Ultrasound diagnostic device and method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic device

Abstract

This invention provides an ultrasound diagnostic device and a control method for the ultrasound diagnostic device that can accurately acquire ultrasound images representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section. [Solution] The ultrasound diagnostic device includes an image recognition unit (25) that recognizes the Valsalva sinus from an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart, a first evaluation unit (26) that evaluates the convexity of the anterior wall portion of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit (25) and obtains a first evaluation value, a second evaluation unit (27) that evaluates the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit (25) and obtains a second evaluation value, and a notification unit (29) that notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit (26) and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit (27).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for imaging the heart of a subject and a control method for the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an ultrasound image representing a tomographic plane of the heart of a subject is captured using a so-called ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and the so-called cardiac output is calculated by analyzing the captured ultrasound image. The calculation of cardiac output is usually performed through the following calculation steps: (1) measure the diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract in an ultrasound image representing the so-called parasternal left ventricular long-axis cross-section at the mid-systolic phase of the heart, and calculate the cross-sectional area of the left ventricular outflow tract; (2) calculate the velocity-time integral value of the blood flow in the left ventricular outflow tract by the so-called pulsed Doppler method using an ultrasound image representing the so-called apical five-chamber cross-section or the so-called apical three-chamber cross-section; (3) calculate the so-called stroke volume from the product of the cross-sectional area of the left ventricular outflow tract and the velocity-time integral value of the blood flow in the left ventricular outflow tract; and (4) calculate the cardiac output from the product of the stroke volume and the heart rate. This technique is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, users who are not skilled in acquiring ultrasound images representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section may not be able to position the ultrasound probe at the appropriate position and angle when acquiring the image. In this case, the left ventricular outflow tract diameter may not be accurately measured. Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the left ventricular outflow tract is proportional to the square of the left ventricular outflow tract diameter, if the left ventricular outflow tract diameter cannot be accurately measured, the calculation error of the left ventricular outflow tract cross-sectional area may increase, and as a result, the calculation errors of stroke volume and cardiac output may also increase.

[0005] This invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional invention, and aims to provide an ultrasound diagnostic device and a control method for the ultrasound diagnostic device that can accurately capture ultrasound images representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above objective can be achieved with the following configuration. [1] An image recognition unit that recognizes the Valsalva sinus from an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart, A first evaluation unit evaluates the degree of convexity of the anterior wall portion of the Valsalva Cavern recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a first evaluation value, A second evaluation unit evaluates the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the Valsalva Cavern recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a second evaluation value, A notification unit that notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit. An ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with the following features. [2] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to [1], wherein the first evaluation unit acquires the curvature of the anterior side wall as a first evaluation value. [3] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to [1] or [2], wherein the second evaluation unit obtains a value obtained by multiplying the curvature of the rear side wall by minus 1 as the second evaluation value. [4] A monitor for displaying ultrasound images, A display control unit displays the front wall and rear wall on a monitor by changing their display configuration according to a first evaluation value obtained by a first evaluation unit and a second evaluation value obtained by a second evaluation unit. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], comprising: [5] An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], comprising an image evaluation unit that evaluates an ultrasound image based on a first evaluation value obtained by a first evaluation unit and a second evaluation value obtained by a second evaluation unit. [6] The image recognition unit recognizes the aortic valve annulus from the ultrasound image. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus described in [5] evaluates the ultrasound image by adding to the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle among the straight lines connecting the anterior and posterior walls of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit and the aortic valve annulus. [7] Recognize the Valsalva sinus from an ultrasound image showing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart. The convexity of the anterior wall portion of the recognized Cavern of Valsalva is evaluated to obtain a first evaluation value. A second evaluation value is obtained by evaluating the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the recognized Valsalva Cave. The first and second evaluation values ​​obtained are reported to the user. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention provides an ultrasound diagnostic device that includes an image recognition unit that recognizes the Valsalva sinus from an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section of the subject's heart; a first evaluation unit that evaluates the convexity of the anterior wall portion of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a first evaluation value; a second evaluation unit that evaluates the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a second evaluation value; and a notification unit that notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit. As a result, the ultrasound diagnostic device can accurately capture an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the transmission / reception circuit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the image generation unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic image representing a parasternal left ventricular long-axis cross section. [Figure 5] This is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section of the Valsalva sinus. [Figure 6] This is a diagram schematically showing a first example of a longitudinal section of the Valsalva sinus. [Figure 7] This is a diagram schematically showing a second example of a longitudinal section of the Valsalva sinus. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the constituent elements set forth below is made based on representative embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. In the present specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values stated before and after "~" as the lower limit value and the upper limit value. In the present specification, "identical" and "same" are intended to include error ranges that are generally acceptable in the technical field.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 1 and an apparatus main body 2 connected to each other by so-called wired communication or so-called wireless communication.

