Ultrasound diagnostic device and method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic device

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic device and a control method of an ultrasonic diagnostic device capable of executing an appropriate examination corresponding to a gender of a subject without needing to input the gender of the subject by a user.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 includes: a bladder extraction part 35 for extracting a bladder region from an ultrasonic image; a gender determination part 37 for determining the gender of the subject on the basis of the shape of the bladder region when an area of the extracted bladder region is larger than a prescribed area threshold; and an observation support part 38 for supporting observation of a next observation part determined in correspondence with the determined gender of the subject.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a method for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a method for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that perform examinations according to the sex of a subject. [Background technology]

[0002] In the medical field, ultrasound diagnostic devices that utilize ultrasound images have been put to practical use for some time. Generally, this type of ultrasound diagnostic device includes an ultrasound probe with a built-in transducer array and a diagnostic device main body connected to the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe transmits ultrasound beams toward a subject, and the ultrasound probe receives ultrasound echoes from the subject. For example, the received signals are electrically processed in the diagnostic device main body to generate an ultrasound image.

[0003] In a urological examination, a plurality of organs of a subject are usually measured consecutively. However, the organs to be measured differ depending on the gender of the subject. For example, if the subject is male, the examination is performed in the order of bladder urine volume measurement, prostate measurement, and kidney measurement, and if the subject is female, the examination is performed in the order of bladder urine volume measurement, uterus measurement, and kidney measurement.

[0004] Furthermore, the organs to be measured and the order in which multiple organs are measured may change depending not only on the gender of the subject but also on the condition of the subject's organs. This may result in forgetting to measure some of the multiple organs for each subject, or in the need to redo measurements of the same organs.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasound system that improves the accuracy of organ extraction by correcting the extracted area from an ultrasound image using estimated information about the three-dimensional shape and size of an organ, such as the bladder, based on the subject's gender, age, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-519369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the system of Patent Document 1, the user must input the subject's gender, age, etc., and if there is an input error, there is a risk that inappropriate assumed information for the subject will be used, which could worsen the accuracy of organ extraction.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and aims to provide an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a control method for an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that can perform an appropriate examination corresponding to the gender of a subject without requiring the user to input the gender of the subject. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an image generating unit that generates an ultrasound image of a subject by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam using an ultrasound probe; a bladder extraction unit that extracts a first region including a bladder region from the ultrasound image; When the size of the first region extracted by the bladder extraction unit is larger than a predetermined size threshold, Curved bottom edge a gender determination unit that determines the gender of the subject based on the an observation support unit that supports the observation of the next observation site determined in accordance with the gender of the subject determined by the gender determination unit; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0010] The bladder extraction unit can extract the bladder region as the first region. Alternatively, the bladder extraction unit may extract, as the first region, any of a region surrounded by a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribing the bladder region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing ellipse that circumscribing the bladder region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing circle that circumscribing the bladder region, a region surrounded by a rectangle including the circumscribing rectangle, a region surrounded by an ellipse that includes the circumscribing ellipse, and a region surrounded by a circle including the circumscribing circle. 。 sex The separate judgment area is on both sides of the lower edge of the bladder area. The curved part formed in If the radius of curvature is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the subject is determined to be male. The curved part formed in If the radius of curvature is greater than a defined threshold radius of curvature, the subject may be determined to be female. Alternatively, the gender determination unit may determine that the subject is male if the center of the lower edge of the bladder region is curved concavely downward, and may determine that the subject is female if the center of the lower edge of the bladder region is curved convexly downward.

[0011] The gender determination unit can also determine the gender of the subject using a trained determination model that has learned the shape of the bladder area in ultrasound images of a male bladder and ultrasound images of a female bladder.

[0012] a reliability calculation unit that calculates the reliability of the gender determination of the subject by the gender determination unit; The observation support section can be configured to notify the user of the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation section. It is also preferable to include a bladder size calculation unit that calculates the area of ​​the bladder region included in the first region extracted by the bladder extraction unit.

[0013] an ultrasound probe; an input device for a user to perform an input operation; a monitor that displays the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit; It is preferable to have:

[0014] The observation support unit can determine the next observation site to be the prostate when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male, and can determine the next observation site to be the uterus when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is female.

[0015] The observation support unit can guide the user in operating the ultrasound probe so that the next observation site is visualized on the monitor. Preferably, when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male, the observation support unit guides the user to take an ultrasound image by translating or tilting the ultrasound probe so that the prostate is visualized on the monitor, and when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is female, the observation support unit guides the user to take an ultrasound image by rotating the ultrasound probe 90 degrees so that the uterus is visualized on the monitor.

[0016] It is preferable that the gender determining section does not determine the gender of the subject when the size of the first region extracted by the bladder extracting section is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size threshold. In this case, the observation support unit can instruct the user to perform a re-examination after a predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, the observation support unit can instruct the user to input information regarding the sex of the subject via the input device and then perform the examination again. The observation support unit may also instruct the user to move the ultrasound probe to find a cross section that increases the area of ​​the bladder region displayed on the monitor.

[0017] The observation support unit may be configured to automatically recognize the next observation site from the ultrasound image. The observation support section can notify the user when the gender of the subject determined by the gender determination section differs from the gender based on the subject information of the subject input via the input device.

