Ultrasound diagnostic device and method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic device

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic device (1) comprises: an ultrasonic probe (2); and a diagnostic device body (3) connected to the ultrasonic probe (2), wherein the diagnostic device body (3) includes a monitor (15) which displays an ultrasonic diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic observation icons corresponding to a plurality of specific diagnostic observations, a similarity degree determination unit (18) which determines respective degrees of similarity between the ultrasonic diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic observations, and an emphasis degree changing unit (19) which changes the degrees of emphasis on the plurality of diagnostic observation icons on the monitor, according to the degrees of similarity determined by the similarity degree determination unit (18).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that supports diagnosis using ultrasonic images, and a method for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, ultrasound images of various parts of a subject are taken using an ultrasound diagnostic device, and the obtained ultrasound images are used to diagnose the parts captured in the ultrasound images. To enable users to easily perform diagnoses using ultrasound images, an information processing device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been developed. The information processing device of Patent Document 1 stores a plurality of frames of ultrasound images taken in the past, searches these frames for ultrasound images that represent cases similar to the case of the part of the subject to be diagnosed, and displays the ultrasound images. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-039852 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even if a user who is unfamiliar with diagnosing a subject using ultrasound images refers to ultrasound images showing cases similar to the area of ​​the subject to be diagnosed using the information processing device of Patent Document 1, it may be difficult for the user to determine what diagnostic findings should be assigned to the ultrasound image of the area to be diagnosed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that allows a user to easily assign diagnostic findings to an ultrasonic image, and a method for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ultrasound diagnostic device according to the present invention comprises an ultrasound probe and a diagnostic device main body connected to the ultrasound probe. The diagnostic device main body includes a monitor that displays an ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of predetermined diagnostic findings, a similarity determination unit that determines the similarity between the ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings, and an emphasis degree change unit that changes the emphasis degree of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons on the monitor in accordance with the similarity determined by the similarity determination unit.

[0007] It is preferable that the diagnostic device main body includes an input device for a user to perform input operations, and a diagnostic finding linking unit that links a diagnostic finding corresponding to a diagnostic finding icon selected via the input device from among multiple diagnostic finding icons displayed on the monitor to an ultrasound diagnostic image. The diagnostic findings linked to the ultrasound diagnostic image by the diagnostic finding linking unit are preferably displayed on the monitor.

[0008] The emphasis degree changing unit preferably changes the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons so that the diagnostic finding icons corresponding to diagnostic findings with higher similarity are more strongly emphasized. In this case, the emphasis degree changing unit can surround, with an emphasis line, the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings. The emphasis degree changing unit can also display the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings in a color different from that of the other diagnostic finding icons. Furthermore, the emphasis degree changing unit can display the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings larger than the other diagnostic finding icons.

[0009] The ultrasound diagnostic image is an ultrasound image of the lungs of a subject, and at least one of the multiple diagnostic findings preferably includes any one of B-line, consolidation, normal, and no lung sliding.

[0010] The ultrasound diagnostic image is a still image when frozen, and the still image can be displayed on a monitor. The ultrasound diagnostic image may also be a moving image. In this case, the ultrasound diagnostic image is preferably a moving image taken for a predetermined time period before freezing.

[0011] In addition, the similarity determination unit determines the similarity between each of the multiple frames of ultrasound images that make up the moving image and multiple image patterns corresponding to multiple diagnostic findings, and the ultrasound image with the highest similarity among the multiple frames of ultrasound images is displayed on the monitor, and the emphasis degree change unit can change the emphasis degree of the multiple diagnostic finding icons based on the ultrasound image with the highest similarity.

[0012] The method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that it displays an ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of predetermined diagnostic findings on a monitor, determines the similarity between the ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings, and changes the emphasis level of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons on the monitor in accordance with the determined similarity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, a diagnostic device includes an ultrasound probe and a diagnostic device main body connected to the ultrasound probe. The diagnostic device main body includes a monitor that displays an ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of defined diagnostic findings, a similarity determination unit that determines the similarity between the ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings, and an emphasis degree change unit that changes the emphasis degree of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons on the monitor in accordance with the similarity determined by the similarity determination unit. This allows a user to easily assign diagnostic findings to an ultrasound image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transmission / reception circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound image generating unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of diagnostic finding icons according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic finding icon whose emphasis level has been changed in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of diagnostic location selection buttons and an ultrasound image displayed on a monitor in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of diagnostic finding icons displayed on a monitor in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is another display example of a diagnostic finding icon according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing yet another display example of diagnostic finding icons according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10 is another example of a diagnostic finding icon according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10 shows an example of a pleural effusion presence / absence icon displayed together with a diagnostic finding icon in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing examples of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to the linear ultrasound probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the linear ultrasound probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 6 is another example of an ultrasound image and diagnostic finding icons displayed on the monitor in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a slide bar displayed on a monitor in the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] 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 margin of error generally accepted in the technical field.

[0016] Embodiment 1 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic probe 2 and a diagnostic apparatus main body 3. The ultrasonic probe 2 includes a transducer array 11 to which a transmission / reception circuit 12 is connected.

[0017] The diagnostic apparatus main body 3 includes an image generation unit 13, which is connected to the transmission / reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 2. A display control unit 14 and a monitor 15 are connected to the image generation unit 13, in turn. An image memory 16 is connected to the image generation unit 13. The diagnostic apparatus main body 3 also includes an image pattern memory 17. A similarity determination unit 18 is connected to the image memory 16 and the image pattern memory 17, and an emphasis degree change unit 19 is connected to the similarity determination unit 18. The emphasis degree change unit 19 is connected to the display control unit 14. A diagnostic finding linking unit 20 is connected to the image memory 16. The diagnostic finding linking unit 20 is connected to the display control unit 14.

