Ultrasound endoscopic system, and method for operating the ultrasound endoscopic system.

Abstract

In an ultrasonic endoscope system equipped with an ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention, a control circuit performs control on a transmission circuit so as to cause one and the other different sets of ultrasonic vibrators to simultaneously transmit either an ultrasound generating transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic image or a polarization processing transmission signal for performing a polarization process, so that the polarization process and a transmission / reception process of ultrasonic waves are performed simultaneously by different sets of ultrasonic vibrators. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic endoscope system and a ultrasonic endoscope system operating method that enable, while an ultrasonic image is being acquired through transmission of ultrasonic waves and reception of reflection waves thereof using one set of ultrasonic vibrators, performing the polarization process simultaneously by the other set of ultrasonic vibrators which are not conducting transmission of ultrasonic waves for acquiring an ultrasonic image, by using an existing transmission circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope system that performs polarization processing on a plurality of ultrasonic transducers provided in an ultrasonic endoscope, and a method of operating the ultrasonic endoscope system.

Background Art

[0002] As an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing the bile duct and pancreas through the digestive tract, an ultrasonic endoscope having an ultrasonic observation unit provided at the tip of an endoscope is used. Such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus acquires an ultrasonic image in the body cavity of a subject by driving a plurality of ultrasonic transducers in the body cavity of the subject to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. In this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is necessary to avoid a decrease in sensitivity while the apparatus is inserted into the body cavity of the subject. In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are constituted by, for example, single crystal transducers which are piezoelectric elements, and are usually used in a polarized state. An ultrasonic transducer constituted by a single crystal transducer can receive ultrasonic waves with high sensitivity, but a depolarization phenomenon may occur in which the degree of polarization decreases as the driving time becomes longer. When the depolarization phenomenon occurs, the reception sensitivity of the ultrasonic transducer decreases, which may affect the image quality of the ultrasonic image. Therefore, it is also known that the sensitivity can be restored by performing repolarization processing (also simply referred to as polarization processing) as a countermeasure against depolarization of the single crystal transducer.

[0003] The risk of depolarization is correlated with the thickness of the transducer, that is, the resonance frequency. The thicker (lower frequency) the transducer, the lower the risk. Therefore, in a place where a transducer using a single crystal transducer for surface use is used, the risk of depolarization is avoided by using it in a low frequency band of 1 to 6 MHz (see Patent Document 1). [[ID=Digits]] In contrast, when driving ultrasonic transducers within the body cavity of a subject to transmit and receive ultrasound, it is necessary to set the ultrasound frequency to a high-frequency band of 7-8 MHz. This requires the use of relatively thin transducers, but the thinner the transducer, the higher the risk of depolarization. For this reason, a repolarization process is necessary for thin transducers (see Patent Documents 2-3).

[0004] Therefore, technologies for depolarization in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment have been developed to date. To give an example, the ultrasonic sensor as a piezoelectric sensor device described in Patent Document 1 has a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric body and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric body, a detection circuit that performs detection processing to detect a detection signal output from the piezoelectric element, and a dedicated polarization processing circuit that applies a polarization voltage to the piezoelectric element to perform polarization processing. In the ultrasonic sensor described in Patent Document 1 with such a configuration, the detection circuit detects depolarization from the difference in characteristics between the piezoelectric elements, and polarization can be restored by performing polarization processing using the dedicated polarization processing circuit. The polarization processing is performed, for example, at the timing when the power is turned on, at the timing when a request signal to perform detection processing is input (each reception timing), or at the timing when a predetermined standby transition time has elapsed after the completion of detection processing. As a result, even if a depolarization phenomenon occurs in the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element can be repolarized, and the receiving sensitivity of the piezoelectric element can be maintained.

[0005] To give another example, the ultrasonic sensor described in Patent Document 2 has a piezoelectric element and a drive circuit for driving the piezoelectric element. The drive circuit drives the piezoelectric element with a drive waveform that has the following steps: first, maintain the polarization of the piezoelectric element with a first potential V1; second, cause the piezoelectric element to transmit ultrasound by applying a maximum potential VH and a minimum potential VL at least once each; third, put the piezoelectric element into standby at a second potential V2; fourth, raise the potential from the second potential V2 to a third potential V3; fifth, maintain the third potential V3 while the piezoelectric element receives ultrasound; and fifth, return from the third potential V3 to the first potential V1. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 2 with such a configuration, it is possible to drive the piezoelectric element while maintaining its polarization by driving the piezoelectric element with a drive waveform having the above six steps. In other words, Patent Document 2 describes how depolarization can be prevented by devising the waveform for driving the piezoelectric element.

[0006] Furthermore, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 3 includes an ultrasound endoscope equipped with an ultrasound observation unit that transmits ultrasound to a subject and receives reflected waves using an ultrasound transducer, and an ultrasound processor device equipped with a transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasound transducer in order to generate ultrasound, a reception circuit that outputs a reception signal based on reflected waves, an ultrasound image generation unit that generates an ultrasound image based on the reception signal, and a control circuit that causes the ultrasound transducer to undergo polarization processing using the transmission circuit during a non-diagnostic period in which ultrasound is not transmitted during the diagnostic period for acquiring an ultrasound image and reflected waves are not received. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 3 states that, during a non-diagnostic time different from the time of acquiring ultrasound images, polarization processing of the ultrasound transducer can be performed using an existing transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasound transducer of an ultrasound endoscope, without affecting the image quality of the ultrasound images, and without causing significant changes to the circuit configuration or an increase in the circuit size. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-005137 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-143353 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-000625 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] As described above, the ultrasonic sensors, ultrasonic devices, and ultrasonic diagnostic devices described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 respectively make it possible to restore or maintain the polarization of the piezoelectric element made of a piezoelectric material and the ultrasonic transducer. However, providing a dedicated circuit for repolarization and a depolarization detection mechanism, as described in Patent Document 1, requires significant hardware modifications, making it extremely difficult to integrate into existing systems. Furthermore, in the ultrasonic sensor described in Patent Document 2, a problem exists in that, in order to prevent depolarization and maintain polarization, a DC component is introduced into each drive waveform, which increases the pulse length of the drive waveform, potentially reducing the frame rate and affecting the image quality of the ultrasonic image. In addition, using such a drive waveform to prevent depolarization presents a trade-off between image quality and the risk of depolarization.

[0009] Furthermore, in the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 3, if the diagnostic period for acquiring ultrasound images is long or frequently provided, even if repolarization processing can be performed during the non-diagnostic period, the period during which the ultrasound transducer transmits ultrasound and receives reflected waves becomes long, leading to depolarization of the ultrasound transducer. This creates a problem in that a period must be provided during which the transmission of ultrasound and reception of reflected waves by the ultrasound transducer are stopped and repolarization of the ultrasound transducer is performed. As with the ultrasound diagnostic device described in Patent Document 3, ultrasound systems to which ultrasound endoscopes are connected are sometimes shared with surface ultrasound applications. In such cases, the simultaneous transmission aperture specification is often 64 channels, which is sufficient for small-diameter, convex-shaped ultrasound endoscopes, compared to surface ultrasound (~256 channels). Therefore, there is a problem that ultrasound systems shared with surface ultrasound applications are over-specced for ultrasound endoscopes. Furthermore, since the repolarization process typically uses a different transmission waveform than that used for image rendering, the ultrasonic output is weak. However, in conventional ultrasonic devices, performing this process during scanning results in a decrease in the frame rate.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art and to provide an ultrasonic endoscope system and an operating method for the ultrasonic endoscope system that, while transmitting ultrasound and receiving reflected waves using one set of ultrasonic transducers to acquire an ultrasonic image, simultaneously uses an existing transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic endoscope to pause the transmission of ultrasound for acquiring an ultrasonic image, while simultaneously performing polarization processing on the other set of ultrasonic transducers that are simultaneously transmitting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the first aspect of the present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope system for acquiring ultrasonic images and endoscopic images, comprising: an ultrasonic endoscope having an ultrasonic transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers that simultaneously transmit apertures are arranged, an ultrasonic observation unit that transmits ultrasonic waves using a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on one side of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, receives the reflected ultrasonic waves from the transmission of ultrasonic waves, and pauses the transmission of ultrasonic waves by the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers; and a transmission circuit that transmits an ultrasonic generation transmission signal consisting of diagnostic drive pulses applied to each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on one side in order to generate ultrasonic waves from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on one side, and at the same time transmits a polarization processing transmission signal consisting of polarization drive pulses for performing polarization processing on the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are not transmitting the ultrasonic generation transmission signal for acquiring ultrasonic images. The ultrasonic processor device includes a receiving circuit that outputs a received signal based on the reflected wave received by the transducer, and an ultrasonic image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image by imaging the received signal in order to acquire an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic processor device further includes a control circuit that, in order to acquire an ultrasonic image, transmits an ultrasonic generation transmission signal to one set of ultrasonic transducers using a transmitting circuit to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive reflected waves, and transmits a polarization processing transmission signal to the other set of ultrasonic transducers using the transmitting circuit to perform polarization processing. The control circuit controls the transmitting circuit so that the transmission of the ultrasonic generation transmission signal for generating an ultrasonic image and the transmission of the polarization processing transmission signal for performing polarization processing are performed simultaneously by different sets of ultrasonic transducers, respectively, thereby allowing ultrasonic transmission and reception and polarization processing to be performed simultaneously by different sets of ultrasonic transducers.

[0012] In this case, it is preferable that the transmission waveform of the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal and the transmission waveform of the polarization processing transmission signal are different. Furthermore, it is preferable that the transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation and the transmission signal for polarization processing differ in at least one of the frequency, voltage, and wavenumber of the transmitted waveforms. Furthermore, it is preferable that the control circuit changes the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that perform polarization processing in accordance with the change in the focus position for observation, which changes the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive ultrasound for generating an ultrasonic image.