[0018] A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: generating an ultrasound image of the subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasound beams using an ultrasound probe; extracting a first region including a bladder region from the ultrasound image; If the size of the extracted first region is greater than a predetermined size threshold, the bladder region is extracted. Curved bottom edge determining the sex of the subject based on The present invention is characterized by supporting the observation of the next observation site determined in accordance with the determined gender of the subject. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the bladder extraction unit extracts a first region including the bladder region from the ultrasound image, and if the size of the first region is larger than a predetermined size threshold, the gender determination unit determines the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region, and the observation support unit supports the observation of the next observation site determined corresponding to the gender of the subject, making it possible to perform an appropriate examination corresponding to the gender of the subject without the user needing to input the gender of the subject. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [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 an internal 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 internal configuration of an image generating unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows an ultrasound image in which bladder regions having areas below a defined area threshold are displayed. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the bladder region of a male subject and the bladder region of a female subject; [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another example of the bladder region of a male subject and the bladder region of a female subject. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an ultrasound image displaying the bladder region of a male subject. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an ultrasound image in which the prostate is displayed. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an ultrasound image showing the bladder region of a female subject. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an ultrasound image in which a uterus is displayed. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] 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.

[0022] [Embodiment 1] 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 includes an ultrasound probe 2 and a device main body 3. The ultrasound probe 2 and the device main body 3 are wired to each other via a cable (not shown).

[0023] The ultrasonic probe 2 has a transducer array 21 and a transmission / reception circuit 22 connected to the transducer array 21 .

[0024] The device main body 3 has an image generation unit 31 connected to the transmission / reception circuit 22 of the ultrasound probe 2, and a display control unit 32 and a monitor 33 are sequentially connected to the image generation unit 31, and an image memory 34 is connected to the image generation unit 31. In addition, a bladder extraction unit 35, a bladder size calculation unit 36, a gender determination unit 37, and an observation support unit 38 are sequentially connected to the image memory 34, and the bladder extraction unit 35 and the observation support unit 38 are connected to the display control unit 32.

[0025] A main body control unit 40 is connected to the image generation unit 31, the display control unit 32, the image memory 34, the bladder extraction unit 35, the bladder size calculation unit 36, the gender determination unit 37, and the observation support unit 38, and an input device 41 is connected to the main body control unit 40. In addition, the transmission / reception circuit 22 of the ultrasound probe 2 is connected to the main body control unit 40. The image generating unit 31, the display control unit 32, the bladder extracting unit 35, the bladder size calculating unit 36, the gender determining unit 37, the observation support unit 38 and the main body control unit 40 constitute a processor 42.

[0026] The transducer array 21 of the ultrasonic probe 2 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasonic waves in accordance with a drive signal supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 22, and receives reflected waves from the subject and outputs an analog reception signal. Each 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).

[0027] The transmission / reception circuit 22, under the control of the main body control unit 40, transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 21 and generates sound ray signals based on reception signals acquired by the transducer array 21. As shown in Fig. 2, the transmission / reception circuit 22 has a pulser 23 connected to the transducer array 21, an amplifier 24, an AD (Analog-to-Digital) converter 15, and a beamformer 26, which are connected in series to the transducer array 21.

[0028] The pulser 23 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 of the transducer array 21 so that the ultrasound waves transmitted from the plurality of transducers form an ultrasound beam based on a transmission delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 40. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 21, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, and each transducer generates a pulsed or continuous wave ultrasound wave, and an ultrasound beam is formed from the composite wave of these ultrasound waves.

[0029] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object such as a part of the subject, and an ultrasonic echo propagates toward the transducer array 21 of the ultrasonic probe 2. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 21 in this manner is received by each transducer constituting the transducer array 21. At this time, each transducer constituting the transducer array 21 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 24.

[0030] The amplifier 24 amplifies signals input from each transducer constituting the transducer array 21 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD converter 25. The AD converter 25 converts the signals transmitted from the amplifier 24 into digital reception data and transmits the reception data to the beamformer 26. The beamformer 26 performs so-called reception focusing processing by adding each reception data converted by the AD converter 25 with a respective delay in accordance with the speed of sound or the distribution of sound speeds set based on the reception delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 40. This reception focusing processing causes the reception data converted by the AD converter 25 to be phased and added, and a sound ray signal with a narrowed focus of the ultrasonic echo is acquired.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the image generating section 31 of the device main body 3 has a configuration in which a signal processing section 51, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 52, and an image processing section 53 are connected in series. The signal processing unit 51 performs correction for attenuation due to distance on the sound ray signals sent from the transmission / reception circuit 22 of the ultrasonic probe 2 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 within the subject.

[0032] The DSC 52 converts (raster converts) the ultrasound image signal generated by the signal processing unit 51 into an image signal that conforms to the scanning method of a normal television signal. The image processing unit 53 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the ultrasound image signal input from the DSC 52, and then outputs a signal representing the ultrasound image to the display control unit 32 and the image memory 34. The signal representing the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 31 in this manner will be simply referred to as an ultrasound image.

[0033] Under the control of the main body control unit 40 , the display control unit 32 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound image sent from the image generation unit 31 and displays the ultrasound image on the monitor 33 . The monitor 33 displays an ultrasound image under the control of the display control unit 32, and includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0034] The image memory 34 is a memory that stores ultrasound images generated by the image generation unit 31 under the control of the main body control unit 40. For example, the image memory 34 can hold multiple frames of ultrasound images generated by the image generation unit 31 in response to a urological examination of a subject.

[0035] As the image memory 34, recording media such as 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), USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), etc. can be used.

[0036] The bladder extraction unit 35 extracts the bladder region BR of the subject from the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 31. To extract the bladder region BR, image recognition can be performed using at least one of template matching, image analysis technology using feature quantities such as Adaboost (Adaptive Boosting), SVM (Support Vector Machine), or SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform), and a determination model trained using machine learning technology such as deep learning. The determination model is a trained model that has learned the bladder region (segmentation) in training ultrasound images of the bladder.

