ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

Abstract

To make a circuit scale of an ultrasonic diagnostic device small and reduce power consumption.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes a vibration element unit 10 in which a plurality of vibration elements for transmitting or receiving an ultrasonic beam are aligned, and a selector 12a for selecting one vibration element from a combination of the vibration elements included in the vibration element unit 10. An opening including a plurality of the selectors 12a is composed for transmitting or receiving the ultrasonic beam with the vibration element selected by a plurality of the selectors 12a. A plurality of blocks combining the plurality of selectors 12 is composed, and in the selector 12a included in each of the blocks, the vibration element is selected in such a manner that a delay difference in each of the blocks does not change.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultrasound diagnostic devices are widely used. Ultrasound diagnostic devices generate cross-sectional images of a subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to the subject, and display them on a display. The cross-sectional images are used not only for diagnosing the subject, but also for performing treatments on the subject. For ultrasound diagnostic devices, handheld ultrasound probes have been developed that are miniaturized by incorporating circuits into the measurement probe.

[0003] In a handheld ultrasonic probe, in order to reduce power consumption (reduce analog / digital converters, etc.) and reduce signal lines, the transmitting and receiving apertures are divided into multiple blocks and a delay-and-sum process is performed. Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of a delay-and-sum circuit that performs delay-and-sum processing. In the delay-and-sum circuit, partial delay-and-sum processing is performed within each block, and then delay-and-sum processing is performed between the blocks. When performing such delay-and-sum processing, it is advantageous to reduce the number of delay-and-sum circuits in the latter stage as much as possible and increase the number of additions in the former stage (the size of each block) in order to reduce power consumption. An analog delay circuit (ADL) as shown in Figure 11 is used for the delay-and-sum circuit in the former stage. In an analog delay circuit, the required number of taps (the size of the delay circuit) is determined by the maximum delay amount and resolution. Therefore, if the analog delay is to be increased, the circuit scale of the analog delay circuit becomes large. Therefore, a method is adopted in which analog delay is applied to the transducer elements in the neighboring areas where the delay difference is small as a block, and a digital delay is applied between the blocks, which allows the delay to be easily increased.

[0004] In a linear probe or a convex probe, as shown in FIG. 12, the transducer elements to be used are scanned according to the position of the beam in the transducer array of the probe. The range of the transducer elements to be used is called an aperture. The aperture can be set independently for transmission and reception. An image is generated by synthesizing the signals obtained from each of the apertures (aperture 1, aperture 2, aperture n). In transmission and reception, focusing is performed by delaying the channel of each transducer element in each aperture (Patent Document 1). In this case, a delay circuit for the aperture is provided, and the transducer elements are switched according to scanning to connect the transducer elements constituting each aperture to the delay circuit. At this time, in order to connect the transducer elements to the delay circuit corresponding to each aperture, a selector (MUX) is used to select the transducer elements to be connected to the delay circuit, as shown in FIG. 13. In the example of FIG. 13, 32 selectors (MUX) are provided for a probe consisting of 128 transducer elements, each of which selects one signal from four input signals and outputs it, and the signals output from each selector (MUX) are combined and input to the delay circuit.

[0005] For example, the selector (MUX1) selects and outputs the signal of the first transducer element, the selector (MUX2) selects and outputs the signal of the second transducer element, and the selector (MUX32) selects and outputs the signal of the 32nd transducer element, so that the signals output from the adjacent first to 32nd transducer elements in the probe are treated as one aperture and input to the delay circuit for processing. Next, the selector (MUX1) selects and outputs the signal of the 33rd transducer element, the selector (MUX2) selects and outputs the signal of the second transducer element, and the selector (MUX32) selects and outputs the signal of the 32nd transducer element, so that the signals output from the adjacent second to 33rd transducer elements in the probe are treated as one aperture and input to the delay circuit for processing. In this way, the transducer elements included in each aperture are scanned while being switched, and delay processing according to each aperture is applied by shifting and setting the delay information used in the delay circuit in accordance with the switching of the physical aperture channel. This type of processing is called channel rotation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-503459 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When delaying the output signal from each transducer element while switching the transducer elements included in the aperture by channel rotation with the ultrasonic beam tilted, it is necessary to configure an analog delay circuit so that a linearly varying delay difference can be imparted to the output signal from each transducer element arranged in succession, as shown in Figure 14(a).

[0008] For example, if the adjacent first through 32nd transducer elements in a probe are treated as one aperture, the output signal of the first transducer element is not delayed, the output signal of the second transducer element is delayed by delay time t, the output signal of the third transducer element is delayed by delay time 2t, ... the output signal of the 32nd transducer element is delayed by delay time 31t. Here, if the analog delay circuit is divided into four blocks (BLK1 to BLK4), the maximum delay amount in each block is the value shown as "intra-block delay difference" in Figure 14(a).

[0009] However, in the conventional delay circuit shown in FIG. 13, when the adjacent second to 33rd transducer elements are treated as one opening, the output signal of the second transducer element is not delayed, the output signal of the third transducer element is delayed by a delay time t, the output signal of the fourth transducer element is delayed by a delay time 2t, and the output signal of the 33rd transducer element is delayed by a delay time 32t. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the output signal of the 33rd transducer element is input to the first block (BLK1) of the four blocks (BLK1 to BLK4) in the delay circuit, so that the maximum delay amount in the first block (BLK1) is the value shown as "intrablock delay difference" in FIG. 14(b). Thereafter, channel rotation is performed in the same manner, and when the 8th to 39th transducer elements are treated as one opening, the maximum delay amount in the first block (BLK1) is the value shown as "intrablock delay difference" in FIG. 14(c). Then, when the 9th to 40th transducer elements are treated as one aperture, the maximum delay amount in the first block (BLK1) returns to the value shown as "intra-block delay difference" in FIG. 14(d).

