Ultrasound diagnostic device and method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic device

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic device capable of achieving power saving while starting an ultrasonic probe only with an operation in a device body, and a control method of the ultrasonic diagnostic device.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic probe 1 includes: an ultrasonic unit 15 for acquiring ultrasonic image data; a probe side first communication circuit PC1 and a probe side second communication circuit PC2 for performing wireless communication with a device body 2 respectively, which are different in transmission capacity and power consumption; and a power supply control unit 16 for selecting one communication circuit of the probe side first communication circuit PC1 and the probe side second communication circuit PC2 according to a power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe 1, and performing wireless communication with the device body 2 using the selected communication circuit.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 power saving in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which an ultrasonic probe and the apparatus main body are connected by wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] In the medical field, ultrasonic diagnostic devices using ultrasonic images have been put to practical use for some time. Generally, this type of ultrasonic diagnostic device includes an ultrasonic probe with a built-in transducer array and a device main body connected to the ultrasonic probe. The transducer array of the ultrasonic probe transmits ultrasonic beams toward a subject, and ultrasonic echoes from the subject are received by the transducer array. The received signals are electrically processed to generate an ultrasonic image, which is then displayed on a monitor of the device main body.

[0003] In recent years, ultrasonic diagnostic devices have been developed that aim to improve the operability and mobility of the ultrasonic probe by connecting the ultrasonic probe and the device main body via wireless communication. In such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a battery is generally built into the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic probe is operated by power from the battery. Therefore, there is a demand for power saving of the ultrasonic probe so that the ultrasonic probe can be operated for a long period of time.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasound diagnostic device that has an acceleration sensor mounted on an ultrasound probe, detects that the ultrasound probe has been moved by the acceleration sensor, and starts supplying power to various components in the ultrasound probe, such as a transmission beam former. This ultrasound diagnostic device detects that an examiner has grasped the ultrasound probe and activates various components in the ultrasound probe, thereby enabling power saving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-72703 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in order to shorten the activation time of the ultrasonic probe, it is desirable to activate the ultrasonic probe only by operating the device main body without requiring the operation of both the ultrasonic probe and the device main body. In this case, the ultrasonic probe is in standby mode until it receives an activation signal from the device main body, and upon receiving the activation signal, it switches from standby mode to active mode.

[0007] Since the wireless communication between the ultrasound probe and the device main body involves the transmission of ultrasound image data, which has a large amount of data, a communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is adopted. However, if a Wi-Fi connection, which consumes a lot of power, is maintained in standby mode, the battery will be consumed rapidly, and the waiting time in standby mode will be shortened, which may interfere with ultrasound diagnosis.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and aims to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic device and a control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic device that can save power while activating an ultrasonic probe simply by operating the device main body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an ultrasound probe; The device body is wirelessly connected to the ultrasound probe. Equipped with The ultrasound probe is an ultrasound unit that acquires ultrasound image data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound; a plurality of probe-side communication circuits each of which performs wireless communication with the device main body and has different transmission capacities and power consumptions; a power supply control unit that selects one of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits in accordance with a power supply mode of the ultrasound probe and performs wireless communication with the device main body using the selected probe-side communication circuit; and The power supply modes of the ultrasonic probe include an active mode in which the ultrasonic unit is enabled to operate and a standby mode in which the ultrasonic unit is disabled to operate and in which power consumption is lower than in the active mode; The power supply control unit is characterized in that, when the ultrasound probe receives a start-up control signal from the device body, it switches the power supply mode from the standby mode to the active mode.

[0010] The plurality of probe side communication circuits are a probe-side first communication circuit that transmits ultrasonic image data selected by the power control unit and acquired by the ultrasound unit to the device body when the power mode is the active mode; a probe-side second communication circuit that is selected by the power supply control unit when the power supply mode is in standby mode and operates with lower power consumption than the probe-side first communication circuit; It is preferred that the compound contains:

[0011] The ultrasound probe also has a built-in battery. It is preferable that when the power supply mode is in the active mode, the power supply control unit supplies power from the battery to the ultrasound unit and the probe-side first communication circuit and stops the power supply to the probe-side second communication circuit, and when the power supply mode is in the standby mode, supplies power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit and stops the power supply to the ultrasound unit and the probe-side first communication circuit.

[0012] The standby mode further includes a first mode and a second mode in which power consumption is lower than that in the first mode; The power supply control unit can be configured to supply power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit when the power supply mode is in the first mode, and to stop supplying power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit when the power supply mode is in the second mode.