[0037] Bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates, for example, the area Sp of bladder region BR as the bladder size representing the size of bladder region BR extracted in the ultrasound image by bladder extraction unit 35. Bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate the area Sp of bladder region BR by, for example, image analysis. The bladder is a sac-shaped organ formed by a flexible and highly elastic mucous membrane, which can store urine inside by expanding and contracting the mucous membrane. When a small amount of urine is stored in the bladder, the bladder takes on a flat shape, regardless of the subject's gender, as shown in Figure 4, and the area Sp of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image UI becomes small. Note that Figure 4 shows a cross section intersecting the subject's center line extending from the subject's head to the lower limbs.

[0038] In contrast, as the amount of urine in the bladder increases over time, the bladder expands, and the area Sp of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image increases. At this time, if the subject is a man, the prostate gland is present around the urethra extending downward from the bladder, and the prostate gland pushes the lower part of the expanded bladder upward, giving the bladder a relatively angular shape. On the other hand, if the subject is a woman, the prostate gland is not present below the bladder, and the expanded bladder has a relatively rounded shape. Therefore, in order to determine whether the bladder is expanded to the extent that it is possible to determine the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image, the area Sp of the bladder region BR is calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36.

[0039] Furthermore, it is possible to measure the amount of urine in the bladder based on the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36. For example, by regarding the bladder as a spheroid, it is possible to calculate the volume of the bladder from the area Sp of the bladder region BR on the ultrasound image UI and convert the volume into the amount of urine.

[0040] The gender determination unit 37 automatically determines the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR extracted by the bladder extraction unit 35. In particular, the gender determination unit 37 can determine the gender of the subject based on the curved shape of the lower edge of the bladder region BR. However, the gender determination unit 37 compares the size of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​with a predetermined size threshold, and determines the gender of the subject if the size of the bladder region BR is larger than the size threshold, but does not determine the gender of the subject if the size of the bladder region BR is equal to or smaller than the size threshold. For example, the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​as the size of the bladder region BR is compared with an area threshold Sth as a predetermined size threshold, and determines the gender of the subject if the area Sp of the bladder region BR is larger than the area threshold Sth, but does not determine the gender of the subject if the area Sp of the bladder region BR is equal to or smaller than the area threshold Sth.

[0041] This is because, when the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​is equal to or less than the predetermined area threshold Sth, the bladder will have a flat shape regardless of the gender of the subject, as shown in Figure 4, for example, and the reliability of determining the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR on the ultrasound image will decrease.

[0042] When the area Sp of the bladder region BR is greater than the predetermined area threshold Sth, the bladder is in a distended state due to the urine stored therein. In this case, for example, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, in the case of a male bladder region BRm1, the lower part of the bladder is pushed upward by the prostate, so that the bladder has a relatively angular shape in the ultrasound image UI, and the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions Cm1 formed at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BRm1 is small. On the other hand, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 5, in the case of a female bladder region BRf1, the lower part of the bladder is not pushed upward by the prostate, so that the bladder has a relatively rounded shape in the ultrasound image UI, and the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions Cf1 formed at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BRf1 is large.

[0043] Note that Figure 5 is a schematic diagram in which the male bladder area BRm1 and the female bladder area BRf1 are superimposed on each other for convenience in comparing their shapes, and is different from an actual ultrasound image of a subject.

[0044] Therefore, the gender determination unit 37 can determine the gender of the subject by comparing the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR of the subject extracted by the bladder extraction unit 35 with a predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth. Specifically, the gender determination unit 37 determines that the subject is male when the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR of the subject is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth, and determines that the subject is female when the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR of the subject is larger than the predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth.

[0045] Also, for example, as shown by the solid line in Figure 6, in the bladder region BRm2 of a man, the lower part of the bladder is pushed upward by the prostate, so that a curved portion Cm2 that curves concavely downward is likely to be formed in the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BRm2 in the ultrasound image UI. On the other hand, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in Figure 6, in the bladder region BRf2 of a woman, the lower part of the bladder is not pushed upward by the prostate, so that a curved portion Cf2 that curves convexly downward is likely to be formed in the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BRf2 in the ultrasound image UI.

[0046] Note that, like Figure 5, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram in which the male bladder area BRm2 and the female bladder area BRf2 are superimposed on each other for convenience in comparing shapes, and is different from an actual ultrasound image of a subject.

[0047] Therefore, the gender determination unit 37 can also determine the gender of the subject by checking the polarity of the curvature of the curved portion formed at the center of the lower edge of the subject's bladder region BR extracted by the bladder extraction unit 35, i.e., whether the curve is downwardly concave or downwardly convex. Specifically, the gender determination unit 37 determines that the subject is male when a curved portion Cm2 that curves downwardly concave is formed at the center of the lower edge of the subject's bladder region BR, and determines that the subject is female when a curved portion Cf2 that curves downwardly convex is formed at the center of the lower edge of the subject's bladder region BR.

[0048] The gender determination unit 37 can also determine the gender of the subject using machine learning techniques such as deep learning. For example, the gender of the subject can be determined by using a trained determination model that has learned the shapes of the bladder regions in ultrasound images of male and female bladders.

[0049] The observation support unit 38 supports the observation of the next observation site that is determined in accordance with the sex of the subject determined by the sex determination unit 37. Typically, in a urological examination, measurements are made on the bladder and then the prostate for a male subject, and measurements are made on the bladder and then the uterus for a female subject. That is, if the subject is male, the prostate is determined as the next site of the bladder, and if the subject is female, the uterus is determined as the next site of the bladder.

[0050] Therefore, the observation support unit 38 can notify the user that the next site to be observed is the prostate when the gender determination unit 37 has determined that the subject is male, and can notify the user that the next site to be observed is the uterus when the gender determination unit 37 has determined that the subject is female. The method of notifying the user may be to display the notification content on the monitor 33, or the device main body 3 may have a speaker (not shown) and provide the notification content by voice via the speaker.

