Ultrasound diagnostic system

Abstract

The system displays the puncture angle depending on how the puncture adapter is attached to the ultrasound probe. [Solution] The intraperitoneal ultrasound probe guides the puncture needle at any angle within a predetermined angle range and has an inverted triangular through-hole 214 in the head portion 210. The puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 210 by inserting the inverted triangular insertion portion into the through-hole 214. The puncture adapter 400 has a needle guide hole 406 that guides the puncture needle at a fixed angle. When the puncture adapter 400 is attached, the ultrasound diagnostic device generates a second graphic image having a line 504c representing the inclination angle of the needle guide hole 406 and superimposes it on the ultrasound image. When the puncture adapter 400 is not attached, the device generates a first graphic image representing a predetermined angle range determined by the inclination angle of the inner wall of the through-hole 214 and superimposes it on the ultrasound image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system, particularly to the display of ultrasonic images.

Background Art

[0002] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves into a subject using an ultrasonic probe and receives the reflected waves to acquire the biological information of the subject. The acquired biological information is displayed as an ultrasonic image representing the state of the subject. For example, when an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used in a laparoscopic surgery using a laparoscope, the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the abdominal cavity through a tracker placed on the body wall of the subject. In laparoscopic surgery, puncture may be performed. The surgeon inserts a puncture needle into the abdominal cavity, observes the laparoscopic image, and confirms the position of the puncture needle. Then, after the tip of the puncture needle reaches the target site, the surgeon performs tissue sampling of the target site, injection of a drug into the target site, and the like.

[0003] The puncture needle is guided through a through-hole provided in the ultrasonic probe or by using a separately prepared needle guide. Conventionally, a puncture adapter that is detachable from the ultrasonic probe and guides the puncture needle at a desired angle has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For example, if an ultrasound probe that allows puncture at any angle within a predetermined range can be fitted with a puncture adapter that allows puncture at a fixed angle, then this single ultrasound probe can be used to perform both puncture at any angle and puncture at a fixed angle.

[0006] Incidentally, in some cases, puncture is performed while viewing an ultrasound image of the body cavity, which is generated and displayed based on the received signal obtained by the above-mentioned ultrasound probe. In this case, it is convenient to be able to check the puncture angle, which differs depending on whether or not a puncture adapter is attached, while viewing the ultrasound image.

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to display the puncture angle depending on how the puncture adapter is attached to the ultrasound probe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to this disclosure comprises an ultrasound probe having a tip portion inserted into a body cavity, a puncture adapter detachably attached to the tip portion, and a processor that forms an ultrasound image based on a signal received from the ultrasound probe and generates and displays a graphic image superimposed on the ultrasound image, wherein the tip portion has a main guide hole that guides a puncture needle at any angle within a predetermined range of angles, the puncture adapter has an insertion portion that is inserted into the main guide hole when attached to the ultrasound probe, and a secondary guide hole that guides a puncture needle at a fixed angle, and the processor determines whether the puncture adapter is attached to the tip portion in the body cavity, and generates a first graphic image representing the predetermined range of angles if the puncture adapter is not attached to the tip portion, and generates a second graphic image representing the fixed angle if the puncture adapter is attached to the tip portion.

[0009] Furthermore, the first graphic image may have a first line and a second line that represent the upper and lower limits of the predetermined angle range, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the processor may determine the position and tilt angle of the first and second lines based on pre-registered specification information.

[0011] Furthermore, the second graphic image may have a third line representing the fixed angle.

[0012] Furthermore, the processor may determine the position and tilt angle of the third line based on pre-registered specification information.

[0013] Furthermore, the specification information may include positional information of the origin in the graphic image based on its positional relationship with a predetermined position at the tip, and the angle of a reference line passing through the origin, which is used to determine the inclination angle of the lines in the graphic image.

[0014] Furthermore, the processor may determine whether or not the puncture adapter is attached to the tip based on user input.

[0015] The system may also include a laparoscope, and the processor may determine whether or not the puncture adapter is attached to the tip based on images taken from the laparoscope. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to this disclosure, the puncture angle can be displayed depending on how the puncture adapter is attached to the ultrasound probe. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device in this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an enlarged example of the head portion of the probe in this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of the head portion of the probe in this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of the puncture adapter in this embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a side sectional view of the head portion of the probe with the puncture adapter attached in this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing the area display in this embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing the line display in this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing a modified example of the line display in this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing a modified example of the area display in this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of the operation panel in this embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an enlarged part of the head portion with the puncture adapter not attached in this embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an enlarged part of the head portion with the puncture adapter attached in this embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing a modified example of the area display in this embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram schematically showing another modified example of the area display in this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings.

