Ultrasound diagnostic system and method for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic system

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system that allows a user to perform an examination of a subject smoothly, and to provide a control method of an ultrasonic diagnostic system.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic system includes: a subject specification unit (30) for specifying a subject by identification information on the subject; an observation site selection unit (25) for selecting an observation site; a monitor (23) having a first display region and a second display region; a display control unit (22) for displaying a captured ultrasonic image in the first display region; a reference image display unit (26) for displaying a reference image for the selected observation site in the second display region; an image memory (24) for preserving a past ultrasonic image of the subject; and a past image display unit (29) for reading out the past ultrasonic image from the image memory (24) if the past ultrasonic image of the observation site of the specified subject is preserved in the image memory (24), and displaying it in the second display region in place of the reference image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system for displaying an ultrasonic image of an observation site of a subject and a control method for the ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an examination of an observation site has been performed by taking an ultrasonic image representing a tomogram within a subject using a so-called ultrasonic diagnostic system. A user of the ultrasonic diagnostic system usually moves an ultrasonic probe to a position where an ultrasonic image of a target site can be taken while checking the taken ultrasonic image. However, depending on the user's proficiency, even when checking the ultrasonic image, it may be difficult to smoothly perform the examination, such as being unable to accurately grasp the site of the subject currently being imaged and being unable to easily take an ultrasonic image of the target observation site.

[0003] Therefore, in order to enable a user to smoothly perform an examination, for example, technologies such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 have been developed. Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic system that displays side by side an ultrasonic image taken in the past and an ultrasonic image currently being taken for the same subject. A user can move the ultrasonic probe while referring to the past ultrasonic image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, when examining a subject for whom no past ultrasound images exist, such as for a subject who has not been examined before, the user has to perform the examination by referring to the current ultrasound image. Depending on the user's skill level, this can make it difficult to perform the examination smoothly, such as being unable to easily capture the target area for observation.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the problems of the past, and aims to provide an ultrasound diagnostic system and a control method for the ultrasound diagnostic system that enable users to smoothly perform examinations of subjects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above objective can be achieved with the following configuration. [1] An ultrasound diagnostic system that displays an ultrasound image of the observation site of a subject, which is captured by scanning with an ultrasound probe, A subject identification unit identifies the subject by inputting the subject's identification information, An observation area selection unit for selecting the observation area, A monitor having a first display area and a second display area, A display control unit that displays the captured ultrasound image in a first display area, A reference image display unit displays a reference image for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit in a second display area, Image memory that stores past ultrasound images of the subject, A subject identification unit determines whether past ultrasound images of the observation area of ​​the subject identified by the subject identification unit are stored in the image memory, and if past ultrasound images are stored, a past image display unit reads the past ultrasound images from the image memory and displays them in the second display area in place of the reference image. An ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with [specific features / features]. [2] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [1], wherein, when multiple past ultrasound images are stored in the image memory, the past ultrasound image closest to the ultrasound image displayed in the first display area is selected from the multiple past ultrasound images and displayed in the second display area. [3] The monitor has a third display area that is different from the first and second display areas, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [1] or [2], further comprising a scanning guide display unit that displays a scanning guide in a third display area for guiding the scanning of the ultrasound probe to the observation site selected by the observation site selection unit. [4] The scanning guide is the ultrasound diagnostic system described in [3], which is a video. [5] The scanning guide is an optical image taken of the subject and the ultrasound probe scanning the area of ​​the subject being examined, as described in [3]. [6] The ultrasound diagnostic system described in [5], comprising an optical camera for acquiring optical images. [7] An ultrasound diagnostic system as described in any of [1] to [6], wherein the observation site is one of the following: the entire large intestine, the colon, or the rectum. [8] Equipped with a stool detection unit that detects stool from an ultrasound image, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [7], wherein the display control unit highlights the position of the stool detected by the stool detection unit within the ultrasound image. [9] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [8], wherein the stool detection unit detects stool by using a trained model that has been learned from ultrasound images of the colon of a large number of subjects.