[0018] A main body control unit 21 is connected to the transmission / reception circuit 12, image generation unit 13, display control unit 14, image memory 16, image pattern memory 17, similarity determination unit 18, emphasis degree change unit 19, and diagnostic finding linking unit 20 of the ultrasound probe 2. An input device 22 is also connected to the main body control unit 21. The image generating unit 13, the display control unit 14, the similarity determining unit 18, the emphasis level changing unit 19, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20, and the main body control unit 21 constitute a processor 23.

[0019] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 2 shown in Fig. 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. These ultrasonic transducers transmit ultrasonic waves in accordance with drive signals supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 12, receive ultrasonic echoes from the subject, and output signals based on the ultrasonic echoes. Each ultrasonic transducer is configured by forming electrodes on both ends of a piezoelectric element made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic typified by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element typified by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal typified by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0020] The transmission / reception circuit 12, under the control of the main body control unit 21, 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 31 connected to the transducer array 11, an amplifier 32, an AD (Analog-to-Digital) converter 33, and a beamformer 34, which are connected in series from the transducer array 11 in this order.

[0021] The pulser 31 includes, for example, a plurality of pulse generators, and adjusts the delay amount of each drive signal and supplies it to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11 so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers form an ultrasonic beam based on a transmission delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 21. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, and pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves are generated from each ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the composite wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0022] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object such as a part of the subject, and propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 2. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 in this manner is received by each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11. At this time, each ultrasonic 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 32.

[0023] The amplifier 32 amplifies the signals input from each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD converter 33. The AD converter 33 converts the signals transmitted from the amplifier 32 into digital reception data. The beamformer 34 performs so-called reception focusing processing by delaying and adding each piece of reception data received from the AD converter 33. This reception focusing processing causes the reception data converted by the AD converter 33 to be phased and added, and a sound ray signal in which the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed is acquired.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the image generating unit 13 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 35, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 36, and an image processing unit 37 are connected in series.

[0025] The signal processing unit 35 corrects the sound ray signals received from the transmission / reception circuit 12 for attenuation due to distance in accordance with the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position using the sound velocity value set by the main body control unit 21, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate a B-mode image signal, which is tomographic image information regarding the tissue within the subject.

[0026] The DSC 36 converts (raster converts) the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing unit 35 into an image signal that conforms to the scanning method of a normal television signal. The image processing unit 37 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 36, and then sends the B-mode image signal to the display control unit 14 and the image memory 16. Hereinafter, the B-mode image signal that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 37 will be referred to as an ultrasound image.

[0027] The image memory 16 is for storing the ultrasound images generated by the image generation unit 13. The ultrasound images stored in the image memory 16 are read out under the control of the main body control unit 21 and sent to the display control unit 14, the similarity determination unit 18, and the diagnostic finding linking unit 20.

[0028] Examples of the image memory 16 that can be used include flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), MT (Magnetic Tape), RAM (Random Access Memory), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

[0029] The image pattern memory 17 stores a plurality of image patterns corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic findings determined for a region of the subject. For example, diagnostic findings for the subject's lungs include so-called B-lines, consolidation, normality, and no Langs sliding, and characteristic image patterns that appear in ultrasound images corresponding to these diagnostic findings are also known. Image patterns corresponding to these diagnostic findings can be stored in the image pattern memory 17 in advance by, for example, a user.

[0030] As with the image memory 16, the image pattern memory 17 may be, for example, a recording medium such as a flash memory, HDD, SSD, FD, MO disk, MT, RAM, CD, DVD, SD card, or USB memory.

[0031] The similarity determination unit 18 determines the degree of similarity between each of the ultrasound diagnostic images generated by the image generation unit 13 and stored in the image memory 16 and a plurality of image patterns stored in the image pattern memory 17. For example, if the image pattern memory 17 stores image patterns corresponding to four diagnostic findings, namely, B-line, consolidation, normal, and no Lang sliding, the similarity determination unit 18 determines the degree of similarity between each of the four image patterns and the ultrasound diagnostic image, and obtains four similarity values. Here, the ultrasonic diagnostic image includes a still image consisting of one frame of ultrasonic image generated by the image generating unit 13 and a moving image consisting of multiple frames of ultrasonic images.

[0032] As a method for determining the similarity, the similarity determination unit 18 can use, for example, a method using simple template matching, a machine learning method described in Csurka et al.: Visual Categorization with Bags of Keypoints, Proc. of ECCV Workshop on Statistical Learning in Computer Vision, pp. 59-74 (2004), or a general image recognition method using deep learning described in Krizhevsk et al.: ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 25, pp. 1106-1114 (2012).

[0033] The emphasis degree changing unit 19 stores a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic findings for a region of the subject, together with predetermined display positions on the monitor 15, and changes the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons according to the respective similarities corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings determined by the similarity determining unit 18. Here, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 each have a design imitating the image pattern of the corresponding diagnostic finding so that the user can easily associate and recognize the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4. Furthermore, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can change the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons so that, for example, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 corresponding to diagnostic findings with higher similarity are more strongly emphasized.

[0034] For example, the enhancement degree changing unit 19 stores four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 for the lungs of a subject, namely, normal (N), no Langs sliding (S(-)), B-line (B), and consolidation (C) (consolidation), along with their display positions arranged in the order of J1, J2, J3, and J4 from left to right, as shown in Fig. 4. When the similarity determining unit 18 determines the similarity such that the values ​​decrease in the order of B-line, consolidation, normal, and no Langs sliding, the enhancement degree changing unit 19 can change the enhancement degree of the diagnostic finding icon J3 by surrounding the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of the B-line, which has the highest similarity, with an enhancement line L1, as shown in Fig. 5. The plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 whose emphasis levels have been changed in this manner are sent to the display control unit 14 and displayed on the monitor 15.

