Ultrasound diagnostic system and method of operating the ultrasound diagnostic system

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system that allows a user to execute appropriate procedures on defecation for a subject, and to provide a control method of an ultrasonic diagnostic system.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic system includes: a subject specification unit (30) for specifying a subject; an image acquisition unit (33) for acquiring an ultrasonic image of the colon of the subject using an ultrasonic probe (1); a feces detection unit (28) for detecting feces from the ultrasonic image; a memory (24) for storing a result of the detection by the feces detection unit (28) in association with the subject; a monitor (23); and a display control unit (22) for displaying, in the monitor (23), the result of the detection by the feces detection unit (28) in the past examination preserved in the memory (24) when the subject is specified by the subject specification unit (30).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system for displaying ultrasonic images for examining the large intestine of a subject and a method of the ultrasonic diagnostic system. Operation

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, examinations and diagnoses of a subject have been performed by taking ultrasonic images representing tomograms in the subject using a so-called ultrasonic diagnostic system. In order to smoothly perform examinations and diagnoses using such an ultrasonic diagnostic system, it is known that a user of the ultrasonic diagnostic system requires a certain level of proficiency. Therefore, in order to smoothly perform examinations and diagnoses using an ultrasonic diagnostic system, techniques for assisting examinations and diagnoses using an ultrasonic diagnostic system, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, have been developed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for assisting a diagnosis performed by a user by acquiring a past diagnosis history of a subject stored in an external server through communication. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for assisting a diagnosis performed by a user by automatically evaluating the state of feces present in the large intestine in a subject based on sound information in the subject and an ultrasonic image obtained by imaging the inside of the subject. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for assisting examinations and diagnoses performed by a user by displaying a list of past examinations of a subject based on an instruction from the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, when assisting with defecation in subjects with chronic constipation or those who have difficulty defecating due to paralysis or other reasons that prevent them from applying abdominal pressure, an ultrasound diagnostic system may be used to examine the condition of the stool in the subject's large intestine. In such cases, knowing whether or not stool was present in the subject in previous examinations, for example, the last examination, is useful in providing appropriate treatment regarding defecation to the subject.