[0011] The ultrasonic probe 1 includes a transducer array 11 and a transmit / receive circuit 12 connected thereto.

[0012] The apparatus main body 2 includes an image generation unit 21 connected to the transmit / receive circuit 12. In the apparatus main body 2, a display control unit 22 and a monitor 23 are sequentially connected to the image generation unit 21. Further, an image memory 24 and an image recognition unit 25 are connected to the image generation unit 21. A first evaluation unit 26 and a second evaluation unit 27 are connected to the image recognition unit 25. An image evaluation unit 28 is connected to the first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation unit 27. A notification unit 29 is connected to the first evaluation unit 26, the second evaluation unit 27, and the image evaluation unit 28. The notification unit 29 is connected to the display control unit 22. Further, an apparatus control unit 30 is connected to the transmit / receive circuit 12, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the image memory 24, the image recognition unit 25, the first evaluation unit 26, the second evaluation unit 27, the image evaluation unit 28, and the notification unit 29. An input device 31 is connected to the apparatus control unit 30.

[0013] The transmit / receive circuit 12 and the image generation unit 21 constitute an image acquisition unit 32. Further, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the image recognition unit 25, the first evaluation unit 26, the second evaluation unit 27, the image evaluation unit 28, the notification unit 29, and the apparatus control unit 33 constitute a processor 33 for the apparatus main body 2.

[0014] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of these ultrasonic transducers transmits ultrasound according to a drive signal supplied from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, and also receives ultrasonic echoes from the subject and outputs a signal based on the ultrasonic echoes. Each ultrasonic transducer is constructed by forming electrodes at both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0015] The image acquisition unit 32, which consists of a transmitting / receiving circuit 12 and an image generation unit 21, acquires an ultrasound image of the subject's heart by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam using an ultrasound probe 1.

[0016] The transmitting / receiving circuit 12 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 11 and generates a sound line signal based on the received signal acquired by the transducer array 11, under the control of the device control unit 30. As shown in Figure 2, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 includes a pulser 41 connected to the transducer array 11, and an amplifier 42, an AD (Analog to Digital) converter 43, and a beamformer 44 connected sequentially in series from the transducer array 11.

[0017] The pulser 41 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators, and based on a transmission delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the device control unit 30, it supplies each drive signal to the multiple ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, adjusting the delay amount, so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducers form an ultrasonic beam. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves from each ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0018] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected from a target, such as a part of the subject, and propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 is received by each ultrasonic transducer that makes up the transducer array 11. At this time, each ultrasonic transducer that makes up the transducer array 11 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and outputs these received signals to the amplification unit 42.

[0019] The amplification unit 42 amplifies the signals input from each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 43. The AD conversion unit 43 converts the signals transmitted from the amplification unit 42 into digital received data. The beamformer 44 performs so-called receive focus processing by adding each received data received from the AD conversion unit 43 with a corresponding delay. Through this receive focus processing, each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 43 is phase-corrected and added together, and a sound ray signal with a focused ultrasonic echo is obtained.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the image generation unit 21 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 45, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 46, and an image processing unit 47 are connected in series in sequence.