[10] A control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system that displays an ultrasound image of an observation site of a subject taken by scanning with an ultrasound probe, By entering the subject's identification information, the subject is identified. Select the area to observe, The captured ultrasound image is displayed in the first display area of ​​the monitor. A reference image for the selected observation area is displayed in the second display area of ​​the monitor. Past ultrasound images of the subject are saved to image memory. The system determines whether past ultrasound images of the identified subject's observation area are stored in the image memory. If past ultrasound images are stored, the system reads the past ultrasound images from the image memory and displays them in the second display area in place of the reference image. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the ultrasound diagnostic system includes a subject identification unit that identifies a subject by inputting the subject's identification information, an observation site selection unit that selects an observation site, a monitor having a first display area and a second display area, a display control unit that displays the captured ultrasound image in the first display area, a reference image display unit that displays a reference image for the observation site selected by the observation site selection unit in the second display area, an image memory that stores past ultrasound images of the subject, and a past image display unit that determines whether or not past ultrasound images of the observation site of the subject identified by the subject identification unit are stored in the image memory, and if past ultrasound images are stored, reads the past ultrasound image from the image memory and displays it in the second display area instead of the reference image, so that the user can smoothly perform the examination of the subject. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the transmitting and receiving circuit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image generation unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a menu screen for selecting an observation area. [Figure 5] This figure shows examples of the first display area, the second display area, and the third display area. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example where the current ultrasound image is displayed in the first display area, a reference image is displayed in the second display area, and a scanning guide video is displayed in the third display area. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of icons for selecting annotations to be added to ultrasound images. [Figure 8] This is an example showing past ultrasound images displayed in the second display area. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example where the current ultrasonic image is displayed in the first display area, a past ultrasonic image is displayed in the second display area, and a video of a scanning guide is displayed in the third display area. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the operation of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example of an optical image displayed as a scanning guide in the third display area. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing an example where the current ultrasonic image is displayed in the first display area, a past ultrasonic image is displayed in the second display area, and an optical image is displayed in the third display area.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] 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 representative 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 ranges generally acceptable in the technical field.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic system according to Embodiment 1 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.

[0012] The ultrasonic probe 1 has a transducer array 11. A transmission / reception circuit 12 is connected to the transducer array 11.

[0013] 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. An image memory 24 is also connected to the image generation unit 21. An observation site selection unit 25 is connected to the image memory 24. A reference image display unit 26, a scanning guide display unit 27, and a 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 main body of the device 2 also includes a subject identification unit 30. A past image display unit 29 is connected to the image memory 24, the observation site selection unit 25, the stool detection unit 28, and the subject identification unit 30. The past image display unit 29 is connected to the display control unit 22. Furthermore, the main control unit 31 is connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 12, image generation unit 21, display control unit 22, image memory 24, observation area selection unit 25, reference image display unit 26, scanning guide display unit 27, stool detection unit 28, past image display unit 29, and subject identification unit 30. An input device 32 is connected to the main control unit 31.

[0014] Furthermore, the image acquisition unit 33 is composed of the transmit / receive 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, past image display unit 29, subject identification unit 30, and main body control unit 31.

[0015] 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).

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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 image memory 24. Hereafter, the B-mode image signal processed by the image processing unit 47 will be referred to as an ultrasonic image.

[0023] 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. 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).

[0024] 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.

[0025] The image memory 24 stores ultrasound images generated by the image generation unit 21, associated with subject identification information input by the user of the ultrasound diagnostic system, for example via the input device 32, under the control of the main unit control unit 31. Here, the subject identification information can be, for example, an ID (Identifier) ​​or subject name set for each subject. In addition to ultrasound images generated in the current examination, the image memory 24 can also store ultrasound images generated in past examinations.

[0026] For the image 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.

[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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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 one of the following as the observation site: the entire large intestine, the colon, or the rectum. Here, it can be pre-set which of the entire large intestine, the colon, or the rectum the observation site selection unit 25 will select when the user selects icon A4.

[0031] When an observation area is selected by the observation area selection unit 25, the main unit control unit 31 transitions the display on the monitor 23 to a display as shown in Figure 5, for example. At this time, the monitor 23 has a first display area R1, a second display area R2, and a third display area R3.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The reference image display unit 26 stores reference images for each of several predetermined observation areas. For example, as shown in Figure 5, it displays the reference image UR for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit 25 in the second display area R2 of the monitor 23. Here, the reference image UR refers to a standard ultrasound image of the observation area. The user can easily capture the target observation area 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.

