Ultrasound diagnostic equipment

Abstract

To prevent an excessive amplitude or an insufficient amplitude in a case of amplifying a received signal in accordance with a gain function.SOLUTION: A plurality of amplifiers 26a amplify a plurality of received signals in accordance with a gain function which changes according to a depth. A maximum amplitude detector 36 detects a maximum amplitude for each depth, from among the plurality of received signals. A gain function corrector 40 corrects the gain function based on the maximum amplitude for each depth. A corrected gain function is given to the plurality of amplifiers 26a. A compensator 44 executes gain compensation on beam data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to ultrasound diagnostic devices, and more particularly to processing multiple received signals. [Background technology]

[0002] When an ultrasound examination of a subject is performed using an ultrasound diagnostic device, a gain function is selected in advance according to the ultrasound probe, transmission frequency, etc. The gain function is a function for dynamically changing the gain (gain, amplification factor) according to the depth. The selected gain function is provided to a number of analog amplifiers. The multiple analog amplifiers amplify a number of received signals according to the provided gain function. The selected gain function is used continuously during the ultrasound examination.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an ultrasonic diagnostic device having an automatic gain controller. The automatic gain controller adjusts an analog gain based on an ultrasonic image. Patent Document 1 does not describe adjustment of the analog gain based on a plurality of received signals before phasing and summing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-236637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By amplifying the received signal according to the gain function, the depth dependency of the received signal strength can be eliminated or mitigated. However, if a strong reflector is present in the living body, the amplitude of the amplified received signal becomes excessive, resulting in a problem of saturation of the received signal. On the other hand, if the ultrasonic attenuation in the living body is greater than expected, the amplitude of the amplified received signal becomes too small, resulting in a problem of reduced sensitivity.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to amplify a received signal so that excessive or insufficient amplitude does not occur. Alternatively, an object of the present disclosure is to adapt a gain function to a situation during operation of an ultrasound diagnostic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ultrasound diagnostic device according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of amplifiers that amplify a plurality of received signals according to a gain function that changes depending on depth, thereby outputting a plurality of amplified received signals; a beamformer that applies a delay to the amplified plurality of received signals and then adds the delayed plurality of received signals to thereby generate beam data; a detector that detects a representative value sequence consisting of a plurality of representative values ​​lined up in the depth direction, based on the amplified plurality of received signals or the delayed plurality of received signals; and a corrector that corrects an original gain function based on the representative value sequence, thereby generating a modified gain function, and the modified gain function is provided to the plurality of amplifiers as the gain function. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the received signal can be amplified so that excessive or insufficient amplitude does not occur. Alternatively, according to the present disclosure, the gain function can be adapted to the situation during operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a plurality of reception signals output from a plurality of transducer elements. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates the amplification of a received signal based on a gain function. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 illustrates detection of maximum amplitude sequences. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates the generation of modified gain and compensation functions. [Figure 6]FIG. 1 shows two transmissions and receptions that are adjacent in time. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing two transmissions and receptions that are in a spatially corresponding relationship. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a first modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a second modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (1) Overview of the embodiment An ultrasound diagnostic device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of amplifiers, a beamformer, an acquirer, and a corrector. The amplifiers amplify a plurality of received signals according to a gain function that varies depending on depth, thereby outputting a plurality of amplified received signals. The beamformer applies a delay to the amplified received signals, and then adds the delayed received signals, thereby generating beam data. The detector detects a representative value sequence consisting of a plurality of representative values ​​aligned in the depth direction, based on the amplified received signals or the delayed received signals. The corrector corrects the original gain function based on the representative value sequence, thereby generating a modified gain function. The modified gain function is provided to the plurality of amplifiers as a gain function.

[0012] According to the above configuration, a plurality of received signals amplified by a plurality of amplifiers are referred to, and the gain function is adaptively corrected based on the reference result. This makes it possible to adapt the gain function to the situation inside the living body. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent or reduce saturation of the received signal, or prevent or reduce sensitivity reduction. The above configuration does not generate a new gain function, but partially corrects an existing gain function. Therefore, it is possible to utilize the existing configuration and reduce the possibility of excessive correction.