[0019] (Configuration of Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 in this embodiment. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 in this embodiment includes a device body 100, a probe 200, and a laparoscope 300. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 can also be called an ultrasound diagnostic system. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 has the function of performing ultrasound diagnosis using the probe 200 and the laparoscope 300.

[0020] The main unit 100, also called the "console," has interfaces (IFs) 102 and 104 for connecting the probe 200 and the laparoscope 300, respectively, and a first display unit 106, a second display unit 108, and an operation panel 110 as a user interface. Each display unit 106 and 108 is a device for displaying images and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. Of these, the first display unit 106 displays an ultrasound image generated based on the ultrasound signal received by the probe 200. On the other hand, the second display unit 108 displays images taken by the laparoscope 300. The operation panel 110 is a device operated by the operator (hereinafter also called the "user") to input parameters and control the display in ultrasound diagnosis.

[0021] Console 100 provides ultrasonic diagnostic processing functions and includes a transmit / receive control unit 112, a beamforming (BF) unit 114, a signal processing unit 116, an image processing unit 118, a display processing unit 120, and a control unit 122.

[0022] The transmit / receive control unit 112 controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by each vibrating element in the probe 200. This control includes, for example, supplying electrical transmission signals to each vibrating element and amplifying electrical reception signals from each vibrating element. In supplying transmission signals, the transmit / receive control unit 112 forms an ultrasonic transmission beam by controlling the timing of supplying transmission signals to each vibrating element.

[0023] The beamforming unit 114 performs phase-alignment summing on the received signals from each vibrating element in the probe 200. This phase-alignment summing process forms a received beam. As a result of the phase-alignment summing process, the beamforming unit 114 outputs echo data obtained along the received beam. In addition, when performing transmit beamforming, the beamforming unit 114 generates multiple transmit signals for transmit beamforming.

[0024] The signal processing unit 116 performs various signal processing on the echo data output by the beamforming unit 114, including gain correction, logarithmic amplification, envelope detection, and filtering.

[0025] The image processing unit 118 has coordinate transformation and interpolation functions, and forms a display frame, i.e., an ultrasonic image, based on multiple beam data output from the signal processing unit 116. The beam data from the signal processing unit 116 is coordinate system data for beam scanning, and consists of multiple data points along the beam direction corresponding to the beam data. For example, the image processing unit 118 transforms the signal value of each data point of the beam data into the display coordinate system, i.e., the coordinate system of the ultrasonic image (generally a Cartesian coordinate system represented by a pair of x and y coordinates). The image processing unit 118 also interpolates the value of a pixel with no value from the values ​​of surrounding pixels. Through such coordinate transformation and interpolation, the image processing unit 118 forms an ultrasonic image, such as a B-mode tomographic image.

[0026] The display processing unit 120 synthesizes various informational images or characters onto the ultrasound image formed by the image processing unit 118 to form display screen data. The information synthesized onto the ultrasound image includes, for example, ROIs representing the display range of various display modes such as color Doppler mode, and lines indicating the sample volume and the beam where the sample volume is located in pulsed Doppler mode. The display processing unit 120 then displays the display screen data formed in this manner on the first display unit 106.

[0027] The control unit 122 controls the execution of the ultrasound diagnostic process by controlling the operation of each component included in the console 100.

[0028] Each component 102 to 122 in console 100 is realized through the coordinated operation of the computer installed in console 100 and the program running on the CPU installed in the computer.

[0029] The probe 200 is connected to the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 by a cable 12. In this embodiment, the probe 200 is an intraperitoneal ultrasound probe. The "abdominal cavity" is the internal space of a person, etc., the part enclosed by the abdominal wall below the diaphragm, more specifically the space enclosed by the abdominal wall that contains digestive organs such as the stomach and intestines. The "body cavity" refers to the space between the body wall and the digestive tract, mainly the thoracic cavity, pericardial cavity, and abdominal cavity. In this embodiment, "abdominal cavity" and "body cavity" are used synonymously.

[0030] The probe 200 mainly comprises a grip portion 202 for the operator to grasp and an insertion portion 204 that extends from the grip portion 202 and is inserted into the abdominal cavity. The probe 200 may also include the aforementioned cable 12 as a component. The grip portion 202 is provided with an operating portion 206 for the operator to operate. A trocar (guide tube) 22 that passes through the abdominal wall 20 is attached to the abdominal wall 20 of the body wall for the probe 200, and the insertion portion 204 of the probe 200 is inserted into the abdominal cavity 24 from the internal passage of the trocar 22. If the inner diameter of the trocar 22 is about 12 mm, the outer diameter of the insertion portion 204 of the probe 200 needs to be smaller than that, for example, about 10 mm.