[0013] Furthermore, when using an ultrasonic transducer array in which multiple ultrasonic transducers are arranged circumferentially, it is preferable that the centers of one group of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive ultrasound for generating ultrasonic images and the centers of the other group of ultrasonic transducers that transmit polarization processing signals for polarization processing are positioned 180 degrees apart. Furthermore, when the control circuit uses one set of ultrasonic transducers to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive reflected waves, it is preferable to simultaneously control the other set of ultrasonic transducers to pause the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves and perform polarization processing. Conversely, when the other set of ultrasonic transducers is used to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive reflected waves, it is preferable to simultaneously control the one set of ultrasonic transducers to pause the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves and perform polarization processing.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, a second aspect of the present invention provides an operating method for an ultrasonic endoscope system for acquiring ultrasonic images and endoscopic images, wherein the ultrasonic endoscope system comprises an ultrasonic endoscope having an ultrasonic observation unit having an ultrasonic transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged, and an ultrasonic processor device having a transmitting circuit that transmits an ultrasonic generation transmission signal to one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and at the same time transmits a polarization processing transmission signal to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are not transmitting an ultrasonic generation transmission signal for acquiring ultrasonic images, a receiving circuit that outputs a received signal based on the reflected wave received by the one plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and an ultrasonic image generation unit that images the received signal and generates an ultrasonic image, wherein the ultrasonic processor device generates an ultrasonic generation transmission signal consisting of diagnostic drive pulses to be applied to each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers that generate ultrasonic waves for acquiring ultrasonic images, and for polarization processing The system includes: a control step of controlling the transmission circuit to generate a polarization processing transmission signal consisting of polarization drive pulses to be applied to each of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are not transmitting an ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal; a generation step of transmitting the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal generated from the transmission circuit to one plurality of ultrasonic transducers and applying diagnostic drive pulses to the one plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate ultrasound; a receiving step of the one plurality of ultrasonic transducers receiving the reflected ultrasound waves; an output step of outputting a received signal from the receiving circuit based on the reflected waves received by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers; a generation step of an ultrasonic image generation unit receiving the received signal, imaging the received signal, and generating an ultrasonic image; and a polarization step of simultaneously transmitting the polarization processing transmission signal generated from the transmission circuit to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers and applying polarization drive pulses to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers to perform polarization processing on the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers while the generation step and the receiving step are being executed.

[0015] In this case, it is preferable that the transmission waveform of the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal and the transmission waveform of the polarization processing transmission signal are different. Furthermore, it is preferable that the transmission signal for ultrasonic wave generation and the transmission signal for polarization processing differ in at least one of the frequency, voltage, and wavenumber of the transmitted waveforms. Furthermore, it is preferable to change the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the other set of ultrasonic transducers that perform polarization processing in accordance with the change in the focus position for observation, which changes the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the set of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive ultrasound to generate an ultrasonic image. Furthermore, when using an ultrasonic transducer array in which multiple ultrasonic transducers are arranged circumferentially, it is preferable that the centers of one group of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive ultrasound for generating ultrasonic images and the centers of the other group of ultrasonic transducers that transmit polarization processing signals for polarization processing are positioned 180 degrees apart.

[0016] Furthermore, in the control step, if the system is controlled to generate an ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal to be sent to one set of ultrasonic transducers, it is preferable that the system is controlled to generate a polarization processing transmission signal to be sent to the other set of ultrasonic transducers, and that the generation step and reception step are performed for one set of ultrasonic transducers, while the polarization step is performed for the other set of ultrasonic transducers simultaneously. Conversely, if the system is controlled to generate an ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal to be sent to the other set of ultrasonic transducers, it is preferable that the system is controlled to generate a polarization processing transmission signal to be sent to one set of ultrasonic transducers, and that the generation step and reception step are performed for the other set of ultrasonic transducers, while the polarization step is performed for one set of ultrasonic transducers simultaneously. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, when an ultrasonic image is acquired by transmitting and receiving reflected ultrasonic waves using one set of ultrasonic transducers, the transmission of ultrasonic waves for acquiring the ultrasonic image is simultaneously paused using an existing transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic endoscope, while polarization processing can be performed on the other set of ultrasonic transducers that simultaneously transmit. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform polarization processing of a plurality of the other ultrasonic transducers simultaneously without degrading the image quality of the ultrasonic image acquired using a plurality of one of the ultrasonic transducers, and it is possible to always maintain a good polarization state of the ultrasonic transducers. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to always keep the reception sensitivity of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers good without degrading the image quality of the ultrasonic image, and thus it is possible to always acquire a high-quality ultrasonic image without affecting the image quality of the ultrasonic image. In addition, according to the present invention, since polarization processing of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is performed using an existing transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal to the ultrasonic transducers of an ultrasonic endoscope, it is possible to perform polarization processing of the ultrasonic transducers without significantly changing the existing circuit configuration and without causing an increase in the circuit scale. In addition, according to the present invention, since polarization processing is performed on an ultrasonic transducer that has paused the transmission of ultrasonic waves for acquisition of an ultrasonic image, the frame rate for acquisition of the ultrasonic image does not decrease. In addition, according to the present invention, even in an ultrasonic system in which an ultrasonic endoscope with a small number of channels with a small number of simultaneous transmission apertures (for example, 64 channels) and an ultrasonic probe for body surface use with a large number of channels (for example, 256 channels) are shared, it is possible to perform polarization processing on an ultrasonic transducer that has paused the transmission of ultrasonic waves for acquisition of an ultrasonic image, so that it does not become over-specification.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing a tip portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. 1 and its periphery. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a cross section when the tip portion of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. 2 is cut along the I-I cross section shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing a configuration of the ultrasonic processor device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5A]This graph shows an example of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is a graph showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse. [Figure 6A] This graph shows another example of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6B] Figure 5A shows the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse, and Figure 6A shows a graph illustrating the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse. [Figure 7A] This graph shows another example of the pulse waveform of the polarization drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7B] Figure 7A is a graph showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse. [Figure 7C] This graph shows another example of the pulse waveform of the polarization drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7D] Figure 7C is a graph showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse. [Figure 8A] This graph shows another example of the pulse waveform of a diagnostic drive pulse transmitted from the transmission circuit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8B] Figure 8A is a graph showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of the drive waveform of the diagnostic drive pulse. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the configuration of an ultrasonic system where the number of channels in the pulse generation circuit is less than the number of channels in the ultrasonic transducer. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the configuration of a microconvex oscillator. [Figure 11A] This figure shows an example of the state of multiple ultrasonic transducers driven for image formation and multiple ultrasonic transducers that are simultaneously subjected to polarization processing. [Figure 11B] This figure shows another example of the state of multiple ultrasonic transducers driven for image formation and multiple ultrasonic transducers that are simultaneously subjected to polarization processing. [Figure 11C]This figure shows another example of the state of multiple ultrasonic transducers driven for image formation and multiple ultrasonic transducers that are simultaneously subjected to polarization processing. [Figure 12A] This figure shows an example of a radial transducer array where the centers of multiple ultrasonic transducers for image formation and the centers of multiple ultrasonic transducers for polarization processing are positioned 180 degrees apart. [Figure 12B] This figure shows an example of a configuration where the centers of multiple ultrasonic transducers for image formation and the centers of multiple ultrasonic transducers for polarization processing are positioned 180 degrees apart in a radial transducer array. [Figure 13] This figure shows the flow of the diagnostic process using the ultrasound endoscopic system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the steps involved in the diagnostic process. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating one example of a display mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] An ultrasonic endoscope system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below based on a preferred embodiment shown in the attached drawings. While this embodiment is a representative example of the present invention, it is merely one example and does not limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, in this specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range that includes the numbers written before and after "~" as the lower and upper limits, respectively.

[0020] <<Overview of the Ultrasound Endoscopy System>> The ultrasound endoscope system 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ultrasound endoscope system 10. The ultrasound endoscopic system 10 is used to observe the condition of a target area inside the body of a patient (hereinafter also referred to as ultrasound diagnosis) using ultrasound. Here, the target area is a part that is difficult to examine from the surface of the patient's body, such as the gallbladder or pancreas. By using the ultrasound endoscopic system 10, it is possible to diagnose the condition and presence or absence of abnormalities of the target area by ultrasound through the digestive tract, including the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and large intestine, which are the body cavities of the patient. The ultrasound endoscope system 10 acquires ultrasound images and endoscope images, and as shown in Figure 1, it comprises an ultrasound endoscope 12, an ultrasound processor device 14, an endoscope processor device 16, a light source device 18, a monitor 20, a water supply tank 21a, a suction pump 21b, and an operating console 100.

[0021] The ultrasound endoscope 12 is an endoscope scope comprising an insertion section 22 inserted into the patient's body cavity, an operating section 24 operated by a user such as a physician or technician, and an ultrasound transducer unit 46 attached to the tip 40 of the insertion section 22 (see Figures 2 and 3). The operator acquires endoscopic images of the patient's body cavity wall and ultrasound images of the area to be observed using the functions of the ultrasound endoscope 12. Here, "endoscopic images" are images obtained by photographing the inner wall of the patient's body cavity using optical techniques. "Ultrasound images," on the other hand, are images obtained by receiving reflected ultrasound waves (echoes) transmitted from inside the patient's body cavity toward the area to be observed, and then imaging the received signals. The ultrasound endoscope 12 will be explained in detail in a later section.

[0022] The ultrasound processor device 14 is connected to the ultrasound endoscope 12 via a universal cord 26 and an ultrasound connector 32a provided at its end. The ultrasound processor device 14 controls the ultrasound transducer unit 46 of the ultrasound endoscope 12 to transmit ultrasound. The ultrasound processor device 14 also generates an ultrasound image by imaging the received signal when the ultrasound transducer unit 46 receives the reflected ultrasound waves (echoes) of the transmitted ultrasound. The ultrasonic processor device 14 will be explained in detail in a later section.

[0023] The endoscope processor device 16 is connected to the ultrasound endoscope 12 via a universal cord 26 and an endoscope connector 32b provided at its end. The endoscope processor device 16 acquires image data of the area adjacent to the observation target captured by the ultrasound endoscope 12 (for details, see the solid-state image sensor 86 described later: see Figure 3), and generates an endoscope image by performing predetermined image processing on the acquired image data. Here, "adjacent area of ​​the observation target" refers to the portion of the patient's body cavity wall that is adjacent to the area of ​​observation target. In this embodiment, the ultrasound processor 14 and the endoscope processor 16 are configured by two separate devices (computers). However, this is not the only configuration; both the ultrasound processor 14 and the endoscope processor 16 may be configured by a single device.

[0024] The light source device 18 is connected to the ultrasound endoscope 12 via a universal cord 26 and a light source connector 32c provided at its end. When imaging an area adjacent to the object of observation using the ultrasound endoscope 12, the light source device 18 emits white light or light of a specific wavelength consisting of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue light. The light emitted by the light source device 18 propagates through the ultrasound endoscope 12 via a light guide (not shown) contained within the universal cord 26 and is emitted from the ultrasound endoscope 12 (see illumination window 88, which will be described later: see Figure 2). As a result, the area adjacent to the object of observation is illuminated by the light from the light source device 18.

[0025] Monitor 20 is connected to the ultrasound processor unit 14 and the endoscope processor unit 16, and displays ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound processor unit 14 and endoscope images generated by the endoscope processor unit 16. The display method for ultrasound images and endoscope images may be to switch between displaying one of the images on Monitor 20, or to display both images simultaneously. The display modes for ultrasound images and endoscope images will be described later. In this embodiment, ultrasound images and endoscopic images are displayed on a single monitor 20, but separate monitors may be provided for displaying ultrasound images and endoscopic images. Furthermore, ultrasound and endoscopic images may be displayed in a form other than the monitor 20, for example, on the display of a terminal carried by the operator.