[0035] Here, a normal diagnostic finding refers to a finding in which an ultrasound image includes a pleural boundary and an artifact (so-called A-line) extending perpendicular to the depth direction due to multiple reflections of ultrasound, and the pleural boundary shown in the ultrasound image is displaced by a certain amount or more in multiple consecutive frames of ultrasound images (so-called Langsliding is observed). Thus, a normal finding refers to a finding in which an A-line is observed in the ultrasound image and Langsliding is observed. A finding without Langsliding refers to a finding in which an ultrasound image includes a pleural boundary and an artifact (A-line) extending perpendicular to the depth direction due to multiple reflections, and the pleural boundary shown in the ultrasound image is hardly displaced in multiple consecutive frames of ultrasound images due to a so-called pneumothorax or the like (no Langsliding is observed). Thus, a finding without Langsliding refers to a finding in which an A-line is observed in the ultrasound image, similar to a normal finding, but no Langsliding is observed, and is generally known to indicate a suspected so-called pneumothorax. A B-line diagnostic finding is a finding in which an ultrasound image contains a linear pattern along the depth direction, such as due to fluid accumulation in the pleura, while a consolidation finding is a finding in which an ultrasound image contains a granular pattern, such as due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.

[0036] The main body control unit 21 controls each part of the ultrasound probe 2 and each part of the diagnostic apparatus main body 3 according to a pre-recorded program or the like. Under the control of the main body control unit 21, the display control unit 14 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 13, the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 whose enhancement levels have been changed by the enhancement level change unit 19, etc., and displays them on the monitor 15.

[0037] The monitor 15 performs various displays under the control of the display control unit 14. The monitor 15 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0038] The input device 22 is used by the user to perform input operations and is configured by devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touchpad, and a touch panel, which allow the user to perform input operations.

[0039] The diagnostic finding linking unit 20 links, to an ultrasound image, a diagnostic finding corresponding to a diagnostic finding icon selected by a user via the input device 22 from among the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 displayed on the monitor 15. For example, when four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed on the monitor 15 as shown in Fig. 5 and the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of the B line with the highest similarity is selected by the user via the input device 22, the ultrasound image used for determining the similarity by the similarity determining unit 18 is linked to the diagnostic finding of the B line corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon J3 selected by the user.

[0040] The processor 23, which includes the image generation unit 13, the display control unit 14, the similarity determination unit 18, the emphasis level change unit 19, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20, and the main body control unit 21, 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.

[0041] In addition, the image generation unit 13, the display control unit 14, the similarity determination unit 18, the emphasis level change unit 19, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20, and the main body control unit 21 can be configured as a single CPU or the like, either partially or entirely integrated.

[0042] Next, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. In the following description of the operation, an example in which the lungs of a subject are examined will be described, but the region of the subject to be examined is not limited to the lungs.

[0043] In the following description of the operation, the ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 is provided with a touch sensor disposed on top of the monitor 15 as the input device 22. Furthermore, a plurality of image patterns corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic findings of the subject's lungs are stored in the image pattern memory 17. Furthermore, the enhancement degree changing unit 19 stores a plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic findings of the subject's lungs. Furthermore, the monitor 15 has a first display area A1, a second display area A2, and a third display area A3, as shown in FIG.

[0044] The first display area A1 is an area for displaying the ultrasound image U. The second display area A2 includes a left / right switching button LR for setting either the left or right lung of the subject as the examination site, four examination site selection icons P1 to P4 for selecting the examination site of the subject, and a body mark BM. The examination site selection icons P1 to P4 each correspond to an examination site of the subject's lung. When the left / right switching button LR is tapped, the examination site selection icons P1 to P4 switch between "1R" to "4R" corresponding to the examination site of the right lung and "1L" to "4L" corresponding to the examination site of the left lung. In the example of FIG. 7, the examination site selection icons P1 to P4 correspond to the examination sites of the right lung registered with the names "1R" to "4R," respectively.

[0045] The body mark BM also includes a schematic diagram M1 representing the torso of the subject, a probe mark M2, and an examination location mark M3. Tapping the left / right switching button LR switches between a body mark BM including a schematic diagram M1 with the right lung facing forward and a body mark BM including a schematic diagram M1 with the left lung facing forward. In the example of Figure 7, a body mark BM including a schematic diagram M1 with the right lung facing forward is shown.

[0046] In the body mark BM, the probe mark M2 and the examination point mark M3 are arranged at positions on the schematic diagram M1 corresponding to the examination point selection icons P1 to P4, respectively, to visually indicate the examination points. When one of the examination point selection icons P1 to P4 is tapped, the body mark BM corresponding to the tapped examination point selection icon P1 to P4 is displayed in the second display area A2 of the monitor 15.

[0047] The third display area A3 includes a user interface for inputting commands related to the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1, such as a freeze button B1 for freezing the ultrasound image U. Here, freezing the ultrasound image U means stopping the generation of the ultrasound images U that are continuously generated by the image generation unit 13 and sequentially displayed on the monitor 15, and displaying the latest frame of the ultrasound image U on the monitor 15.

[0048] First, in step S1, an examination site for examining the lungs of a subject is designated by the user via the input device 22, and the designated examination site is accepted by the main body control unit 21. For example, if the user taps the left / right switching button LR to select the right lung as the examination site, and taps and selects the examination site selection icon P1 corresponding to the examination site "1R," the examination site "1R" is accepted by the main body control unit 21. When the examination site "1R" is accepted in this way, for example, the characters "1R" are displayed in the first display area A1 of the monitor 15, and a body mark BM corresponding to the examination site "1R" is displayed in the second display area A2.