[0013] Alternatively, the standby mode further includes a first mode and a second mode in which power consumption is lower than that in the first mode; The power supply control unit supplies power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit whether the power supply mode is the first mode or the second mode, and can also control the probe-side second communication circuit to perform wireless communication with the device main body at a communication interval longer than the communication interval when the power supply mode is the first mode when the power supply mode is the second mode.

[0014] The ultrasound probe has a probe sensor that detects that the ultrasound probe is being held or moved by a user; When the power supply mode is the second mode, if the probe sensor detects that the ultrasonic probe has been gripped or moved, the power supply control unit switches the power supply mode from the second mode to the first mode, and the ultrasonic probe transmits a pairing request signal to the device main body via the probe-side second communication circuit; The power supply control unit may be configured to switch the power supply mode from the standby mode to the active mode when the ultrasound probe receives a pairing completion notification signal as a startup control signal from the device main body via the probe-side second communication circuit.

[0015] The probe sensor preferably comprises an acceleration sensor or a contact sensor mounted on the ultrasound probe.

[0016] When the power supply mode is the first mode, the power supply control unit can be configured to switch the power supply mode from the standby mode to the active mode when the ultrasonic probe receives a startup instruction signal as a startup control signal from the device main body via the probe-side second communication circuit.

[0017] Preferably, the time required to transition the power supply mode from the first mode to the active mode is shorter than the time required to transition the power supply mode from the second mode to the active mode.

[0018] the device main body has a plurality of main body side communication circuits corresponding to the plurality of probe side communication circuits; The plurality of main body side communication circuits are a main body-side first communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the probe-side first communication circuit; a main body side second communication circuit for wirelessly communicating with the probe side second communication circuit; It is preferred that the compound contains:

[0019] In this case, the activation control signal is transmitted from the device main body to the ultrasonic probe via the second main body communication circuit and the second probe communication circuit.

[0020] A method for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of probe-side communication circuits each having a different transmission capacity and power consumption, and an apparatus main body wirelessly connected to the ultrasonic probe, comprising: Selecting one of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits according to the power supply mode of the ultrasound probe; The selected probe-side communication circuit is used to perform wireless communication between the ultrasound probe and the device body. The power supply modes of the ultrasound probe include an active mode in which an ultrasound unit that acquires ultrasound image data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound can be operated, and a standby mode in which the operation of the ultrasound unit is prohibited and power consumption is lower than in the active mode. When the ultrasonic probe receives a start-up control signal from the device body, the power supply mode is switched from the standby mode to the active mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, there is provided a plurality of probe-side communication circuits each of which performs wireless communication with the device main body and which have different transmission capacities and power consumptions, and a power supply control unit which selects one of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits according to the power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe and performs wireless communication with the device main body using the selected probe-side communication circuit, and when the ultrasonic probe receives a startup control signal from the device main body, the power supply control unit switches the power supply mode from standby mode to active mode, making it possible to start the ultrasonic probe only by operating the device main body and still achieve power saving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in active mode according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a transmission / reception circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an image generating unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment in a first mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment in a second mode. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation in active mode of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment when starting up from the first mode. [Figure 8] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment when starting up from the second mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] 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.

[0024] [Embodiment 1] 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an ultrasonic probe 1 and a device main body 2 connected to the ultrasonic probe 1, and the ultrasonic probe 1 and the device main body 2 are wirelessly connected.

[0025] The ultrasound probe 1 has a transducer array 11, to which a transmission / reception circuit 12 and an image generation unit 13 are sequentially connected. A probe control unit 14 is connected to the transmission / reception circuit 12 and the image generation unit 13, and the transducer array 11, transmission / reception circuit 12, image generation unit 13, and probe control unit 14 form an ultrasound unit 15. The ultrasonic probe 1 also has a power supply control unit 16, to which a probe-side first communication circuit PC1 is connected, and to which a probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is connected. The transmitting and receiving circuit 12, the image generating unit 13, the probe control unit 14, and the power supply control unit 16 constitute a probe side processor 17.

[0026] Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a battery 18, and a power supply control unit 16 is connected to the battery 18. The ultrasonic unit 15 and a probe-side first communication circuit PC1 are also connected to the battery 18 via a first switch SW1, and similarly, a probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is connected to the battery 18 via a second switch SW2. The ultrasonic probe 1 is also equipped with a probe sensor 19 , which is connected to the power supply control unit 16 .