[0051] Additionally, in conjunction with the notification of the next site to be observed, the observation support unit 38 may guide the user in operating the ultrasound probe 2 so that the next site to be observed is visualized on the monitor 33. For example, when the gender determination unit 37 determines that the subject is male, the observation support unit 38 may guide the user to translate or tilt the ultrasound probe 2 while maintaining the cross section so that the prostate, which is the next site to be observed, is imaged in a larger size, and when the gender determination unit 37 determines that the subject is female, the observation support unit 38 may guide the user to rotate the ultrasound probe 2 by 90 degrees to switch from the cross section to the longitudinal section so that the uterus, which is the next site to be observed, is imaged in a larger size.

[0052] Furthermore, the observation support unit 38 can also automatically recognize the next site to be observed from the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 31. That is, instead of informing the user that the next site to be observed is the prostate or uterus, or guiding the user in operating the ultrasound probe 2 so that the next site to be observed is visualized on the monitor 33, the observation support unit 38 may automatically recognize the next site to be observed, that is, the prostate or uterus, by analyzing the ultrasound image.

[0053] The main body control unit 40 controls each part of the device main body 3 and the transmission / reception circuit 22 of the ultrasonic probe 2 based on a control program stored in advance. Although not shown, a main body side storage unit is connected to the main body control unit 40. The main body side storage unit stores control programs, etc. The main body side storage unit may be, for example, a flash memory, RAM, an SD card, or an SSD.

[0054] The input device 41 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 sensor placed over the monitor 33, for example.

[0055] The processor 42 having the image generation unit 31, display control unit 32, bladder extraction unit 35, bladder size calculation unit 36, gender determination unit 37, observation support unit 38 and main body control unit 40 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 using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or other ICs (Integrated Circuits), or may be composed of a combination of these.

[0056] In addition, the image generation unit 31, display control unit 32, bladder extraction unit 35, bladder size calculation unit 36, gender determination unit 37, observation support unit 38 and main body control unit 40 of the processor 42 can be partially or entirely integrated into a single CPU or the like.

[0057] Next, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Prior to the urological examination, the user inputs subject information such as the ID (identifier) ​​of the subject to be examined via the input device 41. In step S1, the lower abdomen of the subject is photographed using the ultrasound probe 2 to obtain an ultrasound image. At this time, under the control of the main body control unit 40, transmission and reception of ultrasound waves is started from the multiple transducers of the transducer array 21 in accordance with a drive signal from the pulser 23 of the transmission and reception circuit 22 of the ultrasound probe 2, and ultrasound echoes from within the subject's breast are received by the multiple transducers of the transducer array 21. The received signals, which are analog signals, are output to the amplifier 24 and amplified, and then AD converted by the AD converter 25 to obtain received data.

[0058] The beam former 26 performs reception focus processing on this reception data, and the sound ray signals generated thereby are sent to the image generation unit 31 of the device main body 3, which generates an ultrasound image showing cross-sectional image information of the subject's lower abdomen. At this time, the signal processing unit 51 of the image generation unit 31 performs attenuation correction and envelope detection processing on the sound ray signals according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasound, and the DSC 52 converts them into image signals that comply with the scanning method of ordinary television signals, and the image processing unit 53 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing.

[0059] In the following step S2, the ultrasound image generated by the image generating unit 31 is displayed on the monitor 33 via the display control unit 32, and is also stored in the image memory . When acquiring an ultrasound image, the transmission intensity of the ultrasound and the depth range of the ultrasound image displayed on the monitor 33 are adjusted under the control of the main body control unit 40 so that at least the entire subject's bladder fits within the screen.

[0060] Once the ultrasound image is stored in image memory 34 in this manner, in step S3, the ultrasound image is input to bladder extraction unit 35, which extracts the bladder region BR of the subject from the ultrasound image. The extraction of the bladder region BR in bladder extraction unit 35 is performed by image analysis or by using deep learning.

[0061] Once the bladder region BR has been extracted from the ultrasound image by the bladder extraction unit 35, in step S4, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the area Sp of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image. Furthermore, based on the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36, the amount of urine in the bladder can be measured. The ultrasound image and the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​are input to the gender determination unit 37, and in step S5, the gender determination unit 37 compares the area Sp of the bladder region BR with a predetermined area threshold Sth.

[0062] If, as a result of the comparison, the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​is larger than the predetermined area threshold Sth, it is determined that it is possible to determine the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR, and the process proceeds to step S6, where the gender determination unit 37 automatically determines the gender of the subject. For example, the gender determination unit 37 calculates the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portions at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR and compares the calculated radius of curvature Rp with a predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth. If the radius of curvature Rp is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth, the subject is determined to be male, and if the radius of curvature Rp is greater than the predetermined threshold value of curvature radius Rth, the subject is determined to be female.

[0063] Alternatively, the gender determination unit 37 can check the polarity of the curvature at the curved portion formed at the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BR, and determine that the subject is male if a curved portion that curves concavely downward is formed at the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BR, and determine that the subject is female if a curved portion that curves convexly downward is formed. In addition, the gender of the subject may be determined by using a trained determination model that has learned the shape of the bladder region in ultrasound images of a male bladder and an ultrasound image of a female bladder.

[0064] In this way, once the gender determination unit 37 has determined the gender of the subject, in step S7, the observation support unit 38 supports the user in observing the next observation site, which is determined according to the gender of the subject.

[0065] For example, as shown in Fig. 8, if the subject is determined to be male based on the shape of the bladder region BR on the ultrasound image UI, the prostate is determined as the next region to be observed, and the observation support unit 38 issues a notification regarding the observation of the prostate. Note that Fig. 8 shows a cross section intersecting with the subject's center line extending from the subject's head to the lower limbs. Specifically, the observation support unit 38 can display a message saying "The next region to be observed is the prostate" on the monitor 33 via the display control unit 32.