[0010] In this way, when the ultrasonic beam of the probe is tilted, the transducer elements selected as one block at both ends of the aperture become discontinuous, requiring a large difference in delay amount, and the circuit must be configured to provide a large delay amount in each block of the analog delay circuit. Therefore, in the configuration of the analog delay circuit shown in Figure 11, it is necessary to increase the number of combinations of capacitors and selection switches, which increases the circuit scale of the analog delay circuit in each block, and there is a problem that the integrated circuit (IC) including the analog delay circuit also becomes large. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is an ultrasound diagnostic device that includes a transducer section in which a plurality of transducer elements for transmitting or receiving ultrasound beams are arranged, and a selector that selects one of the transducer elements from a combination of the transducer elements included in the transducer section, and is provided with a plurality of the selectors, an aperture for transmitting or receiving an ultrasound beam is formed by the transducer elements selected by the plurality of the selectors, a plurality of blocks are formed by combining a plurality of the selectors, and the selector included in each of the blocks selects the transducer element such that the delay difference in each of the blocks does not change.

[0012] Here, it is preferable that the selector included in each of the blocks selects the vibration elements that are consecutively arranged in the vibration element section.

[0013] It is also preferable that the vibration elements arranged continuously in the vibration element section are selected across the blocks.

[0014] It is also preferable to provide a delay adder that delays the ultrasonic beam received by the transducer elements selected by the selector and then performs phasing addition for each block.

[0015] Furthermore, when the vibration elements are arranged in numerical order in the vibration element section, and the number of the vibration elements included in the vibration element section is X and the number of the selectors is Y, the vibration elements selectable by the first selector are the vibration elements having numbers obtained by adding a multiple of the number Y to a reference number M and subtracting the number A of the vibration elements selectable by one of the selectors from the number M, and the vibration elements selectable by the Nth selector (where N is an integer of 1 or more) are the vibration elements having numbers obtained by adding (N-1) to the numbers of the vibration elements selectable by the first selector.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is a control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic device including a transducer section in which a plurality of transducer elements for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic beams are arranged, and a selector for selecting one of the transducer elements from a combination of the transducer elements included in the transducer section, the control method being characterized in that an aperture for transmitting or receiving an ultrasonic beam is formed by the transducer elements selected by the plurality of selectors, and the selector included in each of blocks combining the plurality of selectors selects the transducer element such that the delay difference in each of the blocks does not change.

[0017] Here, the method includes a first step of allocating the vibration elements that constitute the opening to each of the blocks in accordance with the arrangement order of the vibration element section, a second step of repeating a channel rotation that shifts the vibration elements allocated to the entire block in accordance with the arrangement order of the vibration element section, and a third step of rotating the blocks so that the first block becomes the last block after performing channel rotation the number of times equal to the number of vibration elements allocated to each of the blocks, and it is preferable to repeat the process from the first step after the third step. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the circuit scale of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and to miniaturize the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a transmitting / receiving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a selector and transducer elements in a transceiver unit and processing in the transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a selector and transducer elements in a transceiver unit and processing in the transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a selector and transducer elements in a transceiver unit and processing in the transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a selector and transducer elements in a transceiver unit and processing in the transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating processing in a delay adder in a transmission / reception unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the selector and the transducer elements in the transceiver unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the selector and the transducer elements in the transceiver unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a phasing addition circuit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an analog delay circuit. [Figure 12] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating scanning by a transducer element of a probe. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional transmitting / receiving unit. [Figure 14] 1 is a diagram illustrating processing in a delay adder in a conventional transmitting / receiving unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] 1, an ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasonic probe 102 and a display unit 104. The ultrasonic probe 102 includes a transducer unit 10, a transmitter / receiver unit 12, an analog / digital conversion circuit 14, a signal processing unit 16, a control unit 18, and an operation unit 20.

[0021] The vibration element section 10 includes a plurality of vibration elements. In the vibration element section 10, the plurality of vibration elements are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. In the vibration element section 10, the vibration elements are arranged in an array in numerical order one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. In response to a transmission signal output from the transmitting / receiving section 12, each vibration element of the vibration element section 10 converts the transmission signal into ultrasonic waves and transmits the ultrasonic waves to the subject. In addition, each vibration element of the vibration element section 10 receives ultrasonic waves reflected by the subject, converts the ultrasonic waves into electrical signals, and outputs the electrical signals to the transmitting / receiving section 12.

[0022] In this embodiment, a channel rotation is performed to scan an aperture including a transducer element to be used according to the position of the beam among a plurality of transducer elements included in the transducer element section 10. The channel rotation in this embodiment will be described later.

[0023] The transmitting / receiving unit 12 generates and outputs a transmission signal for transmitting ultrasonic waves to each transducer element of the transducer element unit 10. The transmitting / receiving unit 12 selects a transducer element that becomes an opening for outputting a transmission ultrasonic beam in the transducer element unit 10. The transducer elements that constitute the aperture for transmission are scanned by the transmitting / receiving unit 12, and channel rotation is performed. In addition, the transmitting / receiving unit 12 adjusts the delay time of the transmission signal to be output to each transducer element so that the ultrasonic waves emitted from each transducer element that constitutes the aperture are reinforced at a specific position in the subject, and outputs the signal to the transducer element unit 10. The timing for outputting the transmission ultrasonic beam is set by a transmission timing signal ST input from the signal processing unit 16. As a result, a transmission ultrasonic beam is output by ultrasonic waves from each transducer element of the transducer element unit 10 toward the specific position.