[0049] Next, in step S2, the user brings the ultrasonic probe 2 into contact with the body surface of the subject, and an ultrasonic image U is captured in this state. At this time, the transmission / reception circuit 12 performs reception focusing processing using a preset sound velocity value under the control of the main body control unit 21 to generate sound ray signals. The sound ray signals generated by the transmission / reception circuit 12 in this manner are sent to the image generation unit 13. The image generation unit 13 generates an ultrasound image U using the sound ray signals sent from the transmission / reception circuit 12.

[0050] In the following step S3, the ultrasound image U generated in step S2 is sent to the display control unit 14 and displayed on the monitor 15, and the ultrasound image U is stored in the image memory 16.

[0051] In step S4, the main body control unit 21 determines whether or not a command to freeze the ultrasound image U has been input by the user via the input device 22.

[0052] For example, the main body control unit 21 determines that a freeze instruction has been given when the user taps the freeze button B1 displayed in the third display area A3 of the monitor 15. Furthermore, the main body control unit 21 determines that a freeze instruction has not been given when the user does not tap the freeze button B1.

[0053] If it is determined that a freeze command has not been issued, the process returns to step S2, where a new ultrasound image U is captured. The ultrasound image U generated in step S2 is displayed on the monitor 15 in the following step S3, and is also stored in the image memory 16. When step S3 is completed, the process proceeds to step S4, where it is determined whether the ultrasound image U has been frozen.

[0054] By repeating steps S2 to S4 in this manner, ultrasound images U are continuously generated and displayed on the monitor 15. Furthermore, by repeating steps S2 to S4, multiple frames of ultrasound images U are stored in the image memory 16.

[0055] If it is determined in step S4 that a freeze command has been issued, the generation of the ultrasound image U is stopped and the latest frame of the ultrasound image U is displayed on the monitor 15, thereby freezing the ultrasound image U, and the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the similarity determination unit 18 determines the similarity between each of the multiple frames of ultrasound image U stored in the image memory 16 by repeating steps S2 to S4, that is, the moving image during the predetermined time until freezing, that is, the multiple frames of ultrasound image U generated consecutively within the predetermined time until freezing the ultrasound image U, and the multiple image patterns stored in the image pattern memory 17. Here, the predetermined time is set to several seconds, for example, about 1 to 3 seconds.

[0056] Here, for example, when the similarity between each image pattern corresponding to four diagnostic findings, namely, B-line, consolidation, normal, and no Langs sliding, and an ultrasound image U is calculated, the similarity can be determined for the diagnostic findings of B-line and consolidation using one frame of ultrasound image U, but for the diagnostic findings of normal and no Langs sliding, it is necessary to distinguish the movement of the pleural boundary within the ultrasound image U, so it is preferable to determine the similarity using multiple consecutive frames of ultrasound image U.

[0057] Therefore, for a diagnostic finding of a B-line, the similarity determination unit 18 can calculate the similarity between each of multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated within a predetermined time before freezing and an image pattern corresponding to the diagnostic finding of the B-line, and determine the similarity having the largest value among the calculated similarity values ​​as the similarity to the diagnostic finding of the B-line.Furthermore, for a diagnostic finding of sclerosis, the similarity determination unit 18 can calculate the similarity between each of multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated within a predetermined time before freezing and an image pattern corresponding to the diagnostic finding of sclerosis, and determine the similarity having the largest value among the calculated similarity values ​​as the similarity to the diagnostic finding of sclerosis. As a result, the similarity determining unit 18 can obtain the final similarity as the similarity determined for the ultrasound image U in which the lungs of the subject are clearly visible.

[0058] Furthermore, for a diagnostic finding of a B line, the similarity determination unit 18 can analyze, for example, multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated during a specified time period before freezing, select the ultrasound image U from the multiple frames of ultrasound images U that contains the most linear patterns along the depth direction, and determine the similarity between the selected ultrasound image U and the image pattern corresponding to the diagnostic finding of the B line.

[0059] In this way, the similarity determination unit 18 can determine the similarity using the ultrasound image U that best represents the characteristics of the diagnostic findings for which the similarity is to be determined from the multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated during the specified time before freezing, thereby improving the accuracy of the similarity determination.

[0060] Furthermore, for diagnostic findings of normal and no Langs sliding, it is preferable to determine the degree of similarity taking into account the displacement of the pleural boundary. Therefore, it is preferable that the image pattern memory 17 stores, as image patterns corresponding to normal diagnostic findings, a plurality of consecutive image patterns in which the pleural boundary is displaced normally, and, as image patterns corresponding to diagnostic findings of no Langs sliding, a plurality of consecutive image patterns in which the pleural boundary is hardly displaced.

[0061] In this case, the similarity determination unit 18 determines the similarity between the multiple frames of ultrasound image U generated within a predetermined time before freezing and the multiple image patterns corresponding to the normal diagnostic findings for a diagnostic finding of normal. Also, the similarity determination unit 18 determines the similarity between the multiple frames of ultrasound image U generated within a predetermined time before freezing and the multiple image patterns corresponding to the diagnostic findings of hardening for a diagnostic finding of hardening.

[0062] In the following step S6, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 changes the emphasis degrees of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings whose similarities have been determined in step S5, based on the similarities between the plurality of diagnostic findings determined in step S5.