[0027] On the other hand, the device main body 2 has a first main body communication circuit BC1 and a second main body communication circuit BC2 corresponding to the first probe side communication circuit PC1 and the second probe side communication circuit PC2 of the ultrasound probe 1, and a display control unit 21 and a monitor 22 are sequentially connected to the first main body communication circuit BC1. In addition, a main body control unit 23 is connected to the display control unit 21, the first main body communication circuit BC1, and the second main body communication circuit BC2. The display control unit 21 and the main body control unit 23 constitute a main body processor 24 . The device main body 2 also has a battery 25 and an input device 26, which is connected to the main body control unit 23.

[0028] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasonic waves in accordance with a drive signal supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 12, 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).

[0029] The transmission / reception circuit 12, under the control of the probe control unit 14, 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 unit 32, an AD (Analog-to-Digital) converter unit 33, and a beamformer 34, which are connected in series to the transducer array 11.

[0030] 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 transducers of the transducer array 11 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 probe control unit 14. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric 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.

[0031] 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 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 in this manner is received by each transducer constituting the transducer array 11. At this time, each transducer constituting the transducer array 11 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and outputs this received signal to the amplifier 32.

[0032] The amplifier 32 amplifies signals input from each 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 and transmits this reception data to the beamformer 34. The beamformer 34 performs so-called reception focusing processing by adding each piece of reception data converted by the AD converter 33 with a respective delay in accordance with the speed of sound or a distribution of sound speeds set based on the reception delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the probe control unit 14. This reception focusing processing causes the reception data converted by the AD converter 33 to be phased and added, and a sound ray signal with a narrowed focus of the ultrasonic echo is acquired.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the image generating unit 13 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 41, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 42, and an image processing unit 43 are connected in series. The signal processing unit 41 performs correction for attenuation due to distance on the sound ray signals sent from the transmission / reception circuit 12 in accordance with the depth of the ultrasonic wave reflection position, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate an ultrasound image signal (B-mode image signal) that is tomographic image information on the tissue within the subject.

[0034] The DSC 42 converts (raster converts) the ultrasound image signal generated by the signal processing unit 41 into an image signal that conforms to the scanning method of a normal television signal. The image processing unit 43 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the ultrasound image signal input from the DSC 42, and then outputs a signal representing the ultrasound image (hereinafter referred to as the ultrasound image) to the probe-side first communication circuit PC1. Furthermore, the probe control unit 14 controls the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 and the image generating unit 13 of the ultrasound unit 15 based on a program stored in advance. In this way, the ultrasound unit 15 formed by the transducer array 11, the transmission / reception circuit 12, the image generation unit 13, and the probe control unit 14 transmits and receives ultrasound waves to obtain ultrasound image data representing an ultrasound image.

[0035] The probe-side first communication circuit PC1 and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 each perform wireless communication with the device main body 2 when the ultrasound probe 1 and the device main body 2 are wirelessly connected, and have different transmission capacities and power consumptions. Specifically, the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 performs wireless communication using a communication method with a large capacity and high power consumption, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), while the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 performs wireless communication using a communication method with a small capacity and low power consumption compared to the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, registered trademark).

[0036] The probe-side first communication circuit PC1 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, modulates a carrier based on the ultrasound image data generated by the image generation unit 13 to generate a transmission signal, supplies the transmission signal to an antenna, and transmits radio waves from the antenna, thereby wirelessly transmitting the ultrasound image data to the main body-side first communication circuit BC1 of the device main body 2. As a carrier modulation method, ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying), PSK (Phase Shift Keying), QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), 16QAM (16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), etc. are used. Furthermore, the probe side first communication circuit PC1 transmits various signals sent from the probe control unit 14 to the main body side first communication circuit BC1 of the device main body 2, and also receives various signals sent from the main body side first communication circuit BC1 of the device main body 2 and sends them to the probe control unit 14.

[0037] Like the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 also includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and transmits various signals sent from the power supply control unit 16 to the main body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2, and also receives various signals sent from the main body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2 and sends them to the power supply control unit 16. The first probe communication circuit PC1 and the second probe communication circuit PC2 may be formed by sharing or reconfiguring a part or the whole of each other's circuits.

[0038] The power supply control unit 16 controls the supply of power from the battery 18 to the ultrasonic unit 15, the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 by controlling the opening and closing of the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 depending on the power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe 1. For example, by closing the first switch SW1 and opening the second switch SW2, power is supplied from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, making the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 operable, and power supply from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is stopped, making the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 inoperable.

