ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

Abstract

Provided are an ultrasonic diagnosis device and a method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnosis device with which it is possible to accurately evaluate dysphagia. The ultrasonic diagnosis device includes: an ultrasonic probe; an imaging unit for transmitting / receiving an ultrasound beam using the ultrasonic probe, and thereby acquiring an ultrasound image of a subject's pharynx in accordance with an imaging condition; a chewing information acquisition unit for acquiring chewing information for when the subject performs chewing; an imaging condition adjustment unit for adjusting the imaging condition on the basis of the chewing information acquired by the chewing information acquisition unit; and a swallowing evaluation unit for evaluating swallowing performed by the subject on the basis of the ultrasound image acquired by the imaging unit according to the imaging condition adjusted by the imaging condition adjustment unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for acquiring ultrasound images of a subject's pharynx to evaluate swallowing, and a method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, jelly foods for patients with impaired swallowing function have been distributed on the market, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The shape, hardness, etc. of the jelly foods are adjusted so that they are easy to swallow, but in the case of patients with dysphagia, the jelly foods may remain in the epiglottic vallecula, pyriform sinus, etc. of the pharynx, so that dysphagia is evaluated by bringing an ultrasound probe into contact with the pharynx of a subject who has eaten the jelly food and taking an ultrasound image of the pharynx. Here, an ultrasound image is generated by transmitting an ultrasound beam from an ultrasound probe toward a subject, receiving ultrasound echoes reflected from inside the subject's body with the ultrasound probe, and electrically processing the received signals.

[0003] However, the jelly used in jelly foods generally has the property of being difficult to reflect ultrasonic beams and difficult to show up in ultrasonic images. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a viscous bubble liquid that can be used as a contrast medium to confirm swallowing function in fields such as ultrasonic echography, since bubbles are a good source of ultrasonic reflection. Therefore, it was found that by creating a jelly food by mixing air bubbles, which are likely to reflect ultrasound, into the jelly, the visibility of the jelly food in ultrasound images is improved, making it easier to determine whether or not the jelly food remains in the subject's pharynx. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-147757 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-104733 A Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, when a jelly food containing air bubbles is eaten, the air bubbles are destroyed as the person chews, and the viscosity of the jelly decreases, making it easier to flow, making it difficult to capture the jelly food that momentarily remains in the pharynx using an ultrasound image. Furthermore, the number and strength of chewing varies from subject to subject, and as a result, the optimal timing for capturing ultrasound images and the optimal image quality settings vary. This means that the accuracy of the assessment of swallowing disorders may decrease depending on individual differences in the subject and the skill level of the examiner.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and has an object to provide an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that are capable of evaluating dysphagia with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: An ultrasonic probe; an imaging unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of the pharynx of a subject according to imaging conditions by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam using an ultrasonic probe; a chewing information acquisition unit that acquires chewing information when a subject chews; an imaging condition adjusting unit that adjusts imaging conditions based on the chewing information acquired by the chewing information acquiring unit; a swallowing evaluation unit that evaluates the swallowing of the subject based on an ultrasound image acquired by the imaging unit in accordance with the imaging conditions adjusted by the imaging condition adjustment unit; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0008] It is preferable that the imaging section obtains an ultrasonic image of the pharynx of the subject when the subject swallows a jelly food containing air bubbles, in accordance with the imaging conditions adjusted by the imaging condition adjustment section. The chewing information acquiring unit can acquire at least one of the number of chewings, chewing strength, chewing habits, and chewing area as the chewing information.

[0009] It is preferable that the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions so as to increase brightness, contrast, and resolution as the number of chewing events acquired as chewing information by the chewing information acquisition unit increases, or as the chewing strength increases, or as the chewing area increases. In addition, it is preferable that the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions so as to increase the frame rate as the number of chewing events acquired as chewing information by the chewing information acquisition unit increases, or as the chewing strength increases, or as the chewing area increases.

[0010] The chewing information acquisition unit can be configured to include a motion sensor that is attached to the subject and detects movement of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx, and an analysis unit that acquires chewing information by analyzing the movement detected by the motion sensor. The motion sensor may be at least one of an electromyogram sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a vibration sensor.

[0011] The mastication information acquisition unit can also be configured to include a microphone that acquires mastication sounds, and an analysis unit that acquires mastication information by analyzing the mastication sounds acquired by the microphone. The chewing information acquisition unit may also include an optical camera that acquires an optical image of an area including at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx, and an analysis unit that acquires chewing information by analyzing the optical image acquired by the optical camera. In this case, the analysis unit can acquire the chewing information by analyzing the video captured by the optical camera.

[0012] The imaging section can have initial parameters of imaging conditions set for each subject. It is preferable that the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions to optimized conditions based on the chewing information by utilizing machine learning.

[0013] A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises the steps of: acquiring chewing information when the subject chews; Adjusting imaging conditions based on the acquired chewing information; obtaining an ultrasound image of the subject's pharynx according to the adjusted imaging conditions by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam using an ultrasound probe; The method is characterized in that an evaluation of the subject's swallowing is performed based on the acquired ultrasound images. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, chewing information when the subject chews is acquired, imaging conditions are adjusted based on the acquired chewing information, and the subject's swallowing is evaluated based on ultrasound images acquired according to the adjusted imaging conditions, thereby making it possible to accurately evaluate swallowing disorders. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a transmission / reception circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the myoelectric sensor used in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an image generating unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a diagnostic device main body in the embodiment 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a diagnostic device main body in embodiment 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a diagnostic device main body in embodiment 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the components will be given based on a representative embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values ​​before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits. In this specification, the terms "same" and "identical" include a generally acceptable margin of error in the technical field.