[0063] For example, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 stores a diagnostic finding icon J1 corresponding to a normal diagnostic finding, a diagnostic finding icon J2 corresponding to a diagnostic finding without Langs sliding, a diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to a B-line diagnostic finding, and a diagnostic finding icon J4 corresponding to a sclerosis diagnostic finding, along with their display positions arranged in the order J1, J2, J3, and J4 from left to right, as shown in Fig. 4. When the similarity for each diagnostic finding is determined in step S5 so that the values ​​decrease in the order of B-line, sclerosis, normal, and no Langs sliding, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can change the emphasis degree of the diagnostic finding icon J3 by surrounding the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the B-line diagnostic finding, which has the highest similarity, with an emphasis line L1, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0064] In step S7, under the control of the display control unit 14, diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed in the third display area A3 of the monitor 15 according to the enhancement level changed in step S6, as shown in, for example, FIG. 8. In the example of FIG. 8, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed on the monitor 15 in the following order from left to right: diagnostic finding icon J1 corresponding to a normal diagnostic finding, diagnostic finding icon J2 corresponding to a diagnostic finding without Langs sliding, diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to a B-line diagnostic finding, and diagnostic finding icon J4 corresponding to a sclerosis diagnostic finding. Furthermore, the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the B-line diagnostic finding is surrounded by a highlight line L1. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 8, a diagnostic finding icon J5 representing a finding that does not fit any of the diagnostic findings is displayed below the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4.

[0065] In this way, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed on the monitor 15 according to the emphasis level based on the similarity determined in step S5. Therefore, even if the user is unfamiliar with diagnosing subjects, the user can easily assign an appropriate diagnostic finding to the ultrasound image U displayed on the monitor 15 by checking the highlighted diagnostic finding icon J3.

[0066] In step S8, the main body control unit 21 accepts a diagnostic finding icon selected by the user via the input device 22 from among the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 displayed on the monitor 15.

[0067] In the following step S9, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 links the ultrasound image U used to determine the similarity in step S5 with the diagnostic finding corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon selected by the user in step S8.

[0068] For example, when the highest similarity among the similarities determined for multiple frames of ultrasound image U for the diagnostic findings of B-lines and sclerosis is determined as the final similarity, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 selects the ultrasound image U with the highest similarity for each of the diagnostic findings of B-lines and sclerosis as the target for linking. Furthermore, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 links the multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated within a predetermined time period before freezing for each of the diagnostic findings of normality and no Lang sliding.

[0069] Finally, in step S10, under the control of the display control unit 14, the diagnostic finding corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon accepted in step S8 is displayed on the monitor 15. In the example of Fig. 8, the diagnostic finding icon J3 displayed on the left end of the four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 is selected by the user, and the diagnostic finding "B" corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon J3 is displayed in the first display area A1 together with the ultrasound image U linked to the diagnostic finding of the B line in step S9.

[0070] As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of embodiment 1 of the present invention, the similarities between the ultrasound image U and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to a plurality of predetermined diagnostic findings are respectively determined, and the enhancement levels of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings are changed based on the similarities, and the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed on the monitor 15 according to the changed enhancement levels. Therefore, the user can easily assign appropriate diagnostic findings to the ultrasound image U displayed on the monitor 15 by checking the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 with the changed enhancement levels.

[0071] Furthermore, in the present invention, the emphasis level is changed while the display order of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 remains unchanged, which prevents the user from accidentally selecting a diagnostic finding icon other than the one he or she originally intended to select. Furthermore, in the present invention, the display order of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 can be set for each user or for each facility, such as a hospital, where the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is installed. Because the emphasis level is changed while the display order of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 remains unchanged, the user can easily confirm, for example, which icon is most emphasized, regardless of the order in which the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are set in advance, and can easily assign appropriate diagnostic findings to the ultrasound image U.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1, in the ultrasonic diagnostic device 1, the transmission / reception circuit 12 is provided in the ultrasonic probe 2, but it may be provided in the diagnostic device main body 3 instead of in the ultrasonic probe 2. Furthermore, the image generating unit 13 is provided in the diagnostic device main body 3, but it may be provided in the ultrasound probe 2 instead of in the diagnostic device main body 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the image generating unit 13 includes a signal processing unit 35, a DSC 36, and an image processing unit 37, and among these, the signal processing unit 35 can also be included in the ultrasound probe 2.

[0073] Furthermore, the method of connecting the ultrasound probe 2 and the diagnostic apparatus main body 3 is not particularly limited, and may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. Furthermore, the diagnostic device main body 3 may be a so-called handheld type that can be easily carried by the user, or may be a so-called stationary type.

[0074] 7 illustrates four examination location selection icons P1 to P4, but the number of examination location selection icons P1 to P4 is not limited to four. For example, the main body control unit 21 can store the number of examination locations and a set of corresponding examination locations. In this case, the number of stored examination locations is selected by a user's input operation via the input device 22, and under the control of the display control unit 14, the same number of examination location selection icons as the number of examination locations selected by the user can be displayed in the second display area A2 of the monitor 15. By switching the number of examination locations in this way, the present invention can be applied to a wider variety of examinations.

[0075] Although the description has been given of using a moving image as the ultrasound diagnostic image used in determining the similarity in step S5, only a single frame of a still image can also be used. In this manner, when only a single frame of a still image is used, the similarity determination unit 18 can determine the similarity between, for example, one frame of ultrasound image U displayed on the monitor 15 during a freeze and an image pattern corresponding to multiple diagnostic findings. However, in order to accurately determine the similarity to diagnostic findings of normality and no Langs sliding, it is preferable to determine the similarity using a moving image.

[0076] Furthermore, since it is known that in normal diagnostic findings, tissues from the pleural boundary to a certain depth position are displaced in association with the subject's inhalation or exhalation, the similarity determination unit 18 can determine the similarity between, for example, normal diagnostic findings and diagnostic findings without Langs sliding by taking into account the pleural boundary included in the ultrasound image U and the movement of the image between the pleural boundary and a certain depth position. This improves the accuracy of determining the similarity between normal diagnostic findings and diagnostic findings without Langs sliding. Note that the depth position of an artifact that is caused by multiple reflections of ultrasound and extends in a direction perpendicular to the depth direction can be set as the certain depth position.