[0006] While users can check a subject's past diagnostic history using the technology described in Patent Document 1, and view a subject's past examinations in a list using the technology described in Patent Document 3, it is difficult to easily ascertain whether or not stool was present in the subject during past examinations. Furthermore, with the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, user input is required to check a subject's past diagnostic history or past examinations, which is time-consuming and sometimes makes it difficult to check the subject's past diagnostic history or past examinations. Additionally, while the technology described in Patent Document 2 can automatically evaluate the state of stool present in the subject's large intestine, it is difficult for the user to ascertain whether or not stool was present in the subject during past examinations.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional, and provides an ultrasound diagnostic system and an ultrasound diagnostic system that enable the user to perform appropriate treatment related to defecation on a subject. Operation The purpose is to provide a method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above objective can be achieved with the following configuration. [1] An ultrasound diagnostic system that performs an examination of the colon of a subject by scanning with an ultrasound probe, A subject identification unit that identifies the subject, An image acquisition unit that acquires ultrasound images of the subject's colon using an ultrasound probe, A stool detection unit that detects stool from ultrasound images, A memory that stores the detection results from the stool detection unit, linked to the subject, Monitor and, Once the subject is identified by the subject identification unit, the display control unit displays the detection results from past tests stored in memory by the stool detection unit on the monitor. An ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with [specific features / features]. [2] The memory stores, along with the detection results from the stool detection unit, whether or not treatment was performed on the subject and the details of the treatment, as entered by the user. The ultrasound diagnostic system described in [1], wherein when a subject is identified by the subject identification unit, the display control unit also displays on the monitor whether or not treatment was performed during past examinations and the details of the treatment. [3] The ultrasound diagnostic system described in [2], wherein the procedure involves at least one of the following: enema, medication, or manual disimpaction. [4] The subject identification unit identifies the subject by inputting the subject identification information, as described in any of [1] to [3] of the ultrasound diagnostic system. [5] The memory stores the detection results from the stool detection unit, linked to the subject's identification information and the subject's Global Positioning System information. The subject identification unit identifies the subject by inputting the subject's Global Positioning System information. This is an ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of [1] to [4]. [6] Memory is, A first memory area that stores the detection results from the stool detection unit, linked to the subject, A second memory area is located independently of the first memory area and stores the test results for test sites other than the colon of the subject, linked to the subject. An ultrasound diagnostic system possessing any of the items described in [1] to [5]. [7] A control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system that performs an examination of the colon of a subject by scanning with an ultrasound probe, Identify the subject, An ultrasound probe is used to acquire an ultrasound image of the subject's colon. Detect feces from the ultrasonic image, Associate the detection result of feces with the subject and store it in the memory, When the subject is identified, display the detection result of feces at the time of past examinations stored in the memory on the monitor A control method for an ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] [[ID=!14]]According to the present invention, since the ultrasonic diagnostic system includes a subject identification unit that identifies a subject, an image acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of the large intestine of the subject using an ultrasonic probe, a feces detection unit that detects feces from the ultrasonic image, a memory that associates and stores the detection result by the feces detection unit with the subject, a monitor, and a display control unit that displays the detection result by the feces detection unit at the time of past examinations stored in the memory on the monitor when the subject is identified by the subject identification unit, the user can perform appropriate treatment regarding defecation on the subject.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a transmission / reception circuit in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image generation unit in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen for selecting an observation site. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of displaying a feces detection result and treatment contents. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing examples of a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example in which the current ultrasonic image is displayed in the first display area, a reference image is displayed in the second display area, and a video of a scanning guide is displayed in the third display area. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of an icon for selecting an annotation to be added to an ultrasonic image. Note: There seems to be an error in the provided text. In line , the text "便検出部による検出結果をモニタに表示する表示制御部とを備えるため" is translated as "a display control unit that displays the detection result by the feces detection unit at the time of past examinations stored in the memory on the monitor when the subject is identified by the subject identification unit, the user can perform appropriate treatment regarding defecation on the subject." which seems to have some incorrect concatenation. The correct translation should be more like "a display control unit that displays the detection result by the feces detection unit on the monitor, so that the user can perform appropriate treatment regarding defecation on the subject when the subject is identified by the subject identification unit." However, I have translated it as per the provided text with the error intact for the sake of following the instructions. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the operation of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The description of the constituent elements described below is made based on typical embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. In this specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values described before and after "~" as the lower limit value and the upper limit value. In this specification, "identical" and "the same" shall include the error range generally allowed in the technical field.

[0012] Embodiment Fig. 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic system includes an ultrasonic probe 1 and a device main body 2 connected to the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0013] The ultrasonic probe 1 has a transducer array 11. A transmission / reception circuit 12 is connected to the transducer array 11.

[0014] The main body of the device 2 has an image generation unit 21 connected to the transmit / receive circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1. The display control unit 22 and the monitor 23 are sequentially connected to the image generation unit 21. A memory 24 is also connected to the image generation unit 21. The display control unit 22 and the observation site selection unit 25 are connected to the memory 24. The reference image display unit 26, the scanning guide display unit 27 and the stool detection unit 28 are connected to the observation site selection unit 25. The reference image display unit 26 and the scanning guide display unit 27 are connected to the display control unit 22. The stool detection unit 28 is connected to the memory 24. The main body of the device 2 also has a subject identification unit 30. The subject identification unit 30 is connected to the display control unit 22 and the memory 24. The main body control unit 31 is connected to the transmit / receive circuit 12, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the memory 24, the observation site selection unit 25, the reference image display unit 26, the scanning guide display unit 27, the stool detection unit 28 and the subject identification unit 30. The input device 32 is connected to the main control unit 31.

[0015] Furthermore, the image acquisition unit 33 is composed of the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 and the image generation unit 21. In addition, the processor 34 for the main body of the device 2 is composed of the image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, observation area selection unit 25, reference image display unit 26, scanning guide display unit 27, stool detection unit 28, subject identification unit 30, and main body control unit 31.

