257 results about "Ultrasonogram" patented technology

An ultrasonic endoscope device includes an optical image obtaining device that obtains an optical image of an examinee, an ultrasonic-image obtaining device that obtains an ultrasonic image of the examinee, a positional-information obtaining device that obtains positional information of the optical image obtaining device with respect to the examinee upon obtaining the optical image, and a matching circuit that matches up an optical image obtained from the optical image obtaining device with the ultrasonic image obtained from the ultrasonic-image obtaining device based on the positional information obtained by the positional-information obtaining device.

An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic endoscope having ultrasonic transducers for scanning ultrasonic wave in a living body three-dimensionally, an ultrasonic image creating portion of an ultrasonic observing apparatus for creating ultrasonic volume data based on an ultrasonic signal captured by the ultrasonic endoscope, a two-dimensional image select knob, keyboard, trackball, computing / control portion and display control portion for selecting a tomographic plane from the ultrasonic volume data by designating the angle of rotation about the straight line through two points designated on the ultrasonic volume data as the axis of rotation, and a monitor for displaying the tomographic plane selected during a scanning operation as a two-dimensional ultrasonic image.

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, ultrasound image generation apparatus and method transmit ultrasound waves to a subject into which a puncture tool is inserted, receive reflected waves reflected from the subject and the puncture tool, and generate echo signals of time-sequential frames based on the received reflected waves, and generate an ultrasound image of the subject based on the generated echo signals. These apparatus and method generate a differential echo signal between time-sequential frames from the echo signals, perform a tip detection process based on the differential echo signal to thereby detect at least one tip candidate including a tip end of the puncture tool, highlight a tip candidate of the puncture tool detected to thereby generate a tip image, and display the tip image of the highlighted puncture tool so as to be superimposed on the generated ultrasound image.

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of the present invention has: an image generator configured to execute transmission / reception of ultrasound waves to chronologically generate ultrasound image data of plural frames; a multiresolution decomposition part configured to hierarchically perform multiresolution decomposition on the ultrasound image data to acquire first-order to nth-order (n represents a natural number of 2 or more) low-band decomposition image data and first-order to nth-order high-band decomposition image data; a feature amount calculator configured to calculate a feature amount based on the acquired low-band decomposition image data; a filtering processor configured to perform a filtering operation on the calculated feature amount; and a multiresolution composition part configured to execute multiresolution composition using the low-band decomposition image data and high-band decomposition image data to generate a composite image. Thus, the apparatus can efficiently reduce change in speckle / noise in the temporal direction and perform a process without a time phase delay.

An ultrasound-guided ablation method captures an objective area to be ablated in an ultrasound scan area of an ultrasound transducer and delineates the objective area on an ultrasound image; specifies an ablation target area to display the ablation target area with a margin necessary for ablating the objective area on the ultrasound image processed by an ultrasound observation device and displayed on a display device; ablates, by an ablation device, the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image; and checks, on the ultrasound image, that an ablated area ablated by the ablation device has reached the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image.

A blood vessel ultrasonic image measuring method capable of facilitating the positioning of an ultrasonic probe and acquiring sufficient positioning accuracy is provided. Because of inclusion of an around-X-axis positioning step of causing a multiaxis driving device 26 to position an ultrasonic probe such that distances from respective ultrasonic array probes to the center of a blood vessel are equalized, and an X-axis direction positioning step and an around-Z-axis positioning step of causing the multiaxis driving device to position the ultrasonic probe such that the image of the blood vessel is positioned at the center portion in the width direction of the first short axis image display area G1 and the second short axis image display area G2, the positioning may be performed by using the positions in the longitudinal direction of the ultrasonic array probes relative to the blood vessel or the distances of the ultrasonic array probes to the blood vessel and, therefore, the ultrasonic probe may simply and easily be positioned on the blood vessel of a living body with higher accuracy.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a probe 102 that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to / from a subject, transmitting means 120 for supplying a drive signal to the probe 102 for transmitting ultrasound waves, receiving means 122 for receiving and processing a signal output from the probe 102, a displacement calculating unit 105 for measuring displacement of a tissue according to an output signal from an ultrasound transmitting and receiving unit 103, a color DSC 108 for reconstructuring an elasticity image on the basis of the displacement of the tissue, and an image display 112 for displaying the elasticity image. Further, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes setting means 113B for setting a displacement search direction that sets a search direction of the displacement to match a tissue displacement direction for displacing the tissue. The color DSC 108 constructures the elasticity image on the basis of the measurement value of the displacement search direction.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe that has a transducer array transmitting an ultrasonic beam toward a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo by the subject to output reception signals; a diagnostic apparatus body that is connected to the ultrasound probe by wireless communication and generates an ultrasound image on the basis of the reception signal output from the transducer array; at least one power receiving terminal that is arranged at the ultrasound probe and electrically connected to respective parts in the ultrasound probe; and a power supply unit that is capable of being attached to an operator's body and is detachably connected to the power receiving terminal so as to perform power supply to the respective parts in the ultrasound probe.

An ultrasonic imaging apparatus capable of generating ultrasonic images including boundaries between different tissues and regions divided by the boundaries in which property of boundaries and the respective tissues can be distinctly identified. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to output reception signals; a boundary information generating unit for generating information representing positions of boundaries based on the reception signals; a first image data generating unit for generating first image data representing property of a first region and / or a second region divided by the boundaries; a second image data generating unit for generating second image data representing property of boundaries based on the reception signals; and a tissue property image data generating unit for generating tissue property image data by locating images represented by the first and second image data in the region, based on the boundary position information.