[0026] The control console 100 is a device provided for the operator to input necessary information during ultrasound diagnosis and to issue commands to the ultrasound processor device 14 to start the ultrasound diagnosis. The control console 100 consists of, for example, a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, and touch panel. When the control console 100 is operated, the CPU (control circuit) 152 (see Figure 4) of the ultrasound processor device 14 controls various parts of the device (for example, the receiving circuit 142 and transmitting circuit 144 described later) according to the operation.

[0027] To explain in more detail, before starting the ultrasound diagnosis, the operator inputs examination information (for example, examination order information including the date and order number, and patient information including the patient ID and patient name) into the control console 100. After the input of the examination information is complete, the operator instructs the start of the ultrasound diagnosis via the control console 100, and the CPU 152 of the ultrasound processor device 14 controls each part of the ultrasound processor device 14 so that the ultrasound diagnosis is performed based on the input examination information. Furthermore, the operator can set various control parameters on the control console 100 when performing ultrasound diagnosis. Examples of control parameters include the selection result of live mode and freeze mode, the setting value of the display depth (depth), and the selection result of the ultrasound image generation mode. Here, "Live Mode" is a mode that displays ultrasound images (moving images) obtained at a predetermined frame rate sequentially (real-time display). "Freeze Mode" is a mode that reads and displays a single frame image (still image) of ultrasound images (moving images) generated in the past from the cine memory 150 described later.

[0028] In this embodiment, there are multiple selectable ultrasound image generation modes, specifically B (Brightness) mode, CF (ColorFlow) mode, and PW (Pulse Wave) mode. B mode is a mode that converts the amplitude of the ultrasound echo into brightness and displays a tomographic image. CF mode is a mode that maps the average blood flow velocity, flow fluctuation, flow signal strength, or flow power, etc., to various colors and displays them superimposed on the B mode image. PW mode is a mode that displays the velocity of the ultrasound echo source (e.g., blood flow velocity) detected based on the transmission and reception of pulse waves. The ultrasound image generation modes described above are merely examples, and other modes besides the three mentioned above, such as A (Amplitude) mode, M (Motion) mode, and contrast-enhanced mode, may also be included, as may a mode for obtaining Doppler images.

[0029] <<Configuration of Ultrasound Endoscope 12>> Next, the configuration of the ultrasound endoscope 12 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2-4 shown previously. Figure 2 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the tip and surrounding area of ​​the insertion section 22 of the ultrasound endoscope 12. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-section when the tip 40 of the insertion section 22 of the ultrasound endoscope 12 is cut along section II shown in Figure 2. As described above, the ultrasonic endoscope 12 has an insertion section 22 and an operating section 24. As shown in Figure 1, the insertion section 22 comprises, in order from the tip side (free end side), a tip section 40, a bending section 42, and a flexible section 43. As shown in Figure 2, the tip section 40 is provided with an ultrasonic observation section 36 and an endoscope observation section 38. As shown in Figure 3, the ultrasonic observation section 36 is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer unit 46 having multiple ultrasonic transducers 48. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a treatment instrument outlet 44 is provided at the tip 40. The treatment instrument outlet 44 serves as an outlet for treatment instruments (not shown), such as forceps, puncture needles, or high-frequency scalpels. The treatment instrument outlet 44 also serves as a suction port for aspirating blood and other bodily fluids.

[0030] The curved portion 42 is a part connected to the base end (opposite the side where the ultrasonic transducer unit 46 is provided) of the tip portion 40, and is flexible. The flexible portion 43 is a part connecting the curved portion 42 and the operating portion 24, and is flexible and provided in an elongated shape. Multiple conduits for air and water supply and suction are formed inside the insertion section 22 and the operating section 24, respectively. Furthermore, a treatment tool channel 45 is formed inside the insertion section 22 and the operating section 24, with one end leading to a treatment tool outlet 44. Next, the components of the ultrasound endoscope 12, specifically the ultrasound observation unit 36, the endoscope observation unit 38, the water supply tank 21a and suction pump 21b, and the operating unit 24, will be described in detail.

[0031] (Ultrasound Observation Department) The ultrasonic observation unit 36 ​​is a part provided for acquiring ultrasonic images and is located at the tip end 40 of the insertion unit 22. As shown in Figure 3, the ultrasonic observation unit 36 ​​comprises an ultrasonic transducer unit 46, a plurality of coaxial cables 56, and an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) 60. The ultrasonic transducer unit 46 corresponds to an ultrasonic probe and transmits ultrasound within the patient's body cavity using an ultrasonic transducer array 50, which consists of multiple ultrasonic transducers 48 (described later), and receives reflected ultrasound waves (echoes) reflected from the observation target site and outputs a received signal. The ultrasonic transducer unit 46 in this embodiment is convex in shape and transmits ultrasound radially (in an arc shape). However, the type (model) of the ultrasonic transducer unit 46 is not particularly limited to this, and other types that can transmit and receive ultrasound may be used, such as sector type, linear type, and radial type.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the ultrasonic transducer unit 46 is constructed by laminating a backing material layer 54, an ultrasonic transducer array 50, an acoustic matching layer 74, and an acoustic lens 76. The ultrasonic transducer array 50 consists of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 arranged in a one-dimensional array. More specifically, the ultrasonic transducer array 50 is configured such that N (for example, N = 64, 128, or 256) ultrasonic transducers 48 are arranged at equal intervals in a convex curve along the axial direction of the tip portion 40 (the longitudinal axis direction of the insertion portion 22). The ultrasonic transducer array 50 may also be configured by arranging the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 in a two-dimensional array.

[0033] Each of the N ultrasonic transducers 48 is constructed by placing electrodes on both sides of a single-crystal transducer, which is a piezoelectric element. As the single-crystal transducer, one of the following can be used: quartz, lithium niobate, magnesium lead niobate (PMN), magnesium lead niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), zinc lead niobate (PZN), zinc lead niobate-lead titanate (PZN-PT), indium lead niobate (PIN), lead titanate (PT), lithium tantalate, langasite, or zinc oxide. The electrodes consist of individual electrodes (not shown) provided separately for each of the multiple ultrasonic transducers 48, and a transducer ground (not shown) common to the multiple ultrasonic transducers 48. The electrodes are electrically connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 via coaxial cables 56 and FPC 60.

[0034] Furthermore, the ultrasonic transducer 48 according to this embodiment needs to be driven (vibrated) at a relatively high frequency of 7 MHz to 8 MHz in order to acquire ultrasonic images of the patient's body cavity. For this reason, the thickness of the piezoelectric element constituting the ultrasonic transducer 48 is designed to be relatively thin, for example, 75 μm to 125 μm, and preferably 90 μm to 110 μm. Each ultrasonic transducer 48 is supplied with a diagnostic drive pulse, which is a pulsed drive voltage, as an input signal (transmission signal) from the ultrasonic processor unit 14 via a coaxial cable 56. When this drive voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducer 48, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts, driving (vibrating) the ultrasonic transducer 48. As a result, pulsed ultrasound is output from the ultrasonic transducer 48. At this time, the amplitude of the ultrasound output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 is corresponding to the intensity (output intensity) of the ultrasound output by that ultrasonic transducer 48. Here, output intensity is defined as the magnitude of the sound pressure of the ultrasound output from the ultrasonic transducer 48.

[0035] Furthermore, when each ultrasonic transducer 48 receives a reflected ultrasonic wave (echo), it vibrates (drives), and the piezoelectric element of each ultrasonic transducer 48 generates an electrical signal. This electrical signal is output from each ultrasonic transducer 48 to the ultrasonic processor device 14 as an ultrasonic reception signal. At this time, the magnitude (voltage value) of the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transducer 48 is corresponding to the receiving sensitivity of that ultrasonic transducer 48 when it receives ultrasonic waves. Here, receiving sensitivity is defined as the ratio of the amplitude of the electrical signal output by the ultrasonic transducer 48 upon receiving ultrasonic waves to the amplitude of the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic transducer 48.

[0036] In this embodiment, by sequentially driving N ultrasonic transducers 48 with an electronic switch such as a multiplexer 140 (see FIG. 4), ultrasonic waves are scanned within a scanning range along the curved surface on which the ultrasonic transducer array 50 is arranged, for example, within a range of about several tens of millimeters from the center of curvature of the curved surface. At the same time, polarization processing is performed on the ultrasonic transducer array 50 that is not being scanned. More specifically, assuming that the maximum simultaneous aperture number (the maximum number of channels of the pulsar (pulse generation circuit) 158) of the transmission circuit 144 is M (for example, 64), when connecting to N (M ≤ N, for example, 128) ultrasonic transducers 48, a multiplexer 140 with an M:N (for example, 1:2) ratio is used. For example, when M is 64 and N is 128, the first of the transmission circuit 144 is connected to the first and 65th of the ultrasonic transducers 48, the second of the transmission circuit 144 is connected to the second and 66th of the ultrasonic transducers 48, and subsequently, for p (p = 3 to 63) of the transmission circuit 144, similarly, the pth and (p + 64)th of the ultrasonic transducers 48 are connected, and the last 64th of the transmission circuit 144 is connected to the 64th and 128th of the ultrasonic transducers 48. Therefore, the first and 65th of the ultrasonic transducers 48 are connected to the same first channel of the pulsar 158 of the transmission circuit 144 and thus cannot be driven simultaneously. Similarly, the second and 66th of the ultrasonic transducers 48, subsequently, the pth and (p + 64)th of the ultrasonic transducers 48, and finally the 64th and 128th of the ultrasonic transducers 48 also cannot be driven simultaneously.

[0037] Here, when driving m (m < M, for example, M / 2 (32 elements)) ultrasonic transducers 48, there are (M - m) channels of the pulsar 158 remaining, and the (M - m) ultrasonic transducers 48 are not used for driving. Therefore, in the present invention, the remaining (M - m) channels of the pulsar 158 are used to perform polarization processing on the (M - m) ultrasonic transducers 48 that are not being driven. For example, if 32 ultrasonic transducers 48 numbered 1 to 32 are being driven to acquire an ultrasonic image, i.e., to display an image, then 32 ultrasonic transducers 65 to 96 cannot be driven because they are connected to the same pulser 158. However, either 32 ultrasonic transducers 33 to 64 or 32 ultrasonic transducers 97 to 128 can be selected by the multiplexer 140 for polarization processing. Therefore, while 32 ultrasonic transducers 48 numbered 1 to 32, selected by the multiplexer 140, are driven for image acquisition, polarization processing can be performed on 32 ultrasonic transducers 48 numbered 33 to 64, or 97 to 128, also selected by the multiplexer 140.