[0031] The insertion section 204 has a bendable section 208 that bends up and down or left and right in response to the operation section 206, and a tip section (hereinafter referred to as the "head section") 210 extending from the bendable section 208. A transducer array 212 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the head section 210. The transducer array 212 corresponds to the "each vibrating element" described above. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 diagnoses the inside of the body cavity with ultrasound by emitting ultrasound from the transducer array 212. The operator bends the bendable section 208 by operating the operation section 206, thereby securing a diagnostic field of view. A through hole for guiding the puncture needle is provided on the bendable section 208 side of the head section 210. A notch for guiding the puncture needle may be provided on the tip side of the head section 210.

[0032] Then, a puncture needle guide adapter (hereinafter simply referred to as "puncture adapter") 400 is attached to the position where the through-hole is located. The puncture needle 26 is inserted through the abdominal wall 20. The tip of the puncture needle 26 passes through the needle guide hole provided in the puncture adapter 400 and reaches the target site, for example, a tumor 30 in an organ 28.

[0033] Furthermore, a tracar 32 is attached to the abdominal wall 20 for inserting the laparoscope 300 into the abdominal cavity 24. A light source (not shown) is provided at the tip of the laparoscope 300, and the laparoscope 300 is operated by the user to capture images of the area illuminated by the light source, for example, the area including the head portion 210 of the probe 200.

[0034] The configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 and the relationship between the human body being examined and the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 have been explained above using Figure 1. The ultrasound diagnostic device 10 in this embodiment may have basically the same hardware configuration as before.

[0035] (Structure of probe 200 and puncture adapter 400) Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an example of the head portion 210 of probe 200 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, a puncture adapter 400 can be attached to the head portion 210. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the head portion 210 without the puncture adapter 400 attached. While Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the right side of the head portion 210 from the direction of the bent portion 208, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the left side of the head portion 210 from the direction of the tip of the head portion 210. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the puncture adapter 400 in this embodiment. The puncture adapter 400 shown in Figure 4 is a perspective view from the direction of arrow B, i.e., from the side of the bent portion 208 when attached to the probe 200. Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view when the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 210. Note that the head portion 210 may contain components such as circuits for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, but these are omitted from the illustration in Figure 5. The engagement relationship between the probe 200 and the puncture adapter 400 will be explained below using Figures 1 to 5.

[0036] The head portion 210, i.e., the tip of the probe 200, is provided with a transducer array 212 and a through hole 214 for guiding the puncture needle. In this embodiment, the probe 200 has the through hole 214 on the bent side of the transducer array 212. The through hole 214 may also be located on the tip side of the transducer array 212. In this embodiment, a notch 216 for guiding the puncture needle is formed at the tip of the head portion 210. By increasing the amount of the notch 216 from the upper surface to the lower surface of the head portion 210, the tip of the puncture needle 26 can be guided to enter below the transducer array 212.

[0037] The cross-sectional shape of the needle entry point of the through-hole 214 is an inverted triangle. In other words, the through-hole 214 tapers from the needle entry point to the needle exit point. This allows the tip of the puncture needle inserted into the through-hole 214 to be guided to enter below the transducer array 212. When the puncture adapter 400 is not attached to the probe 200, this shape of the through-hole 214 allows puncture within a predetermined angle range. In the following explanation, puncture that guides the puncture needle at any angle within a predetermined angle range will be referred to as "area puncture".

[0038] An inverted triangular mark 220 is attached to at least one side of the head portion 210 at a position corresponding to the through hole 214. The mark 220 is a marker that guides the attachment of the puncture adapter 400. The mark 220 is printed in the shape of an inverted triangle to match the shape of the through hole 214. This allows the user to know the position and size of the needle entry portion of the through hole 214 even if the needle entry portion of the through hole 214 is not visible on the second display unit 108, by seeing the mark 220.

[0039] The structure of the puncture adapter 400 can be broadly divided into the adapter body and the clip mechanism. The adapter body has a main body portion 402 and an insertion portion 404, and further has a needle guide hole 406 that communicates with the main body portion 402 and the insertion portion 404.

[0040] The main body portion 402 is formed in a thin plate shape and is positioned to cover the needle entrance portion of the through hole 214 of the probe 200 when attached to the probe 200. The main body portion 402 is formed in a so-called streamlined shape so that the thickness of both ends of the probe 200 in the direction of insertion and removal from the tracal 22 is reduced, in order to allow for smooth insertion and removal from the tracal 22 when attached to the probe 200.

[0041] The insertion portion 404 is inserted into the through-hole 214 formed in the probe 200 when the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 210. The insertion portion 404 is formed in an inverted triangular shape to match the shape of the through-hole 214 formed in the probe 200.

[0042] The needle guide hole 406 extends linearly from the needle entrance portion located on the upper surface of the main body portion 402 to the needle exit portion located at the tapered tip of the insertion portion 404, guiding the puncture needle 26 inserted from the main body portion 402 to the target site (in this embodiment, a tumor, etc. 30).