[0024] In addition, the transmitting / receiving unit 12 receives a reception signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject and received by each transducer of the transducer element unit 10, processes the reception signal, and outputs the processed signal to the analog / digital conversion circuit 14. The transmitting / receiving unit 12 selects a transducer element that becomes an aperture that receives an ultrasonic beam in reception as well. That is, the transducer elements that configure the aperture for reception are scanned by the transmitting / receiving unit 12, and channel rotation is performed. The transducer elements that configure the aperture can be selected independently for transmission and reception. The transmitting / receiving unit 12 performs analog phasing addition of the electrical signals output from each transducer element so that the electrical signals based on the received ultrasonic waves are reinforced with each other, and generates an output signal. The transmitting / receiving unit 12 outputs the output signal to the analog / digital conversion circuit 14. That is, a received ultrasonic beam is formed by phasing addition in the transmitting / receiving unit 12, and an output signal SR corresponding to the received ultrasonic beam is output from the transmitting / receiving unit 12 to the analog / digital conversion circuit 14.

[0025] In the following description, the transmitted ultrasonic beam and the received ultrasonic beam are collectively referred to as "ultrasonic beam."

[0026] The analog / digital conversion circuit 14 converts the output signal SR from the transmission / reception unit 12 from an analog signal to a digital signal and outputs the digital signal. The output signal SD of the analog / digital conversion circuit 14 is input to a signal processing unit 16. The processing in the analog / digital conversion circuit 14 is controlled by the signal processing unit 16.

[0027] The signal processing unit 16 performs digital processing on the signal input from the analog / digital conversion circuit 14. The signal processing unit 16 can be configured, for example, as a digital circuit that processes digital signals, a computer that executes processing according to a program, or a combination of these.

[0028] The signal processing unit 16 further applies digital phasing and summing to the signal that has been subjected to analog phasing and summing in the transmitting / receiving unit 12. The signal processing unit 16 also applies a beam process to the digital phasing and summing signal to generate luminance data of an image, and applies a color process to generate flow velocity data and variance data of the image. Existing image processing techniques of ultrasonic diagnostic devices can be applied to the beam process and color process. The luminance data, flow velocity data, and variance data generated by the signal processing unit 16 are output to the display unit 104 via the control unit 18 after being subjected to data compression processing, etc.

[0029] Furthermore, the signal processing unit 16 generates and outputs control signals to the transceiver unit 12 and the analog / digital conversion circuit 14. The signal processing unit 16 outputs selection information for setting the transducer elements that constitute the aperture to the transceiver unit 12. The signal processing unit 16 also outputs delay information for setting how much the signal should be delayed when performing analog phasing and summation in the analog / digital conversion circuit 14. The signal processing unit 16 also outputs a control signal for setting parameters for conversion from an analog signal to a digital signal in the analog / digital conversion circuit 14.

[0030] The control unit 18 performs integrated control of each part of the ultrasonic probe 102. The control unit 18 can be configured by a computer that executes processing by a program. The control unit 18 performs overall control of the ultrasonic probe 102 based on operation information of a user using the operation unit 20. For example, when a diagnosis button of the operation unit 20 is turned on, the control unit 18 outputs a control signal to the signal processing unit 16 to send out an ultrasonic beam and start diagnosis, and when the diagnosis button is turned off, the control unit 18 outputs a control signal to the signal processing unit 16 to stop the ultrasonic beam. In addition, the control unit 18 receives brightness data, flow velocity data, and dispersion data from the signal processing unit 16 and performs processing to transfer them to the display unit 104. The communication with the display unit 104 may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0031] The operation unit 20 accepts user operations on the ultrasonic probe 102. The operation unit 20 may include switches, buttons, rotary knobs, levers, etc. The operation unit 20 outputs operation information based on the user operations to the control unit 18.

[0032] The display unit 104 displays an image for ultrasonic diagnosis. The display unit 104 includes a display device. The display unit 104 displays an ultrasonic image obtained from the subject based on the brightness data, flow velocity data, and variance data generated in the signal processing unit 16.

[0033] [Channel rotation processing] The following describes the channel rotation process in the ultrasound diagnostic device 100. Fig. 2 shows the configuration of a selector (MUX) 12a and a delay adder (ADL) 12b included in the transmitting / receiving unit 12 of the ultrasound probe 102. Note that Fig. 2 shows only the configuration necessary for channel rotation in the transmitting / receiving unit 12, and the transmitting / receiving unit 12 may include other configurations as necessary.

[0034] The channel rotation in this embodiment will be described by taking an example in which 32 adjacent transducer elements are selected to be included in an aperture from among 128 transducer elements included in the transducer element section 10. That is, the configuration and processing for rotating the aperture channel while shifting the transducer elements one by one in sequence will be described, with the first to 32nd transducer elements as aperture 1, then the second to 33rd transducer elements as aperture 2, and so on.