[0016] The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of these ultrasonic transducers transmits ultrasound according to a drive signal supplied from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, and also receives ultrasonic echoes from the subject and outputs a signal based on the ultrasonic echoes. Each ultrasonic transducer is constructed by forming electrodes at both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0017] The transmitting / receiving circuit 12 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 11 and generates a sound line signal based on the received signal acquired by the transducer array 11, under the control of the main unit control 31. As shown in Figure 2, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 has a pulser 41 connected to the transducer array 11, and an amplifier 42, an AD (Analog to Digital) converter 43, and a beamformer 44 connected sequentially in series from the transducer array 11.

[0018] The pulser 41 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators, and based on a transmission delay pattern selected according to a control signal from the main unit control 31, it supplies each drive signal to the multiple ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, adjusting the delay amount, so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducers form an ultrasonic beam. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves from each ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0019] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected from a target, such as a part of the subject, and propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 is received by each ultrasonic transducer that makes up the transducer array 11. At this time, each ultrasonic transducer that makes up the transducer array 11 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and outputs these received signals to the amplification unit 42.

[0020] The amplification unit 42 amplifies the signals input from each ultrasonic transducer constituting the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 43. The AD conversion unit 43 converts the signals transmitted from the amplification unit 42 into digital received data. The beamformer 44 performs so-called receive focus processing by adding each received data received from the AD conversion unit 43 with a corresponding delay. Through this receive focus processing, each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 43 is phase-corrected and added together, and a sound ray signal with a focused ultrasonic echo is obtained.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the image generation unit 21 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 45, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 46, and an image processing unit 47 are connected in series in sequence.

[0022] The signal processing unit 45 receives the sound line signal from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, and after correcting for attenuation due to distance according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position using the sound velocity value set by the main unit control unit 31, it performs envelope detection processing to generate a B-mode image signal, which is tomographic image information of the tissue within the subject.

[0023] The DSC46 converts the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing unit 45 into an image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal (raster conversion). The image processing unit 47 performs various necessary image processing, such as gradation processing, on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 46, and then sends the B-mode image signal to the display control unit 22 and the memory 24. Hereafter, the B-mode image signal processed by the image processing unit 47 will be referred to as the ultrasound image.

[0024] The monitor 23 displays various information under the control of the display control unit 22. The monitor 23 may include, for example, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0025] The main unit control unit 31 controls each part of the main unit 2 and the ultrasonic probe 1 according to a pre-recorded program or the like. The input device 32 receives input operations from the inspector and sends the input information to the main unit control unit 31. The input device 32 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, and touch panel, or other devices for the inspector to perform input operations.

[0026] The stool detection unit 28 detects stool from an ultrasound image by analyzing the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 21. The stool detection unit 28 can store multiple template images related to stool and detect stool K by a so-called template matching method, which involves searching within the ultrasound image using multiple template images. The stool detection unit 28 can also detect stool from an ultrasound image using a trained model, which is a so-called machine learning model trained on ultrasound images of the colon of numerous subjects showing stool.

[0027] The subject identification unit 30 identifies the subject based on the subject identification information entered by the user, for example, via the input device 32. Here, the subject identification information can be, for example, an ID (Identifier) ​​or subject name set for each subject.

[0028] The memory 24, under the control of the main unit control 31, stores, linked to the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30, the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 21, the stool detection result performed by the stool detection unit 28 on the ultrasound image, and whether or not the user performed any procedures on the subject and the details of those procedures. Whether or not the user performed any procedures on the subject and the details of those procedures are input by the user, for example, via the input device 32. As for the details of the procedures, at least one of the following can be input: enema, medication, and manual disimpaction.

[0029] For memory 24, recording media such as flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disk), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disk), MT (Magnetic Tape), RAM (Random Access Memory), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory) can be used.

[0030] The observation area selection unit 25 selects one observation area from a plurality of pre-set observation areas based on user instructions input via the input device 32. For example, when the display control unit 22 displays a menu screen M1 as shown in Figure 4 on the monitor 23, if the user selects an icon related to an observation area from among the plurality of icons A1 to A8 included in the menu screen M1 via the input device 32, the observation area selection unit 25 can select an observation area based on the icon selected by the user.