[0043] With the puncture adapter 400 attached, the probe 200 allows for puncture at a fixed angle. In the following explanation, puncture in which the puncture needle is guided at a predetermined fixed angle will be referred to as "line puncture."

[0044] According to this embodiment, area puncture can be performed with the probe 200 when the puncture adapter 400 is not attached. Furthermore, since the puncture adapter 400 in this embodiment is shaped to be attached to the through-hole 214 that allows for area puncture, line puncture can be performed with the probe 200 when the puncture adapter 400 is attached. In other words, the user can perform area puncture or line puncture using the same probe 200 by choosing whether or not to attach the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200 outside the abdominal cavity.

[0045] On the other hand, the clip mechanism is formed by a pair of clips 408 that extend in opposite directions from the side of the main body 402 and curve to follow the outer surface of the probe 200. The base portions of the pair of clips 408, that is, the portions that connect to the main body 402, are formed of an elastic material such as spring steel. The clips 408 are formed in a curved shape that follows the outer surface of the mounting position of the probe 200 in order to prevent the insertion portion 404 of the probe 200 from getting caught when it is inserted into or removed from the tracar 22.

[0046] When performing area puncture, the user does not attach the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200. On the other hand, when performing line puncture, the user attaches the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200 outside the body cavity. That is, the user aligns the puncture adapter 400 with the through-hole 214 of the head portion 210, pushes it in until the insertion portion 404 fits into the through-hole 214, the main body portion 402 contacts the head portion 210, and the clip 408 firmly grips it. In this way, the puncture adapter 400 is securely attached so that it does not come off even when the probe 200 is inserted into or removed from the tracar 22.

[0047] (Display of ultrasound image) As described above, in this embodiment, the puncture adapter 400 can be easily attached to the probe 200 outside the body cavity, and the attachment status of the puncture adapter 400 inside the body cavity can be easily confirmed. In addition, the probe 200 can be smoothly inserted and removed from the trocar 22 passing through the abdominal wall 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, area puncture can be performed without attaching the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200, while line puncture can be performed by attaching the puncture adapter 400 to the through-hole 214 of the probe 200. However, although both area puncture and line puncture can be performed using the same probe 200, it would be convenient to be able to check the puncture angle, which differs depending on whether the puncture adapter 400 is attached or not, while viewing the ultrasound image displayed on the first display unit 106 during puncture.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, the puncture angle is displayed according to the state in which the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the probe 200. Specifically, when the puncture adapter 400 is not attached to the probe 200, a predetermined range of angles in which area puncture is possible is displayed, and when the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the probe 200, a fixed angle in which line puncture is performed is displayed.

[0049] This display is performed by the display processing unit 120 under the control of the control unit 122. Specifically, the display processing unit 120 forms an ultrasound image based on the signal received from the probe 200 and displays it on the first display unit 106, and generates a graphic image to be superimposed on this ultrasound image. Specifically, if the puncture adapter 400 is not attached to the head portion 210 of the probe 200, the display processing unit 120 generates a first graphic image as a graphic image that represents a predetermined range of angles, i.e., the range of angles in which area puncture is possible. In the following description, the superimposition and display of the generated first graphic image on the ultrasound image will also be referred to as "area display".

[0050] On the other hand, when the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 210 of the probe 200, the display processing unit 120 generates a second graphic image as a graphic image that represents a predetermined fixed angle, i.e., an angle at which line puncture is possible. In the following description, displaying the generated second graphic image superimposed on the ultrasound image will also be referred to as "line display".

[0051] In the following explanation, the display method that superimposes a first graphic image or a second graphic image onto an ultrasound image will be referred to as "guided display." Guided display can also be considered a general term for area display and line display.

[0052] The characteristic area display and line display in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the area display in this embodiment. Figure 6 shows an example of the screen display when the first graphic image is superimposed on the ultrasound image 502 in B mode displayed on the first display unit 106. Furthermore, for the sake of explanation, Figure 6 shows the positional relationship between the ultrasound image 502 and the probe head 210, in particular the positional relationship between the transducer array 212 and the through hole 214 of the head 210. The first graphic image has a first line 504a and a second line 504b that represent the upper and lower limits of a predetermined angle range, respectively. If the direction perpendicular to the transducer array 212, shown as the vertical direction in Figure 6 by the dashed line, is taken as 0 degrees, the inclination of the first line 504a (hereinafter referred to as the "inclination angle") is θ1, and the inclination angle of the second line 504b is θ2. This angle depends on the angle of the inner wall of the through hole 214, which serves as the main guide hole for guiding the puncture needle.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6, when the puncture adapter is not installed in the through-hole 214, the range of predetermined angles that can be punctured by the first line 504a and the second line 504b is displayed superimposed on the ultrasound image 502, so the user can perform the puncture by referring to this displayed range of angles.