[0035] 3 to 6 show the relationship between selectable transducer elements and selection information for the 32 selectors 12a (12a-1 to 12a-32). In FIG. 3 to FIG. 6, each row shows the transducer elements selectable by each of the selectors 12a. Each of the selectors 12a selects one of the eight transducer elements and outputs the ultrasonic signal received by the selected transducer element.

[0036] The first selector 12a-1 is configured to select one of the 121st, 17th, 25th, 49th, 57th, 81st, 89th, and 113th according to the selection information. The first selector 12a-1 outputs the ultrasonic signal received by the selected transducer element as the output signal 1-1. The second selector 12a-2 is configured to select one of the 122nd, 18th, 26th, 50th, 58th, 82nd, 90th, and 114th, which are incremented by one for each of the 121st, 17th, 25th, 49th, 57th, 81st, 89th, and 113th selectable by the first selector 12a-1. Then, the second selector 12a-2 outputs the ultrasonic signal received by the selected transducer element as an output signal 1-2.

[0037] Similarly, the third selector 12a-2 to the 32nd selector 12a-32 are configured to select the 1st to 128th transducer elements by shifting them cyclically in order. Here, "shifting cyclically in order" means that when shifting numbers within a certain range, when the number is shifted further from the maximum number in the range, the number is returned to the first number. For example, when the range from the 1st to the 128th is targeted, the number is shifted back to the 1st number when the number is shifted further from the 128th number.

[0038] In this embodiment, four delay adders 12b (12b-1 to 12b-4) are used to delay and phase-add the output signals of 32 transducer elements selected by 32 selectors 12a (12a-1 to 12a-32). Therefore, the output signals of the 32 transducer elements are divided into four blocks, and each of the four delay adders 12b (12b-1 to 12b-4) delays and phase-adds the output signals of eight transducer elements.

[0039] Specifically, the outputs from the first to eighth selectors 12a-1 to 12a-8 are processed as output signals 1-1 to 1-8 by the first delay adder 12b-1. The outputs from the ninth to sixteenth selectors 12a-9 to 12a-16 are processed as output signals 2-1 to 2-8 by the second delay adder 12b-2. The outputs from the seventeenth to twenty-fourth selectors 12a-17 to 12a-24 are processed as output signals 3-1 to 3-8 by the third delay adder 12b-3. The outputs from the first to eighth selectors 12a-1 to 12a-8 are processed as output signals 1-1 to 1-8 by the first delay adder 12b-1.

[0040] Below, we will explain an example of a process of performing channel rotation from a state in which the 49th to 80th transducer elements are selected as open channels, as shown in the shaded area of ​​Figure 3, to a state in which the 57th to 88th transducer elements are selected as open channels, as shown in the shaded area of ​​Figure 6.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 3, the signal processing unit 16 outputs the selection information "3", and the selection information "3" is input to the first to 32nd selectors 12a-1 to 12a-32. As a result, the first selector 12a-1 selects the 49th transducer element among the 121st, 17th, 25th, 49th, 57th, 81st, 89th, and 113th transducer elements. The second selector 12a-2 selects the 50th transducer element among the 122nd, 18th, 26th, 50th, 58th, 82nd, 90th, and 114th transducer elements. Similarly, the third selector 12a-3 selects the 51st transducer element, the fourth selector 12a-4 selects the 52nd transducer element, etc., and the transducer elements shown shaded in FIG. 3 are selected in each of the first to 32nd selectors 12a-1 to 12a-32.

[0042] As a result, the ultrasonic signals received by the 49th to 56th transducer elements as the first block BLK1 are output as output signals 1-1 to 1-8, respectively, and input to the first delay adder 12b-1. Also, the ultrasonic signals received by the 57th to 64th transducer elements as the second block BLK2 are output as output signals 2-1 to 2-8, respectively, and input to the second delay adder 12b-2. Also, the ultrasonic signals received by the 65th to 72nd transducer elements as the third block BLK3 are output as output signals 3-1 to 3-8, respectively, and input to the third delay adder 12b-3. Similarly, the ultrasonic signals received by the 73rd to 80th transducer elements as the fourth block BLK4 are output as output signals 4-1 to 4-8, respectively, and input to the fourth delay adder 12b-4.

[0043] In the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4, as shown in FIG. 7(a), delay processing is performed according to delay information from the signal processing unit 16. In the delay adder 12b-1 of the first block BLK1, the ultrasonic signals received by the 49th to 56th transducer elements are subjected to delay processing as output signals 1-1 to 1-8, respectively, and then analog phasing and addition is performed. Specifically, when the delay information is information to delay by time "t", the output signal 1-1 of the 49th transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 1-2 of the 50th vibration is delayed by the delay time t, the output signal 1-3 of the 51st vibration is delayed by the delay time 2t, ... the output signal 1-8 of the 56th transducer element is delayed by the delay time 7t. Then, the delayed output signals 1-1 to 1-8 are subjected to analog phasing and addition and output as the output signal SR1. In the delay adder 12b-2 of the second block BLK2, the ultrasonic signals received by the 57th to 64th transducer elements are subjected to delay processing as output signals 2-1 to 2-8, respectively, and then analog phasing addition is performed. Specifically, when the delay information is information to delay by time "t", the output signal 2-1 of the 57th transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 2-2 of the 58th transducer element is delayed by the delay time t, the output signal 2-3 of the 59th transducer element is delayed by the delay time 2t, ... the output signal 2-8 of the 64th transducer element is delayed by the delay time 7t. Then, the delayed output signals 2-1 to 2-8 are subjected to analog phasing addition and output as an output signal SR2. In the delay adder 12b-3 of the third block BLK3, the ultrasonic signals received by the 65th to 72nd transducer elements are subjected to delay processing as output signals 3-1 to 3-8, respectively, and then analog phasing addition is performed. Specifically, when the delay information indicates delaying by time "t", the output signal 3-1 of the 65th vibration element is not delayed, the output signal 3-2 of the 66th vibration is delayed by the delay time t, the output signal 3-3 of the 67th vibration is delayed by the delay time 2t, ... the output signal 3-8 of the 72nd vibration element is delayed by the delay time 7t. Then, the delayed output signals 3-1 to 3-8 are analog phase-matched and added to be output as the output signal SR3.In the delay adder 12b-4 of the fourth block BLK4, the ultrasonic signals received by the 73rd to 80th transducer elements are subjected to delay processing as output signals 4-1 to 4-8, respectively, and then analog phasing and summing are performed. Specifically, when the delay information is information to delay by time "t", the output signal 4-1 of the 73rd transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 4-2 of the 74th vibration is delayed by the delay time t, the output signal 4-3 of the 75th vibration is delayed by the delay time 2t, ... the output signal 4-8 of the 80th transducer element is delayed by the delay time 7t. Then, the delayed output signals 4-1 to 4-8 are subjected to analog phasing and summing and output as the output signal SR4.