[0031] The menu screen M1 in Figure 4 includes icons A1 for activating the mode for inserting a needle into a blood vessel, A2 for activating the mode for setting the list of examination menus, A3 for activating the mode for observing the subject's bladder and measuring the amount of urine in the bladder, A4 for activating the mode for observing the large intestine, A5 for activating the mode for observing lung ultrasound, A6 for starting the scanning of the ultrasound probe 1, A7 for displaying the examination history on the monitor 23, and A8 for displaying the instruction manual for the ultrasound diagnostic system on the monitor 23.

[0032] The observation site selection unit 25 can, for example, select blood vessels as the observation site when icon A1 to A8 is selected, the bladder when icon A3 is selected, the large intestine when icon A4 is selected, and the lungs when icon A5 is selected. In particular, when icon A4 is selected, the observation site selection unit 25 can select at least one of the entire large intestine, the colon, and the rectum as the observation site. Here, which of the entire large intestine, the colon, and the rectum the observation site selection unit 25 selects when the user selects icon A4 can be set in advance.

[0033] The display control unit 22, under the control of the main unit control unit 31, performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound image etc. generated by the image generation unit 21 and displays it on the monitor 23. Furthermore, when the colon is selected as the observation site by the observation site selection unit 25, the display control unit 22 determines whether or not the detection result of stool K by the stool detection unit 28 in past examinations for the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 is stored in the memory 24.

[0034] When the display control unit 22 determines that the detection result of stool K in a past examination is stored in the memory 24, it transitions the display on the monitor 23 to the display shown in Figure 5 and displays the detection result of stool K by the stool detection unit 28 from a past examination, for example, the previous examination, on the monitor 23. At this time, the display control unit 22 can display on the monitor 23, for example, a message E indicating the date and time of the examination, whether or not treatment was performed on the subject, and the content of that treatment, in addition to whether or not stool K was detected. At this time, the display control unit 22 can display at least one of the following as the content of treatment: for example, enema, medication, and manual disimpaction.

[0035] In this context, when assisting defecation in subjects suffering from chronic constipation or those who have difficulty defecating due to paralysis or other reasons that prevent them from applying abdominal pressure, it is useful to know whether or not fecal potassium (K) was present in the subject in past examinations, for example, in the previous examination, in order to provide appropriate treatment regarding defecation to the subject. Users of the ultrasound diagnostic system of the present invention can easily and reliably check the results of fecal potassium detection by the fecal detection unit 28 during past examinations, which are displayed on the monitor 23 by the display control unit 22, and provide appropriate treatment regarding defecation to the subject.

[0036] Furthermore, the display control unit 22 can remove the display of message E from the monitor 23 if, for example, the "OK" text portion of message E is selected by the user via the input device 32. Once the display of message E is removed from the monitor 23, the display control unit 22 can transition the display of the monitor 23 to the display shown in Figure 6. At this time, the monitor 23 has a first display area R1, a second display area R2, and a third display area R3.

[0037] The display control unit 22 sequentially displays the latest ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 21 in the first display area R1 of the monitor 23.

[0038] The reference image display unit 26 stores reference images, which are standard ultrasound images of the large intestine. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the reference image UR is displayed in the second display area R2 of the monitor 23. The user can easily image the subject's large intestine by checking the current ultrasound image displayed in the first display area R1 and the reference image UR displayed in the second display area R2, and scanning while moving the ultrasound probe 1 to obtain an ultrasound image similar to the reference image UR.

[0039] The scanning guide display unit 27 stores a scanning guide that guides the scanning of the ultrasound probe 1 to image the subject's large intestine. For example, as shown in Figure 6, it displays the scanning guide G1 for the subject's large intestine in the third display area R3 of the monitor 23. Here, the scanning guide display unit 27 can display, for example, a video or still image showing the movement path of the ultrasound probe 1 to the large intestine as the scanning guide G1. By checking the scanning guide G1 displayed in the third display area R3, the user can easily understand the movement path of the ultrasound probe 1 and easily image the subject's large intestine.

[0040] Here, the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 6, may include a freeze button B1 and a stool presence / absence button B2 for determining the presence or absence of stool in a display having a first display area R1, a second display area R2, and a third display area R3. The freeze button B1 is a button for temporarily pausing the continuous display of the ultrasound image in the first display area R1, that is, for so-called freezing. The stool presence / absence button B2 is a button for executing the process of detecting stool K present in the subject's large intestine by the stool detection unit 28.