[0021] The signal processing unit 45 receives the sound line signal from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, applies a sound velocity value set by the device control unit 30 to correct for attenuation due to distance according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate a B-mode image signal, which is tomographic image information of the tissue within the subject.

[0022] The DSC46 converts the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing unit 45 into an image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal (raster conversion). The image processing unit 47 performs various necessary image processing, such as gradation processing, on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 46, and then sends the B-mode image signal to the display control unit 22, image memory 24, and image recognition unit 25. Hereafter, the B-mode image signal processed by the image processing unit 47 will be referred to as an ultrasonic image.

[0023] In the present invention, the image acquisition unit 32 acquires an ultrasound image U representing a parasternal left ventricular long-axis section, schematically shown in Figure 4. The parasternal left ventricular long-axis section is a cross-section that includes the left ventricle E, left ventricular outflow tract T, left atrium, and right ventricle. The aortic valve annulus is located in the left ventricular outflow tract T. The ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section is used, for example, to measure the left ventricular outflow tract diameter, which is the diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract T.

[0024] The image memory 24 is a memory that stores multiple frames of ultrasound images acquired by the image acquisition unit 32. The user can use the multiple frames of ultrasound images stored in the image memory 24 to review them after the examination, for example. As the image memory 24, recording media such as flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disk), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disk), MT (Magnetic Tape), RAM (Random Access Memory), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory) can be used.

[0025] The image recognition unit 25 recognizes the so-called Valsalva sinus A from the ultrasound image U by analyzing the ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricle long-axis section of the subject's heart. The Valsalva sinus A is a cavity located in the left ventricular outflow tract T, further away from the left ventricle E than the aortic valve annulus. The image recognition unit 25 can recognize the Valsalva sinus A from the ultrasound image U by methods such as a so-called template matching method, which searches within the ultrasound image U using a typical image pattern representing the Valsalva sinus A, or by using a pre-trained model in so-called machine learning, which has been pre-trained on the relationship between a large number of ultrasound images U and the Valsalva sinus A depicted in them.

[0026] Figure 5 schematically shows a cross-section of the Valsalva sinus A. The cross-section of the Valsalva sinus A refers to the cross-section of the Valsalva sinus A perpendicular to the direction of course of the left ventricular outflow tract T. Generally, the aortic valve is known to have three types of valves: the right coronary cusp RCC, the left coronary cusp LCC, and the non-coronary cusp NCC. In order to accurately measure the left ventricular outflow tract diameter in the ultrasound image U representing the parasternal long-axis section of the left ventricle, it is ideal to take an ultrasound image U corresponding to section P1 that passes through the boundary between the left coronary cusp LCC and the non-coronary cusp NCC and longitudinally crosses the right coronary cusp RCC. In ultrasound images U corresponding to sections that do not pass through the boundary between the left coronary cusp LCC and the non-coronary cusp NCC, such as section P2 shown in Figure 5, the left ventricular outflow tract diameter cannot be accurately measured.

[0027] In the ultrasound image U corresponding to cross-section P1 that longitudinally traverses the right cusp RCC through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC, ideally, as shown in Figure 6, the anterior wall W1 of the sinus of Valsalva A has an upwardly convex shape in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the left ventricular outflow tract T, and the posterior wall W2 of the sinus of Valsalva A has a flatter shape in line with the direction of the left ventricular outflow tract T compared to the anterior wall W1. In cross-section P2 that does not pass through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC, as shown in Figure 7, the anterior wall W1 of the sinus of Valsalva A has an upwardly convex shape in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the left ventricular outflow tract T, but the posterior wall W2 of the sinus of Valsalva A has a downwardly convex shape rather than a flat shape.