[0044] Here, the maximum delay amount in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is the value shown as "intra-block delay difference" in Fig. 7(a). For example, if the delay information indicates a delay of time "t", the maximum delay amount in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is 7t.

[0045] In the transmitting / receiving unit 12, a time gain control circuit (TGC) may be provided in front of the selector 12a to adjust the amplitude of the ultrasonic signal according to the reception timing of the ultrasonic signal at each transducer element. Also, a high pass filter (HPF) or a low pass filter (LPF) may be provided in the rear of the delay adder 12b to perform filtering on the output signals SR1 to SR4.

[0046] Moreover, the delay adjustment between the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is performed by digital phasing and summing in the signal processing unit 16. For example, when the delay information is information for delaying by time "t", as shown in Fig. 7(a), the delay time between the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is adjusted so that the output signals from the 57th to 88th transducer elements selected as the aperture channels are delayed by time "t" as a whole and summed, and then the digital phasing and summing is performed.

[0047] Next, a channel rotation is performed to shift the transducer elements selected as the open channels by one. That is, the channel rotation is performed so that the 49th to 80th transducer elements are selected as the open channels as shown in the shaded area of ​​FIG. 3, and the 50th to 81st transducer elements are selected as the open channels as shown in the shaded area of ​​FIG. 4.

[0048] 4, the signal processing unit 16 outputs selection information "3" to the second to eighth selectors 12a-2 to 12a-8, the tenth to sixteenth selectors 12a-10 to 12a-16, the eighteenth to twenty-fourth selectors 12a-18 to 12a-24, and the twenty-sixth to thirty-second selectors 12a-26 to 12a-32. In addition, the signal processing unit 16 outputs selection information "4" to the first selector 12a-1, the ninth selector 12a-9, the seventeenth selector 12a-17, and the twenty-fifth selector 12a-25.

[0049] As a result, the first selector 12a-1 selects the 57th vibration element among the 121st, 17th, 25th, 49th, 57th, 81st, 89th, and 113th vibration elements. The second selector 12a-2 selects the 50th vibration element among the 122nd, 18th, 26th, 50th, 58th, 82nd, 90th, and 114th vibration elements. Similarly, the third selector 12a-3 selects the 51st vibration element, the fourth selector 12a-4 selects the 52nd vibration element, and the vibration elements shown by shading in FIG. 4 are selected in each of the first to 32nd selectors 12a-1 to 12a-32.

[0050] As a result, the ultrasonic signals received by the 57th, 50th to 56th transducer elements as the first block BLK1 are output as output signals 1-1 to 1-8, respectively, and input to the first delay adder 12b-1. Also, the ultrasonic signals received by the 65th, 58th to 64th transducer elements as the second block BLK2 are output as output signals 2-1 to 2-8, respectively, and input to the second delay adder 12b-2. Also, the ultrasonic signals received by the 73rd, 66th to 72nd transducer elements as the third block BLK3 are output as output signals 3-1 to 3-8, respectively, and input to the third delay adder 12b-3. Similarly, the ultrasonic signals received by the 81st, 74th to 80th transducer elements as the fourth block BLK4 are output as output signals 4-1 to 4-8, respectively, and input to the fourth delay adder 12b-4.