[0041] When the user selects the fecal presence / absence button B2 via the input device 32 and the fecal detection unit 28 detects fecal K, the display control unit 22 can highlight the location of fecal K by, for example, displaying the region of interest suggestion line L1 shown in Figure 7 on the ultrasound image U1. The region of interest suggestion line L1 is a line that suggests the presence of a region containing the detected fecal K and can have any shape, but for example, it can consist of four curved lines representing the four corners of a rectangle surrounding the fecal K. In addition to displaying the region of interest suggestion line L1, the display control unit 22 can also highlight fecal K in a different display manner from its surroundings, for example, by displaying the color of the image of fecal K in a different color from the surroundings, displaying the outline of fecal K, or making fecal K blink.

[0042] When the stool detection unit 28 detects stool K, and the user selects the freeze button B1 via the input device 32, the main control unit 31 can transition the display on the monitor 23 to a display such as that shown in Figure 8. In this display, for example, the latest ultrasound image U1 in which stool K was detected is displayed on the monitor 23, and annotation icons C1, C2, and C3 for adding annotations about the properties of stool K to the ultrasound image U1 are displayed. The user can add annotations corresponding to the selected annotation icon to the ultrasound image U1 by selecting one of the annotation icons C1, C2, and C3 via the input device 32. The annotations added to the ultrasound image U1 in this way are stored in the memory 24 in association with the ultrasound image U1. Furthermore, in the display shown in Figure 7, the monitor 23 may also include a "Not Applicable" button B3 for instructing that annotation not be applied to the ultrasound image U1 because the characteristics of the detected stool K do not correspond to the characteristics of stool K corresponding to annotation icons C1, C2, and C3, and a "Rescan" button B4 for releasing the freeze and resuming scanning.

[0043] The processor 34, which includes an image generation unit 21, a display control unit 22, an observation area selection unit 25, a reference image display unit 26, a scanning guide display unit 27, a stool detection unit 28, a subject identification unit 30, and a main unit control unit 31, is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a control program for causing the CPU to perform various processes. However, it may also be composed of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or other ICs (Integrated Circuits), or a combination thereof.

[0044] Furthermore, the image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, observation area selection unit 25, reference image display unit 26, scanning guide display unit 27, stool detection unit 28, subject identification unit 30, and main unit control unit 31 of the processor 34 can also be partially or entirely integrated into a single CPU or the like.

[0045] Next, an example of the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the embodiment will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0046] First, in step S1, the observation site selection unit 25 selects the large intestine from among a plurality of pre-set observation sites based on the user's instructions input via the input device 32. For example, when the display control unit 22 displays a menu screen M1 as shown in Figure 4 on the monitor 23, if the user selects icon A4, which relates to the large intestine, from among the plurality of icons A1 to A8 included in the menu screen M1, via the input device 32, the observation site selection unit 25 can select the large intestine as the observation site based on the icon selected by the user.

[0047] Next, in step S2, the subject identification unit 30 identifies the subject to be tested based on identification information such as the subject's ID or name, which is entered by the user via the input device 32.

[0048] In step S3, the display control unit 22 refers to the memory 24 and determines whether the detection result of stool K by the stool detection unit 28 in past tests for the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 is stored in the memory 24. If it is determined that the detection result of stool K in past tests is stored in the memory 24, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0049] In step S4, the display control unit 22 displays the detection results of stool K in past tests on the monitor 23 by displaying message E5, for example, as shown in Figure 5. At this time, the display control unit 22 can also display the date and time of the test, whether or not treatment was performed on the subject, and the details of that treatment on the monitor 23, in addition to the detection results of stool K in past tests.

[0050] In this way, users can easily and reliably obtain the results of past fecal potassium detection tests and take appropriate measures regarding bowel movements for the subject.

[0051] Once the processing in step S4 is complete, the process proceeds to step S5. Furthermore, if it is determined in step S3 that the detection results for fecal K in past tests are not stored in memory 24, step S4 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S5.