[0028] The first evaluation unit 26 evaluates the convexity of the anterior wall portion W1 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25 and obtains a first evaluation value. The first evaluation unit 26 can calculate the curvature of the anterior wall portion W1 in the ultrasound image U as a first evaluation value representing the convexity of the anterior wall portion W1.

[0029] Here, the curvature of the anterior wall W1 of the Valsalva sinus A, which is calculated here, changes depending on the position and inclination angle of the ultrasound probe 1. Here, the inclination angle of the ultrasound probe 1 refers to, for example, the angle between the body surface of the subject in contact with the ultrasound probe 1 and the orientation of the ultrasound probe 1, that is, the direction in which the ultrasound probe 1 is pressed against the body surface of the subject. The first evaluation unit 26 can also normalize the first evaluation value within a defined numerical range, for example, by associating the minimum value that the first evaluation value can take based on anatomical structure with 0 and the maximum value that the first evaluation value can take based on anatomical structure with 100.

[0030] The second evaluation unit 27 evaluates the linearity of the posterior wall portion W2 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25 and obtains a second evaluation value. The second evaluation unit 27 can calculate a value obtained by multiplying the curvature of the posterior wall portion W2 in the ultrasound image U by minus 1 as a second evaluation value representing the linearity of the posterior wall portion W2.

[0031] The calculated curvature of the posterior wall portion W2 of the Valsalva sinus A also changes depending on the position and inclination angle of the ultrasound probe 1, similar to the curvature of the anterior wall portion W1. The second evaluation unit 27 can also normalize the second evaluation value within a defined numerical range, for example, by associating the minimum value that the second evaluation value can take based on anatomical structure with -100 and the maximum value that the second evaluation value can take based on anatomical structure with 0.

[0032] The image evaluation unit 28 evaluates the ultrasound image U based on a first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit 26 and a second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit 27. The image evaluation unit 28 can calculate an image evaluation value for the ultrasound image U by, for example, adding the normalized first evaluation value and the normalized second evaluation value and dividing by 2. A higher image evaluation value indicates that the cross-section represented by the ultrasound image U is closer to the cross-section P1 passing through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC, while a lower image evaluation value indicates that the cross-section represented by the ultrasound image U is further away from the cross-section P1 passing through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC. The image evaluation unit 28 also has multiple evaluation thresholds for the image evaluation value, and can classify the image evaluation value into discrete evaluation results such as "good," "medium," and "poor" based on multiple numerical ranges separated by the multiple evaluation thresholds.

[0033] Furthermore, the image evaluation unit 28 can, for example, input the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value into a pre-trained machine learning model that has learned the relationship between the first evaluation value, the second evaluation value, and the image evaluation value, thereby causing the pre-trained model to output a classification of the image evaluation value or the discrete evaluation results of the ultrasound image U.

[0034] The notification unit 29 notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit 27. The notification unit 29 can notify the user, for example, by displaying the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value on the monitor 23. The notification unit 29 can also notify the user of the evaluation result of the ultrasound image U by the image evaluation unit 28, for example, by displaying it on the monitor 23.

[0035] By checking the content of the notification from the notification unit 29, the user can easily determine whether the currently acquired ultrasound image U represents a cross-section P1 passing through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC. If the cross-section represented by the ultrasound image U is far from cross-section P1, the user can adjust the position or tilt angle of the ultrasound probe 1 to easily acquire an ultrasound image U that accurately represents cross-section P1.

[0036] The display control unit 22 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasonic image U acquired by the image acquisition unit 32 and the notification content from the notification unit 29 under the control of the device control unit 30, and displays them on the monitor 23. The display control unit 22 can also change the display form of the front wall W1 and the rear wall W2 on the monitor 23 according to the first evaluation value acquired by the first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation value acquired by the second evaluation unit 27. For example, the display control unit 22 can display the front wall W1 and the rear wall W2 such that the larger the absolute value of the first evaluation value and the absolute value of the second evaluation value, the closer they are to a first color such as red, and the smaller the absolute value of the first evaluation value and the absolute value of the second evaluation value, the closer they are to a second color such as blue. The display control unit 22 can also change the thickness, transparency, etc. of the contours of the front wall W1 and the rear wall W2 and display them on the monitor 23.