[0055] In Figure 6, an example is shown where the first line 504a is displayed within the ultrasound image 502, and the second line 504b is displayed extending outside the ultrasound image 502. However, the display range of each line 504a, 504, that is, the relationship between the display range of the ultrasound image 502 and the first graphic image, can be determined as appropriate. The same applies to line display, which will be discussed later.

[0056] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the line display in this embodiment. Figure 7 shows an example of the screen display when the second graphic image is superimposed on the ultrasound image 502 in B mode displayed on the first display unit 106. Furthermore, for the sake of explanation, Figure 7 shows the positional relationship between the ultrasound image 502 and the probe head 210, in particular the positional relationship between the transducer array 212 of the head 210 and the puncture adapter 400 having an insertion part that is inserted into the through hole 214. The second graphic image has a third line 504c that represents a predetermined fixed angle. Note that if the direction perpendicular to the transducer array 212, the drawing vertical direction shown by the dashed line in Figure 7, is taken as 0 degrees, the inclination angle of the third line 504c is θ3. The inclination angle θ3 depends on the inclination angle of the needle guide hole 406, which is formed in the puncture adapter 400 as a secondary guide hole that guides the puncture needle.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, when the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the through-hole 214 of the head portion 210, a predetermined angle at which puncture is possible by the third line 504c is displayed superimposed on the ultrasound image 502, so that the user can perform the puncture without the puncture needle coming off the third line 504c.

[0058] As explained above, Figure 6 shows an example of area display, and Figure 7 shows an example of line display. However, the content to be displayed is not limited to these examples. For example, Figure 8 shows a modified version of the line display.

[0059] In Figure 8, the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the through-hole 214 of the head unit 210, so basically the line display shown in Figure 7 is performed. However, as shown in Figure 8, both the first line 504a and the second line 504b displayed in the area display may be shown. In this case, the second graphic image has the first line 504a and the second line 504b in addition to the third line 504c. Alternatively, it can be said that the first graphic image is superimposed on the ultrasound image 502 in addition to the second graphic image. Note that each line 504a to 504c can be drawn by referring to the specification information described later.

[0060] In Figure 9, the puncture adapter 400 is not attached to the through hole 214 of the head unit 210, so basically the area display illustrated in Figure 6 is performed. However, although it can be seen that puncture is possible between the first line 504a and the second line 504b, it is conceivable that the user may want to specify in advance at what angle the puncture will actually be performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the fourth line 506 can be displayed in response to user instructions. The user inputs the display and display angle of the fourth line 506 by operating the operation panel 110. The display processing unit 120 may generate a first graphic image that includes the fourth line 506 in response to user instructions, or it may generate a third graphic image having the fourth line 506 and superimpose the first graphic image and the third graphic image onto the ultrasound image 502.

[0061] By the way, in this embodiment, the control unit 122 determines whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the probe 200 and selects a display mode, i.e., area display or line display. Now, the method for determining whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached will be explained.

[0062] Figure 10 shows an example of the operation panel 110 in this embodiment. The operation panel 110 is provided with a switch 110a for selecting a display mode. It is also provided with a trackball 110b for the user to indicate the angle of the fourth line 506 shown in Figure 9. When the user attaches the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200, the user operates switch 110a to select line display. When the user does not attach the puncture adapter 400 to the probe 200, the user operates switch 110a to select area display. Figure 6 illustrates the case when area display is selected. Based on this input instruction from the user, the control unit 122 determines whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the probe 200.

[0063] Furthermore, if the user operates switch 110a and selects "display off," the control unit 122 does not instruct the display processing unit 120 to generate a graphic image. As a result, each line 504a to 504c, as illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, is not displayed in the ultrasound image.

[0064] Furthermore, if the user operates switch 110a and selects "automatic," the control unit 122 will determine whether or not to attach the puncture adapter 400 to the head unit 210, rather than relying on the user's selection. In this embodiment, since the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 is connected to a laparoscope 300, the control unit 122 may also make the determination based on images taken from the laparoscope 300.

[0065] For example, when the console 100 acquires an image from the laparoscope 300, the control unit 122 analyzes the image to extract the head unit 210 and determines whether the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the extracted head unit 210. For example, an image of the head unit 210 without the puncture adapter 400 attached is acquired in advance as a reference image. Since it is unknown from what angle the laparoscope 300 will photograph the head unit 210, it is desirable that the reference image be a 3D image. Alternatively, multiple 2D images may be prepared.

[0066] In any case, the control unit 122 compares the image of the head unit 210 extracted from the captured image with a reference image. If the control unit 122 determines that the captured image of the head unit 210 is identical to the reference image, it determines that the puncture adapter 400 is not attached. In this case, the control unit 122 selects area display and instructs the display processing unit 120 to generate a first graphic image. On the other hand, if it determines that they are not identical, the control unit 122 determines that the puncture adapter 400 is not attached. In this case, the control unit 122 selects line display and instructs the display processing unit 120 to generate a second graphic image.