[0039] Furthermore, by opening the first switch SW1 and closing the second switch SW2, the supply of power from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 is stopped, putting the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 into an inoperative state, and power is supplied from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, putting the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 into an operable state. That is, one of the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is selected by the power supply control unit 16 and used for wireless communication with the device main body 2.

[0040] In addition, when the first switch SW1 is open and the second switch SW2 is closed, the power supply control unit 16 inputs a startup instruction signal transmitted from the main body side second communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2 as a startup control signal via the probe side second communication circuit PC2, and by opening the second switch SW2 and closing the first switch SW1, puts the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe side first communication circuit PC1 into an operable state.

[0041] Furthermore, when the power supply control unit 16 receives a detection signal from the probe sensor 19 detecting that the ultrasound probe 1 has been gripped or moved while both the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 are open, the power supply control unit 16 closes the second switch SW2 and transmits a pairing request signal via the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 to the body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device body 2. Furthermore, when the power supply control unit 16 subsequently receives a pairing completion notification signal transmitted from the body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device body 2 as a startup control signal, the power supply control unit 16 opens the second switch SW2 and closes the first switch SW1, thereby enabling the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1.

[0042] The battery 18 is configured by, for example, a lithium ion battery, and supplies power to the ultrasound unit 15 in the ultrasound probe 1, the power supply control unit 16, the first probe communication circuit PC1, and the second probe communication circuit PC2.

[0043] The probe sensor 19 detects that the ultrasonic probe 1 has been gripped or moved by the user and sends a detection signal to the power supply control unit 16. For example, an acceleration sensor, a contact sensor, or the like mounted on the ultrasonic probe 1 can be used. The acceleration sensor can be one that detects acceleration acting on the ultrasonic probe 1 using various methods such as the so-called optical method or ultrasonic method, and the contact sensor can be one that detects that the user's hand has come into contact with the ultrasonic probe 1 using various methods such as the so-called capacitance method or piezo-resistance method. Alternatively, a gyro sensor can also be used.

[0044] The probe side processor 17, which has the transmission / reception circuit 12, image generation unit 13, probe control unit 14, and power supply control unit 16 of the ultrasound probe 1, is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes various programs and a control program that causes the CPU to perform various processes, but may also be composed using 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 a combination of these.

[0045] Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, image generating unit 13, probe control unit 14 and power supply control unit 16 of the probe side processor 17 can be partially or entirely integrated into a single CPU or the like.

[0046] The first body-side communication circuit BC1 and second body-side communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2 correspond to the first probe-side communication circuit PC1 and second probe-side communication circuit PC2 of the ultrasonic probe 1, and when the device main body 2 is wirelessly connected to the ultrasonic probe 1, they perform wireless communication with the ultrasonic probe 1, and have different transmission capacities and power consumptions. Specifically, the first body-side communication circuit BC1 has a large capacity and consumes a large amount of power, for example, a Wi-Fi communication method, and performs wireless communication with the first probe-side communication circuit PC1 of the ultrasonic probe 1, while the second body-side communication circuit BC2 has a relatively small capacity and consumes less power, for example, a BLE communication method, and performs wireless communication with the second probe-side communication circuit PC2 of the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0047] The main body side first communication circuit BC1 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and receives, via the antenna, a transmission signal transmitted from the probe side first communication circuit PC1 based on the ultrasonic image data generated by the image generation unit 13 of the ultrasonic probe 1, and demodulates the received transmission signal to send an ultrasonic image to the display control unit 21. Furthermore, the main body side first communication circuit BC1 receives various signals transmitted from the probe side first communication circuit PC1 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and sends them to the main body control unit 23, and also transmits various signals transmitted from the main body control unit 23 to the probe side first communication circuit PC1 of the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0048] The main body side second communication circuit BC2 also includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and receives various signals transmitted from the probe side second communication circuit PC2 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and sends them to the main body control unit 23, and also transmits various signals transmitted from the main body control unit 23 to the probe side second communication circuit PC2 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The first main body side communication circuit BC1 and the second main body side communication circuit BC2 may be formed by sharing or reconfiguring a part or the whole of each other's circuits.

[0049] The display control unit 21 causes the monitor 22 to display the ultrasound image received via the first main body communication circuit BC1 as a display image. The monitor 22 displays an ultrasound image as a display image under the control of the display control unit 21, and includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display). The main body control unit 23 controls each part of the device main body 2 based on a program stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown) or the like and on input operations by an operator via the input device 26.