[0013] In the embodiment, each representative value is a maximum amplitude detected at each detection timing. The representative value sequence is a maximum amplitude sequence. Representative values ​​other than the maximum amplitude include an average value (average amplitude) and a minimum value (minimum amplitude). If the maximum value (maximum amplitude) is obtained as the representative value, saturation of each received signal can be effectively suppressed.

[0014] The detector samples multiple amplitudes from multiple received signals for each detection timing, i.e., for each depth, and compares them to identify the maximum amplitude. Multiple received signals before the delay may be sampled, or multiple received signals after the delay may be sampled. In order to prevent an oscillation state from occurring when modifying the gain function, the amount of modification may be suppressed, or the feedback speed (responsivity) may be controlled.

[0015] In an embodiment, the corrector determines at least an excessive gain based on the maximum amplitude sequence, and applies a downward correction to the original gain function if the excessive gain is determined. This configuration can reduce the possibility of saturation of the received signal in any of the receiving channels. The corrector further determines an excessive gain based on the maximum amplitude sequence, and applies an upward correction to the original gain function if the excessive gain is determined. This configuration can prevent degradation of the quality of the beam data.

[0016] In an embodiment, the corrector determines whether the gain is excessive by comparing each maximum amplitude constituting the maximum amplitude sequence with a first threshold value, and determines whether the gain is excessive by comparing each maximum amplitude constituting the maximum amplitude sequence with a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. The first and second threshold values ​​may be automatically or manually variable depending on various conditions. The first and second threshold values ​​may be changed depending on the depth.

[0017] In the embodiment, a modified gain function generated based on multiple received signals obtained in past transmissions and receptions is applied to multiple received signals obtained in a current transmission and reception. With this configuration, the gain function can be adaptively modified in parallel with normal transmission and reception.

[0018] In the embodiment, the past transmission and reception and the current transmission and reception are in a temporally continuous relationship. Usually, two transmissions and receptions adjacent in time are also adjacent in space. Therefore, the received signal sequence obtained by the past transmission and reception and the received signal sequence obtained by the current transmission and reception are in a mutually identifiable relationship. The above configuration generates and applies the modified gain function on the premise of such a relationship.

[0019] The ultrasound diagnostic device according to the embodiment further includes a generator and a compensator. The generator generates a compensation function based on the representative value sequence. The compensator applies gain compensation to the beam data in accordance with the compensation function. With this configuration, it is possible to compensate for amplitude changes in the beam data resulting from the modification of the gain function.

[0020] In an embodiment, the generator generates a compensation function such that when a downward correction is applied to the original gain function, the amplitude of the beam data increases, and when an upward correction is applied to the original gain function, the amplitude of the beam data decreases. If the difference between the original gain function and the modified gain function is expressed as the modification function, the modification function and the compensation function have a complementary relationship.

[0021] (2) Details of the embodiment An example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. This ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is a medical device used in hospitals and the like for ultrasound examinations of subjects.

[0022] The ultrasound diagnostic device has a transducer array 10. The transducer array 10 is provided in an ultrasound probe and is composed of a plurality of transducer elements 10a arranged in one dimension. The transducer array 10 forms an ultrasound beam and electronically scans the ultrasound beam. Known electronic scanning methods include an electronic linear scanning method and an electronic sector scanning method. A two-dimensional transducer array may be provided in the ultrasound probe, and volume data may be acquired from within a living body by the two-dimensional transducer array.

[0023] A transmitter (not shown) is connected to the transducer array 10, and a receiver 12 (shown) is also connected to the transducer array 10. The receiver 12 is an electronic circuit that generates beam data by processing a plurality of reception signals output from a plurality of transducer elements. Received frame data is made up of a plurality of beam data aligned in the electronic scanning direction. Each beam data is made up of a plurality of echo data aligned in the depth direction.