[0037] The monitor 23 displays the ultrasonic image U acquired by the image acquisition unit 32 and the notification content from the notification unit 29 under the control of the display control unit 22, and has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0038] The input device 31 is for the user to perform input operations and consists of devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, and touch sensor placed on top of the monitor 23.

[0039] In this embodiment, each process in processor 33 is executed on any computer. Alternatively, any computer may execute these processes using a processor as hardware, a program as software, or a combination thereof. In that case, the processor is configured to work in cooperation with the program to execute the various processes in this embodiment, and can function as a unit or means in this embodiment. Furthermore, the execution order of the processes by the processor is not limited to the order described and may be changed as appropriate. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other system capable of executing each process.

[0040] The processor 33 may be composed of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the processor 33 may be composed of hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or other programmable logic devices, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other dedicated circuit for executing specific processing, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a given processor, these multiple hardware components may reside in physically separate devices or in the same device. Also, in any embodiment, the order of each process performed by the processor 33 is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware is composed of electrical circuits (circuitry) that combine circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0041] Furthermore, the program may be firmware or software such as microcode. Alternatively, the program may be, for example, a set of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on physically separate devices. Program code or code segments may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Program code or code segments may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0042] Next, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 8.

[0043] In step S1, the user places the ultrasound probe 1 on the body surface of the subject, and the image acquisition unit 32 acquires an ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart. At this time, under the control of the device control unit 30, the transmission and reception of ultrasound is started from multiple transducers of the transducer array 11 according to the drive signal from the pulser 41 of the transmitting and receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1, and the ultrasound echo from within the subject is received by multiple transducers of the transducer array 11, the received signal which is an analog signal is output to the amplification unit 42 and amplified, and the received data is acquired by AD conversion in the AD conversion unit 43.

[0044] The beamformer 44 performs reception focus processing on this received data, and the resulting sound line signal is sent to the image generation unit 21 of the main unit 2, where the image generation unit 21 generates an ultrasonic image U. At this time, the signal processing unit 45 of the image generation unit 21 performs attenuation correction according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position and envelope detection processing on the sound line signal, and the DSC 46 converts it into an image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal, and the image processing unit 47 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing.

[0045] In step S2, the image recognition unit 25 recognizes the so-called Valsalva sinus A from the ultrasound image U by analyzing the ultrasound image U acquired in step S1. The image recognition unit 25 can recognize the Valsalva sinus A from the ultrasound image U by, for example, a template matching method or a method using a trained model in machine learning.

[0046] In step S3, the first evaluation unit 26 evaluates the convexity of the front wall portion W1 of Valsalva Cave A recognized in step S2 and obtains a first evaluation value. The first evaluation unit 26 can calculate the curvature of the front wall portion W1 as a first evaluation value representing the convexity of the front wall portion W1 of Valsalva Cave A.

[0047] In step S4, the second evaluation unit 27 evaluates the straightness of the rear wall portion W2 of the Valsalva Cave A recognized in step S2 and obtains a second evaluation value. For example, the second evaluation unit 27 can calculate a value obtained by multiplying the curvature of the rear wall portion W2 by minus 1 as a second evaluation value representing the straightness of the rear wall portion W2 of the Valsalva Cave A.

[0048] In step S5, the notification unit 29 notifies the user of the first evaluation value acquired in step S3 and the second evaluation value acquired in step S4. The notification unit 29 can notify the user, for example, by displaying the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value on the monitor 23. By checking the content of the notification from the notification unit 29, the user can easily determine whether the ultrasound image U currently being acquired represents a cross-section P1 that passes through the boundary between the left cusp LCC and the non-cusp NCC. If the cross-section represented by the ultrasound image U is far from cross-section P1, the user can adjust the position or tilt angle of the ultrasound probe 1 to easily acquire an ultrasound image U that accurately represents cross-section P1.