[0077] In step S6, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 changes the emphasis degree of the diagnostic finding icon J3 by surrounding the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest similarity determined in step S5 with an emphasis line L1, but the method for changing the emphasis degree is not limited to this. For example, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can also change the display mode of each of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 depending on the similarity determined by the similarity determining unit 18.

[0078] For example, when the similarity to the diagnostic finding of a B-line is highest and the similarity to the diagnostic finding of a sclerosis is next highest, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can surround the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of the B-line with a double emphasis line L2 and surround the diagnostic finding icon J4 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of a sclerosis with an emphasis line L3, as shown in Fig. 9. In this way, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can change the emphasis degrees of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 so that the diagnostic finding icons corresponding to the diagnostic findings with higher similarities are more strongly emphasized.

[0079] Although not shown, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can also change the display mode according to the similarity for the diagnostic finding icon J1 corresponding to a normal diagnostic finding and the diagnostic finding icon J2 corresponding to a diagnostic finding without Langsliding.

[0080] Furthermore, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can display, among the plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4, the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest degree of similarity in a color different from the other diagnostic finding icons on the monitor 15. Furthermore, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can also display the plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 in different colors on the monitor 15 according to the degree of similarity to the plurality of diagnostic findings.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can display the diagnostic finding icon J3 corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the highest similarity on the monitor 15 larger than the other diagnostic finding icons J1, J2, and J4. The emphasis degree changing unit 19 can also change the size of the multiple diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 according to the degree of similarity to the multiple diagnostic findings. For example, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 can increase the size of a diagnostic finding icon corresponding to a diagnostic finding with a higher degree of similarity, and decrease the size of a diagnostic finding icon corresponding to a diagnostic finding with a lower degree of similarity.

[0082] Furthermore, when changing the size of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4, for example, the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the lowest similarity can be erased from the monitor 15. In particular, when the diagnostic device main body 3 is a handheld type, since the monitor 15 is small, by erasing the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with the lowest similarity from the monitor 15, the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding with a relatively high similarity can be displayed larger, making it easier for the user to select the diagnostic finding icon.

[0083] In addition, in step S9, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 has been described as linking multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated within a predetermined time before freezing for each of the diagnostic findings of normal and no Lang sliding, but it may also link a single frame of ultrasound image U. For example, if an image pattern related to the pleural boundary is stored in the image pattern memory 17 and the similarity determination unit 18 determines the similarity of multiple frames of ultrasound images U with respect to the pleural boundary in step S5, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 may link the ultrasound image U of the frame with the highest similarity with respect to the pleural boundary among the multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated within the predetermined time before freezing.

[0084] Furthermore, although four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are illustrated, the number of diagnostic finding icons is not limited to four and can be set, for example, to two, three, five or more, depending on the number of diagnostic findings for which similarity is to be determined. However, it is preferable that at least one of the multiple diagnostic findings related to the subject's lungs includes any one of the diagnostic findings of B-line, consolidation, normal, and no lung sliding.

[0085] For example, when diagnostic findings due to the accumulation of so-called pleural effusion (PE) in the lungs of a subject are taken into consideration, in addition to the diagnostic findings of normal, no Lung sliding, B-line, and consolidation, a total of eight diagnostic findings are possible: pleural effusion (N,PE), no Lung sliding and pleural effusion (S(-),PE), B-line and pleural effusion (B,PE), and consolidation and pleural effusion (C,PE). In this case, for example, eight diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 and J10 to J13 corresponding to the eight diagnostic findings are displayed on the monitor 15 as shown in FIG.

[0086] Furthermore, when the diagnostic finding of pleural effusion is taken into consideration, for example, as shown in Fig. 12, diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 corresponding to the diagnostic findings of normal, no Langs sliding, B-line, and consolidation, as well as a pleural effusion presence / absence icon E1 indicating that no pleural effusion is found, and a pleural effusion presence / absence icon E2 indicating that pleural effusion is found, can be displayed. In this case, the user can add a diagnostic finding that takes into consideration the presence or absence of pleural effusion to the ultrasound image U by selecting one of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 via the input device 22 and then selecting one of the pleural effusion presence / absence icons E1 and E2.

[0087] It is not necessary to simultaneously display the six icons, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 and the pleural effusion presence / absence icons E1 and E2, on the monitor 15. For example, of the six icons, the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 and the pleural effusion presence / absence icons E1 and E2, only four of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 can be displayed on the monitor 15, and when the user selects one of the four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4, the pleural effusion presence / absence icons E1 and E2 can be displayed on the monitor 15. By displaying in this manner, it is possible to clearly indicate to the user that the pleural effusion presence / absence icon E1 or E2 must be selected after selecting one of the four diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4, and the user can more smoothly add diagnostic findings to the ultrasound image U.

[0088] 4, 5, and 8 to 12 illustrate diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 having designs corresponding to an ultrasound image U captured by a so-called convex-type ultrasound probe 2, but the designs of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 may be set according to the type of ultrasound probe 2 used to examine the subject. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, diagnostic finding icons J6 to J9 having designs corresponding to an ultrasound image U captured by a so-called linear-type ultrasound probe 2 are illustrated. Diagnostic finding icon J6 corresponds to a normal diagnostic finding, diagnostic finding icon J7 corresponds to a diagnostic finding without Langs sliding, diagnostic finding icon J8 corresponds to a B-line diagnostic finding, and diagnostic finding icon J9 corresponds to a diagnostic finding of sclerosis.

[0089] Furthermore, similar to the case of using a convex type ultrasonic probe 2, when using a linear type ultrasonic probe 2, diagnostic finding icons J14 to J17 that take into account the accumulation of pleural effusion as shown in Fig. 14 can be displayed on the monitor 15. In the example of Fig. 14, diagnostic finding icons J14 to J17 having designs corresponding to the linear type ultrasonic probe 2 are shown. Although not shown, a pleural effusion presence / absence icon having a design corresponding to the linear ultrasonic probe 2 can also be displayed on the monitor 15, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0090] Furthermore, although not shown, when a so-called sector-type ultrasound probe 2 is used, a diagnostic finding icon having a design corresponding to the sector-type ultrasound probe 2 can be set.