[0038] For example, when acquiring a B-mode image (tomographic image) as an ultrasound image, the aperture channel selection of the multiplexer 140 supplies a drive voltage to m consecutively arranged ultrasound transducers 48 (for example, m = M / 2) out of the N ultrasound transducers 48 (hereinafter also referred to as the driven transducers). This drives the m driven transducers, and ultrasound is output from each driven transducer in the aperture channel. The ultrasound output from the m driven transducers is immediately combined, and the combined wave (ultrasound beam) is transmitted toward the observation site. Subsequently, each of the m driven transducers receives the ultrasound (echo) reflected from the observation site and outputs an electrical signal (received signal) according to the receiving sensitivity at that time.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, simultaneously with the driving of the m ultrasonic transducers 48 described above, the aperture channel selection for polarization by the multiplexer 140 ensures that, for example, (Mm) ultrasonic transducers 48 (hereinafter also referred to as polarization target transducers) that are not used for acquiring ultrasonic images among the N ultrasonic transducers 48 are supplied with a polarization voltage different from the driving voltage of the driven transducers 48, and polarization processing is performed. The polarization processing of the ultrasonic transducers 48 will be explained in detail in a later section.

[0040] Incidentally, the above series of image acquisition steps for acquiring an ultrasonic image (i.e., supplying a drive voltage to the transducer to be driven, transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and outputting an electrical signal) may be repeated by shifting the position of the transducer to be driven among the N ultrasonic transducers 48 by one (one ultrasonic transducer 48 at a time). Correspondingly, the above series of polarization processing steps for polarization processing may also be repeated by shifting the position of the transducer to be polarized among the N ultrasonic transducers 48 by one (one ultrasonic transducer 48 at a time). In this case, to explain in detail, the above series of image acquisition steps begins with m target transducers on either side of the ultrasonic transducer 48 located at one end of the N ultrasonic transducers 48. The above series of polarization processing steps also begins with (Mm) polarized transducers corresponding to these m target transducers. The above series of image acquisition steps is repeated each time the position of the target transducers shifts due to the switching of the aperture channels by the multiplexer 140. Similarly, the above series of polarization processing steps is repeated each time the position of the polarized transducers corresponding to the target transducers shifts due to the switching of the aperture channels by the multiplexer 140. Finally, the above series of image acquisition steps is repeated a total of N times until the m target transducers on either side of the ultrasonic transducer 48 located at the other end of the N ultrasonic transducers 48 are reached. On the other hand, the above series of polarization processes is repeated a total of N times until the (Mm) transducers to be polarized correspond to the m transducers to be driven on both sides of the ultrasonic transducer 48 at the other end. In this way, N ultrasonic transducers 48 can be used equally for acquiring ultrasonic images, and the polarization process can be applied equally to all N ultrasonic transducers 48.

[0041] The backing layer 54 supports each ultrasonic transducer 48 of the ultrasonic transducer array 50 from the back side. The backing layer 54 also has the function of attenuating ultrasonic waves that propagate to the backing layer 54 side, either from ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 48 or ultrasonic waves (echoes) reflected from the observation target area. The backing material is made of a rigid material such as hard rubber, and ultrasonic attenuating material (ferrite and ceramics, etc.) is added as needed. The acoustic matching layer 74 is superimposed on the ultrasonic transducer array 50 and is provided to match the acoustic impedance between the patient's body and the ultrasonic transducer 48. The presence of the acoustic matching layer 74 makes it possible to increase the transmission rate of ultrasound. As the material of the acoustic matching layer 74, various organic materials can be used whose acoustic impedance value is closer to that of the patient's body than that of the piezoelectric element of the ultrasonic transducer 48. Specifically, examples of materials for the acoustic matching layer 74 include epoxy resin, silicone rubber, polyimide, and polyethylene.

[0042] The acoustic lens 76, superimposed on the acoustic matching layer 74, is used to focus the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer array 50 toward the area to be observed. The acoustic lens 76 is made of, for example, a silicone resin (such as millable silicone rubber (HTV rubber) or liquid silicone rubber (RTV rubber)), a butadiene resin, or a polyurethane resin, and may contain powders such as titanium dioxide, alumina, or silica as needed. The FPC60 is electrically connected to the electrodes of each ultrasonic transducer 48. Each of the multiple coaxial cables 56 is wired to the FPC60 at one end. When the ultrasonic endoscope 12 is connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 via the ultrasonic connector 32a, each of the multiple coaxial cables 56 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 at the other end (opposite the FPC60 side).

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ultrasound endoscope 12 may also be equipped with an endoscope-side memory 58 (see Figure 4). The endoscope-side memory 58 stores the driving times of multiple ultrasound transducers 48 during ultrasound diagnosis. More precisely, the endoscope-side memory 58 stores the cumulative driving time of the transducer to be driven among the multiple ultrasound transducers 48. In addition, the endoscope-side memory 58 may also store the cumulative processing time of the polarization process of the transducer to be polarized among the multiple ultrasound transducers 48. In this embodiment, the cumulative drive time and cumulative processing time are defined as the period during which the ultrasound diagnosis is performed, that is, the period from when the acquisition of ultrasound images (moving images) is started until when it is finished (more specifically, the time during which the ultrasound diagnosis is performed in live mode). However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the cumulative drive time may be defined as the time during which the drive voltage is supplied to the transducer to be driven, and the cumulative processing time may be defined as the time during which the polarization voltage is supplied to the transducer to be polarized.

[0044] When the ultrasound endoscope 12 is connected to the ultrasound processor device 14, the CPU 152 of the ultrasound processor device 14 can access the endoscope-side memory 58 and read the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time stored in the endoscope-side memory 58. In addition, the CPU 152 of the ultrasound processor device 14 can rewrite the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time stored in the endoscope-side memory 58 to default values, or update them to the new cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time if the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time change due to the performance of an ultrasound diagnosis.

[0045] (Endoscopy Observation Department) The endoscope observation section 38 is a part provided for acquiring endoscopic images and is located at the tip 40 of the insertion section 22, closer to the proximal end than the ultrasound observation section 36. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the endoscope observation section 38 consists of an observation window 82, an objective lens 84, a solid-state image sensor 86, an illumination window 88, a cleaning nozzle 90, and a wiring cable 92, etc. The observation window 82 is mounted at the tip 40 of the insertion section 22 at an angle to the axial direction (the longitudinal axis direction of the insertion section 22). Light entering through the observation window 82 and reflected from the adjacent part of the object to be observed is formed as an image on the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor 86 by the objective lens 84.

[0046] The solid-state image sensor 86 converts reflected light from an adjacent area of ​​the observation target, which is imaged on the imaging surface after passing through the observation window 82 and the objective lens 84, into photoelectric light and outputs an imaging signal. As the solid-state image sensor 86, CCD (ChargeCoupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) are available. The imaging image signal output by the solid-state image sensor 86 is transmitted to the endoscope processor device 16 via a universal code 26 through a wiring cable 92 extending from the insertion section 22 to the operation section 24.

[0047] Illumination windows 88 are located on either side of the observation window 82. The output end of a light guide (not shown) is connected to the illumination windows 88. The light guide extends from the insertion section 22 to the operation section 24, and its input end is connected to a light source device 18 via a universal cord 26. Illumination light emitted from the light source device 18 travels through the light guide and is irradiated from the illumination windows 88 toward the area adjacent to the object of observation. The cleaning nozzle 90 is a jet hole formed at the tip 40 of the insertion section 22 for cleaning the surfaces of the observation window 82 and the illumination window 88. Air or cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 90 toward the observation window 82 and the illumination window 88. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid ejected from the cleaning nozzle 90 is water, particularly degassed water. However, the cleaning liquid is not particularly limited and may be other liquids, such as ordinary water (undegassed water).

[0048] (Water supply tank and suction pump) The water supply tank 21a is a tank for storing deaerated water and is connected to the light source connector 32c by the aeration and water supply tube 34a. The deaerated water is used as a cleaning liquid that is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 90. The suction pump 21b aspirates material (including degassed water supplied for cleaning) from the body cavity through the treatment instrument outlet 44. The suction pump 21b is connected to the light source connector 32c by a suction tube 34b. The ultrasound endoscope system 10 may also be equipped with an air pump or the like for supplying air to a predetermined air supply destination.

[0049] The insertion section 22 and the operating section 24 are provided with a treatment tool channel 45 and an air and water supply pipeline (not shown). The instrument channel 45 connects the instrument insertion port 30 and the instrument outlet port 44, both located on the operating unit 24. The instrument channel 45 is also connected to the suction button 28b, which is located on the operating unit 24. In addition to the instrument channel 45, the suction button 28b is connected to the suction pump 21b. The air and water supply pipeline is connected to the cleaning nozzle 90 at one end and to the air and water supply button 28a located on the control unit 24 at the other end. In addition to the air and water supply pipeline, the air and water supply button 28a is also connected to the water supply tank 21a.

[0050] (Operation unit) The control unit 24 is operated by the operator at the start, during, and after the ultrasound diagnosis, and one end of the universal cord 26 is connected to one end of the control unit 24. As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 24 also has an air supply / water supply button 28a, a suction button 28b, a pair of angle knobs 29, and a treatment instrument insertion port (forceps port) 30. By rotating each of the pair of angle knobs 29, the curved section 42 is remotely manipulated and deformed. This deformation operation makes it possible to orient the tip 40 of the insertion section 22, which is equipped with the ultrasound observation section 36 and the endoscope observation section 38, in a desired direction.

[0051] The instrument insertion port 30 is a hole formed for inserting instrumental instruments (not shown), such as forceps, and is connected to the instrument outlet 44 via the instrument channel 45. Instrumental instruments inserted into the instrument insertion port 30 pass through the instrument channel 45 and are then introduced into the body cavity from the instrument outlet 44. The air supply / water supply button 28a and the suction button 28b are two-stage push buttons, which are operated to switch the opening and closing of the conduits located inside the insertion section 22 and the operation section 24, respectively.

[0052] <<Configuration of the ultrasonic processor device>> The ultrasonic processor device 14 causes m ultrasonic transducers 48 (specifically, the elements to be driven) out of the N ultrasonic transducers 48 of the ultrasonic transducer unit 46 to transmit and receive ultrasound, and generates an ultrasonic image by imaging the received signals output by the same m ultrasonic transducers 48 (i.e., the elements to be driven) when ultrasound is received. The ultrasonic processor device 14 also displays the generated ultrasonic image on the monitor 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic processor device 14 simultaneously supplies a polarization voltage to, for example, (Nm) transducers that have been used to generate ultrasonic images among the N ultrasonic transducers 48 but have not been used to generate ultrasonic images, thereby polarizing the transducers. By performing polarization processing on the transducers that have not been used to generate ultrasonic images in this way, the ultrasonic transducers 48 that have been depolarized by repeated ultrasonic diagnostics can be repolarized, thereby restoring the ultrasonic receiving sensitivity of the ultrasonic transducers 48 to a good level.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the ultrasonic processor device 14 includes a multiplexer 140, a receiving circuit 142, a transmitting circuit 144, an A / D converter 146, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 148, a cine memory 150, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 152, and a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 154. The receiving circuit 142 and the transmitting circuit 144 are electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array 50 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12. The multiplexer 140 selects up to m transducers from the N ultrasonic transducers 48 to be driven and opens their channels for generating an ultrasonic image. Simultaneously, for polarization processing, it selects up to (Nm) transducers from the N ultrasonic transducers 48 that are not the target transducers to be driven and opens their channels for polarization.