[0066] However, it is desirable that the observation support unit 38 not only notifies the user of the region to be observed next, but also guides the user in operating the ultrasound probe 2 to visualize the prostate, which is the next region to be observed, on the monitor 33. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a guide message G is displayed stating, "Please translate or tilt the probe so that the prostate is imaged large." In other words, the user is guided to move the ultrasound probe 2 while maintaining the transverse section to visualize the prostate clearly and large on the monitor 33. The guide message G may be displayed on the monitor 33 at a position superimposed on the ultrasound image UI, or may be displayed outside the ultrasound image UI.

[0067] By operating the ultrasound probe 2 in accordance with the guide message G, it becomes possible to visualize the prostate PR, which is the next region to be observed, on the ultrasound image UI, as shown in FIG.

[0068] 10, if the subject is determined to be a female based on the shape of the bladder region BR on the ultrasound image UI, the uterus is determined as the next region to be observed, and a notification regarding observation of the uterus is issued by the observation support unit 38. Note that Fig. 10 shows a cross section that intersects with the center line of the subject extending from the head to the lower limbs, and since part of the uterus UT is superimposed on the bladder region BR on the ultrasound image UI, the cross section may not be suitable for observing the uterus UT. Specifically, the observation support unit 38 can display a message such as "Next observed site is the uterus" on the monitor 33 via the display control unit 32.

[0069] However, it is desirable that the observation support unit 38 not only notifies the user of the region to be observed next, but also guides the user in operating the ultrasound probe 2 to visualize the uterus, which is the next region to be observed, on the monitor 33. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, a guide message G is displayed saying, "Rotate the probe 90 degrees to change to a longitudinal section so that the uterus is visible." In other words, the user is guided to clearly visualize the uterus on the monitor 33 by rotating the orientation of the ultrasound probe 2 90 degrees when capturing the ultrasound image UI of Fig. 10 and switching from a transverse section to a longitudinal section.

[0070] By operating the ultrasound probe 2 in accordance with the guide message G, it is possible to clearly depict the uterus UT, the next area to be observed, in the ultrasound image UI without it being superimposed on the bladder BL, as shown in Figure 11.

[0071] Note that the support for observing the next region to be observed in step S7 is not limited to notification of the region to be observed next and guidance for operating the ultrasound probe 2. The observation support unit 38 can also automatically recognize the next region to be observed, the prostate PR or uterus UT, from the ultrasound image UI and display it on the monitor 33. The next region to be observed automatically recognized by the observation support unit 38 may be highlighted or enlarged on the monitor 33.

[0072] If, as a result of the comparison in step S5, it is determined that the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​is equal to or less than the predetermined area threshold value Sth, it is determined that it is difficult to perform reliable gender determination based on the shape of the bladder region BR, and the process proceeds to step S8, where automatic gender determination is not performed by the gender determination unit 37, and the observation support unit 38 notifies the user that gender determination of the subject will not be performed.

[0073] Furthermore, in step S9, the observation support unit 38 instructs the user to enable the gender determination unit 37 to determine the gender. For example, the observation support unit 38 can instruct the user to re-examine after a specified time has elapsed.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4, if the area Sp of the bladder region BR becomes less than the area threshold value Sth because the amount of urine stored in the bladder is small, the amount of urine in the bladder increases over time, so by re-examining after a specified time has passed, the area Sp of the bladder region BR may become larger than the area threshold value Sth, and the gender of the subject may be determined by the gender determination unit 37.

[0075] The rate at which urine accumulates in the bladder differs for each individual subject, but using an average rate value, the observation support unit 38 can display a message on the monitor 33 via the display control unit 32, such as, "The amount of urine is X milliliters less than the specified amount. Please retest in Y hours."

[0076] Furthermore, in step S9, the observation support unit 38 can also instruct the user to retest after inputting information regarding the sex of the subject into the apparatus main body 3 via the input device 41. For example, the observation support unit 38 displays a message on the monitor 33 via the display control unit 32 saying, "Sex determination is not possible due to small urine volume. Please input sex information."

[0077] In this case, during the re-examination, the gender determination unit 37 does not compare the area Sp of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image UI with the specified area threshold Sth, and the observation support unit 38 notifies the next observation site determined in accordance with the information regarding the gender of the subject input via the input device 41.

[0078] Furthermore, in step S9, the observation support unit 38 can also instruct the user to move the ultrasound probe 2 to find a cross section that increases the area Sp of the bladder region BR extracted by the bladder extraction unit 35 and displayed on the monitor 33.

[0079] If the ultrasound image UI acquired in step S1 is not an image of an appropriate cross section and the bladder region BR is imaged smaller than the actual bladder, an ultrasound image UI of a cross section in which the area Sp of the bladder region BR is larger may be acquired by moving the ultrasound probe 2 and re-capturing the ultrasound image UI. If the area Sp of the bladder region BR becomes larger than the predetermined area threshold Sth by re-capturing the ultrasound image UI, the gender determination unit 37 becomes able to determine the gender, and the observation support unit 38 can notify the user about the observation of the next region to be observed, which is determined according to the gender of the subject.

[0080] Furthermore, it is assumed that the subject information input prior to the urological examination includes the subject's gender, and if the result of the gender determination performed by the gender determination unit 37 in step S6 based on the shape of the subject's bladder region BR differs from the subject's gender included in the subject information, it is desirable that the observation support unit 38 notify the user of this fact. In addition, even if the input subject information does not include the subject's gender but the gender can be inferred from the subject's name, if the result of the gender determination in step S6 differs from the gender inferred from the subject's name, it is desirable to notify the user of this.