[0050] The battery 25 supplies power to the display control unit 21, the monitor 22, the main body control unit 23, the first main body communication circuit BC1, and the second main body communication circuit BC2 in the device main body 2. The input device 26 is used by the operator to perform input operations, and can be configured with a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touchpad, a touch panel, etc. Note that a touch sensor can also be combined with the monitor 22 and used as the input device 26.

[0051] The main body side processor 24 having the display control unit 21 and main body control unit 23 of the device main body 2 is composed of a CPU and a control program for causing the CPU to perform various processes, but may also be composed using an FPGA, DSP, ASIC, GPU, or other IC, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the display control section 21 and the main body control section 23 of the main body processor 24 can be configured as being partially or entirely integrated into a single CPU or the like.

[0052] Here, we will explain the power supply modes of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic probe 1 has two power supply modes, including an active mode in which the ultrasonic unit 15 is enabled to operate, and a standby mode in which the operation of the ultrasonic unit 15 is prohibited and power consumption is lower than in the active mode. The standby mode has two types: a first mode and a second mode in which power consumption is even lower than in the first mode.

[0053] In the active mode and the first mode, the ultrasound probe 1 and the device main body 2 are in a paired state, and in the second mode, the ultrasound probe 1 and the device main body 2 are in an unpaired state where they have not yet been paired. Here, pairing refers to the process in which the ultrasound probe 1 and the device main body 2 register and authenticate each other, enabling wireless communication.

[0054] In the active mode, as shown in FIG. 1, the power supply control unit 16 closes the first switch SW1 and opens the second switch SW2. Closing the first switch SW1 supplies power from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, and the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 enter an operable state. Therefore, operation of the ultrasound unit 15 transmits and receives ultrasound waves, making it possible to acquire ultrasound image data, and further making it possible to transmit the acquired ultrasound image data from the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 to the main body-side first communication circuit BC1 of the device main body 2 using, for example, a Wi-Fi communication method.

[0055] Furthermore, when the second switch SW2 is opened, the power supply from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is stopped, and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is put into an operation-prohibited state. Therefore, in the active mode, various signals are exchanged between the probe control unit 14 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the main body control unit 23 of the device main body 2 via the probe side first communication circuit PC1 and the main body side first communication circuit BC1.

[0056] On the other hand, of the first and second modes included in the standby mode, in the first mode, the power supply control unit 16 opens the first switch SW1 and closes the second switch SW2, as shown in FIG. When the first switch SW1 is opened, the power supply from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the first probe-side communication circuit PC1 is stopped, and the ultrasound unit 15 and the first probe-side communication circuit PC1 are placed in an operation-prohibited state, which makes it impossible for the ultrasound unit 15 to acquire ultrasound image data.

[0057] Furthermore, when the second switch SW2 is closed, power is supplied from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is put into an operable state. Therefore, in the first mode, various signals are exchanged between the power supply control unit 16 of the ultrasonic probe 1 and the main body control unit 23 of the device main body 2 via the probe side second communication circuit PC2 and the main body side second communication circuit BC2.

[0058] In this way, in the first mode, not only is the ultrasonic unit 15 in an operation-prohibited state, but also the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, which consumes a large amount of power, for example, using Wi-Fi, is in an operation-prohibited state, so that the power consumption of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the first mode is lower than the power consumption in the active mode.

[0059] In the first mode, power is not supplied from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, but power is supplied from the battery 18 to the power supply control unit 16 and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, and the power supply control unit 16 can start transitioning from the first mode to the active mode by receiving a start-up instruction signal from the device main body 2 via the probe-side second communication circuit PC2.

[0060] 5, the power supply control unit 16 opens both the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 in the second mode, which are included in the standby mode. Because the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 are open, not only is the power supply from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the first probe-side communication circuit PC1 stopped, but the power supply from the battery 18 to the second probe-side communication circuit PC2 is also stopped. As a result, the ultrasound unit 15, the first probe-side communication circuit PC1, and the second probe-side communication circuit PC2 are each prohibited from operating, and the ultrasound probe 1 enters a so-called sleep state. Therefore, the power consumption of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the second mode is even lower than the power consumption in the first mode.