[0067] This automated determination based on images taken from the laparoscope 300 is just one example and is not limited to this. For example, the image of the head unit 210 to which the puncture adapter 400 is attached may be used as the reference image, or both images may be used as reference images.

[0068] Although the decision of whether or not to attach the aforementioned puncture adapter 400 was described as being made by the control unit 122, it may also be done in coordination with other components. For example, the control unit 122 may instruct the image processing unit 118 to perform image analysis of the captured image.

[0069] Alternatively, a learning model generated by machine learning using images of the head unit 210 with the puncture adapter 400 attached and images of the head unit 210 without the puncture adapter 400 attached as training images may be used. This learning model does not necessarily have to be run on the console 100 and may be generated using another computer. In any case, when using the learning model, it must be registered in the console 100 in advance. When the console 100 acquires images from the laparoscope 300, the control unit 122 inputs the acquired images into the learning model and adopts the output of the learning model, i.e., whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached, as the determination result.

[0070] In this embodiment, the user can select either area display or line display, and can also select automatic determination of whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 219. However, the method for determining whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 210 is just one example, and other methods may be used. Also, in this embodiment, the user can select the display mode by operating the switch 110a, and can also select automatic determination of the display mode, but the system may be configured to adopt only one of these options.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, the content of the guide display, i.e., area display or line display, is determined depending on whether or not the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the head portion 219. The user can perform the puncture by referring to the lines 504a to 504c displayed by the guide display.

[0072] However, it is not always the case that lines 504a to 504c are displayed correctly. For example, the head portion 210 of the probe 200 and the puncture adapter 400 are manufactured according to the design specifications (hereinafter referred to as "design information"), but there is a possibility that errors may occur between the design information and the actual product as a result of manufacturing. Therefore, in this embodiment, a means to eliminate such errors has been provided. The correction for eliminating these errors will be described below.

[0073] Figure 11 is a magnified view of a portion of the head 210 without the puncture adapter attached. Figure 11 shows the transducer array 212 and the through-hole 214. Since the puncture adapter 400 is not attached to the through-hole 214, it can be seen that this is an example of area display. In Figure 11, the through-hole 214 shown by the dashed line indicates the reference position where it should be formed according to the design information, and the through-hole 214' shown by the solid line indicates a through-hole that was formed according to the design information but was actually deviated from the reference position.

[0074] In area puncture, the puncture needle always passes through the exit of the through-hole 214, regardless of the angle at which it is inserted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the exit of the through-hole 214 is defined as the origin of the two-dimensional coordinate system in the first graphic image.

[0075] In a two-dimensional coordinate system, the direction along the oscillator array 212 is defined as the X-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the oscillator array 212 is defined as the Y-axis direction. If the coordinates of the origin in the through-hole 214 are (Xa, Ya) and the coordinates of the origin in the through-hole 214' are (Xa', Ya'), then in the X-axis direction, an error of DxA (= Xa' - Xa) occurs in the actual product.

[0076] In area display, a first graphic image representing the range of the puncture angle by the through-hole 214 is superimposed on the ultrasonic image generated based on transmission and reception by the transducer array 212. Therefore, if a predetermined position on the transducer array 212 is taken as a reference point R, and the relative position from that reference point R to the exit of the through-hole 214 is known, the origin in the first graphic image can be identified. In Figure 11, the corner of the transducer array 212 closer to the through-hole 214 is taken as the reference point R. The relative origin position (Xa, Ya) from the reference point R can be determined from the design information of the probe 200. In Figure 11, an error DxA (=Xa'-Xa) is actually occurring, but it can be corrected to the actual X-axis position of the origin Xa' (=Xa+DxA). The Y-axis direction is not shown, but it can be corrected in the same way as the X-axis direction.

[0077] Incidentally, a predetermined position on the head unit 210 may be used as the reference point. However, considering that errors may occur in the mounting position of the transducer array 212 on the head unit 210, it is preferable to set one of the positions on the transducer array 212 as the reference point.

[0078] Once the actual position of the through-hole 214' is determined as described above, the display processing unit 120 draws each line 504a and 504b at a predetermined angle, starting from the origin (Xa', Ya').

[0079] By the way, although the position of the origin can be corrected as described above, errors can also occur in the inclination angle of the inner wall of the through hole 214 that determines the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 for each line 504a and 504b. Incidentally, the inclination angle θ1 of the first line 504a is determined by the inclination angle θu in the through hole 214. The inclination angle θ2 of the second line 504b is determined by the inclination angle θb in the through hole 214. As described above, due to errors that occur in the manufacturing process, the inclination angle of the inner wall of the through hole 214' that is actually formed may be angle θu' (≠θu) or angle θb' (≠θb). Therefore, the angles θu and θb of the inner wall of the through hole 214 are corrected to θu' and θb'.