[0052] In step S5, the user scans the subject's body surface by moving the ultrasound probe 1, thereby capturing multiple frames of ultrasound images U1. During this process, the transducer array 11 of the ultrasound probe 1 transmits an ultrasound beam into the subject and receives an ultrasound echo from within the subject, generating a received signal. The transmitting / receiving circuit 12 of the image acquisition unit 33 performs a so-called received focus process on the received signal under the control of the main unit control 31 to generate an acoustic ray signal. The acoustic ray signal generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 is sent to the image generation unit 21. The image generation unit 21 generates the ultrasound image U1 using the acoustic ray signal sent from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12.

[0053] The ultrasound image U1 generated in this manner is displayed in the first display area R1 of the monitor 23 by the display control unit 22, as shown in Figure 7, for example.

[0054] In step S6, the stool detection unit 28 analyzes the ultrasound image U1 generated in step S5 to detect stool K present in the subject's large intestine from the ultrasound image U1. At this time, the stool detection unit 28 executes the process of detecting stool K when, for example, the user selects the stool presence / absence button B2 displayed on the monitor 23 via the input device 32.

[0055] In step S7, the main unit control 31 determines whether or not to freeze the ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1. The main unit control 31 determines to freeze the ultrasound image U1 if a freeze instruction is input, for example, by the user via the input device 32, such as by selecting the freeze button B1 displayed on the monitor 23. The main unit control 31 also determines to continue the continuous display of the ultrasound image U1 in the first display area R1 if, for example, no freeze instruction is input by the user via the input device 32.

[0056] If it is determined in step S7 to continue displaying the ultrasound image U1 in the first display area R1, the process returns to step S5 and a new ultrasound image U1 is captured. Subsequently, in step S6, the stool detection unit 28 detects stool K from the ultrasound image U1. In this way, as long as it is determined in step S7 to continue displaying the ultrasound image U1 in the first display area R1, the process from steps S5 to S7 is repeated.

[0057] If it is determined in step S7 that the ultrasound image U1 should be frozen, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the memory 24, under the control of the main unit control 31, stores the stool K detection result from step S6 for the latest ultrasound image U1 that is frozen in the first display area R1 of the monitor 23, associating it with the subject identified in step S2. The stool K detection result thus stored is then displayed on the monitor 23 by the display control 22 during the next examination, for example, as shown in Figure 5.

[0058] In step S9, the main unit control 31 determines whether or not to terminate the inspection. The main unit control 31 can determine to terminate the inspection if, for example, the user inputs an instruction to terminate the inspection via the input device 32, and can determine to continue the inspection if no instruction to terminate the inspection is input.

[0059] If it is determined in step S9 to continue the examination, the process returns to step S5, and a new ultrasound image U1 is taken. Subsequently, in step S6, fecal K is detected from the ultrasound image U1, in step S7 it is determined whether or not to freeze the ultrasound image U1, and in step S8 the detection result of fecal K is linked to the subject and saved in memory 24. In this way, as long as it is determined in step S9 to continue the examination, the process from step S5 to step S9 is repeated.

[0060] If it is determined in step S9 that the examination should be terminated, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the flowchart in Figure 9 is completed.

[0061] As described above, according to the ultrasonic system of the embodiment of the present invention, when the subject identification unit 30 identifies a subject undergoing examination, the display control unit 22 displays the stool K detection results from past examinations stored in the memory 24 on the monitor 23. This allows the user to easily and reliably understand the stool K detection results from past examinations and take appropriate measures regarding defecation for the subject.

[0062] Although it is explained that the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 is provided in the ultrasonic probe 1, the transmitting / receiving circuit 12 may also be provided in the main body of the device 2. Furthermore, although it is explained that the image generation unit 21 is provided in the main body 2 of the device, the image generation unit 21 may also be provided in the ultrasonic probe 1.

[0063] Furthermore, the main unit 2 of the device may be a so-called stationary type, a portable type that is easy to carry, or a so-called handheld type, which may consist of a smartphone or tablet computer, for example. Thus, the type of equipment that makes up the main unit 2 is not particularly limited.

[0064] Furthermore, although it is explained that the main unit 2 of the device is equipped with memory 24, memory 24 may be an external memory attached to the main unit 2. Also, the ultrasound diagnostic system may include, for example, a server connected to the main unit 2 via a network. In this case, memory 24 may be provided in the server rather than the main unit 2.