[0017] First embodiment 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 1, a diagnostic apparatus main body 2, and a motion sensor 3. The ultrasonic probe 1 and the motion sensor 3 are each connected to the diagnostic apparatus main body 2.

[0018] The ultrasonic probe 1 has a transducer array 11 to which a transmission / reception circuit 12 is connected.

[0019] The diagnostic device main body 2 has an image generating unit 21 connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1, and a display control unit 22 and a monitor 23 are sequentially connected to the image generating unit 21. In addition, an image memory 24 is connected to the image generating unit 21, and a swallowing evaluation unit 25 is connected to the image memory 24. The swallowing evaluation unit 25 is connected to the display control unit 22. The diagnostic apparatus main body 2 also has an analysis section 26 to which an imaging condition adjustment section 27 is connected.

[0020] Furthermore, the diagnostic device main body 2 has a main body control unit 28, to which the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the image memory 24, the swallowing evaluation unit 25, the analysis unit 26, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27, and the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1 are connected. In addition, an input device 29 is connected to the main body control unit . The image generating unit 21, the display control unit 22, the swallowing evaluation unit 25, the analysis unit 26, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27, and the main body control unit 28 constitute a processor 30.

[0021] The transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the image generating unit 21 of the diagnostic device main body 2 form an imaging unit 31, to which an imaging condition adjusting unit 27 of the diagnostic device main body 2 is connected.

[0022] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasonic waves according to a drive signal supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 12, and receives reflected waves from the subject to output an analog reception signal. Each transducer is configured by forming electrodes on both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymeric piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0023] The transmission / reception circuit 12, under the control of the main body control unit 28 of the diagnostic device main body 2, transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 11 and generates sound ray signals based on reception signals acquired by the transducer array 11. As shown in Fig. 2, the transmission / reception circuit 12 has a pulser 13 connected to the transducer array 11, and an amplifier unit 14, an AD (Analog-to-Digital) conversion unit 15, and a beamformer 16, which are sequentially connected in series to the transducer array 11.

[0024] The pulser 13 includes, for example, a plurality of pulse generators, and adjusts the delay amount of each drive signal and supplies it to the plurality of transducers so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducers of the transducer array 11 form an ultrasonic beam based on a transmission delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 28. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric body expands and contracts, and each transducer generates a pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic wave, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the composite wave of those ultrasonic waves.

[0025] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object such as a part inside the subject or food ingested by the subject, and an ultrasonic echo propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 in this manner is received by each transducer constituting the transducer array 11. At this time, each transducer constituting the transducer array 11 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and outputs this received signal to the amplifier 14.

[0026] The amplifier 14 amplifies signals input from each transducer constituting the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD converter 15. The AD converter 15 converts the signals transmitted from the amplifier 14 into digital reception data and transmits the reception data to the beamformer 16. The beamformer 16 performs so-called reception focusing processing by adding each of the reception data converted by the AD converter 15 with a delay according to the sound speed or sound speed distribution set based on the reception delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 28. By this reception focusing processing, each of the reception data converted by the AD converter 15 is phased and added, and a sound ray signal with a narrowed focus of the ultrasonic echo is acquired.

[0027] The motion sensor 3 is attached to the subject and detects the motion of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx. For example, an electromyographic sensor as shown in Fig. 3 can be used as the motion sensor 3. The electromyographic sensor has a sensor body 3A and an adhesive sticker 3B attached to the sensor body 3A, and is attached to the body surface of the subject using the adhesive sticker 3B, and is connected to the analysis unit 26 of the diagnostic device body 2 via a cable 3C drawn out from the sensor body 3A.

[0028] The sensor body 3A has electrodes (not shown) and detects the myoelectric potential generated when the muscle cells of the subject contract through the electrodes. Based on the myoelectric potential detected by the sensor body 3A, the movement of the muscle can be grasped. By attaching such a motion sensor 3 to the subject's temples, jaw, or the like, it becomes possible to detect the movements of the subject's mouth, jaw, pharynx, and the like through muscle movements. In order to detect the movements of the subject's mouth, jaw, pharynx, etc. more accurately, it is preferable to use multiple electromyographic sensors attached to the left and right sides of the subject's face as the movement sensor 3 and grasp the movements of multiple muscles.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, the image generating section 21 of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2 has a configuration in which a signal processing section 32, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 33, and an image processing section 34 are connected in series. The signal processing unit 32 performs correction for attenuation due to distance on the sound ray signals sent from the beamformer 16 of the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1 in accordance with the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic waves, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate an ultrasonic image signal (B-mode image signal) which is tomographic image information on the tissue in the subject.

[0030] The DSC 33 converts (raster converts) the ultrasound image signal generated by the signal processor 32 into an image signal that conforms to a normal television signal scanning method. The image processing unit 34 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the ultrasound image signal input from the DSC 33, and then outputs a signal representing the ultrasound image to the display control unit 22 and the image memory 24. The signal representing the ultrasound image thus generated by the image generating unit 21 will be simply referred to as an ultrasound image.