[0051] In the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4, delay processing is performed according to delay information from the signal processing unit 16, as shown in FIG. 7(b). In the delay adder 12b-1 of the first block BLK1, the ultrasonic signals received by the 57th, 50th to 56th transducer elements are subjected to delay processing as output signals 1-1 to 1-8, respectively, and then analog phasing addition is performed. Specifically, when the delay information is information that delays by time "t", the output signal 1-1 of the 57th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 7t, the output signal 1-2 of the 50th transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 1-3 of the 51st transducer is delayed by a delay time of t, the output signal 1-4 of the 52nd transducer is delayed by a delay time of 2t, ... the output signal 1-8 of the 56th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 6t. Then, the delayed output signals 1-1 to 1-8 are subjected to analog phasing addition and output as the output signal SR1. That is, the ultrasonic signals received by the 50th to 57th transducer elements are sequentially delayed by time t each, and then phased and added. In the delay adder 12b-2 of the second block BLK2, the ultrasonic signals received by the 65th, 58th to 64th transducer elements are delayed as output signals 2-1 to 2-8, respectively, and then analog phased and added. Specifically, when the delay information is information to delay by time "t", the output signal 2-1 of the 65th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 7t, the output signal 2-2 of the 58th vibration is not delayed, the output signal 2-3 of the 59th vibration is delayed by a delay time of t, and the output signal 2-8 of the 64th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 6t. Then, the delayed output signals 2-1 to 2-8 are analog phased and added, and output as the output signal SR2. That is, the ultrasonic signals received by the 58th to 65th transducer elements are sequentially delayed by a time t, and then subjected to phasing addition. In the delay adder 12b-3 of the third block BLK3, the ultrasonic signals received by the 73rd, 66th, and 72nd transducer elements are delayed as output signals 3-1 to 3-8, respectively, and then subjected to analog phasing addition.Specifically, when the delay information is information to delay by time "t", the output signal 3-1 of the 73rd transducer element is delayed by a delay time 7f, the output signal 3-2 of the 66th transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 3-3 of the 67th transducer element is delayed by a delay time t, and the output signal 3-8 of the 72nd transducer element is delayed by a delay time 6t. Then, the delayed output signals 3-1 to 3-8 are analog-phased and added and output as the output signal SR3. That is, the ultrasonic signals received by the 66th to 73rd transducer elements are sequentially delayed by time t, and then phased and added. In the delay adder 12b-4 of the fourth block BLK4, the ultrasonic signals received by the 81st and 74th to 80th transducer elements are delayed as the output signals 4-1 to 4-8, respectively, and then analog-phased and added. Specifically, when the delay information indicates delaying by time "t", the output signal 4-1 of the 81st transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 7t, the output signal 4-2 of the 74th transducer element is not delayed, the output signal 4-3 of the 75th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of t, ... the output signal 4-8 of the 80th transducer element is delayed by a delay time of 6t. Then, the delayed output signals 4-1 to 4-8 are analog-phased and added, and output as the output signal SR4. That is, the ultrasonic signals received by the 74th to 81st transducer elements are sequentially delayed by a time of t, and then phased and added.

[0052] Here, the maximum delay amount in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is the value shown as "intra-block delay difference" in Fig. 7(b). For example, if the delay information is information for delaying by time "t", the maximum delay amount in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 is kept at 7t.

[0053] Next, as shown in the shaded area of ​​Fig. 4, a channel rotation is performed from a state in which the 50th to 81st transducer elements are selected as the aperture channel to a state in which the 51st to 82nd transducer elements are selected. Specifically, from the state shown in Fig. 4, the selection information for the second selector 12a-2, the 10th selector 12a-10, the 18th selector 12a-18, and the 26th selector 12a-26 is changed from "3" to "4" to select the 51st to 82nd transducer elements. In this state, delay phasing addition processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4. Furthermore, the selection information for the third selector 12a-3, the eleventh selector 12a-11, the nineteenth selector 12a-19, and the twenty-seventh selector 12a-27 is changed from "3" to "4," so that the 52nd to 83rd transducer elements are selected. In this state, delay phasing addition processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0054] In this way, channel rotation is performed to shift the transducer elements selected as the open channels by one in sequence. When seven channel rotations are performed from the state shown in Fig. 3, the 56th to 87th transducer elements are selected as the open channels, as shown in the shaded area in Fig. 5. In this state, as shown in Fig. 7(c), delay phasing addition processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0055] Then, in the eighth channel rotation from the state shown in Fig. 3, as shown in Fig. 6, the selection signal "5" is input to the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-8, and the selection signal "3" is input to the selectors 12a-9 to 12a-32. This results in a state in which the 57th to 88th transducer elements are selected as the open channels. In this state, as shown in Fig. 7(d), delay phasing and summing processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0056] From the state in which the 49th to 80th transducer elements shown in Fig. 3 are selected to the state in which the 57th to 88th transducer elements shown in Fig. 6 are selected, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 perform delay processing on the ultrasonic signals received by eight adjacent transducer elements. Therefore, the maximum delay amount can be kept constant in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0057] Similarly, channel rotation can be performed by shifting the transducer elements selected as the open channels by one in sequence. That is, the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-4 of the block BLK1 change the selection signal from "5" to "6" one by one, and the selectors 12a-9 to 12a-16 of the block BLK2, the selectors 12a-17 to 12a-24 of the block BLK3, and the delay adders 12b-25 to 12b-32 of the block BLK4 change the selection signal from "3" to "4" one by one, and each time, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 perform delay phasing and summing. Then, in the eighth channel rotation from the state shown in FIG. 6, the selection signal "5" is input to the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-16, and the selection signal "3" is input to the selectors 12a-17 to 12a-32. This results in a state in which the 65th to 96th transducer elements are selected as the open channels. In this state, delay phasing addition processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0058] In addition, the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-8 of the block BLK1 and the selectors 12a-9 to 12a-16 of the block BLK2 are changed one by one in sequence from the selection signal "5" to "6", and the selectors 12a-17 to 12a-24 of the block BLK3 and the delay adders 12b-25 to 12b-32 of the block BLK4 are changed one by one in sequence from the selection signal "3" to "4", a channel rotation is performed. Each time, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 perform a delay phasing addition process. Then, in the eighth channel rotation, the selection signal "5" is input to the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-24, and the selection signal "3" is input to the selectors 12a-25 to 12a-32. As a result, the 73rd to 104th transducer elements are selected as the opening channels. In this state, delay phasing and adding processing is performed in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4.