[0049] Once the process in step S5 is completed, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device according to the flowchart in Figure 8 is complete.

[0050] As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the image recognition unit 25 recognizes the Valsalva sinus A from the ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section of the subject's heart, the first evaluation unit 26 evaluates the convexity of the anterior wall portion W1 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25 and obtains a first evaluation value, the second evaluation unit 27 evaluates the linearity of the posterior wall portion W2 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25 and obtains a second evaluation value, and the notification unit 29 notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit 27, so that the user can accurately capture the ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section.

[0051] Although it is explained that the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 is provided in the ultrasonic probe 1, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 may also be provided in the main body of the device 2. Furthermore, although it is explained that the image generation unit 21 is provided in the main body 2 of the device, the image generation unit 21 may also be provided in the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0052] The main unit 2 of the device may be a stationary type, a portable type that is easy to carry, or a handheld type, for example, composed of a smartphone or tablet computer. Thus, the type of equipment that makes up the main unit 2 is not particularly limited.

[0053] Furthermore, if the ultrasound diagnostic device includes a server (not shown) located remotely from the main unit 2, the processor 33 can be provided in the server instead of, for example, the main unit 2.

[0054] The first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation unit 27 can also weight the first and second evaluation values. For example, in the ultrasound image U, the shape of the posterior wall W2 of the Valsalva sinus A changes more significantly with respect to changes in the position and tilt angle of the ultrasound probe 1 than the shape of the anterior wall W1. Therefore, the first evaluation unit 26 and the second evaluation unit 27 can weight the first and second evaluation values ​​such that the weighting coefficient for the second evaluation value is larger than the weighting coefficient for the first evaluation value. For example, predetermined values ​​can be used as the weighting coefficients for the first and second evaluation values, respectively.

[0055] Embodiment 2 The image recognition unit 25 can recognize the aortic valve annulus in addition to the sinus of Valsalva A. In this case, the image evaluation unit 28 can evaluate the ultrasound image U by taking into account the recognition of the aortic valve annulus by the image recognition unit 25.

[0056] Figure 9 shows the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 2 is equipped with a device body 2A in place of the device body 2 shown in Figure 1 of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 1. The device body 2A is equipped with an image recognition unit 25A in place of the image recognition unit 25, an image evaluation unit 28A in place of the image evaluation unit 28, and a device control unit 30A in place of the device control unit 30 in place of the device body 2 of Embodiment 1.

[0057] In the main unit 2A of the device, the image recognition unit 25A is connected to the image generation unit 21. The image evaluation unit 28A is connected to the image recognition unit 25A, the first evaluation unit 26, and the second evaluation unit 27. The image evaluation unit 28A is connected to the notification unit 29. The image recognition unit 25A and the image evaluation unit 28A are connected to the device control unit 30A. Furthermore, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the image recognition unit 25A, the first evaluation unit 26, the second evaluation unit 27, the image evaluation unit 28A, the notification unit 29, and the device control unit 30A constitute the processor 33A for the main unit 2A.

[0058] The image recognition unit 25A recognizes the aortic valve annulus in addition to the sinus of Valsalva A from the ultrasound image U. The image recognition unit 25A can recognize the aortic valve annulus by, for example, using template matching or a trained model in machine learning.

[0059] The image evaluation unit 28A evaluates the ultrasound image U by adding to the first and second evaluation values ​​the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle E among the straight lines connecting the anterior wall W1 and posterior wall W2 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25A, and the aortic valve annulus. For example, the image evaluation unit 28A can calculate the final image evaluation value by adding or multiplying the image evaluation value calculated based on the first and second evaluation values ​​by an evaluation correction value that increases as the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle E connecting the anterior wall W1 and posterior wall W2 and the aortic valve annulus decreases. Furthermore, the image evaluation unit 28A can classify the ultrasound image U into discrete evaluations such as "good," "medium," and "poor" based on the calculated image evaluation value.