[0031] Under the control of the main body control unit 28, the display control unit 22 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound image sent from the image generating unit 21, and displays the ultrasound image on the monitor 23. The monitor 23 displays an ultrasonic image under the control of the display control unit 22, and includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0032] The image memory 24 is a memory for storing a plurality of frames of ultrasound images. For example, the image memory 24 can hold a series of a plurality of frames of ultrasound images of the pharynx of a subject that are photographed and generated by the image generating unit 21 in response to a diagnosis of a swallowing disorder of the subject.

[0033] The image memory 24 may be a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disk), a magnetic tape (MT), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), or other storage media, or a server, etc.

[0034] The swallowing evaluation unit 25 evaluates the swallowing of the subject by analyzing the ultrasound images stored in the image memory 24. The swallowing evaluation unit 25 analyzes the ultrasound images of the subject's pharynx to detect, for example, the presence or absence of swallowed residues such as food jelly in the epiglottic vallecula, pyriform sinus, etc. of the pharynx, and the size of the swallowed residues, etc.

[0035] The swallowing evaluation unit 25 can detect the presence or absence of swallowing residues and their size, etc. in ultrasound images using at least one of the following: a judgment model learned using machine learning techniques such as deep learning, template matching, and image analysis techniques using features such as Adaboost (Adaptive Boosting), SVM (Support Vector Machine) or SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform). The judgment model is a trained model that has learned the relationship between training ultrasound images of the pharynx and the presence or absence and size of swallowing residues in the training ultrasound images using multiple training data, which are training ultrasound images of the pharynx and the presence or absence and size of swallowing residues in the training ultrasound images.

[0036] The swallowing evaluation unit 25 evaluates the presence or absence of dysphagia in the subject and the degree of the dysphagia based on the presence or absence and the size of swallowed residue in the ultrasound image, and sends the evaluation result to the display control unit 22.

[0037] The analysis unit 26, together with the motion sensor 3, constitutes a chewing information acquisition unit, and acquires chewing information related to the chewing of the subject by analyzing the movement of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx detected by the motion sensor 3. The analysis unit 26 can acquire, as chewing information, at least one of the number of chews, chewing strength, chewing habits, and chewing area of ​​the subject to which the motion sensor 3 is attached, for example.

[0038] For example, the analysis unit 26 can determine that chewing has occurred from the repetitive pattern of changes in myoelectric potential based on the muscle potential of the subject detected by an electromyographic sensor attached to the subject's temples or jaw, and can measure the number of chews by counting the number of times the pattern repeats. Furthermore, the analysis unit 26 can obtain the strength of the subject's chewing from the strength level of the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor. The strength level of the myoelectric potential may be ranked.

[0039] Furthermore, the analysis unit 26 can analyze the balance of chewing on the left and right sides of the subject's mouth based on the myoelectric potentials detected by multiple myoelectric sensors attached to the left and right sides of the subject's face, and obtain chewing habits such as chewing only on the left or right side of the mouth, or a bias in chewing strength between the left and right sides of the mouth. In addition, the analysis unit 26 can obtain the subject's chewing area by analyzing the amount of muscle used for chewing based on the myoelectric potentials detected by multiple myoelectric sensors attached to the subject.

[0040] The more times the subject chews, the stronger the chewing force, and the larger the chewing area, the easier the food is to be broken down in the subject's mouth and swallowed. In addition, in the case of subjects who have a habit of chewing only on the left or right side of the mouth, or who have a habit of having a bias in chewing force or chewing area between the left and right sides of the mouth, even if they chew a lot, the food they eat is not easily broken down, and there is a possibility that some parts will remain difficult to swallow.

[0041] The imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the image generating unit 21 of the diagnostic device main body 2 to optimal conditions for the subject, based on the chewing information of the subject acquired by the analysis unit 26. Here, the imaging conditions can include, for example, parameters such as gain (brightness), contrast, resolution, and frame rate. In addition, the presence or absence of the use of multi-line processing such as harmonic imaging can also be included as one of the imaging conditions.

[0042] For example, when a jelly food containing air bubbles is eaten, the more times one chews, the more the air bubbles are destroyed and the fewer ultrasonic echoes there are from the jelly food. Therefore, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 can adjust the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to increase the gain, contrast and resolution, thereby obtaining an ultrasound image with image quality suitable for detecting swallowed residues.

[0043] Similarly, the more times chewing occurs, the lower the viscosity of the jelly becomes and the easier it becomes for the jelly food to flow. Therefore, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to increase the frame rate, thereby enabling ultrasound images to be acquired at a timing suitable for detecting swallowed residues.

[0044] In addition, the stronger the chewing strength or the larger the chewing area, the more the air bubbles are destroyed and the jelly is crushed. Therefore, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to increase the gain, contrast, and resolution, and further increase the frame rate, thereby making it possible to obtain ultrasound images suitable for detecting swallowed residues.

[0045] Furthermore, when chewing is even on the left and right sides of the oral cavity, the destruction of air bubbles and the breaking up of jelly are promoted compared to when there is a habit of chewing unbalanced on the left and right sides. Therefore, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to increase the gain, contrast, and resolution, and further increase the frame rate, thereby making it possible to obtain ultrasound images suitable for detecting swallowed residues.