[0059] Furthermore, the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-8 of the block BLK1, the selectors 12a-9 to 12a-16 of the block BLK2, and the selectors 12a-17 to 12a-24 of the block BLK3 are changed one by one in sequence from the selection signal "5" to "6", and the delay adders 12b-25 to 12b-32 of the block BLK4 are changed one by one in sequence from the selection signal "3" to "4", performing channel rotation. Each time, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 perform delay phasing and summing. Then, in the eighth channel rotation, the selection signal "5" is input to the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-32. As a result, the 81st to 112th transducer elements are selected as the opening channels. In this state, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 perform delay phasing and addition processing.

[0060] Thereafter, channel rotation can be performed in the same manner so as to shift the selection signals of the selectors 12a-1 to 12a-32 of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 one by one. That is, by performing the above processing by replacing the selection signals "3", "4", and "5" with "5", "6", and "7", respectively, the channel rotation of the open channels can be performed so that the 81st to 112th transducer elements are selected as the open channels, and the 113th to 128th and 1st to 16th transducer elements are selected as the open channels. Also, by performing the above processing by replacing the selection signals "3", "4", and "5" with "7", "0", and "1", respectively, the channel rotation of the open channels can be performed so that the 113th to 128th and 1st to 16th transducer elements are selected as the open channels, and the 17th to 48th transducer elements are selected as the open channels. Furthermore, by performing the above processing by replacing the selection signals "7", "0", and "1" with "1", "2", and "3", respectively, it is possible to perform channel rotation of the open channels so that the 17th to 48th transducer elements are selected as the open channels, and the 49th to 80th transducer elements are selected as the open channels.

[0061] The above process can also be explained as follows. In each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4, the transducer elements constituting the aperture are assigned in the order (49th to 80th) of the transducer section 10. Then, the process of shifting the transducer elements in the order of the transducer section 10 is repeated in the entire blocks BLK1 to BLK2. That is, the channel rotation is performed by repeating the process of shifting the transducer elements in the order of the transducer section 10 from a state in which the 49th to 80th transducer elements are assigned in the order of the transducer section 10 to a state in which the 50th to 81st transducer elements are assigned in the order of the transducer section 10, to a state in which the 51st to 82nd transducer elements are assigned in the order of the transducer section 10, etc. Then, after performing channel rotation for the number of transducer elements assigned to each of blocks BLK1 to BLK4, the blocks are rotated so that the first block BLK1 is the last block, followed by blocks BLK2, BLK3, BLK4, and BLK1 in that order, and the transducer elements that configure the apertures are assigned to each of blocks BLK2, BLK3, BLK4, and BLK1 according to their arrangement order (58th to 88th) in the transducer element section 10. In this manner, channel rotation of transducer elements for all blocks and rotation between blocks are repeated.

[0062] In the above channel rotation, in any state, the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each block BLK1 to BLK4 perform delay processing on the ultrasonic signals received by the eight transducer elements arranged adjacent to each other. That is, the selector 12a included in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 selects transducer elements so that the delay difference in the transducer elements selected in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 does not change. Therefore, the maximum delay amount in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each block BLK1 to BLK4 can be kept small and constant. By keeping the delay amount in each block small, the number of capacitors and switches in the analog delay circuit as shown in FIG. 11 can be reduced, the circuit scale of the analog delay circuit can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. In addition, the size of the ultrasonic probe 102 can be made compact.

[0063] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which 32 selectors 12a (12a-1 to 12a-32) and four delay adders 12b (12b-1 to 12b-4) are provided for 128 vibration elements included in the vibration element section 10. However, the number of vibration elements included in the vibration element section 10, the number of selectors 12a, and the number of delay adders 12b are not limited to these.

[0064] When the transmitter / receiver unit 12 is configured with Y selectors 12a and Z delay adders 12b (Z number of blocks) for X number of transducer elements included in the transducer unit 10, it is preferable to satisfy the following condition.

[0065] [Condition 1] (The number of vibration elements included in the vibration element section 10, X)≦(The number of selectors 12a, Y)×(The number of delay adders 12b, Z)

[0066] [Condition 2] (Number of transducer elements selectable by one selector 12a) A = 2 × (Number of transducer elements included in transducer element section 10) / (Number of selectors 12a) Y

[0067] [Condition 3] The numbers of the transducer elements selectable by the first selector 12a are M, (M+YA), (M+Y), (M+2Y-A), (M+2Y), (M+3Y-A), (M+3Y), etc., where M is the reference number. That is, the reference number is the first selection number, the number obtained by adding the number Y of the selectors 12a selectable by one selector 12a to the first selection number and subtracting the number A of the transducer elements is the second selection number, the number obtained by adding the number A of the transducer elements to the second selection number is the third selection number, the number obtained by adding the number Y of the selectors 12a to the third selection number and subtracting the number A of the transducer elements is the fourth selection number, the number obtained by adding the number A of the transducer elements to the fourth selection number is the fifth selection number, etc., and the next selection number is a number obtained by alternately adding the number Y of the selectors 12a to the previous selection number and subtracting the number A of the transducer elements selectable by one selector 12a, or adding the number A of the transducer elements selectable by one selector 12a. However, the number of the transducer elements is counted cyclically with respect to the number X of the transducer elements included in the transducer element unit 10.