[0061] In the second mode, both the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 are in an operation-prohibited state, and the ultrasonic probe 1 and the device main body 2 are in an unpaired state, so the ultrasonic probe 1 cannot receive signals from the device main body 2. However, power is supplied from the battery 18 to the power supply control unit 16, and the power supply control unit 16 can start a transition from the second mode to the active mode by inputting a detection signal from the probe sensor 19 that detects that the ultrasonic probe 1 has been gripped or moved.

[0062] Next, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment in the active mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S1, the ultrasound unit 15 captures an image of an examination region of a subject, and ultrasound image data is acquired.

[0063] At this time, under the control of the probe control unit 14, transmission and reception of ultrasound waves is started from the multiple transducers of the transducer array 11 in accordance with a drive signal from the pulser 31 of the transmission and reception circuit 12. Ultrasonic echoes reflected by the internal tissue of the subject are received by the multiple transducers of the transducer array 11, and the received signals are output to and amplified by the amplifier unit 32, and then AD converted by the AD converter unit 33. After that, reception focusing processing is performed by the beam former 34, and sound ray signals are generated.

[0064] Furthermore, the sound ray signals are sent to the image generation unit 13, where the signal processing unit 41 performs attenuation correction and envelope detection processing on the sound ray signals according to the depth of the ultrasonic wave reflection position, and the DSC 42 converts the sound ray signals into image signals that comply with the scanning method of ordinary television signals, and the image processing unit 43 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing. In this way, the image generation unit 13 generates ultrasound image data that represents an ultrasound image.

[0065] In the following step S2, the ultrasound image data is wirelessly transmitted from the ultrasound probe 1 to the device main body 2. At this time, since the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 is in an operable state, the ultrasound image data acquired by the ultrasound unit 15 is transmitted from the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 to the main body-side first communication circuit BC1 of the device main body 2 using, for example, Wi-Fi. Then, in step S3, the ultrasound image data received by the main body side first communication circuit BC1 of the apparatus main body 2 is displayed on the monitor 22 via the display control unit .

[0066] Thereafter, in step S4, it is determined whether the ultrasound examination has been completed. If it is determined that the examination has not yet been completed, the process returns to step S1 and steps S1 to S3 are repeated. If it is determined that the examination has been completed, the process ends.

[0067] Next, the startup operation from the first mode of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the first mode, the power supply from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 is stopped, and the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 are in an inoperative state, while the battery 18 supplies power to the power supply control unit 16 and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, and the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is in an operable state.

[0068] Therefore, in step S5, the power supply control unit 16 checks whether or not a startup instruction signal has been received from the device main body 2 via the probe-side second communication circuit PC2. When the main body control unit 23 of the device main body 2 transmits a startup instruction signal as a startup control signal from the main body-side second communication circuit BC2 using BLE and the startup instruction signal received by the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is input to the power supply control unit 16, in step S6 the power supply control unit 16 opens the second switch SW2 that was closed until then, thereby stopping the supply of power from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2.

[0069] Furthermore, in step S7, the power supply control unit 16 closes the first switch SW1, which had been open until then, thereby supplying power from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, and in step S8, wireless communication using, for example, a Wi-Fi communication method is started between the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 and the main body-side first communication circuit BC1. In this way, the ultrasonic probe 1 starts up from the first mode and transitions to the active mode shown in FIG.

[0070] Next, the startup operation from the second mode of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the second mode, the power supply from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15, the probe side first communication circuit PC1, and the probe side second communication circuit PC2 is stopped, and the ultrasound unit 15, the probe side first communication circuit PC1, and the probe side second communication circuit PC2 are in an inoperative state.

[0071] However, power is supplied from the battery 18 to the power supply control unit 16, and in step S9, the power supply control unit 16 checks whether a detection signal has been input from the probe sensor 19 to detect that the ultrasonic probe 1 has been grasped or moved. When the user grips or moves the ultrasonic probe 1, a detection signal is input from the probe sensor 19 to the power supply control unit 16. In step S10, the power supply control unit 16 closes the second switch SW2, which had been open until then, to supply power from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2. This causes the ultrasonic probe 1 to have the same circuit configuration as in the first mode shown in FIG.

[0072] In the following step S11, the power supply control unit 16 transmits a pairing request signal from the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 to the main body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2 using BLE, and in step S12, it checks whether a pairing completion notification signal has been received from the device main body 2 via the probe-side second communication circuit PC2. Steps S9 to S12 are repeated until a pairing completion notification signal is received from the device main body 2.