[0046] The imaging condition adjustment unit 27 can adjust the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to optimal conditions for the subject using a judgment model learned using machine learning techniques such as deep learning, although this is not particularly limited. The judgment model is a trained model that has learned the relationship between the chewing information and the imaging conditions for a plurality of training data, using the chewing information of a plurality of patients and imaging conditions suitable for the plurality of patients as training data.

[0047] The main body control unit 28 controls each part of the diagnostic device main body 2 based on a control program stored in advance. Although not shown, a storage unit that stores the control program and the like of the diagnostic device main body 2 is connected to the main body control unit 28. As this storage unit, for example, a flash memory, a RAM, an SD card, an SSD, etc. can be used. The input device 29 is used by the user to perform input operations, and is configured, for example, with a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch sensor arranged over the monitor 23, and the like.

[0048] The processor 30 having the image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, swallowing evaluation unit 25, analysis unit 26, imaging condition adjustment unit 27 and main body control unit 28 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a control program for causing the CPU to perform various processes, but may also be composed of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or other ICs (Integrated Circuits), or may be composed of a combination of these.

[0049] In addition, the image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, swallowing evaluation unit 25, analysis unit 26, imaging condition adjustment unit 27 and main body control unit 28 of the processor 30 can be configured as a single CPU or the like, either partially or entirely integrated into the processor 30.

[0050] Next, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. It is assumed that predetermined imaging conditions are set in the imaging section 31 formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the image generating section 21 of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2.

[0051] First, in step S1, the motion sensor 3 is attached to the temples, jaws, etc. of the subject, and the subject is asked to eat a jelly food containing bubbles while the ultrasonic probe 1 is in contact with the pharynx of the subject, and the subject's chewing information is acquired by the chewing information acquisition unit consisting of the motion sensor 3 and the analysis unit 26. At this time, the movement of at least one of the mouth, jaw, and pharynx of the subject eating the jelly food containing bubbles is detected by the electromyographic sensor attached to the subject as the motion sensor 3, and the analysis unit 26 analyzes the movement detected by the electromyographic sensor to acquire chewing information consisting of at least one of the subject's chewing frequency, chewing strength, chewing habit, and chewing area.

[0052] Next, in step S2, based on the chewing information acquired in step S1, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to optimal conditions for the subject, and the newly adjusted imaging conditions are set in the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1 that constitutes the imaging unit 31 and the image generation unit 21 of the diagnostic device main body 2. That is, based on the chewing information obtained in step S1, which is composed of at least one of the subject's number of chews, chewing strength, chewing habits, and chewing area, imaging conditions including, for example, gain (brightness), contrast, resolution, frame rate, etc. are adjusted so that an ultrasound image of image quality suitable for detecting swallowing residues can be obtained.

[0053] In this way, when the imaging conditions set in the imaging unit 31 are adjusted to the optimal conditions, in step S3, an ultrasound image of the subject's pharynx when swallowing the jelly food containing air bubbles is obtained according to the adjusted imaging conditions.

[0054] At this time, under the control of the main body control unit 28, transmission and reception of ultrasound is started from the multiple transducers of the transducer array 11 in accordance with a drive signal from the pulser 13 of the transmission and reception circuit 12, and the ultrasound echo from inside the pharynx of the subject is received by the multiple transducers of the transducer array 11, and the received signal, which is an analog signal, is output to the amplifier unit 14 and amplified, and then AD converted by the AD conversion unit 15 to obtain the received data.

[0055] The beamformer 16 performs reception focusing processing on this reception data, and the sound ray signals thus generated are sent to the image generating unit 21 of the diagnostic device main body 2, which generates an ultrasound image showing tomographic image information on the inside of the pharynx of the subject. At this time, the signal processing unit 32 of the image generating unit 21 performs attenuation correction and envelope detection processing on the sound ray signals according to the depth of the reflected position of the ultrasound, the DSC 33 converts the signals into image signals according to the scanning method of normal television signals, and the image processing unit 34 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing.

[0056] In step S2, the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 consisting of the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 and the image generating unit 21 are adjusted to optimal conditions based on the chewing information of the subject, so that the ultrasound image generated by the image generating unit 21 in step S3 has image quality and timing suitable for detecting the swallowing residue of the subject. In this way, the ultrasound image generated by the image generating unit 21 is sent to the image memory 24 and stored.

[0057] Then, in step S4, the swallowing evaluation unit 25 analyzes the ultrasound image acquired in step S3 and stored in the image memory 24 to evaluate the swallowing of the subject. The swallowing evaluation unit 25 detects the presence or absence of swallowing residues such as food jelly in the pyriform sinus of the pharynx and the size of the swallowing residues from the ultrasound image, and evaluates the presence or absence of dysphagia in the subject and the degree of the dysphagia. Here, the ultrasound image analyzed by the swallowing evaluation unit 25 is acquired according to imaging conditions adjusted to the optimum conditions for the subject, so that the swallowing residues can be detected with high accuracy, and the swallowing disorder can be evaluated with high accuracy.

[0058] In the following step S5, the evaluation result by the swallowing evaluation unit 25 is displayed on the monitor 23 together with the ultrasound image used for detecting the swallowing residue via the display control unit 22. At this time, the waveform of the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor may be displayed on the monitor 23 together with the ultrasound image and the evaluation result.