[0054] The transmitting circuit 144 consists of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a pulser (pulse generation circuit 158), and a SW (switch), and is connected to a MUX (Multiplexer 140). An ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used instead of the FPGA. The transmitting circuit 144 is a circuit that, in order to transmit ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transducer unit 46, supplies a driving voltage for ultrasonic wave transmission to the transducer to be driven selected by the multiplexer 140 according to a control signal sent from the CPU 152. At the same time, in order to perform polarization processing on the transducer to be polarized that has not been selected as the transducer to be driven among the multiple ultrasonic transducers 48 of the ultrasonic transducer unit 46, it supplies a polarization voltage for polarization processing to the transducer to be polarized selected by the multiplexer 140 according to a control signal sent from the CPU 152. The driving voltage is a pulsed voltage signal (transmission signal) and is applied to the electrodes of the transducer to be driven via the universal cord 26 and coaxial cable 56. The polarization voltage is also a pulsed voltage signal (transmission signal) and is applied to the electrodes of the transducer to be driven via the universal cord 26 and coaxial cable 56.

[0055] The transmitting circuit 144 has a pulse generation circuit 158 ​​that generates a transmission signal based on a control signal. Under the control of the CPU 152, the pulse generation circuit 158 ​​is used to generate a transmission signal that drives a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 to generate ultrasound and supplies it to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 to be driven, as well as generating a transmission signal for polarization processing and supplying it to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 48 to be polarized. Specifically, the transmitting circuit 144, under the control of the CPU 152, uses the pulse generation circuit 158 ​​to generate a first transmission signal having a drive voltage for performing ultrasound diagnosis, and simultaneously, under the control of the CPU 152, uses the same pulse generation circuit 158 ​​to generate a second transmission signal having a polarization voltage for performing polarization processing. Here, it is preferable that the signal waveform of the first transmission signal for ultrasound generation for ultrasound diagnosis and the signal waveform of the second transmission signal for polarization processing are different. Note that different signal waveforms mean that at least one of the frequency, voltage, and wavenumber of the signal waveforms is different.

[0056] The receiving circuit 142 is a circuit that receives the electrical signal, i.e., the received signal, output from the transducer that receives ultrasonic waves (echoes). The receiving circuit 142 also amplifies the received signal received from the ultrasonic transducer 48 according to the control signal sent from the CPU 152, and passes the amplified signal to the A / D converter 146. The A / D converter 146 is connected to the receiving circuit 142, converts the received signal received from the receiving circuit 142 from an analog signal to a digital signal, and outputs the converted digital signal to the ASIC 148.

[0057] The ASIC148 is connected to the A / D converter 146 and, as shown in Figure 4, comprises a phase matching unit 160, a B-mode image generation unit 162, a PW-mode image generation unit 164, a CF-mode image generation unit 166, and a memory controller 151. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned functions (specifically, the phase matching unit 160, the B-mode image generation unit 162, the PW-mode image generation unit 164, the CF-mode image generation unit 166, and the memory controller 151) are realized by hardware circuits such as the ASIC 148, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The above functions may also be realized by coordinating a central processing unit (CPU) with software (computer programs) for performing various data processing tasks. The phase matching unit 160 performs phase-alignment and addition (matching the phase of the received data before adding it) on the received signal (received data) that has been digitized by the A / D converter 146, by applying a delay time. Through this phase-alignment and addition process, a sound ray signal with a focused ultrasonic echo is generated.

[0058] The B-mode image generation unit 162, the PW-mode image generation unit 164, and the CF-mode image generation unit 166 generate an ultrasonic image based on the electrical signal (more precisely, an audio signal generated by phase-correcting summation of received data) output by the target transducer among the multiple ultrasonic transducers 48 when the ultrasonic transducer unit 46 receives ultrasonic waves. The B-mode image generation unit 162 is an image generation unit that generates B-mode images, which are tomographic images of the inside of a patient's body (inside a body cavity). The B-mode image generation unit 162 applies STC (Sensitivity Time Gain Control) to the sequentially generated sound line signals to correct for attenuation caused by propagation distance according to the depth of the ultrasound reflection position. The B-mode image generation unit 162 then applies envelope detection processing and log (logarithmic) compression processing to the corrected sound line signals to generate B-mode images (image signals).

[0059] The PW mode image generation unit 164 is an image generation unit that generates an image displaying the velocity of blood flow in a predetermined direction. The PW mode image generation unit 164 extracts frequency components from multiple sound line signals in the same direction among the sound line signals sequentially generated by the phase matching unit 160 by applying a Fast Fourier Transform. Subsequently, the PW mode image generation unit 164 calculates the velocity of blood flow from the extracted frequency components and generates a PW mode image (image signal) that displays the calculated velocity of blood flow. The CF mode image generation unit 166 is an image generation unit that generates an image displaying information about blood flow in a predetermined direction. The CF mode image generation unit 166 generates an image signal indicating information about blood flow by determining the autocorrelation of multiple sound line signals in the same direction from among the sound line signals sequentially generated by the phase matching unit 160. Subsequently, based on the above image signal, the CF mode image generation unit 166 generates a CF mode image (image signal) as a color image by superimposing information about blood flow onto the B mode image signal generated by the B mode image generation unit 162.

[0060] The memory controller 151 stores the image signals generated by the B-mode image generation unit 162, the PW-mode image generation unit 164, or the CF-mode image generation unit 166 in the cine memory 150. The DSC154 is connected to the ASIC148 and converts the image signals generated by the B-mode image generation unit 162, PW-mode image generation unit 164, or CF-mode image generation unit 166 into image signals that follow the scanning method of a normal television signal (raster conversion). After applying various necessary image processing, such as gradation processing, to the image signal, it outputs it to the monitor 20.

[0061] The cine memory 150 has a capacity to store image signals for one or several frames. The image signals generated by the ASIC 148 are output to the DSC 154, while the memory controller 151 also stores them in the cine memory 150. In freeze mode, the memory controller 151 reads the image signals stored in the cine memory 150 and outputs them to the DSC 154. As a result, the monitor 20 displays an ultrasound image (still image) based on the image signals read from the cine memory 150.

[0062] The CPU 152 functions as a control unit (control circuit) that controls each part of the ultrasonic processor device 14. It is connected to the receiving circuit 142, transmitting circuit 144, A / D converter 146, and ASIC 148, and controls these devices. Specifically, the CPU 152 is connected to the control console 100 and controls each part of the ultrasonic processor device 14 according to the inspection information and control parameters entered into the control console 100. Furthermore, when the ultrasound endoscope 12 is connected to the ultrasound processor device 14 via the ultrasound connector 32a, the CPU 152 automatically recognizes the ultrasound endoscope 12 using a method such as PnP (Plug and Play). Subsequently, the CPU 152 accesses the endoscope-side memory 58 of the ultrasound endoscope 12 and reads the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time stored in the endoscope-side memory 58.

[0063] Furthermore, when the ultrasound diagnosis is completed, the CPU 152 accesses the endoscope-side memory 58 and updates the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time stored in the endoscope-side memory 58 by adding the time required for the ultrasound diagnosis performed immediately before. In this embodiment, the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time are stored in the ultrasound endoscope 12, but this is not limited to this, and the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time may be stored for each ultrasound endoscope 12 on the ultrasound processor device 14 side. Incidentally, the CPU 152 may control the multiplexer 140 to select all ultrasonic transducers 48 other than the transducer to be driven as transducers to be polarized. Alternatively, before starting the ultrasound diagnosis, the CPU 152 may access the endoscope-side memory 58, read the cumulative driving time of the transducers other than the transducer to be driven stored in the endoscope-side memory 58, and control the multiplexer 140 to select the transducer to be polarized according to the cumulative driving time read from the ultrasonic transducers 48 other than the transducer to be driven.

[0064] In this invention, the polarization drive pulse, which is the second transmission signal, is generated by the transmission circuit 144 that generates the diagnostic drive pulse, which is the first transmission signal for acquiring an ultrasound image. That is, the transmission circuit 144 has the same circuit configuration as an existing transmission circuit, but does not have a new circuit configuration for generating the polarization drive pulse. Here, the transmission circuit 144 has a configurable voltage range in which at least two drive voltages can be set: the image drive voltage for the diagnostic drive pulse and the polarization drive voltage for the polarization drive pulse. When acquiring an ultrasound image, the image drive voltage is set within the configurable voltage range, and when performing polarization processing, the polarization drive voltage is set to a voltage different from the image drive voltage within the same configurable voltage range. In this invention, it is preferable that the polarization drive voltage be set to a higher voltage than the image drive voltage, more preferably to a higher voltage within the configurable voltage range, and most preferably to the upper limit voltage.

[0065] Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail later, it is preferable that the polarization drive pulse (main lobe) is a drive pulse with a different frequency band than the probe frequency band of the diagnostic drive pulse. Therefore, it is preferable that the drive voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 48 during polarization processing is higher than the drive voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 48 during ultrasound image acquisition. Furthermore, it is preferable that the polarization drive pulse wave applied to the ultrasonic transducer 48 during polarization processing is generated by the same transmission circuit 144 as the diagnostic drive pulse wave applied to the ultrasonic transducer 48 during ultrasound image acquisition, is a different polarization drive voltage within the same configurable voltage range as the image drive pulse wave, and is a drive pulse with a frequency different from the probe frequency band for ultrasound image acquisition. From the above, it can be said that the present invention has an existing transmission circuit configuration and uses a transmission circuit 144 for outputting the same drive pulse as for acquiring an ultrasound image, to output a polarization drive pulse at the same settable voltage range as the diagnostic drive pulse for acquiring an ultrasound image, and at a frequency different from the probe frequency band, simultaneously with the diagnostic drive pulse, and performs polarization processing of the ultrasonic transducer 48 of the ultrasound endoscope 12 at the time of acquiring the ultrasound image.

[0066] The magnitude (voltage value, or potential) of the driving voltage for the polarization drive pulse is set by the CPU 152 to an appropriate value within the settable voltage range of the transmission circuit 144, according to the specifications of the ultrasonic transducer 48 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 connected to the ultrasonic processor device 14 (specifically, the thickness and material of the ultrasonic transducer 48), so as to satisfy the conditions for obtaining a repolarization effect. The supply time of the driving voltage for the polarization drive pulse is also set by the CPU 152 to an appropriate value according to the specifications of the ultrasonic transducer 48 (specifically, the thickness and material of the ultrasonic transducer 48), so as to satisfy the conditions for obtaining a repolarization effect. Subsequently, the CPU 152 performs polarization processing based on the above set values.