[0080] The origin (Xa', Ya') and angles θu', θb' in the actual through-hole 214' described above are determined during the pre-shipment inspection of the probe 200. Therefore, the design origin (Xa, Ya) and angles θu, θb are corrected as described above to create the specification information. This specification information includes the positional information of the origin in the first graphic image, i.e., coordinate data (Xa', Ya'), based on the positional relationship with a predetermined position (the "reference point R" described above) in the head unit 210, and assuming two reference lines, a first and a second, passing through this origin, the inclination angle θu' on the first reference line and the inclination angle θb' on the second reference line are set. This specification information is stored in the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 to which the probe 200 is connected.

[0081] The display processing unit 120 generates a first graphic image based on the specification information. Specifically, the display processing unit 120 draws a first line 504a starting from the origin (Xa', Ya') and with the inclination angle θu' on the first reference line as θ1. The display processing unit 120 also draws a second line 504b starting from the origin (Xa', Ya') and with the inclination angle θb' on the second reference line as θ2.

[0082] According to this embodiment, the first line 504a and the second line 504b can be drawn based on the specifications of the probe 200 actually used, rather than design information. This allows the user to perform a puncture within a predetermined range that matches the probe 200 actually used.

[0083] Figure 12 is a magnified view of a portion of the head portion 210 with the puncture adapter 400' attached. In Figure 12, the puncture adapter 400 is shown in addition to the transducer array 212 and the through hole 214. Since the puncture adapter 400 is attached to the through hole 214, it can be seen that this is an example of line representation. In Figure 12, the through hole 214 shown by the dashed line indicates the reference position that should be formed according to the design information, and the puncture adapter 400 shown by the dashed line indicates the puncture adapter that is attached to this through hole 214. On the other hand, the through hole 214' shown by the dashed line indicates a through hole that is formed according to the design information but is actually shifted from the reference position. The puncture adapter 400' shown by the solid line indicates the puncture adapter that is actually attached to this through hole 214'.

[0084] In line puncture, the puncture needle always passes through the exit of the needle guide hole 406 of the puncture adapter 400. Therefore, in this embodiment, the exit of the needle guide hole 406 is defined as the origin of the two-dimensional coordinate system in the second graphic image.

[0085] The basic concept of position correction in line display is the same as that explained for area display. If the origin coordinates at the exit of the needle guide hole 406 in the design are (Xa, Ya), and the origin coordinates at the exit of the needle guide hole 406' are (Xa', Ya'), then in the X-axis direction, an error of DxL (=Xl'-Xl) occurs in the actual product. Therefore, it can be corrected to the actual origin's X-axis position Xl' (=Xl+DxL). The Y-axis direction is not shown in the diagram, but it can be corrected in the same way as the X-axis direction.

[0086] Furthermore, errors may occur in the inclination angle θl of the needle guide hole 406, which determines the inclination angle θ3 of line 504c. Therefore, the inclination angle θl of the needle guide hole 406 is corrected to θl'.

[0087] The actual exit point of the needle guide hole 406' in the puncture adapter 400', i.e., the origin (Xl', Yl') and angle θl', are determined before shipment by inspecting the actually manufactured puncture adapter 400' by inserting it into the through hole 214' of the head unit 210. Therefore, the design origin (Xl, Yl) and angle θl are corrected as described above to create the specification information. This specification information includes the position information of the origin in the second graphic image, i.e., coordinate data (Xl', Yl'), based on the positional relationship with a predetermined position (the "reference point" above) in the head unit 210, and the inclination angle θl' of a third reference line passing through this origin. This specification information is stored in the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 to which the probe 200 is connected.

[0088] The display processing unit 120 generates a second graphic image based on the specification information. Specifically, the display processing unit 120 draws the third line 504c, starting from the origin (Xl', Yl') and setting the inclination angle θl' on the third reference line to θ3.

[0089] According to this embodiment, the third line 504c can be drawn based on the specifications of the probe 200 actually used, rather than design information. This allows the user to puncture at a predetermined fixed angle that matches the probe 200 actually used.

[0090] In this embodiment, specification information including the corrected coordinate data of the origin and the tilt angle value is sent to the console 100. However, it is also possible to create specification information that includes the correction values, i.e., the above-mentioned DxA, DxL and tilt angle error, and save it to the console 100 together with the design information. In this case, the display processing unit 120 will correct the origin and tilt angle when generating the graphic image before displaying each line 504a to 504c.