[0024] The beam data processing unit 18 processes each beam data and includes a detection circuit, a logarithmic converter, etc. The image forming unit 20 generates display frame data based on the received frame data and includes a digital scan converter (DSC). The display frame data is tomographic image data. The tomographic image is displayed on the display 22. Other ultrasound images may also be displayed on the display 22.

[0025] In this embodiment, the receiving section 12 includes an amplifier bank 26, an ADC bank 30, a delay bank 32, an adder 34, and a compensator 44. The receiving section 12 also includes a voltage signal generator 14.

[0026] The amplifier row 26 is composed of a plurality of amplifiers 26a, each of which is a variable analog amplifier. A voltage signal 28 is output in parallel from the voltage signal generator 14 to the plurality of amplifiers 26a. The voltage signal generator 14 has a gain function designated or selected by a main control unit 24, which will be described later. The gain function is a function for increasing the gain (gain, amplification factor) in accordance with an increase in the echo generation depth. The voltage signal 28 corresponds to the gain function. Each amplifier 26a amplifies each received signal in accordance with the gain function.

[0027] The ADC string 30 is composed of a plurality of ADCs (analog-to-digital converters) 30a. The delay string 32 is composed of a plurality of delays 32a. Each delay 32a applies a delay (delay processing) to a received signal. Delay time data is provided to each delay 32a. The adder 34 adds the delayed received signals, thereby generating beam data. The delay string 32 and the adder 34 form a beamformer 31.

[0028] Each received signal may be sampled at high speed, the resulting digital data may be stored in a memory, and the digital data may be read from the memory. In this case, the delay time given to each digital data may be adjusted by adjusting the timing of reading. Weighting may be applied to the multiple digital data before or after the delay.

[0029] The compensator 44 is a circuit that applies gain compensation to the beam data, and more specifically, amplifies the beam data in accordance with a compensation function that will be described later. The function and operation of the compensator 44 will be described in detail later.

[0030] In the configuration example shown in Fig. 1, the maximum amplitude detector 36 samples multiple delayed received signals for each detection timing, and detects the maximum amplitude from the multiple amplitudes obtained by this. By repeatedly detecting the maximum amplitude for each detection timing, multiple maximum amplitudes lined up in the depth direction are obtained. These constitute a maximum amplitude sequence.

[0031] It should be noted that other representative values ​​may be detected for each detection timing, such as an average value, a median value, a minimum value, and the like.

[0032] In detecting the maximum amplitude, only a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the reception aperture may be referred to, but in the embodiment, all reception signals output from the plurality of transducer elements 10a are referred to. According to the embodiment, information can be acquired from a wide range in the living body.

[0033] The gain controller 38 modifies the gain function and generates a compensation function based on the maximum amplitude sequence. Specifically, the gain controller 38 has a gain function modifier 40 and a compensation function generator 42. The gain function modifier 40 modifies the gain function set in the voltage signal generator 14 based on the maximum amplitude sequence. Specifically, for each depth, whether the gain is excessive or too small is determined based on the maximum amplitude, and the gain is modified when the gain is determined to be excessive or too small. A signal instructing the voltage signal generator 14 to modify the gain function is output from the gain function modifier 40.

[0034] The compensation function generator 42 generates a compensation function that is complementary to the modified portion of the gain function, and outputs it to the compensator 44. For example, if the gain in the amplifier row 26 is reduced by modifying the gain function, the gain in the compensator 44 is increased, and conversely, if the gain in the amplifier row 26 is increased by modifying the gain function, the gain in the compensator 44 is decreased. This makes it possible to improve the quality of the beam data by compensating for the gain on the beam data.

[0035] The main controller 24 controls the operation of each component in the ultrasonic diagnostic device. In the embodiment, before the start of an ultrasonic examination, the main controller 24 selects a gain function to be used (original gain function) from among a plurality of gain functions according to various conditions such as the ultrasonic probe and transmission frequency, and sets the selected gain function in the voltage signal generator 14.

