrasound probe 10, ultrasound image data is generated, and the ultrasound image data is sent to the terminal device 50. For example, the trigger generation process is performed when an abnormality is detected in the biological information. Note that the processes from step S11 to step S25 are equivalent to the trigger generation process shown in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.

[0158] Next, as shown in Figure 19, the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 changes the transmission / reception conditions (step S111). Specifically, the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 changes the transmission / reception conditions based on the results of the analysis of the ultrasonic image data in step S21, as a result of the detection by the positional misalignment detection function 3135.

[0159] Next, as shown in Figure 19, the notification function 3139 in the processing circuit 313 notifies of the poor contact (step S27a). Specifically, the notification function 3139 notifies of the poor contact by transmitting the detection result of the poor contact of the ultrasonic probe 10 in step S21 to the terminal device 50 via the communication circuit 305 to notify the medical personnel, and / or by outputting it via the output interface 311 to notify the subject.

[0160] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the control function 3136 in the processing circuit 313 determines whether or not the contact failure has been corrected (step S29a). Specifically, the control function 3136 determines whether or not the contact failure has been corrected by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of the contact failure correction from the subject P via the input interface 309, or by determining whether or not it has received an input operation regarding the completion of the contact failure correction from a medical professional via the communication circuit 305. If the contact failure has not been corrected in step S29 (step S29a: No), the process in step S29 is repeated until the contact failure is corrected. On the other hand, if the contact failure has been corrected in step S29a (step S29a: Yes), the control function 3136 in the processing circuit returns to step S13 and repeats the process from step S13. The processes from step S31 to step S35 after step S29a are equivalent to the process in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.

[0161] Then, if a misalignment is detected in step S35 (step S35: Yes), the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 in the processing circuit 313 changes the transmission / reception conditions (step S113). Specifically, the transmission / reception condition change function 3141 changes the transmission / reception conditions based on the results of the analysis of the ultrasonic image data in step S21, as a result of the detection by the misalignment detection function 3135. Note that the processing in step S41 after step S113 is equivalent to the processing in Figure 5, so its explanation is omitted.

[0162] In step S41, the trigger generation process is terminated by transmitting ultrasonic image data.

[0163] As described above, in the ultrasound diagnostic system 1 according to Modification 6, the biological information acquisition device 30 changes the transmission and reception conditions when it detects a positional misalignment, thus eliminating the need for medical personnel to make corrections and reducing the workload for medical personnel.

[0164] [Other variations] In the first to third embodiments described above, multiple biosensors 301 may be attached to the subject P. By attaching multiple biosensors 301, it is possible to analyze the relationship between multiple biological information detected from each of the multiple biosensors 301 and ultrasound image data.

[0165] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, multiple subject contact parts 101 may be attached to the subject P. By attaching multiple subject contact parts 101 to the subject P in this way, ultrasonic image data can be generated for each of the multiple subject contact parts 101.

[0166] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, the biological information collection devices 30 and 30a may collect biological information as well as environmental information surrounding the subject P. This environmental information may include, for example, at least one of temperature and atmospheric pressure. The biological information collection devices 30 and 30a may store the collected biological information and environmental information in memory in association with each other, or they may transmit it to the terminal device 50.

[0167] In the above explanation, the term "processor" refers to circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or a programmable logic device (e.g., a Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). The processor functions by reading and executing programs stored in memories 111, 307, and 507. Alternatively, instead of storing programs in memories 111, 307, and 507, the processor may be configured to directly incorporate programs into its circuitry. In this case, the processor functions by reading and executing the programs incorporated into the circuitry. Furthermore, the processor is not limited to being a single circuit; it may also be composed of multiple independent circuits combined to form a single processor and achieve its functions. Furthermore, the multiple components shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 13, and 16 may be integrated into a single processor to realize their functions.

[0168] According to at least one embodiment described above, in ultrasound examinations using an ultrasound probe, it is possible to reduce power consumption while suppressing data volume.

[0169] Although several embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel apparatus and methods described herein can be implemented in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the embodiments of the apparatus and methods described herein, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and equivalents are intended to include such embodiments and modifications that are included in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0170] 1…Ultrasound diagnostic system, 10, 10a…Ultrasound probe, 30, 30a…Biometric information collection device, 50, 50a…Terminal device, 101…Subject contact part, 103…Transmit / receive circuit, 105, 105a…Processing circuit, 107…Battery, 109…Communication circuit, 111…Memory, 301…Biometric sensor, 303…Battery, 305…Communication circuit, 307…Memory, 309…Input interface, 311…Output interface, 313, 313a…Processing circuit, 501…Input interface, 503…Output interface, 505…Communication circuit, 507…Memory, 509, 509a…Processing circuit

Claims

1. A biological information collection device for collecting biological information of a subject, comprising a biological information collection device attached to the subject, An ultrasonic probe having a subject contact portion including an ultrasonic transducer that transmits ultrasonic waves toward the subject and receives reflected waves reflected within the subject, the ultrasonic probe being attached to the subject, A control unit that determines whether or not to drive the ultrasonic transducer based on the biological information or the input operations of a medical professional to the biological information, and, if it is determined that the ultrasonic transducer should be driven, generates a trigger related to the timing of driving the ultrasonic transducer and controls the driving of the ultrasonic transducer, An ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with [specific features / equipment].

2. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal device that displays the biological information collected by the biological information collection device and an ultrasound image based on the reflected wave.

3. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound probe is attached to the subject by the subject contact portion being attached to the subject.

4. A contact failure detection unit for detecting poor contact of the ultrasonic probe, A contact failure notification unit that notifies the subject and / or the medical professional of the detection result of the contact failure detection unit, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising the following:

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising a positional misalignment detection unit for detecting misalignment of the mounting position of the ultrasonic probe.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, further comprising a position displacement notification unit that notifies the subject and / or the medical professional of the detection result of the position displacement detection unit.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 5, further comprising a transmission / reception condition changing unit that changes the ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions based on the detection result of the positional displacement detection unit.

8. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound probe or the biological information collection device has the control unit.

9. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein the terminal device has the control unit.

10. The biological information collection device has a biological sensor for detecting the biological information of the subject, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the biosensors are attached to the subject.

11. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the subject contact portion is attached to the subject in multiple locations.

12. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the biological information collection device collects at least one of the following as biological information: heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen concentration, blood pressure, body temperature, sleep state, calories burned, the amount of exercise of the subject, and the amount of movement of the subject.

13. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the biological information collection device collects the biological information and also collects environmental information relating to the environment surrounding the subject.

14. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 13, wherein the biological information collection device collects at least one of atmospheric pressure and temperature as environmental information.

15. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising an image generation unit that generates at least one of B-mode image data, color Doppler image data, pulsed wave Doppler data, and continuous wave Doppler data as ultrasound image data based on the reflected wave.

16. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stores in a storage unit the ultrasound image data based on the reflected wave and the biological information when the ultrasound probe receives the reflected wave, in association with each other.

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