[0060] Furthermore, the image evaluation unit 28A can also, for example, input a first evaluation value, a second evaluation value, and an ultrasound image U to a pre-trained machine learning model that has been trained so that the closer the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle E, connecting the anterior wall portion W1 and the posterior wall portion W2, and the aortic valve annulus, the greater the image evaluation value, thereby causing the pre-trained model to output a final image evaluation value that takes into account the recognition result of the aortic valve annulus. At this time, the image evaluation unit 28A can also output discrete evaluations such as "good," "medium," and "poor" regarding the ultrasound image U to the pre-trained model.

[0061] By incorporating the recognition result of the aortic valve annulus in this manner, the image evaluation unit 28A can evaluate the ultrasound image U more accurately than if it were evaluated based solely on the first and second evaluation values.

[0062] As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of Embodiment 2, the image evaluation unit 28A evaluates the ultrasound image U by adding to the first and second evaluation values ​​the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle E among the straight lines connecting the anterior wall W1 and posterior wall W2 of the Valsalva sinus A recognized by the image recognition unit 25A and the aortic valve annulus, thereby enabling accurate evaluation of the ultrasound image U. By confirming these evaluation results, the user can adjust the position or tilt angle of the ultrasound probe 1 to accurately acquire an ultrasound image U representing the parasternal left ventricle long axis section. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1 Ultrasound probe, 2,2A Main unit, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmit / receive circuit, 21 Image generation unit, 22 Display control unit, 23 Monitor, 24 Image memory, 25,25A Image recognition unit, 26 First evaluation unit, 27 Second evaluation unit, 28,28A Image evaluation unit, 29 Notification unit, 30,30A Device control unit, 31 Input device, 32 Image acquisition unit, 33,33A Processor, 41 Pulsar, 42 Amplifier unit, 43 AD conversion unit, 44 Beamformer, 45 Signal processing unit, 46 DSC, 47 Image processing unit, A Valsalva sinus, B Aortic valve, E Left ventricle, LCC Left coronary cusp, NCC Non-coronary cusp, P1,P2 Cross section, RCC Right coronary cusp, T Left ventricular outflow tract, U Ultrasound image, W1 Anterior wall, W2 Posterior wall.

Claims

1. An image recognition unit that recognizes the Valsalva sinus from an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart, A first evaluation unit evaluates the degree of convexity of the anterior wall portion of the Valsalva sinus recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a first evaluation value. A second evaluation unit evaluates the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the Valsalva cavity recognized by the image recognition unit and obtains a second evaluation value. A notification unit that notifies the user of the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit. An ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with the following features.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first evaluation unit acquires the curvature of the front side wall as a first evaluation value.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second evaluation unit obtains a value obtained by multiplying the curvature of the rear side wall by minus 1 as the second evaluation value.

4. A monitor that displays the ultrasound image, A display control unit displays the front wall portion and the rear wall portion on the monitor by changing their display configurations according to the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

5. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image evaluation unit that evaluates the ultrasound image based on the first evaluation value obtained by the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation value obtained by the second evaluation unit.

6. The image recognition unit recognizes the aortic valve annulus from the ultrasound image, The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image evaluation unit evaluates the ultrasound image by adding to the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value the distance between the straight line closest to the left ventricle among the straight lines connecting the anterior and posterior walls of the sinus of Valsalva recognized by the image recognition unit and the aortic valve annulus.

7. The Valsalva sinus was identified from an ultrasound image representing the parasternal left ventricular long-axis section of the subject's heart. The degree of convexity of the recognized front wall portion of the Valsalva cavity is evaluated to obtain a first evaluation value. A second evaluation value is obtained by evaluating the straightness of the posterior wall portion of the recognized Valsalva cavity. The acquired first evaluation value and second evaluation value are communicated to the user. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device.

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