[0036] The main control unit 24 is configured, for example, by a CPU that executes a program. The beam former 31, the compensator 44, the gain controller 38, the maximum amplitude detector 36, etc. may each be configured by a processor. A device such as an FPGA may be used as the processor.

[0037] 2 shows a transducer array 10. The transducer array 10 is composed of a plurality of transducer elements 10-1 to 10-i arranged in a straight line. The transducer array 10 may be composed of a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an arc. Reference numeral 44 denotes a transmission aperture and a reception aperture.

[0038] During transmission, a transmission beam 46 is formed using the transmission aperture. That is, ultrasonic waves are emitted into the living body from the multiple transducer elements in the transmission aperture. During reception, reflected waves from the living body are received by each transducer element 10-1 to 10-i. More specifically, reflected waves generated at various points in the living body reach each transducer element 10-1 to 10-i. As a result, multiple reception signals are output from the multiple transducer elements 10-1 to 10-i.

[0039] Reference numeral 47 denotes a received signal sequence consisting of all received signals. In the embodiment, the received signal sequence 47 is referenced when correcting the gain function. Reference numeral 48 denotes a received signal sequence consisting of a plurality of received signals corresponding to a receiving aperture. The received signal sequence 48 is used when generating beam data. Of course, beam data may be generated using the received signal sequence 47. The received signal sequence 48 may be referenced when correcting the gain. During reception, parallel reception, which will be described later, may be performed.

[0040] 2, the reflected waves toward each transducer element 10-1 to 10-i are shown in schematic form, but in reality, the reflected waves reach each transducer element 10-1 to 10-i from all directions. If a strong reflector is present in the living body, the influence of the strong reflector appears in all or part of the received signal sequence 47.

[0041] The operation of the amplifier described above is shown in Figure 3. Reference numeral 52 denotes the received signal before amplification. The horizontal axis is the depth axis d, which can also be called the time axis. The vertical axis is the amplitude axis, which is actually the voltage axis V. Reference numeral 54 denotes the input dynamic range of the ADC.

[0042] In the amplifier, the received signal 52 is amplified according to a gain function 56. The horizontal axis of the gain function 56 is the depth axis d, and the vertical axis is the gain axis G. Reference numeral 58 denotes the amplified received signal. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the received signal 58 includes portions 60A and 60B that exceed the input dynamic range 54, and also includes a portion 62 having a fairly small amplitude. When the portions 60A and 60B are generated, a problem of saturation of the received signal occurs. When the portion 62 is generated, a problem of reduced sensitivity occurs.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a method for detecting a maximum value sequence. Reference numerals 64-1 to 64-i denote a plurality of received signals after amplification and delay. The maximum amplitude detector samples the plurality of received signals at each detection timing to obtain a plurality of amplitudes (precisely, a plurality of amplitude absolute values). The maximum amplitude detector then identifies a maximum amplitude (precisely, a maximum amplitude absolute value) from among the plurality of amplitudes. A maximum amplitude sequence (maximum amplitude profile) 66 is generated from the plurality of maximum amplitudes identified at the plurality of detection timings. The gain function is corrected based on the maximum amplitude sequence 66.

[0044] A method for generating the modified gain function and the compensation function is shown in Fig. 5. From top to bottom, Fig. 5 shows an original gain function 68, a maximum amplitude sequence 70, a modified gain function 82, and a compensation function 84. The original gain function 68 is the gain function before modification.

[0045] A first threshold 72 and a second threshold 74 are set for the maximum amplitude sequence 70 (the first threshold > the second threshold). Each maximum amplitude constituting the maximum amplitude sequence 70 is compared with the first threshold 72 and the second threshold 74. Reference numerals 76 and 78 indicate excessive portions in the maximum amplitude sequence 70 that exceed the first threshold 72. Reference numeral 80 indicates an undersized portion in the maximum amplitude sequence 70 that falls below the second threshold 74.