[0067] In other words, in the present invention, the CPU (control circuit) 152 controls the transmission circuit 144 (pulse generation circuit 158) to generate diagnostic drive pulses (first transmission signals) to be applied to each of the multiple first ultrasonic transducers 48 that generate ultrasound for acquiring an ultrasonic image. Simultaneously, the CPU (control circuit) 152 controls the transmitting circuit 144 to generate polarization drive pulses (second transmission signals) that are different polarization drive voltages within the same configurable voltage range as the diagnostic drive pulses, and have a different frequency than the probe frequency band of the ultrasonic transducer (ultrasonic transducer unit 46) for acquiring ultrasonic images, in order to perform polarization processing on multiple second ultrasonic transducers 48 that are not generating ultrasound. As a result, in the present invention, a diagnostic drive pulse is applied to a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 48, and ultrasonic waves are generated from the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 48 by the diagnostic drive pulse, and a polarization drive pulse is applied to a plurality of second ultrasonic transducers 48, and polarization processing is performed on the plurality of second ultrasonic transducers 48 by the polarization drive pulse.

[0068] Next, the drive waveform (transmission waveform) and pulse waveform of the polarization drive pulse (polarization transmission wave) transmitted from the transmission circuit 144 to the ultrasonic transducer 48 in the present invention will be described. Figures 5A and 5B are graphs showing an example of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4, and a graph showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of that drive waveform. The drive waveform shown in Figure 5A is the waveform of one wave of a unipolar circuit with a frequency of 1.25 MHz. In the present invention, the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a polarization drive pulse having a unipolar waveform as shown in Figure 5A and a drive waveform having the frequency characteristics shown by the solid line in Figure 5B to perform polarization processing on the ultrasonic transducer 48. In the example shown in Figure 5B, for example, at a sensitivity level of -20 dB or higher, the probe frequency band for acquiring an ultrasonic image is approximately 2.7 MHz to approximately 11.7 MHz, as shown by the dashed line, while the bandwidth of the main lobe of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse, shown by the solid line, is approximately 2.3 MHz or less. That is, the frequency bandwidth characteristics of the polarization drive pulse and the frequency bandwidth characteristics of the diagnostic drive pulse do not overlap at a sensitivity level of -20 dB or higher.

[0069] In other words, in the present invention, as shown in Figure 5B, it is preferable that the frequency band of the main lobe and the probe frequency band shown by the dashed line do not overlap at sensitivity levels of -20 dB or higher in the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse. Furthermore, it is preferable that the frequency band of the main lobe is at a lower frequency than the probe frequency band at sensitivity levels of -20 dB or higher. The reason for this is that in the polarization process, it is necessary to prevent excess ultrasonic output to reduce the impact on the ultrasonic image, prevent temperature rise, and reduce the impact on the body cavity of the subject due to temperature rise. In particular, the upper limit temperature of the tip portion of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 inserted into the body cavity of the subject is strictly limited so as not to affect the body cavity, and it is necessary to prevent temperature rise.

[0070] In this invention, since the polarization drive pulse (main lobe) is transmitted outside the probe frequency band, the energy input to the ultrasonic transducer 48 is reduced, and the temperature rise is suppressed. Furthermore, since the area outside the probe frequency band is outside the resonance band in which the ultrasonic transducer 48 resonates, even when the polarization drive pulse (main lobe) is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 48, the output sound pressure is also reduced. In the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse shown in Figure 5B, in addition to the main lobe, it can be seen that one or more side lobes, also shown as solid lines, are generated within the probe frequency band, accompanying the main lobe; in the example shown in Figure 5B, there are four side lobes. The maximum sensitivity of these side lobes within the probe frequency band is preferably -10 dB or less, as shown in Figure 5B, and the average sensitivity of these side lobes is preferably -20 dB or less. The reason for this is as follows. Generally, the frequency response specifications of a probe are expressed in terms of a -20dB bandwidth of the transmit and receive sensitivity. This is because signals below 1 / 10th of the sensitivity peak have almost no effect on the image. On the other hand, unlike the probe, the transmit wave bandwidth consists only of the transmit portion, so the threshold level is 20dB / 2 = 10dB. Therefore, -10dB is more preferable when considering the transmit component.

[0071] Furthermore, in the present invention, the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse is not particularly limited and may be a bipolar waveform as shown in Figure 6A, but a unipolar waveform is preferred as shown in Figure 5A. The reason for this is that, as shown in the frequency characteristics of the drive waveform in Figure 6B, the sensitivity of the main lobe does not change whether it is a unipolar waveform shown by a solid line or a bipolar waveform shown by a dashed line, but the sensitivity of the four side lobes is lower for the unipolar waveform than for the bipolar waveform. Therefore, by making the transmitted waveform a unipolar waveform as shown in Figure 5A, not only the main lobe but also the harmonic components are suppressed, and a higher effect can be expected.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7A, multiple unipolar waveforms may be transmitted as polarization drive pulses; in the example shown in Figure 7A, two pulse waves may be transmitted. The polarization drive pulse shown in Figure 7A has a drive waveform that includes two pulse waves, which are the drive waveforms of the polarization drive pulse shown in Figure 5A. The frequency characteristics of the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse shown in Figure 7A are shown in Figure 7B. The frequency characteristics of the drive waveform shown in Figure 7B differ from those of the drive waveform shown in Figure 5B in the main lobe waveform, but the side lobe waveforms do not change significantly. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7C, it is preferable to transmit a polarization drive pulse in which the drive waveform of the polarization drive pulse is a unipolar waveform, and multiple pulse waveforms are connected with a minimum clock time interval between the waveforms. That is, in the present invention, it is preferable that the transmission circuit 144 outputs multiple unipolar waveforms as the polarization drive pulse, with the interval between these waveforms being the minimum clock time specified in the ultrasonic processor device 14. The reason for this is that applying a DC voltage is optimal for polarization processing, but when using a transmitting circuit 144 with an existing transmitting circuit configuration, as in the present invention, it is not possible to transmit a DC voltage.

[0073] The minimum and maximum time widths are determined by the type of pulser (pulse generation circuit 158) in the transmission circuit 144 of the ultrasound processor device 14 used in the ultrasound endoscope system 10. Therefore, by using the minimum clock cycle time specified in the transmission circuit 144 as the minimum time width, and inserting the minimum time width between multiple unipolar waveforms, a high repolarization effect can be expected by creating a polarization processed waveform close to a DC voltage. The minimum time width of the two unipolar pulse waveforms, i.e., the strongest pulse width, is determined by the specifications of the pulser (pulse generation circuit 158) in the transmission circuit 144. Control that adheres to these specifications is output from the FPGA in the transmission circuit 144 as described above. Furthermore, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7D, by using a combination of multiple unipolar waveforms shown in Figure 7C as the drive waveform for the polarization drive pulse, the maximum sensitivity of the side lobes can be reduced compared to the drive waveform for the polarization drive pulse consisting of a single unipolar waveform shown by the solid line in Figure 7D. In contrast, Figures 8A and 8B are graphs showing an example of the drive waveform of a diagnostic drive pulse transmitted from the transmitting circuit shown in Figure 4, and graphs showing the relationship between the sensitivity and frequency of that drive waveform. The drive waveform shown in Figure 8A is the waveform of one wave of a bipolar oscillator with a center frequency of 6 MHz. Figure 8B shows the frequency characteristics of the drive waveform of the diagnostic drive pulse. Based on the above, it is preferable that the drive waveform (transmitted waveform) of the polarization drive pulse and the drive waveform (transmitted waveform) of the diagnostic drive pulse are different, and more specifically, it is preferable that at least one of the voltage, frequency, and wavenumber is different.

[0074] Incidentally, in ultrasonic systems, especially small ultrasonic systems, miniaturization is achieved by limiting the simultaneous numerical aperture (number of channels in the pulser), that is, the number of ultrasonic transducers that transmit ultrasound simultaneously. When driving an ultrasonic transducer array with multiple elements (a large number of ultrasonic transducers), as shown in Figure 9, multiple elements are driven via a multiplexer 140 that functions as a switch. On the other hand, in high-end models, image quality is improved by increasing the number of channels in the pulser. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 9, the probe (ultrasonic transducer unit 46) has 256 channels (ch) of elements (ultrasonic transducers 48), making it a multi-element system, while the system-side pulser (pulse generation circuit 158) has 64 channels. Therefore, the element group 49 consisting of the 256 channels of elements 48 in the probe 46 is divided into four element groups 49a to 49d, each consisting of 64 channels of elements 48. The multiplexer 140 selects one of the divided groups, element group 49a, consisting of 64 channels of elements 48, and connects each element 48 of element group 49a to each of the 64 channels of the pulser 158. The 64 elements 48 are then simultaneously opened and driven to transmit, thereby acquiring an ultrasonic image. Note that in both the example shown in Figure 9 and the examples shown below, the individual elements (ultrasonic transducers) 48 within each element group are not shown.

[0075] Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 9, the 64 channels of elements 48 in each of the remaining three element groups 49b to 49d will not be driven and will not be used to acquire ultrasonic images. After driving each element 48 in element group 49a for a predetermined time to acquire ultrasonic images, it is also possible to stop driving each element 48 in element group 49a and drive the 64 channels of elements 48 in the next element group 49b. Similarly, the elements 48 in element groups 49c and 49d can then be driven sequentially. However, even in this configuration, three of the four element groups 49a to 49d will not be driven, so the example shown in Figure 9 is over-specified. Of course, if the system-side pulser 158 has 256 channels, all elements 48 can be driven, and the multiplexer 140 is unnecessary. For this reason, if the probe 46 has a large number of element channels 48, it is advisable to increase the number of channels in the system-side pulser 158.

[0076] However, the ultrasonic transducer 48 of the ultrasonic endoscope 12 is often formed in a small-diameter convex shape. In such cases, even if the number of channels of the system-side pulser 158 is increased to increase the simultaneous numerical aperture of the ultrasonic transducer 48, the contribution of the end elements (ultrasonic transducers) 48 to improving image quality becomes small, and it may even become a factor that causes artifacts such as side lobes. For this reason, the transmitting numerical aperture is often limited to a range of ±45 degrees. For example, in the microconvex oscillator shown in Figure 10, the 64 channels of elements 48 in the central element group 49e are driven to form the thick central line, but the 32 channels of elements 48 in the element groups 49f and 49g at both ends 1 and 2 are not driven. Thus, while endoscopic ultrasound systems designed for use with endoscopic ultrasound are often designed with the minimum necessary number of elements (e.g., 64 channels), endoscopic ultrasound systems that also use surface probes may have an excessive number of simultaneous apertures.