[0059] As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of embodiment 1, the chewing information acquisition unit composed of the motion sensor 3 and the analysis unit 26 acquires chewing information when the subject chews, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to optimal conditions for the subject based on the chewing information, the imaging unit 31 acquires ultrasound images according to the adjusted imaging conditions, and the swallowing evaluation unit 25 evaluates the subject's swallowing, thereby making it possible to accurately evaluate swallowing disorders.

[0060] In addition, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, when a relatively high gain (brightness) and contrast or a relatively high frame rate is preset as the initial parameters of the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31, and the chewing information of the subject acquired by the analysis unit 26 indicates that the degree of chewing is relatively weak, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 can adjust the parameters such as the gain, contrast, and frame rate to be lowered. For example, when the acquired number of chewings is less than a predetermined threshold value, or when the chewing strength is weaker than a predetermined threshold value, or when the chewing area is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the degree of chewing is relatively weak, so it is preferable that the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the parameters such as the gain, contrast, and frame rate to be lowered.

[0061] This improves the visibility of jelly food containing air bubbles in an ultrasonic image and also reduces the power consumption of the ultrasonic diagnostic device, which is particularly effective for portable or handheld compact ultrasonic diagnostic devices used at the bedside in home care, etc. The extent to which the parameters such as gain, contrast, and frame rate are reduced may be determined according to the chewing information acquired by the analysis unit 26 (the number of chews, the strength of chewing, and the area of ​​chewing).

[0062] In addition, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 may adjust the imaging conditions to adopt multi-line processing such as harmonic imaging instead of lowering parameters of the imaging conditions such as gain, contrast, frame rate, etc., and further, it may combine adjustments to lower parameters such as gain, contrast, frame rate, etc. with the adoption of multi-line processing such as harmonic imaging. Since subjects with a relatively weak degree of chewing are likely to be seriously ill patients, it is effective to employ multi-line processing such as harmonic imaging in order to achieve high image quality and carefully detect swallowed residues.

[0063] Also, the chewing information acquisition unit, which is composed of the motion sensor 3 and the analysis unit 26, can acquire temporal changes in the chewing information of the subject, and the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 can adjust the parameters of the imaging conditions in real time according to the changes in the acquired chewing information. For example, the increase or decrease range of parameters such as gain and contrast can be adjusted according to the increase or decrease in the number of chews acquired by the chewing information acquisition unit. This makes it possible to acquire ultrasound images that are always suitable for detecting swallowed residues, even if the chewing information fluctuates.

[0064] In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, a myoelectric sensor that detects myoelectric potential is used as the motion sensor 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, an acceleration sensor may be used to detect the motion of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx. By attaching the acceleration sensor to the vicinity of the subject's mouth, jaw, pharynx, etc. and analyzing the acceleration waveform in three-dimensional directions (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) acquired by the acceleration sensor with the analysis unit 26, at least one of the subject's number of chews, chewing strength, chewing habit, and chewing area can be acquired as chewing information.

[0065] Similarly, a vibration sensor may be used to detect the movement of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx. The vibration sensor is attached to the vicinity of the subject's mouth, jaw, pharynx, etc., and the analysis unit 26 analyzes the vibration waveform acquired by the vibration sensor, thereby obtaining at least one of the subject's number of chewing movements, chewing strength, chewing habits, and chewing area as chewing information.

[0066] Embodiment 2 Fig. 6 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to embodiment 2 is obtained by using a microphone 4 instead of the motion sensor 3, using a diagnostic apparatus main body 2A instead of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 1, and connecting an ultrasonic probe 1 to the diagnostic apparatus main body 2A. The diagnostic apparatus main body 2A is obtained by using an analysis unit 26A and a main body control unit 28A instead of the analysis unit 26 and the main body control unit 28 in the diagnostic apparatus main body 2 in embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2 in embodiment 1.

[0067] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment acquires mastication information of a subject by using sound. The microphone 4 is disposed close to the pharynx of the subject and is for acquiring the swallowing sounds of the subject when eating. The swallowing sounds of the subject acquired by the microphone 4 are sent to the analysis unit 26A of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2A.

[0068] The microphone 4 may be built in the ultrasound probe 1. The microphone 4, which is independent of the ultrasound probe 1 and the diagnostic apparatus main body 2A, may be held by a user and placed near the pharynx of the subject, or may be attached to the body surface of the pharynx of the subject. Furthermore, the microphone 4 may be placed near the pharynx of the subject by holding the microphone 4 in a holder (not shown) that is attached by hanging it on the neck or the like of the subject.

[0069] The analysis unit 26A, together with the microphone 4, constitutes a mastication information acquisition unit, and acquires mastication information relating to the mastication of the subject by analyzing the swallowing sounds of the subject acquired by the microphone 4. The analysis unit 26A can determine whether chewing has occurred from the repetitive pattern of the waveform of the swallowing sound, and can measure the number of chewings by counting the number of times the repetitive pattern occurs. Furthermore, the analysis unit 26A can obtain the strength of the subject's chewing from the amplitude of the waveform of the swallowing sound.