[0073] Then, the main body control unit 23 of the device main body 2 transmits a pairing completion notification signal as a startup control signal using BLE from the main body side second communication circuit BC2, and when the pairing completion notification signal received by the probe side second communication circuit PC2 is input to the power supply control unit 16, the power supply control unit 16 performs a transition process to the active mode through steps S6 to S8, similar to the startup operation from the first mode.

[0074] That is, in step S6, the power supply control unit 16 opens the second switch SW2 to stop the power supply from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, and in step S7, closes the first switch SW1 to supply power from the battery 18 to the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, and in step S8, wireless communication using, for example, a Wi-Fi communication method is started between the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 and the main body-side first communication circuit BC1. As a result, the ultrasonic probe 1 starts up from the second mode and transitions to the active mode shown in FIG.

[0075] In this way, depending on whether the ultrasonic probe 1 is in active mode, first mode, or second mode, the power supply control unit 16 selects either the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, which has a large capacity and consumes a lot of power, or the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, which has a small capacity and consumes less power, and performs wireless communication with the device main body 2 using the selected communication circuit, making it possible to save power while starting the ultrasonic probe 1 simply by operating the device main body 2.

[0076] As can be seen from the flowcharts of Figures 7 and 8, the time required to transition the power supply mode from the first mode to the active mode is shorter than the time required to transition the power supply mode from the second mode to the active mode.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the image generating unit 13 is disposed in the ultrasonic probe 1, but this is not limiting, and the image generating unit 13 can also be disposed in the device main body 2. In this case, the ultrasonic unit 15 of the ultrasonic probe 1 is formed by the transducer array 11, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, and the probe control unit 14, and sound ray signals acquired by the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 1 to the device main body 2 as ultrasonic image data, and an ultrasonic image is generated by the image generating unit 13 in the device main body 2 and displayed on the monitor 22 via the display control unit 21.

[0078] [Embodiment 2] In the first embodiment described above, in the second mode, the ultrasound unit 15, the first probe communication circuit PC1, and the second probe communication circuit PC2 are each prohibited from operating, but this is not limitative.

[0079] For example, as in the first mode, the ultrasound unit 15 and the probe-side first communication circuit PC1 are set to a disabled state, but power is supplied from the battery 18 to the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 to set the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 to an enabled state, and the power supply control unit 16 controls the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 to perform wireless communication with the device main body 2 at a communication interval longer than the communication interval in the first mode, and this can be set to the second mode. Since the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is controlled to perform wireless communication at a communication interval longer than the communication interval in the first mode, a second mode can be realized that has lower power consumption than the power consumption of the ultrasonic probe 1 in the first mode.

[0080] In this case, as in the startup operation from the second mode in embodiment 1, the transition process to the active mode can be started by inputting a detection signal from the probe sensor 19 to the power supply control unit 16. Furthermore, even though the communication interval is longer than in the first mode, the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 is in an operable state. Therefore, as in the startup operation from the first mode in embodiment 1, the transition process to the active mode can also be started by inputting a startup instruction signal transmitted from the main body-side second communication circuit BC2 of the device main body 2 to the power supply control unit 16 via the probe-side second communication circuit PC2.

[0081] In the second embodiment, the power supply control unit 16 controls the probe-side second communication circuit PC2 in the second mode so as to perform wireless communication with the device main body 2 at a communication interval longer than that in the first mode, but the ultrasonic probe 1 may also be provided with a third probe-side communication circuit configured in advance to perform wireless communication at such a long communication interval. The power supply control unit 16 selects one of three communication circuits, namely the probe-side first communication circuit PC1, the probe-side second communication circuit PC2, and the third probe-side communication circuit, depending on the power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe 1, and can perform wireless communication with the device main body 2 using the selected communication circuit.

[0082] It should be noted that a portable or handheld compact device body or a stationary device body may be used as the device body 2 in the above-described first and second embodiments. The device body 2 may also be configured to draw power from a commercial power source without incorporating the battery 25. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 ultrasonic probe, 2 device main body, 11 transducer array, 12 transmission / reception circuit, 13 image generation unit, 14 probe control unit, 15 ultrasound unit, 16 power supply control unit, 17 probe side processor, 18 battery, 19 probe sensor, 21 display control unit, 22 monitor, 23 main body control unit, 24 main body side processor, 25 battery, 26 input device, 31 pulser, 32 amplifier unit, 33 AD conversion unit, 34 beam former, 41 signal processing unit, 42 DSC, 43 image processing unit, SW1 first switch, SW2 second switch, PC1 probe side first communication circuit, PC2 probe side second communication circuit, BC1 main body side first communication circuit, BC2 main body side second communication circuit.