[0081] Furthermore, the gender determination unit 37 can be configured to automatically determine the gender only when the gender of the subject cannot be determined from the subject information input prior to the urological examination.

[0082] As described above, with the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts the bladder region BR from the ultrasound image UI, and if the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​is larger than the area threshold Sth, the gender determination unit 37 determines the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR, and the observation support unit 38 supports the observation of the next observation site determined corresponding to the gender of the subject. This makes it possible to perform an appropriate examination corresponding to the gender of the subject without requiring the user to input the gender of the subject.

[0083] In the above-described first embodiment, bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the area Sp of bladder region BR extracted by bladder extraction unit 35 as the bladder size, thereby determining whether gender determination unit 37 can perform gender determination based on the shape of bladder region BR. However, bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can also calculate the contour length of bladder region BR or the lengths of the major axis and minor axis of bladder region BR as the bladder size instead of the area Sp of bladder region BR. In this case, gender determination unit 37 performs gender determination when the contour length of bladder region BR or the bladder size consisting of the lengths of the major axis and minor axis of bladder region BR calculated by bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​is greater than the threshold value of the contour length or the threshold value of the lengths of the major axis and minor axis, which are set as size thresholds, and does not perform gender determination when the calculated bladder size is equal to or less than the threshold value.

[0084] Furthermore, since the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the bladder size in order to determine whether or not gender determination can be performed based on the shape of the bladder region BR in the gender determination unit 37, it is not necessarily necessary to calculate the size of the bladder region BR itself, and it is also possible to calculate the size of at least the area that includes the bladder region BR as the bladder size, and to determine whether or not gender determination should be performed in the gender determination unit 37 based on the calculated bladder size.

[0085] That is, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts the bladder region BR from the ultrasound image, and the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the bladder size of the extracted bladder region BR, but this is not limited to this, and the bladder extraction unit 35 may extract a first region including the bladder region BR from the ultrasound image, and the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​may calculate the size of the extracted first region as the bladder size.

[0086] The first region is a region that includes at least the bladder region BR, and as in the above-described first embodiment, the bladder extraction unit 35 may extract the bladder region BR itself as the first region, or the bladder extraction unit 35 may extract, as the first region, any of a region surrounded by a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribing the bladder region BR, a region surrounded by a circumscribing ellipse that circumscribing the bladder region BR, a region surrounded by a rectangle that includes the circumscribing rectangle that circumscribing the bladder region BR, and a region surrounded by an ellipse that includes the circumscribing ellipse that circumscribing the bladder region BR. Furthermore, the bladder extraction unit 35 may extract, as the first region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing circle that circumscribes the bladder region BR, or a region surrounded by a circle that includes a circumscribing circle that circumscribes the bladder region BR.

[0087] The "circumscribing rectangle" refers to a rectangle that includes the bladder region BR and has four sides that contact the bladder region BR, and the "rectangle that includes the circumscribing rectangle" refers to a rectangle whose four sides are located outside the circumscribing rectangle and whose included circumscribing rectangle occupies 80 to 90% of the area. Such an outer rectangle can be obtained by enlarging the long side (horizontal side) and short side (vertical side) of the circumscribing rectangle by the same or different magnifications. Furthermore, the term "circumscribed ellipse" refers to an ellipse that includes the bladder region BR and that occupies 80 to 90% of the bladder region BR, and the term "ellipse including the circumscribed ellipse" refers to an outer ellipse that includes an 80 to 90% occupancy of the circumscribed ellipse. Such an outer ellipse can be obtained by enlarging the major axis (horizontal diameter) and minor axis (vertical diameter) of the circumscribed ellipse by the same or different magnifications. Furthermore, a "circumscribed circle" refers to a perfect circle that includes the bladder region BR and has a diameter equal to the width of the bladder region BR (the width dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the subject's body), and a "circle that includes the circumscribed circle" refers to an outer circle that is enclosed by a circumscribed circle with an occupancy rate of 80 to 90%.

[0088] When the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate, as the bladder size, any one of the area, perimeter (total length of the four sides of the circumscribing rectangle), and length of the vertical side (side along the body length direction of the subject) of the circumscribing rectangle of the extracted first region. Note that the length of the vertical side of the circumscribing rectangle is calculated because the bladder expands in the vertical direction (the body length direction of the subject) as the amount of urine in the bladder increases.

[0089] Furthermore, when the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing ellipse that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate, as the bladder size, any of the area, circumference, minor axis (vertical diameter), major axis (horizontal diameter), and oblateness (ratio of minor axis to major axis) of the circumscribing ellipse of the extracted first region. The oblateness of the circumscribing ellipse is calculated because, as the amount of urine in the bladder increases, the bladder stretches in the vertical direction (the body length direction of the subject), and the oblateness of the circumscribing ellipse changes. Furthermore, when the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing circle that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate, as the bladder size, any one of the area, circumference, radius, and diameter of the circumscribing circle of the extracted first region. Calculating the bladder size using the circumscribing circle is particularly effective when the width of the bladder changes depending on the amount of urine in the bladder.

[0090] When the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by a rectangle including a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate, as the bladder size, any one of the area of ​​the rectangle including the circumscribing rectangle, the perimeter (the total length of the rectangle's four sides), or the length of the vertical side (the side along the subject's body length direction). Furthermore, when the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by an ellipse including a circumscribing ellipse that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate, as the bladder size, any of the area, circumference, minor axis (vertical axis), major axis (horizontal axis), and flattening ratio (ratio of minor axis to major axis) of the ellipse including the circumscribing ellipse. Furthermore, when the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts, as the first region, a region surrounded by a circle including a circumscribing circle that circumscribes the bladder region BR, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​can calculate the area, circumference, radius, or diameter of the circle including the circumscribing circle as the bladder size.