[0070] Furthermore, the analysis unit 26A can analyze the balance of chewing on the left and right sides of the subject's oral cavity based on, for example, waveforms of swallowing sounds acquired by multiple microphones 4 placed on the left and right sides of the subject's face, and acquire chewing habits such as chewing only on the left or right side of the oral cavity, or a bias in chewing strength between the left and right sides of the oral cavity. Similarly, the analysis unit 26A can estimate the amount of muscle used for chewing based on the waveforms of the swallowing sounds acquired by each of the multiple microphones 4, thereby obtaining the chewing area of ​​the subject.

[0071] The image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, image memory 24, swallowing evaluation unit 25, analysis unit 26A, imaging condition adjustment unit 27, and the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1 are connected to the main body control unit 28A, and an input device 29 is connected to the main body control unit 28A. The image generating section 21, the display control section 22, the swallowing evaluation section 25, the analysis section 26A, the imaging condition adjustment section 27, and the main body control section 28A constitute a processor 30A.

[0072] In the ultrasound diagnostic device according to the second embodiment, the mastication information acquisition unit, which is composed of the microphone 4 and the analysis unit 26A, acquires the mastication information of the subject, and the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to optimal conditions for the subject based on the acquired mastication information. Then, according to the adjusted imaging conditions, an ultrasound image of the subject's pharynx when swallowing a jelly food containing air bubbles is acquired, and the swallowing evaluation unit 25 analyzes the ultrasound image to evaluate the subject's swallowing. The evaluation result by the swallowing evaluation unit 25 is displayed on the monitor 23 together with the ultrasound image used to detect the swallowing residue via the display control unit 22. At this time, the waveform of the swallowing sound of the subject acquired by the microphone 4 can also be displayed on the monitor 23 together with the ultrasound image and the evaluation result.

[0073] As in embodiment 2, even if the chewing information acquisition unit is constituted by the microphone 4 and the analysis unit 26A and the chewing information of the subject is acquired using sound, it is possible to acquire ultrasound images according to imaging conditions adjusted to optimal conditions for the subject, as in embodiment 1, and to accurately evaluate swallowing disorders.

[0074] Third embodiment 7 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment is the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that an optical camera 5 is used instead of the motion sensor 3, a diagnostic apparatus body 2B is used instead of the diagnostic apparatus body 2, and an ultrasonic probe 1 is connected to the diagnostic apparatus body 2B. The diagnostic apparatus body 2B is the same as the diagnostic apparatus body 2 according to the first embodiment, except that an analysis unit 26B and a body control unit 28B are used instead of the analysis unit 26 and the body control unit 28 in the diagnostic apparatus body 2 according to the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as those of the diagnostic apparatus body 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0075] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the third embodiment acquires mastication information of a subject by using optical images. The optical camera 5 is for acquiring an optical image (video) of a region including at least one of the mouth, the jaw, and the pharynx of the subject when eating. The optical image acquired by the optical camera 5 is sent to the analysis unit 26B of the diagnostic apparatus main body 2B.

[0076] The optical camera 5 may be independent of the ultrasound probe 1 and the diagnostic device main body 2A. In the case of a compact handheld ultrasound diagnostic device, the optical camera 5 may be built into the diagnostic device main body 2A. If an area including at least one of the subject's mouth, chin, and pharynx can be photographed, the optical camera 5 may be disposed in front of the subject's face, or in a position that captures the subject's profile. If the subject's face can be photographed at an angle looking up from below, it is preferable because it is easier to grasp the movements of the subject's mouth, chin, and pharynx. Moreover, it is preferable that the optical camera 5 has a wide-angle lens so that the subject can be easily included within the shooting range. A 360-degree camera can also be used as the optical camera 5.

[0077] The analysis unit 26B, together with the optical camera 5, constitutes a mastication information acquisition unit, and acquires mastication information relating to the subject's mastication by analyzing the optical image (video) acquired by the optical camera 5. The analysis unit 26B calculates the amount of movement of characteristic points set on the subject's mouth corners, chin, etc. from the magnitude of the optical flow (image difference), and can obtain the number of chews, chewing strength, chewing habits, and chewing area based on the amount of movement of these characteristic points.

[0078] In addition, the optical camera 5 can be a so-called ToF camera that obtains distance information to the subject by a direct ToF (Time of Flight) method or an indirect ToF method. In this case, the analysis unit 26B can analyze the movement of a point cloud corresponding to multiple characteristic points of the subject to grasp the movement of the pharynx and obtain chewing information.

[0079] The image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, image memory 24, swallowing evaluation unit 25, analysis unit 26B, imaging condition adjustment unit 27, and the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1 are connected to the main body control unit 28B, and an input device 29 is connected to the main body control unit 28B. Moreover, the image generating section 21, the display control section 22, the swallowing evaluation section 25, the analysis section 26B, the imaging condition adjustment section 27, and the main body control section 28B constitute a processor 30B.

[0080] In the ultrasound diagnostic device according to the third embodiment, the mastication information acquisition unit, which is composed of the optical camera 5 and the analysis unit 26B, acquires the mastication information of the subject, and the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 adjusts the imaging conditions in the imaging unit 31 to optimal conditions for the subject based on the acquired mastication information. Then, according to the adjusted imaging conditions, an ultrasound image of the subject's pharynx when swallowing a jelly food containing air bubbles is acquired, and the swallowing evaluation unit 25 analyzes the ultrasound image to evaluate the subject's swallowing. The evaluation result by the swallowing evaluation unit 25, together with the ultrasound image used to detect the swallowing residue, is displayed on the monitor 23 via the display control unit 22. At this time, the optical image (video) acquired by the optical camera 5 can also be displayed on the monitor 23 together with the ultrasound image and the evaluation result.