[0034] The scanning guide display unit 27 stores a scanning guide for each of a set of predetermined observation areas, which guides the scanning of the ultrasound probe 1 to capture an image of the observation area. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the scanning guide G1 for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit 25 is displayed 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 observation area as the scanning guide G1. By checking the scanning guide G1 displayed in the third display area R3, the user can easily grasp the movement path of the ultrasound probe 1 and easily capture the desired observation area.

[0035] Here, the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 5, 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 present in the subject's large intestine by the stool detection unit 28, as will be described later.

[0036] The stool detection unit 28 detects stool K from the ultrasound image U1, as shown in Figure 6, 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 K and detect stool K by a so-called template matching method, which involves searching within the ultrasound image U1 using multiple template images. The stool detection unit 28 can also detect stool K from the ultrasound image U1 using a trained model, which is a so-called machine learning model trained on ultrasound images of the colon of numerous subjects showing stool K.

[0037] The stool detection unit 28 can, for example, triggered by the user selecting a stool presence / absence button B2 displayed on the monitor 23 via the input device 32, execute a process to detect stool K in the ultrasound image U1 that is continuously displayed in the first display area R1.

[0038] When the feces detection unit 28 detects feces K, the display control unit 22 can highlight the location of feces K by, for example, displaying the region of interest suggestion line L1 shown in Figure 6. The region of interest suggestion line L1 is a line that suggests the existence of a region containing the detected feces K, and can have any shape, but for example, it can consist of four curved lines representing the four corners of a rectangle surrounding feces K. In addition to displaying the region of interest suggestion line L1, the display control unit 22 can also highlight feces K in a different display manner from the surroundings, for example, by displaying the color of the image of feces K in a different color from the surroundings, displaying the outline of feces K, or making feces K blink.

[0039] 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 7. 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 related to 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 image 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.

[0040] The past image display unit 29 determines whether past ultrasound images of the observation area of ​​the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 are stored in the image memory 24. If past ultrasound images of the subject are stored in the image memory 24, the past image display unit 29 reads the past ultrasound image from the image memory 24 and displays the past ultrasound image U2 in the second display area R2 instead of the reference image UR, as shown in Figure 8.

[0041] Since the shape, size, and location of the observation site differ for each subject, it is easier to capture the observation site by using past ultrasound images U2 of the same subject as a scanning reference, rather than using reference image UR, which is a standard ultrasound image.

[0042] Here, if multiple past ultrasound images U2 are stored in the image memory 24, the past image display unit 29 can select the ultrasound image U2 that is closest to, or most similar to, the ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1 from among the multiple past ultrasound images U2, and display the selected ultrasound image U2 in the second display area R2. At this time, the past image display unit 29 calculates multiple similarities between the ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1 and the multiple past ultrasound images U2, and can select the past ultrasound image U2 with the greatest similarity to ultrasound image U1 as the ultrasound image U2 closest to ultrasound image U1. By comparing the past ultrasound image U2 displayed in this way with the current ultrasound image U1, the user can easily determine whether the part of the subject currently being imaged is the intended observation area.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, if the fecal detection unit 28 performs fecal K detection processing on the current ultrasound image U1 and fecal K is detected, the past image display unit 29 can select the ultrasound image U2 in which fecal K is detected from among a plurality of past ultrasound images U2 and display it in the second display area R2.

[0044] Furthermore, if stool K is detected in the retrieved past ultrasound image U2, the past image display unit 29 can also enlarge and display the ultrasound image U2 in the second display area R2, centering on the location of the detected stool K. This allows the user to clearly confirm the area containing the stool K.

[0045] 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 past image display unit 29, 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.

[0046] 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, past image display unit 29, 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.

[0047] Next, an example of the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0048] First, in step S1, 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.

[0049] Next, in step S2, the observation area selection unit 25 selects one observation area from a plurality of pre-set observation areas 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 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.

[0050] When an observation area is selected in step S2, the main unit control unit 31 transitions the display on the monitor 23 to a display that includes a first display area R1, a second display area R2, and a third display area R3, as shown in Figure 5.

[0051] In step S3, the past image display unit 29 refers to the image memory 24 to determine whether or not the past ultrasound image U2 of the subject identified in step S1 is stored in the image memory 24.

[0052] If it is determined that no past ultrasound images U2 of the subject are stored in the image memory 24, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the reference image display unit 26 displays the reference image UR for the observation site selected by the observation site selection unit 25 in the second display area R2 of the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 5.

[0053] In step S6, following step S4, the scanning guide display unit 27 displays the scanning guide G1 for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit 25 in the third display area R3 of the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 5.