[0077] Therefore, in the present invention, polarization processing can be performed without a decrease in frame rate by using excess pulser to perform polarization processing simultaneously with image rendering, i.e., acquisition of ultrasonic images. That is, by applying the present invention to the example shown in Figure 10, while the 64 channels of elements 48 in the central element group 49e are driven for ultrasonic image acquisition by the control of the CPU 152, polarization processing can be performed on the 32 channels of elements 48 in the element groups 49f and 49g at both ends 1 and 2 simultaneously. Although it is over-specced, the present invention can also be applied to the example shown in Figure 9, and while the CPU 152 controls the 64 channels of elements 48 in element group 49a to acquire ultrasonic images, polarization processing can be performed simultaneously on the 64 channels of elements 48 in the remaining three element groups 49b to 49d. In other words, the present invention performs repolarization (also simply called polarization) on the channels of element 48 that are simultaneously open but not used for acquiring ultrasonic images, thereby performing repolarization simultaneously with the acquisition of ultrasonic images.

[0078] The following describes examples to which the present invention is applied, but these examples are merely illustrations, and the present invention is not limited thereto. (Example 1) Figures 11A to 11C illustrate the state in which image formation and polarization processing are performed simultaneously while shifting the element (ultrasonic transducer) 48, which is driven for ultrasonic image acquisition, i.e., image formation, by the control circuit (CPU 152). In the states shown in Figures 11A to 11C, a pulser 158 that is not used for image formation is used to perform polarization processing on an element (ultrasonic transducer) 48 that is not used for image formation. In this polarization processing, it is preferable to use a voltage different from the voltage applied to the element 48 used for image formation.

[0079] First, in state 1 shown in Figure 11A, the 64 elements 48 of the right half of the element array 50a of the probe 46's total of 128 elements 48 are used for ultrasonic transmission for image formation, while the 64 elements 48 of the left half of the element array 50b undergo polarization processing. Next, in state 2 shown in Figure 11B, the rightmost 10 channels of the 64 channels of elements 48 in the right half of element group 50a shown in Figure 11A have their ultrasonic transmission for image formation stopped and polarization processing started. On the other hand, the rightmost 10 channels of the 64 channels of elements 48 in the left half of element group 50b shown in Figure 11A have their polarization processing stopped and ultrasonic transmission for image formation started. Therefore, in state 2 shown in Figure 11B, the 64 channels of elements 48 in the central element group 50c of the probe 46's total of 128 channels of elements 48 are used for image formation, but polarization processing is performed on the 10 channels of elements 48 in the right element group (array) 50d and the 54 channels of elements 48 in the left element group (array) 50e.

[0080] Next, in state 3 shown in Figure 11C, the 22 channels of elements 48 to the right of the 64 channels of elements 48 in the central element group 50c shown in Figure 11B have ultrasonic transmission for image formation stopped and polarization processing started. On the other hand, the 22 channels of elements 48 to the right of the 54 channels of elements 48 in the left half of the element group 50e shown in Figure 11B have polarization processing stopped and ultrasonic transmission for image formation started. Therefore, in state 3 shown in Figure 11C, the 64 channels of elements 48 in the central element group 50f of the probe 46's total of 128 channels of elements 48 are used for image formation, but polarization processing is performed on the 32 channels of elements 48 in the right element group (array) 50g and the 32 channels of elements 48 in the left element group (array) 50h. As shown in states 1, 2, and 3 in Figures 11A to 11C, the position of the polarization processing element 48 can be changed in accordance with the shift of the element 48 used for ultrasonic transmission and reception for image formation. In the examples shown in Figures 11A to 11C, the position of the polarization processing element 48 changes along with the shift of the element 48 used for ultrasonic transmission and reception for image formation. However, the number of channels of the element 48 used for image formation and the number of channels of the element 48 used for polarization processing remain unchanged, both being 64 channels.

[0081] In this case, when performing image formation and polarization processing simultaneously, image formation requires the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves to and from element 48, but polarization processing only requires transmission, so reception of the received signal is not necessary. If the simultaneous numerical aperture of the element 48 used for image formation changes due to a change in the focus position for observation, it is preferable to change the number of channels (simultaneous numerical aperture) of the element 48 that performs polarization processing accordingly. For example, if the number of simultaneous aperture channels of the element 48 used for image formation changes from 64 channels for both image formation and polarization processing to 56 channels due to a change in the focus position for observation, it is preferable to change the number of channels of the element 48 used for polarization processing to 72 channels. Furthermore, as described above, it is preferable to use different voltages for the transmission signal (drive pulse) applied to element 48 during image formation and polarization processing, and it is also preferable to use different waveforms for the transmission frequency during image formation and polarization processing. It is also preferable to use different wavenumbers for the transmission waveform. Therefore, it is desirable for the transmitting circuit 144 to have two voltage systems, and it is preferable to apply different voltages by using one system for image formation and the other system for polarization processing. Alternatively, it is also possible to use one system and attenuate one of them.

[0082] (Example 2) Figures 12A and 12B show a radial transducer array 51, which is an ultrasonic transducer array in which multiple ultrasonic transducers are arranged circumferentially, where the centers of the multiple ultrasonic transducers for image formation and the centers of the multiple ultrasonic transducers for polarization processing are located at positions 180 degrees apart, respectively. First, in the state shown in Figure 12A, the 64 elements 48 of the lower element group (array) 51a of the probe 46's total of 256 elements 48 are used for ultrasonic transmission and reception for image formation, while the 64 elements 48 of the upper element group 51b undergo polarization processing. As shown in Figure 12A, the lower element group 51a and the upper element group 51b are separated by a point relative to the center of the radial transducer array 51. Symmetry The elements are positioned at the same location, and the center of the element 48 of the lower element group 51a and the center of the element 48 of the upper element group 51b are positioned 180 degrees apart. Note that in Figure 12A, the point is relative to the center of the radial oscillator array 51. Symmetry The element group 51c on the left and the element group 51d on the right, located at this position, are in a frozen state and are not used for ultrasonic transmission or reception, nor have they undergone polarization treatment.

[0083] Next, in the state shown in Figure 12B, the state is shifted 90 degrees clockwise from the state shown in Figure 12A, and the 64 elements 48 of the element group 51c on the left side of all 256 elements 48 of the probe 46 are used for ultrasonic transmission and reception for image formation, and point relative to the center of the radial transducer array 51. Symmetry Polarization is performed on the 64th channel element 48 of the right-side element group 51d, which is positioned at the location shown. That is, even in the state shown in Figure 12B, the left-side element group 51c for ultrasonic transmission and reception and the right-side element group 51d for polarization are positioned at a point relative to the center of the radial transducer array 51. Symmetry The elements are positioned at the same location, and the center of the element 48 of the lower element group 51a and the center of the element 48 of the upper element group 51b are positioned 180 degrees apart. Note that in Figure 12B, the center of the radial oscillator array 51 is shown as a point Symmetry The lower element group 51a and the upper element group 51b, which are positioned at this location, are in a frozen state. As described above, it is preferable that the multiple elements 48 of the radial oscillator array 51 are controlled so that the centers of the simultaneous transmission apertures that perform image formation and polarization processing are 180 degrees apart from each other. Therefore, in the multiple elements 48 of the radial oscillator array 51, a scan for polarization processing can be inserted in a direction 180 degrees different from the scan for image formation.

[0084] As mentioned above, the transmission for polarization processing is outside the probe's bandwidth and has almost no effect on image formation. Therefore, as shown in Figures 11A to 11C, the transmission for polarization processing has almost no effect on image formation, so the elements 48 for image formation and the elements 48 for polarization processing may be adjacent to each other. However, in order to further reduce the effects on image formation such as crosstalk and noise, it is preferable to interpose at least 2 to 3 elements 48 in a frozen state between the elements 48 for image formation and the elements 48 for polarization processing. Furthermore, as described above, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B, by arranging the centers of the multiple image-forming elements 48 and the centers of the multiple polarization-processing elements 48 in the radial oscillator array 51 at a 180-degree angle, the influence on image formation can be further reduced.

[0085] <<Examples of Ultrasound Endoscopy System Operation>> Next, as an example of the operation of the ultrasound endoscopic system 10, the flow of a series of processes related to ultrasound diagnosis (hereinafter also referred to as the diagnostic process) will be explained with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the flow of the diagnostic process using the ultrasound endoscopic system 10. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the steps of the diagnostic steps during the diagnostic process.

[0086] When the ultrasound endoscope 12 is connected to the ultrasound processor unit 14, the endoscope processor unit 16, and the light source unit 18, and the power to each part of the ultrasound endoscope system 10 is turned on, the diagnostic process is started as a trigger. In the diagnostic process, as shown in Figure 13, an input step is performed first (S001). In the input step, the operator inputs examination information and control parameters, etc., through the control console 100. Once the input step is completed, a waiting step is performed until an instruction to start the diagnosis is given (S002). Using this waiting step, the CPU 152 of the ultrasound processor unit 14 reads the cumulative operating time and cumulative processing time from the endoscope-side memory 58 of the ultrasound endoscope 12 (S003).

[0087] Next, when the operator gives an instruction to begin diagnosis (Yes in S004), the CPU 152 controls each part of the ultrasound processor unit 14 to perform the diagnostic step (S005). The diagnostic step proceeds according to the flow shown in Figure 14. If the specified image generation mode is B mode (Yes in S031), the CPU 152 controls each part of the ultrasound processor unit 14 to generate a B mode image (S032). If the specified image generation mode is not B mode (No in S031) but CF mode (Yes in S033), the CPU 152 controls each part of the ultrasound processor unit 14 to generate a CF mode image (S034). Furthermore, if the specified image generation mode is not CF mode (No in S033) but PW mode (Yes in S035), the CPU 152 controls each part of the ultrasound processor unit 14 to generate a PW mode image (S036). If the specified image generation mode is not PW mode (No in S036), the process proceeds to step S037.

[0088] On the other hand, the polarization processing step is started when the diagnostic step is initiated and controls each part of the ultrasonic processor device 14 to perform polarization processing until the diagnostic step is completed (S021). In other words, during the ultrasound diagnostic procedure, the CPU 152 controls each part of the ultrasound processor device 14 to perform polarization processing on the multiple ultrasound transducers 48 that are not being polarized, while simultaneously transmitting ultrasound and receiving reflected waves for ultrasound diagnostic purposes to the multiple ultrasound transducers 48 that are the target transducers for ultrasound diagnostic purposes, and receiving reflected waves for each frame of the ultrasound image acquired during each frame time, i.e., during the diagnostic step. In short, ultrasound image acquisition and polarization processing are performed simultaneously during the ultrasound diagnostic procedure.

[0089] Next, returning to Figure 14, the CPU 152 determines whether the ultrasound diagnosis is complete or not (S037). If the ultrasound diagnosis is not complete (No in S037), the system returns to the diagnosis step S031, and the generation of ultrasound images using each image generation mode is repeatedly performed until the diagnosis completion condition is met. In this case, polarization processing is also performed simultaneously. The diagnosis completion condition may include, for example, the operator instructing the end of the diagnosis via the control console 100.