[0081] As in embodiment 3, even if the chewing information acquisition unit is constituted by the optical camera 5 and the analysis unit 26A and the chewing information of the subject is acquired using optical images, it is possible to acquire ultrasound images according to imaging conditions adjusted to optimal conditions for the subject, as in embodiments 1 and 2, and to accurately evaluate swallowing disorders.

[0082] Fourth embodiment FIG. 8 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is configured by using a diagnostic apparatus body 2C instead of the diagnostic apparatus body 2 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and connecting an ultrasonic probe 1 and a motion sensor 3 to the diagnostic apparatus body 2B. The diagnostic apparatus body 2C is configured by newly providing an imaging condition memory 35 in the diagnostic apparatus body 2 in the first embodiment, and using an imaging condition adjustment unit 27C and a body control unit 28C instead of the imaging condition adjustment unit 27 and the body control unit 28, respectively, and is otherwise similar to the diagnostic apparatus body 2 in the first embodiment. The imaging condition memory 35 is connected to the imaging condition adjustment unit 27C.

[0083] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment uses imaging conditions preset for each subject as initial parameters. The imaging conditions preset for each subject are stored in the imaging condition memory 35. For example, when a subject ID (identifier) ​​for authenticating the subject is input from the input device 29, the imaging condition adjustment unit 27C reads out the imaging conditions corresponding to the subject from the imaging condition memory 35, and adjusts the imaging conditions using the read out imaging conditions as initial parameters.

[0084] Imaging conditions preset for each subject include, for example, gain (brightness) and harmonic imaging, which relate to the ease with which ultrasound passes due to the composition of subcutaneous tissue, depth and focus position, which relate to neck thickness and muscle mass, and frame rate, which relate to chewing and swallowing speed. The imaging condition memory 35 may be a recording medium such as a flash memory, HDD, SSD, FD, MO disk, MT, RAM, CD, DVD, SD card, USB memory, or a server.

[0085] The image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, image memory 24, swallowing evaluation unit 25, analysis unit 26, imaging condition adjustment unit 27C, imaging condition memory 35, and the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1 are connected to the main body control unit 28C, and an input device 29 is connected to the main body control unit 28C. Moreover, the image generating section 21, the display control section 22, the swallowing evaluation section 25, the analysis section 26, the imaging condition adjustment section 27C, and the main body control section 28C constitute a processor 30C.

[0086] When performing an evaluation test of swallowing of a subject, first, a subject ID is input from the input device 29, and imaging conditions corresponding to the subject are read out from the imaging condition memory 35 by the imaging condition adjustment section 27C. The imaging condition adjustment unit 27C sets the read imaging conditions as initial parameters, and adjusts the initial parameters to optimal parameters based on the subject's chewing information acquired by the chewing information acquisition unit composed of the movement sensor 3 and the analysis unit 26. Then, according to the adjusted imaging conditions, an ultrasound image of the subject's pharynx when swallowing a jelly food containing air bubbles is acquired, and swallowing evaluation unit 25 evaluates swallowing based on the ultrasound image.

[0087] In this way, by adjusting the imaging conditions preset for the subject to optimal conditions based on the chewing information, it is possible to obtain ultrasound images suitable for detecting the subject's swallowed residues, making it possible to accurately evaluate swallowing disorders. The imaging condition adjustment unit 27C may adjust the imaging conditions of the subject preset in the imaging condition memory 35 to optimal conditions for the subject by increasing parameters such as gain, contrast, frame rate, etc. based on the chewing information, but depending on the preset imaging conditions, the imaging condition parameters can be lowered to adjust to optimal conditions.

[0088] Furthermore, the chewing information acquisition unit can acquire the change in the chewing information of the subject over time, and the imaging condition adjustment unit 27C can adjust the parameters of the imaging conditions in real time according to the change in the acquired chewing information. For example, the increase or decrease of parameters such as gain and contrast can be adjusted according to the increase or decrease in the number of chews acquired by the chewing information acquisition unit. This makes it possible to acquire an ultrasound image that is always suitable for detecting swallowing residues, even if the chewing information changes.

[0089] In addition, instead of storing imaging conditions preset for each subject in the imaging condition memory 35, it is also possible to categorize the swallowing characteristics of the subject and store imaging conditions preset for each category in the imaging condition memory 35.

[0090] Swallowing characteristics can be categorized, for example, by pattern matching of waveform patterns of myoelectric potential detected by an electromyographic sensor serving as the movement sensor 3. Pattern matching may be performed by correlating the entire waveform for each subject, or by converting the peak value, frequency, etc. of the waveform into feature values ​​and correlating the feature values. Such categorization of swallowing characteristics can be performed using a judgment model trained using machine learning techniques such as deep learning.

[0091] The above-mentioned embodiment 4 has been applied to an ultrasonic diagnostic device having a chewing information acquisition unit composed of a motion sensor 3 and an analysis unit 26 as in embodiment 1, but it can also be applied to an ultrasonic diagnostic device having a chewing information acquisition unit composed of a microphone 4 and an analysis unit 26A as in embodiment 2.