[0046] When the oversized portions 76, 78 occur, a partial downward correction is applied to the original gain function 68, and when the undersized portion 80 occurs, a partial upward correction is applied to the original gain function 68. This generates a modified gain function 82. The modified gain function 82 has recessed portions 82a, 82b corresponding to the oversized portions 76, 78, and also has a raised portion 82c corresponding to the undersized portion 80. In this manner, a modified gain function 82 adapted to the in vivo situation is generated.

[0047] The compensation function 84 is a function for compensating for gain variations resulting from the correction applied to the original gain function 68. Specifically, the compensation function 84 has protruding portions 84a and 84b corresponding to the recessed portions 82a and 82b, and a suppression portion 84c corresponding to the raised portion 82c.

[0048] In the embodiment, the modified gain function and compensation function generated in the previous transmission and reception are applied to the multiple reception signals and beam data generated in the current transmission and reception. Specifically, the modified gain function generated in the previous transmission and reception is provided from the voltage signal generator to each amplifier. Each amplifier amplifies each reception signal generated in the current transmission and reception according to the modified gain function. In addition, the compensation function generated in the previous transmission and reception is applied to the beam data generated in the current transmission and reception. This process is repeated.

[0049] 6 shows a schematic diagram of a reference relationship according to the embodiment. The x direction indicates the electronic scanning direction, and the d direction is the depth direction. F indicates a frame (scanning surface) formed by one electronic scan of an ultrasonic beam. Reference numeral 86 indicates the previous transmission / reception, and reference numeral 88 indicates the current transmission / reception. The previous transmission / reception 86 and the current transmission / reception 88 are adjacent in time and are in a simultaneous usage relationship. From the perspective of the current transmission / reception 88, the previous transmission / reception 86 corresponds to a reference destination.

[0050] When adopting the method shown in Figure 6, when performing the first transmission and reception of frame F, the last transmission and reception in the previous frame may be used as the reference, or the transmission and reception at the same position in the previous frame may be used as the reference, or a dummy transmission and reception may be performed before the first transmission and reception and that dummy transmission and reception may be used as the reference.

[0051] Another scheme is shown in Fig. 7. Frame Fj-1 is followed by frame Fj. Reference numeral 90 denotes a transmission / reception at a certain position in frame Fj-1. Reference numeral 92 denotes a transmission / reception at the same position in frame Fj. When performing transmission / reception 92, the spatially equivalent transmission / reception 90 is taken as reference.

[0052] When the method shown in Fig. 7 is adopted, it is necessary to secure a large memory area for storing a plurality of modified gain functions (and a plurality of compensation functions) corresponding to one frame. On the other hand, when the method shown in Fig. 6 is adopted, it is advantageous in that it is only necessary to secure a memory area for storing one modified gain function (and one compensation function).

[0053] A first modified example is shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the same components as those shown in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0054] In the first modification, a plurality of amplified (pre-delay) received signals output from the ADC array 30 are sent to a maximum amplitude detector 36A. The maximum amplitude detector 36A obtains a plurality of amplitudes from the plurality of received signals for each detection timing, i.e., for each depth, and identifies the maximum amplitude from among them. A maximum amplitude sequence is formed from the plurality of maximum amplitudes obtained at the plurality of detection timings. The first modification has the advantage that the detection of the maximum amplitude is not affected by the reception focus.

[0055] A second modified example is shown in Fig. 9. In Fig. 9, the same components as those shown in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0056] The processor 94 has a plurality of modules M1 to Mn. Each of the modules M1 to Mn functions as a beamformer. n represents the number of modules, and is, for example, 128. According to the configuration shown in Fig. 9, a maximum of 128 reception beams can be formed simultaneously during parallel reception. In practice, usually, only a portion of the plurality of modules M1 to Mn operates, and the remaining modules are placed in a standby state.

[0057] In the second modification, the maximum amplitude detection is performed using one of the modules. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 9, the module Mn functions as the maximum amplitude detector. The module Mn generates a maximum amplitude sequence for each transmission and reception, and sends it to the gain controller 38A.