[0091] In this way, even when the bladder extraction unit 35 extracts a first region including the bladder region BR from the ultrasound image and the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the size of the extracted first region as the bladder size, the gender determination unit 37 compares the bladder size calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​with a predetermined size threshold, and if the bladder size is larger than the size threshold, determines that it is possible to determine the gender of the subject based on the shape of the bladder region BR and automatically performs gender determination, but if the bladder size is equal to or smaller than the size threshold, determines that it is difficult to perform reliable gender determination based on the shape of the bladder region BR and does not perform gender determination.

[0092] [Embodiment 2] 12 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1A according to embodiment 2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1A has an apparatus main body 3A connected to an ultrasound probe 2. The apparatus main body 3A is similar to the apparatus main body 3 of embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that it newly adds a reliability calculation unit 61 and uses a main body control unit 40A instead of the main body control unit 40. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1A of the second embodiment is configured to calculate and notify the reliability of the gender determination of the subject by the gender determining unit 37.

[0093] A reliability calculation unit 61 is connected to the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​and the gender determination unit 37, and an observation support unit 38 is connected to the reliability calculation unit 61. A main body control unit 40A is connected to the image generation unit 31, display control unit 32, image memory 34, bladder extraction unit 35, bladder size calculation unit 36, gender determination unit 37, observation support unit 38 and reliability calculation unit 61, and an input device 41 is connected to the main body control unit 40A. The image generation unit 31, the display control unit 32, the bladder extraction unit 35, the bladder size calculation unit 36, the gender determination unit 37, the observation support unit 38, the main body control unit 40A, and the reliability calculation unit 61 constitute a processor 42A.

[0094] The reliability calculation unit 61 calculates the reliability of the gender determination of the subject by the gender determination unit 37. It is assumed that the greater the amount of urine stored in the bladder, the more the bladder expands, and the bladder region BR of a man in an ultrasound image is pushed upward by the prostate, resulting in a relatively angular shape, while the bladder region BR of a woman is expected to become increasingly rounded. In other words, the difference in shape of the bladder region BR between the sexes increases depending on the area Sp of the bladder region BR in the ultrasound image, and the reliability of gender determination based on the shape of the bladder region BR by the gender determination unit 37 improves.

[0095] In addition, the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portion at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR of the subject, which are used as judgment materials when determining gender in the gender determination unit 37, and the polarity of the curvature of the curved portion formed in the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BR also affect the reliability of the gender determination. Furthermore, the higher the image quality of the ultrasound image used for determination in the gender determination unit 37 in terms of contrast, clarity, etc., the higher the reliability of the gender determination, and the lower the image quality, the lower the reliability of the gender determination.

[0096] Therefore, the reliability calculation unit 61 inputs the area Sp of the bladder region BR calculated by the bladder size calculation unit 36, the radius of curvature Rp of the curved portion at both ends of the lower edge of the bladder region BR calculated by the gender determination unit 37, the polarity of the curvature at the curved portion formed at the center of the lower edge of the bladder region BR confirmed by the gender determination unit 37, and the image quality of the ultrasound image used for the determination by the gender determination unit 37, and calculates the reliability of the gender determination by the gender determination unit 37 based on these.

[0097] The reliability of the gender determination calculated by the reliability calculation unit 61 is sent to the observation support unit 38, and is displayed on the monitor 33 by the observation support unit 38 via the display control unit 32. The reliability of the gender determination may be displayed on the monitor 33 as a numerical value, or as a pie chart, bar graph, or the like. By checking the reliability of the gender determination displayed on the monitor 33, the user can accurately observe the prostate or uterus, which are the next sites to be observed after the bladder in a series of urological examinations.

[0098] The method of connecting the ultrasonic probe 2 and the device main body 3, 3A in the first and second embodiments is not particularly limited, and may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. In the above-described first and second embodiments, the ultrasonic probe 2 has the transmission / reception circuit 22, but the device main body 3, 3A may also be configured to have the transmission / reception circuit 22. Furthermore, the device main body 3, 3A has the image generation unit 31, but the ultrasonic probe 2 may also have the image generation unit 31. Furthermore, of the signal processing unit 51, DSC 52, and image processing unit 53 that make up the image generation unit 31 shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic probe 2 may have only the signal processing unit 51, and the device main body 3, 3A may have the DSC 52 and image processing unit 53. Furthermore, as the device main bodies 3 and 3A in the first and second embodiments, a compact device main body of a portable or handheld type can be used, or a stationary device main body can also be used.

[0099] [Embodiment 3] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which the ultrasonic probe 2, the monitor 33, and the input device 41 are directly connected to the processor 42 of the apparatus main body 3, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0100] 13, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1B according to the third embodiment has an ultrasound probe 2, a monitor 33, and an input device 41 connected to an apparatus main body 3B via a network 4. The apparatus main body 3B is the same as the apparatus main body 3 according to the first embodiment except that the monitor 33 and the input device 41 are removed, and is composed of an image memory 34 and a processor 42.

[0101] In this way, even if the ultrasound probe 2, monitor 33, and input device 41 are connected to the device main body 3B via the network 4, the bladder region BR is extracted from the ultrasound image UI, and if the area Sp of the bladder region BR is larger than the area threshold Sth, the gender of the subject is determined based on the shape of the bladder region BR, and observation of the next observation site determined corresponding to the gender of the subject is supported, just as in the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of Embodiment 1. Therefore, it is possible to perform an appropriate examination corresponding to the gender of the subject without requiring the user to input the gender of the subject.