Claims

1. an ultrasound probe; a device main body wirelessly connected to the ultrasonic probe; Equipped with The ultrasonic probe includes: an ultrasound unit that acquires ultrasound image data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound; a plurality of probe-side communication circuits each of which performs wireless communication with the device main body and has a different transmission capacity and power consumption; a power supply control unit that selects one of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits in accordance with a power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe and performs wireless communication with the device main body using the selected probe-side communication circuit; a probe sensor that detects that the ultrasonic probe is being held or moved by a user; Battery and and the power supply modes of the ultrasonic probe include an active mode in which the ultrasonic unit is enabled to operate and a standby mode in which the ultrasonic unit is disabled to operate and in which power consumption is lower than in the active mode, and the standby mode further includes a first mode and a second mode in which power consumption is lower than in the first mode; the power supply control unit supplies power from the battery to the probe communication circuit selected in accordance with the power supply mode when the power supply mode is the active mode and when the power supply mode is the first mode, the power supply control unit stops the supply of power from the battery to any of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits when the power supply mode is the second mode, switches the power supply mode from the second mode to the first mode and transmits a pairing request signal to the device main body when the probe sensor detects that the ultrasound probe has been gripped or moved, and switches the power supply mode from the standby mode to the active mode when a startup control signal is received from the device main body.

2. The plurality of probe-side communication circuits include: a probe-side first communication circuit configured to transmit the ultrasound image data selected by the power supply control unit and acquired by the ultrasound unit to the device body when the power supply mode is the active mode; a probe-side second communication circuit that is selected by the power supply control unit when the power supply mode is the standby mode and operates with lower power consumption than the probe-side first communication circuit; The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,

3. An ultrasound diagnostic device as described in claim 2, wherein the power supply control unit supplies power from the battery to the ultrasound unit and the probe-side first communication circuit and stops power supply to the probe-side second communication circuit when the power supply mode is the active mode, and supplies power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit and stops power supply to the ultrasound unit and the probe-side first communication circuit when the power supply mode is the standby mode.

4. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the power supply control unit supplies power from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit when the power supply mode is the first mode, and stops power supply from the battery to the probe-side second communication circuit when the power supply mode is the second mode.

5. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe sensor comprises an acceleration sensor or a contact sensor mounted on the ultrasonic probe.

6. 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the power supply mode is the first mode, the power supply control unit switches the power supply mode from the standby mode to the active mode when the ultrasonic probe receives a startup instruction signal as the startup control signal from the apparatus main body via the probe-side second communication circuit.

7. 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the time required to transition the power supply mode from the first mode to the active mode is shorter than the time required to transition the power supply mode from the second mode to the active mode.

8. the device main body has a plurality of main body side communication circuits corresponding to the plurality of probe side communication circuits, The plurality of main body side communication circuits are a main body side first communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the probe side first communication circuit; a main body side second communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the probe side second communication circuit; The ultrasonic diagnostic device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, comprising:

9. 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the activation control signal is transmitted from the apparatus main body to the ultrasonic probe via the second main body communication circuit and the second probe communication circuit.

10. A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of probe-side communication circuits, a battery, and a probe sensor, each having a different transmission capacity and power consumption, and an apparatus main body wirelessly connected to the ultrasonic probe, comprising: selecting one of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits according to a power supply mode of the ultrasonic probe; wireless communication between the ultrasonic probe and the device body using the selected probe-side communication circuit; The power supply modes of the ultrasonic probe include an active mode in which an ultrasonic unit that acquires ultrasonic image data by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves can be operated, and a standby mode in which operation of the ultrasonic unit is prohibited and power consumption is lower than in the active mode, and the standby mode further includes a first mode and a second mode in which power consumption is lower than in the first mode; When the power supply mode is the active mode or the first mode, power is supplied from the battery to the probe-side communication circuit selected according to the power supply mode, When the power supply mode is the second mode, the power supply from the battery to any of the plurality of probe-side communication circuits is stopped, and when the probe sensor detects that the ultrasonic probe has been gripped or moved, the power supply mode is switched from the second mode to the first mode and a pairing request signal is transmitted from the ultrasonic probe to the device main body, and when the ultrasonic probe receives a startup control signal from the device main body, the power supply mode is switched from the standby mode to the active mode. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device.

Images