[0054] In step S7, the user scans the subject's body surface by moving the ultrasound probe 1, thereby continuously acquiring 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 unit 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 an ultrasound image using the acoustic ray signal sent from the transmitting / receiving circuit 12.

[0055] In step S8, the display control unit 22 sequentially displays the multiple frames of ultrasound images U1 obtained in step S7 in the first display area R1 of the monitor 23. The user can easily capture the target observation area 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. In addition, the user can easily grasp the movement path of the ultrasound probe 1 by checking the scanning guide G1 displayed in the third display area R3, and easily capture the target observation area.

[0056] If it is determined that past ultrasound images U2 of the subject are stored in the image memory 24, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the past image display unit 29 reads past ultrasound images from the image memory 24 and displays the past ultrasound images U2 in the second display area R2 in place of the reference image UR, as shown in Figure 8. If multiple past ultrasound images U2 are stored in the image memory 24, the past image display unit 29 can select the ultrasound image U2 that is closest to, or most similar to, the ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1 from among the multiple past ultrasound images U2, and display the selected ultrasound image U2 in the second display area R2.

[0057] In step S6, following step S5, the scanning guide display unit 27 displays the scanning guide G1 for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit 25 in the third display area R3 of the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 5.

[0058] Next, in step S7, the user scans the subject's body surface by moving the ultrasound probe 1, thereby continuously acquiring multiple frames of ultrasound images U1.

[0059] Finally, in step S8, the display control unit 22 sequentially displays the multiple frames of ultrasound images U1 obtained in step S7 in the first display area R1 of the monitor 23. Since the shape, size, and position of the observation site differ for each subject, it is easier to capture the observation site by using past ultrasound images U2 of the same subject as a scanning reference, rather than using a reference image UR, which is a standard ultrasound image, as a scanning reference.

[0060] Once the process in step S8 is completed, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the flowchart in Figure 10 is complete.

[0061] As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic system of Embodiment 1, if past ultrasound images U2 of the observation area of ​​the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 are not stored in the image memory 24, the reference image UR is displayed in the second display area R2 together with the current ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1. If past ultrasound images U2 of the observation area of ​​the subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 are stored in the image memory 24, the past ultrasound image U2 is displayed in the second display area R2 in place of the reference image UR, along with the current ultrasound image U1 displayed in the first display area R1. Therefore, regardless of whether or not there are past ultrasound images U2 of the subject, the user can easily photograph the target observation area and perform the examination smoothly by checking the reference image UR or the past ultrasound image U2.

[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 an image memory 24, the image memory 24 may be an external memory attached to the main unit 2. Also, the ultrasound diagnostic device may include, for example, a server connected to the main unit 2 via a network. In this case, the image memory 24 may be located in the server rather than the main unit 2.

[0065] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 10, the subject is identified in step S1 and then the observation site is selected in step S2, but it is also possible to identify the subject after selecting the observation site.

[0066] Embodiment 2 In Embodiment 1, the scanning guide display unit 27 is described as displaying a video or still image showing the movement path of the ultrasound probe 1 to the observation site as the scanning guide G1. However, an optical image showing the ultrasound probe 1 placed on the subject can also be used as the scanning guide G1.

[0067] Figure 11 shows the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic system of Embodiment 2. The ultrasound diagnostic system of Embodiment 2 is the same as the ultrasound diagnostic system of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1, but with a device body 2 instead of the device body 2, and further includes an optical camera 61. The device body 2A is the same as the device body 2 of Embodiment 1, but with a main unit control 31A instead of the main unit control 31.

[0068] In the main unit 2A of the device, the optical camera 61 is connected to the image memory 24 and the main unit control unit 31A. The image memory 24 is also connected to the scanning guide display unit 27. 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, past image display unit 29, subject identification unit 30, and the main unit control unit 31A constitute the processor 34A for the main unit 2A of the device.

[0069] The optical camera 61 includes an image sensor such as a so-called CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a so-called CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor, and under the control of the main unit control 31A, it optically photographs the subject and the ultrasound probe 1 which is placed on the surface of the subject and scanning the observation area of ​​the subject to acquire an optical image. The optical camera 61 transmits the acquired optical image to the image memory 24.

[0070] The image memory 24 stores ultrasound images U1 and optical images acquired by the image acquisition unit 33 and the optical camera 61 at the same or closest timing, under the control of the main unit control unit 31A, associating them with each other.