[0058] A third modified example is shown in Fig. 10. In the third modified example, depth direction smoothing 98 and electronic scanning direction smoothing 100 are applied to a maximum amplitude sequence 96 generated by a maximum amplitude detector. A correction gain function 104 is generated based on a smoothed maximum amplitude sequence 102 generated in this way. According to the third modified example, it is possible to suppress excessive correction caused by a momentary amplitude increase or decrease.

[0059] According to the above embodiment, the gain function is adaptively corrected. This allows the gain function to be adapted to the in vivo situation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce saturation of the received signal, or prevent or reduce desensitization. The above embodiment does not generate a new gain function, but partially corrects an existing gain function, so that it is possible to utilize the existing configuration and reduce the possibility of excessive correction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 transducer array, 12 receiver, 14 control voltage generator, 26 amplifier array, 31 beamformer, 32 delay array, 34 summer, 36 maximum amplitude detector, 38 gain controller, 40 gain function corrector, 42 compensation function generator.

Claims

1. A plurality of amplifiers that amplify a plurality of reception signals output in parallel from a plurality of transducer elements according to a gain function that varies depending on depth, thereby outputting a plurality of reception signals after amplification and before delay; a beamformer that applies a delay to the plurality of received signals before the amplification and delay, and then adds the plurality of received signals before the delay and addition, thereby generating beam data; a detector for detecting a sequence of representative values ​​arranged in a depth direction by comparing the plurality of received signals before amplified delay or the plurality of received signals before delayed addition with each other for each depth to identify a representative value as a representative amplitude for each depth; a corrector for correcting the original gain function based on the sequence of representative values ​​to thereby generate a corrected gain function; Including, the modified gain function is provided as the gain function for the plurality of amplifiers; 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, Each of the representative values ​​is a maximum amplitude detected for each depth, The representative value sequence is a maximum amplitude sequence.

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

3. 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, The corrector is determining at least an excessive gain based on the maximum amplitude sequence; applying a downward correction to the original gain function if the gain is determined to be excessive; 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

4. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, The corrector is Further determining whether the gain is too small based on the maximum amplitude sequence; applying an upward correction to the original gain function when the gain is determined to be too small; 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

5. 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, The corrector is determining whether the gain is excessive by comparing each maximum amplitude constituting the maximum amplitude sequence with a first threshold value; determining whether the gain is too small by comparing each maximum amplitude constituting the maximum amplitude sequence with a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value; 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

6. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, A modified gain function generated based on the multiple received signals obtained in the past transmissions and receptions is applied to the multiple received signals obtained in the current transmission and reception.

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

7. 7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6, the past transmission and reception and the current transmission and reception are in a continuous relationship in time; 1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

8. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, the plurality of reception signals output in parallel from the plurality of transducer elements include a plurality of reception signals corresponding to a reception aperture and a plurality of reception signals not corresponding to the reception aperture, A plurality of received signals not corresponding to the receiving aperture are also referenced in generating the modified gain function.

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

9. A plurality of amplifiers for amplifying the plurality of received signals according to a gain function that varies with depth, thereby outputting the plurality of amplified received signals; a beamformer that applies a delay to the plurality of amplified received signals, and then adds up the plurality of delayed received signals to generate beam data; a detector for detecting a sequence of representative values ​​arranged in a depth direction based on the plurality of amplified received signals or the plurality of delayed received signals; a corrector for correcting the original gain function based on the sequence of representative values ​​to thereby generate a corrected gain function; Including, the modified gain function is provided as the gain function for the plurality of amplifiers; Furthermore, a generator for generating a compensation function based on the representative value sequence; a compensator that applies gain compensation to the beam data in accordance with the compensation function; Including, the generator generates the compensation function such that when a downward correction is applied to the original gain function, the amplitude of the beam data increases, and when an upward correction is applied to the original gain function, the amplitude of the beam data decreases.

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

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