[0091] Furthermore, in the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 of the first embodiment using the flowchart of FIG. 6, an example of examining the lungs of a subject has been described, but the present invention is not limited to examination of the lungs and can be applied to various examination sites of a subject.

[0092] For example, the present invention can be applied to an examination of a subject's rectum. In this case, three diagnostic findings, for example, loose stool, normal stool, and hard stool, are set as diagnostic findings according to the consistency of the stool in the rectum, and as shown in Fig. 15, a diagnostic finding icon J18 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of loose stool, a diagnostic finding icon J19 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of normal stool, and a diagnostic finding icon J20 corresponding to the diagnostic finding of hard stool are displayed on the monitor 15. In the example of Fig. 15, the three diagnostic finding icons J18 to J20 are displayed on the monitor 15 together with an ultrasound image U1 of the subject's rectum.

[0093] Furthermore, for example, the present invention can be applied to an examination of the inferior vena cava of a subject. In this case, for example, six diagnostic findings are set based on the diameter of the inferior vena cava and the presence or absence of respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava: large diameter of the inferior vena cava and respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava; large diameter of the inferior vena cava and no respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava; normal diameter of the inferior vena cava and ... no respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava; small diameter of the inferior vena cava and respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava; and small diameter of the inferior vena cava and no respiratory variation in the diameter of the inferior vena cava.

[0094] Here, "large inferior vena cava diameter" means the diameter of the inferior vena cava is 20 mm or more, "normal inferior vena cava diameter" means the diameter of the inferior vena cava is more than 10 mm but less than 20 mm, "small inferior vena cava diameter" means the diameter of the inferior vena cava is 10 mm or less, "respiratory variation in inferior vena cava diameter" means the change in the diameter of the inferior vena cava during expiration is more than 40% but less than 50%, and "no respiratory variation in inferior vena cava diameter" means the change in the diameter of the inferior vena cava during expiration is 40% or less.

[0095] Furthermore, for example, the present invention can be applied to examination of the liver of a subject. In this case, diagnostic findings can be set to include, for example, normal, liver cyst, fatty liver, liver hemangioma, and intrahepatic calcification. The present invention can also be applied to the examination of the gallbladder of a subject, in which case the following diagnostic findings can be set: normal, gallbladder polyp, gallbladder wall stone, gallbladder stone, adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder, and gallbladder wall thickening. The present invention can also be applied to the examination of a subject's kidneys, where diagnostic findings can include, for example, normal, intrarenal calcification, kidney stones, polycystic kidney, renal angiomyolipoma, hydronephrosis, double renal pelvis, and renal cyst.

[0096] Furthermore, for example, the present invention can be applied to cardiac examinations of a subject. In this case, for example, diagnostic findings such as severely reduced contractility, reduced contractility, normal contractility, and hypercontractility can be set based on the contractility of the left ventricle. "Severely reduced contractility" is a diagnostic finding in which the left ventricular ejection function calculated by (left ventricular stroke volume) / (left ventricular end-diastolic volume)×100=[(maximum left ventricular volume)−(minimum left ventricular volume)] / (maximum left ventricular volume) is 30% or less. "Reduced contractility" is a diagnostic finding in which the left ventricular ejection function is greater than 30% and less than 55%. "Normal" is a diagnostic finding in which the left ventricular ejection function is greater than 55% and less than 70%. "Hypercontractility" is a diagnostic finding in which the left ventricular ejection function is 70% or more.

[0097] The volume of the left ventricle can be calculated, for example, by measuring the width of the left ventricle in three perpendicular directions from an ultrasound image U corresponding to two mutually perpendicular cross sections of the left ventricle, and using the measured width values.

[0098] In this way, the present invention is applicable to various examination regions of a subject, and the examination region of the subject can be set, for example, by a user's input operation via the input device 22. This allows the user to easily assign appropriate diagnostic findings to the ultrasound image U when examining various examination regions of the subject.

[0099] Embodiment 2 In the explanation of the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 using the flowchart in FIG. 6, it is explained that the determination that a freeze command has been issued in step S4 is used as a trigger to determine the similarity of multiple diagnostic findings in step S5 using multiple frames of ultrasound image U generated during a specified time until the freeze, but the ultrasound image U used to determine the similarity can also be manually selected by the user.

[0100] The operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 in the second embodiment will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 16. The flowchart in Fig. 16 is the same as the flowchart in Fig. 6 in the first embodiment, except that steps S11 to S13 are added instead of step S5.

[0101] Steps S1 to S4 are the same as steps S1 to S4 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. If it is determined in step S4 that a freeze instruction has been issued, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0102] In step S11, the user specifies a frame range of a plurality of frames of ultrasound image U to be used for determining the similarity via the input device 22, and the main body control unit 21 accepts the specified frame range.

[0103] 16, under the control of the display control unit 14, a slide bar C1 for specifying a frame range and a freeze button B1 are displayed in the third display area A3 of the monitor 15. The slide bar C1 includes a slide button C2 for selecting one ultrasound image U from multiple frames of ultrasound images U generated from the start of the subject's examination until freezing by being dragged by the user between both ends of the slide bar C1. The left end of the slide bar C1 corresponds to the ultrasound image U generated first after the start of the subject's examination, and the right end of the slide bar C1 corresponds to the latest ultrasound image U at the time of freezing, and the ultrasound image U corresponding to the position of the slide button C2 is displayed in the first display area A1 of the monitor 15.