[0090] On the other hand, when the diagnostic completion condition is met and the ultrasound diagnosis is completed (Yes in S037), the polarization process is also completed simultaneously. The CPU 152 adds the time taken for the ultrasound diagnosis up to that point to the cumulative drive time and cumulative processing time read from the endoscope-side memory 58 in step S003, and updates the cumulative drive time and cumulative processing time stored in the endoscope-side memory 58 to the cumulative drive time and cumulative processing time after the addition (S038). The diagnostic step ends when the above series of steps (S031 to S038) in the diagnostic step are completed. Next, returning to Figure 13, if the power to each part of the ultrasound endoscope system 10 is turned off (Yes in S006), the diagnostic process ends. On the other hand, if the power to each part of the ultrasound endoscope system 10 remains on (No in S006), the process returns to input step S001 and the steps of the diagnostic process described above are repeated.

[0091] Incidentally, polarization processing may be performed on all ultrasonic transducers 48 that correspond to the transducers to be polarized and do not transmit ultrasound for ultrasonic diagnosis or receive reflected waves. However, ultrasonic transducers 48 that have reached a certain cumulative processing time for polarization processing do not need to undergo polarization processing, even if they correspond to the transducers to be polarized. In other words, ultrasonic transducers 48 that have reached a certain cumulative processing time for polarization processing do not need to undergo polarization processing from the beginning, or polarization processing may be stopped when the cumulative processing time for polarization processing reaches a certain period of time. Furthermore, as the ultrasonic transducer 48 undergoes depolarization, the number of dipoles attached to both sides of the ultrasonic transducer 48 decreases in proportion to the time spent transmitting ultrasound for ultrasound diagnosis and receiving its reflected waves, that is, the cumulative driving time of the multiple ultrasonic transducers 48. Therefore, even during image formation, an ultrasonic transducer 48 whose cumulative driving time has reached a certain level may be removed from the range of transducers used for transmitting ultrasound for ultrasound diagnosis and receiving its reflected waves, and treated as a transducer for polarization, and polarization processing may be performed on it.

[0092] The ultrasound endoscopy system 10 can acquire ultrasound images and endoscopic images, and display these ultrasound and endoscopic images on the monitor 20 in various display modes. As shown in Figure 15, there are four display modes: a first display mode that displays only the ultrasound image; a second display mode that displays the ultrasound image larger than the endoscopic image using picture-in-picture (PinP); a third display mode that also displays the ultrasound image smaller than the endoscopic image using PinP; and a fourth display mode that displays only the endoscopic image. The user can switch between the first to fourth display modes as instructed.

[0093] <<Regarding the effectiveness of the ultrasound endoscopic system 10 of the present invention>> During the ultrasound diagnosis, the ultrasound endoscope system 10 transmits ultrasound waves and receives reflected waves using ultrasound transducers, and while acquiring images for each frame, it simultaneously performs polarization processing on ultrasound transducers that are not transmitting ultrasound waves or receiving reflected waves for ultrasound diagnosis. Therefore, even during the ultrasound diagnosis, the frame rate does not decrease, so the receiving sensitivity of the multiple ultrasound transducers 48 can always be kept good without degrading the image quality of the ultrasound images, and thus high-quality ultrasound images can always be acquired. Furthermore, the ultrasound endoscope system 10 uses the existing transmission circuit 144, or more specifically the pulse generation circuit 158, to perform polarization processing simultaneously with the transmission of ultrasound for ultrasound diagnosis. Therefore, polarization processing can be performed during the ultrasound diagnosis without significantly modifying the existing circuit.

[0094] The total number of ultrasonic transducers 48 and the number of aperture channels may be changed to any number. For example, if the number of aperture channels is the same as the total number of ultrasonic transducers 48, the number of driven transducers 48 that transmit ultrasound and receive reflected waves for ultrasound diagnosis must be less than the total number of ultrasonic transducers 48. In that case, polarization processing can be performed simultaneously on ultrasonic transducers 48 that do not transmit ultrasound or receive reflected waves.

[0095] Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10 Ultrasound Endoscopy System 12 Ultrasound Endoscope 14. Ultrasonic processor device 16 Endoscope processor device 18 Light source device 20 monitors 21a Water supply tank 21b Suction pump 22 Insertion section 24 Control section 26 Universal Code 28a Water / Air Supply Button 28b Suction button 29 Angle knob 30 Instrument insertion port 32a Ultrasonic Connector 32b Endoscope connector 32c connector for light source 34a Air and water supply tube 34b Suction tube 36 Ultrasound Observation Department 38 Endoscopy Observation Department 40 Tip 42 Curved section 43 Soft part 44. Tool outlet 45 Treatment Tool Channel 46 Ultrasonic transducer unit 48. Ultrasonic transducer 50 ultrasonic transducer arrays 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e, 50f, 50g, 50h, 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d element group 54 Backing layer 56 Coaxial Cable 58 Endoscope-side memory 60 FPC 74 Acoustic matching layer 76 Acoustic Lens 82 Observation window 84 Objective Lens 86 Solid-state image sensor 88 Lighting window 90 Cleaning Nozzles 92 Wiring Cables 100 console 140 Multiplexer 142 Receiving Circuit 144 Transmitter Circuit 146 A / D converters 148 ASIC 150 CineMemory 151 Memory Controller 152 CPU 154 DSC 158 Pulse generation circuit 160 Phase matching box 162 B-mode image generation unit 164 PW Mode Image Generation Unit 166 CF mode compatible generation unit

Claims

1. An endoscopic ultrasound system for acquiring ultrasound images and endoscopic images, It has an ultrasonic transducer array in which multiple ultrasonic transducers that simultaneously transmit with their apertures arranged, An ultrasonic endoscope comprising an ultrasonic observation unit that transmits ultrasound using one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, receives the reflected ultrasound waves from the transmission of the ultrasound, and pauses the transmission of ultrasound by the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, The ultrasonic processor device comprises: a transmitting circuit that transmits an ultrasonic generation transmission signal consisting of diagnostic drive pulses applied to each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on one side in order to generate ultrasonic waves from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the one side, and simultaneously transmits a polarization processing transmission signal consisting of polarization drive pulses for performing polarization processing to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are not transmitting the ultrasonic generation transmission signal for acquiring the ultrasonic image; a receiving circuit that outputs a received signal based on the reflected wave received by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the one side; and an ultrasonic image generation unit that images the received signal to generate the ultrasonic image in order to acquire the ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic processor device further includes a control circuit that, in order to acquire the ultrasonic image, transmits the ultrasonic generation transmission signal to one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers using the transmission circuit to transmit the ultrasonic waves and receive the reflected waves, and transmits the polarization processing transmission signal to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers using the transmission circuit to perform the polarization processing. The control circuit controls the transmission circuit to cause the transmission of the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal for generating the ultrasonic image and the transmission of the polarization processing transmission signal for performing the polarization processing to be performed simultaneously by one and the other of the plurality of different ultrasonic transducers, thereby causing the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves and the polarization processing to be performed simultaneously by the plurality of different ultrasonic transducers. Ultrasonic endoscope system characterized in that the control circuit changes the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that perform polarization processing in accordance with the change in the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the one plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive the ultrasonic waves for generating the ultrasonic image as the focus position for observation changes.

2. The ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted waveform of the ultrasonic wave generating transmission signal and the transmitted waveform of the polarization processing transmission signal are different.

3. The ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic wave generating transmission signal and the polarization processing transmission signal differ in at least one of the frequency, voltage, and wavenumber of the transmitted waveform.

4. An ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 1 or 2, in which, when using the ultrasonic transducer array in which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged circumferentially, the center of one plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmits and receives the ultrasound for generating the ultrasonic image and the center of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmit the polarization processing transmission signal for performing the polarization processing are arranged at positions 180 degrees apart.

5. The aforementioned control circuit is When transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves using one of the aforementioned plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers are simultaneously controlled to pause the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves and perform the polarization process. Conversely, when the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers are used to transmit the ultrasonic waves and receive the reflected waves, the ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 1 or 2 is controlled to simultaneously suspend the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves and perform the polarization process for the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

6. A method for operating an endoscopic ultrasound system that acquires ultrasound images and endoscopic images, The ultrasound endoscope system comprises an ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound observation unit having an ultrasound transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasound transducers are arranged, a transmission circuit that transmits an ultrasound generation transmission signal to one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers and simultaneously transmits a polarization processing transmission signal to the other plurality of ultrasound transducers that are not transmitting the ultrasound generation transmission signal for acquiring the ultrasound image, a receiving circuit that outputs a received signal based on the reflected waves received by the one plurality of ultrasound transducers, and an ultrasound image generation unit that images the received signal and generates the ultrasound image, A control step of controlling the transmission circuit to generate an ultrasonic generation transmission signal consisting of diagnostic drive pulses applied to each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers that generate ultrasonic waves for acquiring the ultrasonic image, and to generate a polarization processing transmission signal consisting of polarization drive pulses applied to each of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are not transmitting the ultrasonic generation transmission signal for polarization processing, A generation step of transmitting the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal generated from the transmission circuit to one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and applying the diagnostic drive pulse to the one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate the ultrasonic wave, A receiving step in which the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave is received by one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, An output step of outputting the received signal based on the reflected wave received by one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers from the receiving circuit, The ultrasonic image generation unit receives the received signal, converts the received signal into an image, and generates the ultrasonic image; The polarization step includes, while the generation step and the reception step are being performed, simultaneously transmitting the polarization processing transmission signal generated from the transmission circuit to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers, applying the polarization drive pulse to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and performing the polarization processing on the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers. An operating method for an ultrasonic endoscope system, characterized in that, in accordance with a change in the focus position for observation, the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmit and receive ultrasound for generating the ultrasonic image is changed, and the simultaneous transmission numerical aperture of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that perform the polarization processing is changed.

7. A method for operating an ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 6, wherein the transmission waveform of the ultrasonic wave generating transmission signal and the transmission waveform of the polarization processing transmission signal are different.

8. The method for operating an ultrasonic endoscope system according to claim 7, wherein the ultrasonic wave generating transmission signal and the polarization processing transmission signal differ in at least one of the frequency, voltage, and wavenumber of the transmitted waveform.

9. The method for operating an ultrasonic endoscope system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein when using the ultrasonic transducer array in which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged circumferentially, the center of one plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmits and receives the ultrasound for generating the ultrasonic image and the center of the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers that transmit the polarization processing transmission signal for performing the polarization processing are positioned at 180 degrees apart.

10. In the control step, if the system is controlled to generate the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal to be transmitted to one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, it is controlled to generate the polarization processing transmission signal to be transmitted to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The generation step and the reception step are performed on one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and at the same time, the polarization step is performed on the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers. Conversely, in the control step, if the system is controlled to generate the ultrasonic wave generation transmission signal to be transmitted to the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers, it is controlled to generate the polarization processing transmission signal to be transmitted to one of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. A method for operating an ultrasonic endoscope system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the generation step and the receiving step are performed on the other plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and at the same time, the polarization step is performed on the one plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

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