[0092] When categorizing the swallowing characteristics of a subject and presetting imaging conditions for each category, the waveform pattern of the swallowing sound detected by microphone 4 can be categorized by performing pattern matching by taking a correlation of the entire waveform for each subject, or the peak value, frequency, etc. of the swallowing sound waveform can be converted into feature quantities, and pattern matching can be performed by taking a correlation of the feature quantities to categorize. When categorizing swallowing characteristics using a judgment model trained using machine learning techniques such as deep learning, multiple swallowing sound waveform patterns can be recorded for each subject and input into a neural network for learning.

[0093] Similarly, the fourth embodiment can also be applied to an ultrasonic diagnostic device having a chewing information acquisition unit composed of the optical camera 5 and the analysis unit 26B as in the third embodiment.

[0094] The method of connecting the ultrasound probe 1 and the diagnostic device main bodies 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 4 is not particularly limited, and may be wired or wireless. Also, the method of connecting the motion sensor 3 and the diagnostic device main bodies 2 and 2C in the embodiments 1 and 4, the method of connecting the microphone 4 and the diagnostic device main body 2A in the embodiment 2, and the method of connecting the optical camera 5 and the diagnostic device main body 2B in the embodiment 3 are not particularly limited, and may be wired or wireless.

[0095] In the above-mentioned embodiments 1-4, the ultrasonic probe 1 has the transmission / reception circuit 12, but the diagnostic device main bodies 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C may be configured to have the transmission / reception circuit 12. Also, the diagnostic device main bodies 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C have the image generating unit 21, but the ultrasonic probe 1 may have the image generating unit 21. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, among the signal processing unit 32, DSC 33, and image processing unit 34 constituting the image generating unit 21, the ultrasonic probe 1 may have only the signal processing unit 32, and the diagnostic device main bodies 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C may have the DSC 33 and image processing unit 34. As the diagnostic device main bodies 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C in the embodiments 1 to 4, a compact diagnostic device main body of a portable or handheld type can be used, and a stationary type diagnostic device main body can also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 Ultrasound probe, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C diagnostic device main body, 3 movement sensor, 3A sensor main body, 3B adhesive sticker, 3C cable, 4 microphone, 5 optical camera, 11 transducer array, 12 transmitting / receiving circuit, 13 pulser, 14 amplifier, 15 AD conversion unit, 16 beamformer, 21 image generation unit, 22 display control unit, 23 monitor, 24 image memory, 25 swallowing evaluation unit, 26, 26A, 26B analysis unit, 27, 27A, 27B, 27C imaging condition adjustment unit, 28, 28A, 28B, 28C, main body control unit, 29 input device, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C processor, 31 imaging unit, 32 signal processing unit, 33 DSC, 34 image processing unit, 35 imaging condition memory.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe; an imaging unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of the pharynx of a subject according to imaging conditions by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic beam using the ultrasonic probe; a chewing information acquiring unit that acquires chewing information when the subject chews; an imaging condition adjusting unit that adjusts the imaging condition based on the chewing information acquired by the chewing information acquiring unit; a swallowing evaluation unit that evaluates the swallowing of the subject based on the ultrasound image acquired by the imaging unit in accordance with the imaging conditions adjusted by the imaging condition adjustment unit; An ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

2. 2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit obtains an ultrasound image of the pharynx of the subject when the subject swallows a jelly food containing air bubbles, in accordance with the imaging conditions adjusted by the imaging condition adjustment unit.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mastication information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the number of times of mastication, mastication strength, mastication habits, and mastication area as the mastication information.

4. 4. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 3, wherein the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions so as to increase brightness, contrast, and resolution as the number of chewing events acquired as the chewing information by the chewing information acquisition unit increases, as the strength of the chewing increases, or as the area of ​​the chewing increases.

5. 5. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions so as to increase a frame rate as the number of chewing events acquired as the chewing information by the chewing information acquisition unit increases, as the chewing strength increases, or as the chewing area increases.

6. The chewing information acquisition unit includes: a motion sensor attached to the subject and detecting motion of at least one of the subject's mouth, jaw, and pharynx; an analysis unit that acquires the chewing information by analyzing the movement detected by the movement sensor; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the motion sensor includes at least one of an electromyographic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a vibration sensor.

8. The chewing information acquisition unit includes: A microphone for capturing chewing sounds; an analysis unit that acquires the chewing information by analyzing the chewing sound acquired by the microphone; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

9. The chewing information acquisition unit includes: an optical camera for acquiring an optical image of an area including at least one of a mouth, a chin, and a pharynx of the subject; an analysis unit that acquires the chewing information by analyzing the optical image acquired by the optical camera; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

10. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the analysis unit acquires the chewing information by analyzing the video captured by the optical camera.

11. 11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging section has initial parameters of the imaging conditions set for each of the subjects.

12. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the imaging condition adjustment unit adjusts the imaging conditions to optimized conditions based on the chewing information by utilizing machine learning.

13. acquiring chewing information when the subject chews; Adjusting imaging conditions based on the acquired chewing information; acquiring an ultrasound image of the pharynx of the subject according to the adjusted imaging conditions by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam using an ultrasound probe; The subject's swallowing is evaluated based on the acquired ultrasound image. A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic device.

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