[0068] In other words, the (M+Y), (M+2Y), (M+3Y), etc., numbers obtained by adding a multiple of the number Y of the selectors 12a to the number M, and the (M+YA), (M+2Y-A), (M+3Y-A), etc., numbers obtained by subtracting the number A of the transducer elements selectable by one selector 12a from the number M are the numbers of the transducer elements selectable by the first selector 12a. That is, the number obtained by adding the number Y×K (K is an integer equal to or greater than 0) of the selectors 12a to the reference number M is the (1+2K) selection number, and the number obtained by adding the number Y×(K+1) of the selectors 12a to the reference number M and subtracting the number A of the transducer elements selectable by one selector 12a is the (2+2K) number.

[0069] [Condition 4] The numbers of the vibration elements selectable by the Nth selector 12a (N is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are numbers obtained by adding (N-1) to the numbers of the vibration elements selectable by the first selector 12a. For example, if the numbers of the vibration elements selectable by the first selector 12a are M, (M+YA), (M+Y), (M+2Y-A), (M+2Y), (M+3Y-A), (M+3Y),..., the numbers of the vibration elements selectable by the second selector 12a are (M+1), (M+Y-A+1), (M+Y+1), (M+2Y-A+1), (M+2Y+1), (M+3Y-A+1), (M+3Y+1).

[0070] For example, when the vibration element section 10 includes 64 vibration elements, 16 selectors 12a, and 4 delay adders 12b, it is preferable to configure the transmission / reception section 12 as shown in Fig. 8. Also, when the vibration element section 10 includes 32 vibration elements, 16 selectors 12a, and 4 delay adders 12b, it is preferable to configure the transmission / reception section 12 as shown in Fig. 9. However, these are merely examples, and the configuration of the selector 12a is not limited to these.

[0071] By configuring the transmission / reception unit 12 so as to satisfy the above conditions, the transducer elements arranged adjacent to each other in each of the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-Z of each block BLK can be processed in any state. That is, the selector 12a included in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 selects transducer elements so that the delay difference of the transducer elements selected in each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 does not change. Therefore, the maximum delay amount in the delay adders 12b-1 to 12b-4 of each of the blocks BLK1 to BLK4 can be kept small and constant. By keeping the delay amount in each block small, the number of combinations of capacitors and selection switches in the analog delay circuit can be reduced. Therefore, the circuit scale of the analog delay circuit can be reduced, and power consumption can also be reduced. In addition, the size of the ultrasound probe can be made compact.

[0072] In this embodiment, the channel rotation of the opening channels when an ultrasonic beam is received by a transducer element selected in the transducer element section 10 has been described, but the channel rotation of the opening channels when an ultrasonic beam is transmitted by a transducer element selected in the transducer element section 10 can also be performed in the same manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 transducer unit, 12 transmitter / receiver unit, 12a selector, 12b delay adder, 14 analog / digital conversion circuit, 16 signal processing unit, 18 control unit, 20 operation unit, 100 ultrasound diagnostic device, 102 ultrasound probe, 104 display unit.

Claims

1. a transducer unit in which a plurality of transducers for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic beams are arranged; a selector for selecting one of the vibration elements from a combination of the vibration elements included in the vibration element unit; A delay adder that configures a plurality of blocks combining a plurality of the selectors, delays the ultrasonic beam received by the transducer element selected by the selector, and then performs phasing addition for each block; Including, The selector is provided in a plurality of units, and an aperture for transmitting or receiving an ultrasonic beam is configured by the transducer elements selected by the plurality of selectors; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the selector included in each of the blocks selects the transducer elements so that a delay difference indicating a maximum delay amount of the ultrasonic beam in each of the blocks is constant among a plurality of the blocks.

2. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector assigned to each of the blocks selects the transducer elements arranged consecutively in the transducer element section.

3. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transducer elements arranged consecutively in the transducer element section are selected across the blocks.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The vibration elements are arranged in numerical order in the vibration element section, When the number of the vibration elements included in the vibration element unit is X and the number of the selectors is Y, The vibration elements selectable by the first selector are the vibration elements having numbers obtained by adding a multiple of the number Y to a reference number M and subtracting the number A of the vibration elements selectable by one selector from each of the numbers, An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus characterized in that the transducer elements selectable by the Nth selector (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1) are the transducer elements whose numbers are obtained by adding (N-1) to the numbers of the transducer elements selectable by the first selector.

5. a transducer unit in which a plurality of transducers for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic beams are arranged; a selector for selecting one of the vibration elements from a combination of the vibration elements included in the vibration element unit; A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: forming a plurality of blocks each combining a plurality of the selectors; delaying an ultrasonic beam received by the transducer element selected by the selector; and performing phasing addition for each of the blocks; A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: forming an aperture for transmitting or receiving an ultrasonic beam by the transducer elements selected by a plurality of the selectors; and causing the selector included in each of the blocks to select the transducer elements such that a delay difference indicating a maximum delay amount of the ultrasonic beam in each of the blocks is constant among the plurality of the blocks.

6. A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, comprising the steps of: a first step of allocating the vibration elements constituting the opening to each of the blocks in accordance with an arrangement order in the vibration element unit; a second step of repeating a channel rotation for shifting the vibration elements allocated in accordance with the arrangement order of the vibration element units in the entire block; a third step of rotating the blocks so that the first block becomes the last block after performing channel rotation by the number of the transducer elements assigned to each of the blocks; Including, A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising the steps of: repeating the process from the first step after the third step.

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