[0102] Furthermore, since the ultrasound probe 2, monitor 33, and input device 41 are connected to the device main body 3B via the network 4, the device main body 3B can be used as a so-called remote server. This allows, for example, a user to examine a subject simply by having the ultrasound probe 2, monitor 33, and input device 41 at hand, thereby improving the convenience of ultrasound diagnosis. The ultrasonic probe 2, the monitor 33 and the input device 41 may be connected to the network 4 by wire or wirelessly.

[0103] Furthermore, if a portable thin computer known as a tablet is used as the monitor 33 and the input device 41, the urological examination can be performed more conveniently. In addition, the device main body 3B has the processor 42 used in the device main body 3 in embodiment 1, but it can also be configured to have the processor 42A used in the device main body 3A in embodiment 2 instead of the processor 42.

[0104] In the above-described second and third embodiments, the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​may calculate the contour length of the bladder region BR or the lengths of the major axis and minor axis of the bladder region BR as the bladder size, instead of the area Sp of the bladder region BR extracted by the bladder extraction unit 35. Furthermore, the bladder extraction unit 35 may be configured to extract a first region including the bladder region BR from the ultrasound image, and the bladder size calculation unit 36 ​​may calculate the size of the extracted first region as the bladder size. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1, 1A, 1B Ultrasound diagnostic device, 2 Ultrasound probe, 3, 3A, 3B Device main body, 4 Network, 21 Transducer array, 22 Transmitting / receiving circuit, 23 Pulser, 24 Amplifier, 25 AD converter, 26 Beamformer, 31 Image generator, 32 Display controller, 33 Monitor, 34 Image memory, 35 Bladder extraction unit, 36 Bladder size calculator, 37 Gender determination unit, 38 Observation support unit, 40, 40A Main body controller, 41 Input device, 42, 42A Processor, 51 Signal processor, 52 DSC, 53 Image processor, 61 Reliability calculator, UI Ultrasound image, BR, BRm1, BRm2, BRf1, BRf2 Bladder area, Cm1, Cm2, Cf1, Cf2 Curvature, Sp Area, Sth Area threshold, PR Prostate, UT Uterus, G Guide message, BL bladder.

Claims

1. an image generating unit that generates an ultrasound image of a subject by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound beam using an ultrasound probe; a bladder extraction unit that extracts a first region including a bladder region from the ultrasound image; a gender determination unit that determines the gender of the subject based on the curved shape of the lower edge of the bladder region when the size of the first region extracted by the bladder extraction unit is larger than a predetermined size threshold; an observation support unit that supports the observation of the next observation site determined in accordance with the gender of the subject determined by the gender determination unit; An ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bladder extraction unit extracts the bladder region as the first region.

3. 2. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the bladder extraction unit extracts, as the first region, any one of a region surrounded by a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribes the bladder region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing ellipse that circumscribes the bladder region, a region surrounded by a circumscribing circle that circumscribes the bladder region, a region surrounded by a rectangle that includes the circumscribing rectangle, a region surrounded by an ellipse that includes the circumscribing ellipse, and a region surrounded by a circle that includes the circumscribing circle.

4. 2. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male when the radius of curvature of the curved portions formed on both sides of the lower edge of the bladder region is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value for the radius of curvature, and determines that the subject is female when the radius of curvature of the curved portions formed on both sides of the lower edge of the bladder region is greater than the predetermined threshold value for the radius of curvature.

5. 2. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male when the center of the lower edge of the bladder region is curved downward in a concave shape, and determines that the subject is female when the center of the lower edge of the bladder region is curved downward in a convex shape.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gender determination unit determines the gender of the subject using a trained determination model that has learned the shapes of the bladder region in ultrasound images of a male bladder and ultrasound images of a female bladder.

7. a reliability calculation unit that calculates the reliability of the gender determination of the subject by the gender determination unit; 7. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the observation support unit notifies a user of the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation unit.

8. 8. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 1, further comprising a bladder size calculation unit that calculates an area of ​​the bladder region included in the first region extracted by the bladder extraction unit.

9. the ultrasonic probe; an input device for a user to perform an input operation; a monitor that displays the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

10. 10. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the observation support unit determines the next observation site to be the prostate when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male, and determines the next observation site to be the uterus when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is female.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the observation support unit guides the user in operating the ultrasonic probe so that the next region to be examined is visualized on the monitor.

12. 12. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 11, wherein, when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is male, the observation support unit provides guidance for capturing the ultrasound image by translating or tilting the ultrasound probe so that the prostate is visualized on the monitor, and when the gender determination unit determines that the subject is female, provides guidance for capturing the ultrasound image by rotating the ultrasound probe by 90 degrees so that the uterus is visualized on the monitor.

13. 13. The ultrasound diagnostic device according to claim 9, wherein the gender determination unit does not determine the gender of the subject when the size of the first region extracted by the bladder extraction unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined size threshold.

14. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the observation support unit instructs the user to perform a reexamination after a predetermined time has elapsed.

15. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the observation support unit instructs the user to input information related to the sex of the subject via the input device and then perform the examination again.

16. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the observation support unit instructs the user to find a cross section that increases the area of ​​the bladder region displayed on the monitor by moving the ultrasound probe.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the observation support unit automatically recognizes the next observation region from the ultrasonic image.

18. 18. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the observation support unit notifies the user when the gender of the subject determined by the gender determination unit differs from the gender based on the subject information of the subject input via the input device.

19. generating an ultrasound image of the subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasound beams using an ultrasound probe; extracting a first region including a bladder region from the ultrasound image; If the size of the extracted first region is greater than a predetermined size threshold, determining the gender of the subject based on the curved shape of the lower edge of the bladder region; Supporting the observation of the next observation site determined in accordance with the determined gender of the subject A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device.

Images