[0091] Incidentally, in the case of area puncture, the user refers to the area display exemplified in Figure 6 and performs the puncture with the inclination angle of line 504a as the upper limit and the inclination angle of line 504b as the lower limit. When displaying this area, the area display and display format may be different from those shown in Figure 6 for the convenience of the user. For example, the display format of the ultrasound image may be different for the area enclosed by lines 504a and 504b and the area outside of that area.

[0092] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the area display in this embodiment. In Figure 13, the area inside the range enclosed by lines 504a and 504b is displayed as usual, i.e., in the same way as in Figure 6, while the area outside of it is displayed in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to see. For example, the brightness of the outer image area is reduced to make it appear darker.

[0093] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating another modified example of the area display in this embodiment. In Figure 14, the area outside the range enclosed by lines 504a and 504b is displayed as usual, while the area inside that range is displayed in a way that makes it easier to see or draw attention to. For example, the brightness of the inner image area is increased to make it brighter, or a bright background color is used to display it.

[0094] In this way, by using different display formats for areas where puncture is possible and areas where it is not, the display can be designed to improve the visibility of the punctureable area for the user.

[0095] According to this embodiment, area display or line display is possible depending on whether the puncture adapter 400 is attached or not. In area display, the range of angles in which area puncture is possible is shown by lines 504a and 504b. In line display, the angle in which line puncture is possible is shown by line 504c. In Figure 6, lines 504a and 504b are shown as dashed lines, in Figure 7, line 504c is shown as a dashed line, and in Figure 9, line 506 is shown as a double dashed line. These display examples illustrate that lines do not need to be displayed with the same line type, and may be displayed with different line types. Furthermore, lines 504a to 504c and 506 may be displayed in various forms, such as by using different display colors, or by displaying symbols such as "+" consecutively to form lines. To make it easier to distinguish whether the lines displayed on the screen are lines displayed in the ultrasound image or lines displayed in the graphic image, the graphic image may use line types other than those used in the ultrasound image. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10 Ultrasound diagnostic device, 12 Cable, 20 Abdominal wall, 22, 32 Tracar, 24 Abdominal cavity, 26 Puncture needle, 28 Organ, 30 Tumor, etc., 100 Console, 106 First display unit, 108 Second display unit, 110 Operation panel, 110a Switch, 110b Trackball, 112 Transmit / receive control unit, 114 Beamforming (BF) unit, 116 Signal processing unit, 118 Image processing unit, 120 Display processing unit, 122 Control unit, 200 Probe, 202 Grip unit, 204 Insertion unit, 206 Operation unit, 208 Bending unit, 210 Head unit, 212 Transducer array, 214, 214' Through hole, 216 Notch for puncture needle guide, 220 Mark, 300 Laparoscope, 400, 400' Puncture adapter, 402 Main body, 404 Insertion section, 406, 406' Needle guide hole, 408 Clip

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe having a tip that is inserted into a body cavity, A puncture adapter that is detachably attached to the aforementioned tip, A processor that forms an ultrasonic image based on the signal received from the ultrasonic probe, and generates and displays a graphic image superimposed on the ultrasonic image. It has, The tip portion has a main guide hole that guides the puncture needle at any angle within a predetermined range of angles. The previous puncture adapter is An insertion portion which is inserted into the main guide hole when attached to the ultrasonic probe, A secondary guide hole that guides the puncture needle at a fixed angle, It has, The aforementioned processor, Determine whether or not the puncture adapter is attached to the tip within the body cavity. As the graphic image, if the puncture adapter is not attached to the tip, a first graphic image representing the predetermined angle range is generated, and if the puncture adapter is attached to the tip, a second graphic image representing the fixed angle is generated. An ultrasound diagnostic system characterized by the following features.

2. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, The ultrasound diagnostic system is characterized in that the first graphic image has a first line and a second line that represent the upper and lower limits of the predetermined angle range, respectively.

3. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 2, The ultrasonic diagnostic system is characterized in that the processor determines the position and tilt angle of the first line and the second line based on pre-registered specification information.

4. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, The ultrasound diagnostic system is characterized in that the second graphic image has a third line representing the fixed angle.

5. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 4, The ultrasonic diagnostic system is characterized in that the processor determines the position and tilt angle of the third line based on pre-registered specification information.

6. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 3 or 5, The ultrasonic diagnostic system is characterized in that the specification information includes positional information of the origin in the graphic image based on the positional relationship with a predetermined position at the tip, and the angle of a reference line passing through the origin, which is used to determine the inclination angle of the lines in the graphic image.

7. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, The ultrasound diagnostic system is characterized in that the processor determines whether or not the puncture adapter is attached to the tip based on input from the user.

8. In the ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, Having a laparoscope, The ultrasound diagnostic system is characterized in that the processor determines whether or not the puncture adapter is attached to the tip based on the images taken from the laparoscope.

Images