[0071] The scanning guide display unit 27, when a past ultrasound image U2 of a subject identified by the subject identification unit 30 is stored in the image memory 24 and an optical image corresponding to the past ultrasound image U2 exists, displays the optical image corresponding to the past ultrasound image U2 as a scanning guide G2 in the third display area R3 of the monitor 23, as shown in Figure 12.

[0072] Furthermore, when the stool detection unit 28 performs the process of detecting stool K, as shown in Figure 13, the ultrasound image U1 in which stool K is highlighted is displayed in the first display area R1 along with the past ultrasound image U2 displayed in the second display area R2 and the optical image displayed in the third display area R3.

[0073] As described above, according to the ultrasound system of Embodiment 2, the scanning guide display unit 27 displays past optical images corresponding to past ultrasound images U2 as a scanning guide G2 in the third display area R3. Therefore, the user can easily photograph the observation area by checking the past optical image displayed as a scanning guide G2 in the third display area R3 and performing the same procedure as the past examination procedure that allowed for clear imaging of the observation area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 1 Ultrasound probe, 2,2A Main unit, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmit / receive circuit, 21 Image generation unit, 22 Display control unit, 23 Monitor, 24 Image memory, 25 Observation area selection unit, 26 Reference image display unit, 27 Scanning guide display unit, 28 Stool detection unit, 29 Past image display unit, 30 Subject identification unit, 31,31A Main unit control unit, 32 Input device, 33 Image acquisition unit, 34,34A Processor, 41 Pulsar, 42 Amplifier unit, 43 AD conversion unit, 44 Beamformer, 45 Signal processing unit, 46 DSC, 47 Image processing unit, 61 Optical camera, A1~A8 Icons, B1 Freeze button, B2 Stool presence / absence button, B3 Not applicable button, B4 Rescan button, C1~C3 Annotation icons, G1,G2 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 image, UR Reference image.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic system that displays ultrasound images of the observation area of ​​a subject, captured by scanning with an ultrasound probe, A subject identification unit identifies the subject based on the subject identification information entered by the user, An observation area selection unit for selecting the aforementioned observation area, A monitor having a first display area and a second display area, A display control unit that displays the captured ultrasonic image in the first display area, An image memory that stores past ultrasound images of the subject, A past image display unit determines whether or not past ultrasound images of the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit of the subject identified by the subject identification unit are stored in the image memory, and if past ultrasound images are stored, reads the past ultrasound images from the image memory and automatically displays them in the second display area. A reference image display unit that displays a reference image for the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit in the second display area when the aforementioned past ultrasound images are not saved. An ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with [specific features / features].

2. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of past ultrasound images are stored in the image memory, the past ultrasound image display unit selects the past ultrasound image that is closest to the ultrasound image displayed in the first display area from the plurality of past ultrasound images and displays it in the second display area.

3. The monitor has a third display area that is different from the first display area and the second display area. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising a scanning guide display unit that displays a scanning guide in a third display area for guiding the scanning of the ultrasound probe over the observation area selected by the observation area selection unit.

4. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 3, wherein the scanning guide is a video.

5. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 3, wherein the scanning guide is an optical image taken of the subject and the ultrasound probe scanning the observation area of ​​the subject.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, further comprising an optical camera for acquiring the aforementioned optical image.

7. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the observation site is any one of the entire large intestine, the colon, and the rectum.

8. The unit includes a stool detection unit that detects stool from the aforementioned ultrasound image, The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit highlights the position of the stool detected by the stool detection unit within the ultrasound image.

9. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 8, wherein the stool detection unit detects the stool by using a trained model that has been learned from ultrasound images of the large intestine of a large number of subjects.

10. A control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system that displays an ultrasound image of an observation site of a subject, captured by scanning with an ultrasound probe, The aforementioned ultrasound diagnostic system A step of identifying the subject based on the subject identification information entered by the user, The step of selecting the observation site, The steps include displaying the captured ultrasound image in a first display area of ​​the monitor, The steps include determining whether past ultrasound images of the selected observation site of the identified subject are stored in the image memory, If past ultrasound images are stored, the step of reading the past ultrasound images from the image memory and automatically displaying them in the second display area, The step includes displaying a reference image for the observation area in the second display area if the aforementioned past ultrasound images are not saved. A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic system.

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