[0065] Furthermore, the ultrasound probe 1 or the main unit 2 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor (not shown), which can acquire GPS information of the subject. In this case, the memory 24, under the control of the main unit control 31, can store the detection result of stool K by the stool detection unit 28, linked to the subject's identification information and the subject's GPS information.

[0066] Furthermore, in this case, the subject identification unit 30 can identify the subject when GPS information of the subject is input from the GPS sensor. At this time, the subject identification unit 30 can identify the subject, for example, when the GPS information input from the GPS sensor matches the GPS information of the subject stored in the memory 24. Such subject identification based on GPS information is useful, for example, when performing tests on a subject at their home in visiting nursing or home medical care.

[0067] Furthermore, the memory 24 may have a first memory area for storing the detection results of stool K by the stool detection unit 28, linked to the subject, and a second memory area, which is located independently of the first memory area and stores the examination results of examination sites other than the colon for the subject, linked to the subject. This allows the stool K detection results stored in the first memory area to remain stored in the memory 24, even if the data in the second memory area is erased for some reason. In particular, by placing the first memory area on a server (not shown), the risk of data being accidentally erased on the main unit 2 of the device can be reduced. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 Ultrasound probe, 2 Main unit, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmit / receive circuit, 21 Image generation unit, 22 Display control unit, 23 Monitor, 24 Memory, 25 Observation area selection unit, 26 Reference image display unit, 27 Scanning guide display unit, 28 Stool detection unit, 30 Subject identification unit, 31 Main unit control unit, 32 Input device, 33 Image acquisition unit, 34 Processor, 41 Pulsar, 42 Amplifier unit, 43 AD conversion unit, 44 Beamformer, 45 Signal processing unit, 46 DSC, 47 Image processing unit, A1~A8 Icons, B1 Freeze button, B2 Stool presence / absence button, B3 Not applicable button, B4 Rescan button, C1~C3 Annotation icons, E Message, G1 Scanning guide, K Stool, L1 Region of interest suggestion line, M1 Menu screen, R1 First display area, R2 Second display area, R3 Third display area: U1, U2 ultrasound images, UR reference image.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic system that examines the colon of a subject by scanning with an ultrasound probe, Monitor and, A memory for storing the results of the colon examination of the subject, A subject identification unit that identifies the subject, A display control unit, triggered by the identification of the subject by the subject identification unit, automatically determines whether a first test result from a past test indicating the detection of stool in the subject's large intestine is stored in the memory, and, triggered by the determination that the first test result is stored in the memory, automatically displays the first test result on the monitor. After the first test result is displayed on the monitor, an image acquisition unit acquires an ultrasound image of the subject's colon using the ultrasound probe, A stool detection unit that detects stool from the aforementioned ultrasound image and An ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with [specific features / equipment].

2. The memory stores, along with the first test result, whether or not a treatment was performed on the subject and the details of the treatment, as entered by the user. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein when the subject is identified by the subject identification unit, the display control unit also displays on the monitor whether or not treatment was performed during past examinations and the details of the treatment.

3. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein the procedure is at least one of enema, medication, and manual disimpaction.

4. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the subject identification unit identifies the subject based on the subject identification information entered by the user.

5. The memory stores the first test result linked to the subject's identification information and the subject's Global Positioning System information. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the subject identification unit identifies the subject based on the Global Positioning System information of the subject that has been input.

6. The aforementioned memory is A first memory area for storing the first test result linked to the subject, A second memory area, which is different from the first memory area and stores the test results of test sites other than the colon of the subject in association with the subject, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1.

7. A method for operating an ultrasound diagnostic system that performs an examination of the colon of a subject by scanning with an ultrasound probe, The aforementioned ultrasound diagnostic system The results of the colon examination of the subject are stored in memory. Identify the subject, Upon the identification of the subject, the system automatically determines whether the first test result from a previous test, which indicated the detection of stool in the subject's large intestine, is stored in the memory. When it is determined that the first test result is stored in the memory, the first test result is automatically displayed on the monitor. After the first test result is displayed on the monitor, an ultrasound image of the subject's colon is acquired using the ultrasound probe. stool is detected from the aforementioned ultrasound image. How to operate an ultrasound diagnostic system.

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