[0104] For example, the user slides the slide button C2 and moves it to a first position, then taps the freeze button B1, thereby specifying the ultrasound image U of the first frame in the frame range used to determine the similarity, and the user slides the slide button C2 further and moves it to a second position, then taps the freeze button B1 again, thereby specifying the ultrasound image U of the last frame in the frame range used to determine the similarity. For example, the frame range is specified in this manner, and the specified frame range is accepted by the main body control unit 21.

[0105] In the following step S12, the user inputs a command to start determining the similarity via the input device 22, and the main body control unit 21 accepts this command.

[0106] In step S13, the similarity determination unit 18 determines the similarity between the ultrasound image U of multiple frames within the frame range specified by the user in step S11 and multiple image patterns corresponding to multiple diagnostic findings stored in the image pattern memory 17.

[0107] In the following step S6, the emphasis degree changing unit 19 changes the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 based on the similarities determined for the plurality of diagnostic findings in step S13. In step S7, a plurality of diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 are displayed on the monitor 15 based on the enhancement level changed in step S6.

[0108] In step S8, the user selects one of the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 displayed on the monitor 15, and the main body control unit 21 accepts the selected diagnostic finding icon.

[0109] In step S9, the diagnostic finding linking unit 20 links the ultrasound image U used to determine the similarity in step S13 with the diagnostic finding corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon whose selection was accepted in step S9. Finally, in step S10, the diagnostic findings linked to the ultrasound image U in step S9 are displayed on the monitor 15.

[0110] From the above, even when the frame range of the ultrasound image U of multiple frames used to determine the similarity is manually specified by the user, the user can easily assign appropriate diagnostic findings to the ultrasound image U displayed on the monitor 15 by checking the diagnostic finding icons J1 to J4 with changed enhancement levels, in the same manner as in embodiment 1.

[0111] It has been explained that the user specifies, via the input device 22, the frame range of the multiple frames of ultrasound image U to be used for determining the similarity from the multiple frames of ultrasound image U generated between the start of the examination of the subject and the freezing, but instead of specifying the frame range, only one frame of ultrasound image U may be specified.

[0112] For example, when the user moves the slide button C2 and taps the freeze button B1 while the ultrasound image U of the desired frame is displayed on the monitor 15, the ultrasound image U of the frame displayed on the monitor 15 is designated as the ultrasound image U to be used to determine the similarity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 Ultrasound diagnostic device, 2 Ultrasound probe, 3 Diagnostic device main body, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmitting / receiving circuit, 13 Image generation unit, 14 Display control unit, 15 Monitor, 16 Image memory, 17 Image pattern memory, 18 Similarity determination unit, 19 Enhancement degree change unit, 20 Diagnostic finding linking unit, 21 Main body control unit, 22 Input device, 23 Processor, 31 Pulser, 32 Amplification unit, 33 AD conversion unit, 34 Beamformer, 35 Signal processing unit, 36 DSC, 37 Image processing unit, A1 First display area, A2 Second display area, A3 Third display area, B1 Freeze button, BM Body mark, C1 Slide bar, C2 Slide button, E1, E2 Pleural effusion presence / absence icon, J1 to J20 Diagnostic finding icon, L1 to L3 Enhanced line, LR Left / right switching button, M1 Schematic diagram, M2 Probe mark, M3 Examination area mark, P1~P4 examination area selection icons, U,U1 ultrasound images.

Claims

1. an ultrasound probe; a diagnostic device main body connected to the ultrasound probe; Equipped with The diagnostic device main body includes: a monitor that displays an ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of defined diagnostic findings; a similarity determination unit that determines the similarity between the ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings; an emphasis degree changing unit that changes an emphasis degree of each of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons on the monitor in accordance with the similarity determined by the similarity determining unit; 1. An ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

2. The diagnostic device main body includes: an input device for a user to perform an input operation; a diagnostic finding linking unit that links the diagnostic finding corresponding to the diagnostic finding icon selected via the input device from among the plurality of diagnostic finding icons displayed on the monitor to the ultrasound diagnostic image; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,

3. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the diagnostic findings linked to the ultrasound diagnostic image by the diagnostic finding linking unit are displayed on the monitor.

4. 4. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emphasis degree changing unit changes the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons so that diagnostic finding icons corresponding to diagnostic findings with higher similarities are more strongly emphasized.

5. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the emphasis degree changing unit surrounds, with an emphasis line, a diagnostic finding icon corresponding to a diagnostic finding having the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the emphasis degree changing unit displays the diagnostic finding icon corresponding to the diagnostic finding having the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings in a color different from that of the other diagnostic finding icons.

7. 7. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the emphasis degree change unit displays a diagnostic finding icon corresponding to a diagnostic finding having the highest similarity among the plurality of diagnostic findings larger than other diagnostic finding icons.

8. the ultrasound diagnostic image is an ultrasound image of the lungs of a subject; 8. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of diagnostic findings includes any one of B-line, consolidation, normal, and no Langs sliding.

9. The ultrasound diagnostic image is a still image at the time of freezing, 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the still image is displayed on the monitor.

10. 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic image is a moving image.

11. 11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic image is a moving image taken for a predetermined time period before freezing.

12. the similarity determination unit determines similarities between a plurality of frames of ultrasound images constituting the moving image and the plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings, respectively; Among the plurality of frames of ultrasound images, the ultrasound image having the highest similarity is displayed on the monitor; The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the emphasis degree changing unit changes the emphasis degrees of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons based on the ultrasound image with the highest similarity.

13. displaying an ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of diagnostic finding icons corresponding to a plurality of predetermined diagnostic findings on a monitor; determining the similarity between the ultrasound diagnostic image and a plurality of image patterns corresponding to the plurality of diagnostic findings; The degree of emphasis of each of the plurality of diagnostic finding icons on the monitor is changed in accordance with the determined degree of similarity. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device.

Images