A surgery guiding system comprises a three-dimensional imaging device, an ultrasonic scanning device and a processing device. The three-dimensional imaging device is used for obtaining a three-dimensional image of a lesion area of a patient before surgery; the ultrasonic scanning device is used for obtaining an ultrasonic image of the lesion area of the patient during the surgery in real time; and the processing device is connected with the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging device and the ultrasonic scanning device in a communication manner, and is used for registering the three-dimensional image and the ultrasonic image, and outputting a registered fusion image. The real-time image obtained during the surgery and the three-dimensional image obtained before the surgery are fused by the surgery guiding system, both the lesion area and the location of a surgical instrument can be showed clearly, the fused image is used as surgery guidance, and accordingly surgery can be guided accurately. The invention further provides a surgery guiding method.

A contour specifying part receives volume data representing a subject acquired by transmission of ultrasonic waves to the subject, and specifies a 3-dimensional contour of a myocardium based on the volume data. A forming part sets a reference point on the contour of the myocardium, and forms an image generation plane including a plane substantially orthogonal to the contour of the myocardium at the reference point. An image generator generates image data on the image generation plane based on the volume data. A display controller controls a display to display an image based on the image data.

When a two-dimensional tomogram is to be displayed, motion information associated with a direction orthogonal to the tomogram is colored and mapped on the tomogram to be visualized by using the volume data of a TSI image. For example, a mapping image is generated by color-mapping shortening information at each point on a cardiac tissue on a short axis view by using the volume data of the TSI image. Superimposing and displaying the mapping image on the original short axis view makes it possible to simultaneously observe the shortening information even while a short axis view is obtained and observed.

The invention provides a method of treating a target area with an ultrasound wave pattern, including: providing an ultrasound apparatus having an ultrasound wave generator operatively attached to a plurality of transducers, coupled to an immersible support and configured to emit an ultrasound wave; immersing the apparatus into a water environment; positioning the apparatus proximate to a target area to treat at least one in situ organism; and emitting a pattern of ultrasound waves from the transducers, the pattern of ultrasound waves additive in effect and emitted onto the target area to threat an in situ underwater organism.

A scanner transmits and receives ultrasonic waves at a specified pulse repetition frequency (PRF). A storage stores received signals acquired through the transmission and reception. A calculator generates a Doppler spectrum image by executing frequency analysis on the received signals. A display displays the Doppler spectrum image. When a desired Doppler velocity range for the displayed Doppler spectrum image is inputted, a processor reads out the received signals from the storage, and executes a resampling process on the read-out received signals at a sampling frequency corresponding to the desired Doppler velocity range. The calculator generates a new Doppler spectrum image by executing frequency analysis corresponding to the desired Doppler velocity range on the received signals having been subjected to the resampling process by the processor. The display displays the new Doppler spectrum image.

An ultrasonic probe has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (UTs). Each UT transmits ultrasonic waves and receives echo waves. In a B / A coefficient acquisition mode, every time a transmission of the ultrasonic waves and reception of echo waves takes place, ultrasonic waves for heating are transmitted to heat an object of interest. An HI processor calculates a non-linear B / A coefficient based on a harmonic component of a detection signal from the UT. The HI processor acquires information of changes in the B / A coefficient while the object of interest is heated with the ultrasonic waves for heating. A DSC displays the information of the B / A coefficient together with an ultrasonic image on a monitor.

Ultrasonograms (105, 106) are created by means of ultrasonic probe (104). Volume image data is created previously by using an image diagnosis apparatus (102) and stored in a volume data storage unit (107). From the stored volume image data, a tomogram corresponding to the scan surface of the ultrasonic images is extracted, and a reference image (111) is formed from the tomogram. The ultrasonograms and the reference image are displayed on the same screen (114). An area of the reference image corresponding to the viewing area of the ultrasonogram is extracted, and a reference image of the same portion as that of the ultrasonic image is displayed as a fan image and / or displayed with the same magnification as that of the ultrasonograms.

The invention discloses an ultrasonic apparatus and an image capturing method. The image capturing of a needle-knife (11) and needle-knife visualization are realized by sending ultrasonic signals in the direction of the cutting part (111) of the needle-knife (11), converting the ultrasonic return signals into ultrasonic images and outputting the images through a display circuit (14). Further more, the ultrasonic apparatus make the irradiation direction of the ultrasonic beams lean to the motion direction of the cutting part (111) of the needle-knife (11) by measuring the derivation angle of the needle-knife (11) and adjusting the irradiation direction of the irradiated ultrasonic beams. According to the direction, the cutting part (111) of the needle-knife (11) is assured to be in the energy band generated by the ultrasonic wave all the time, thus, the cutting part of the needle-knife always presents in the ultrasonic images, and the needle-knife visualization stability is further improved.

An ultrasonic image scanning system for scanning an organic object includes a container for containing a coupling medium for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the organic object disposed therein whereby a simultaneous multiple direction scanning process may be carried out without physically contacting the organic object. The ultrasonic image scanning system further includes ultrasound transducers for transmitting the ultrasonic signal to the organic object through the coupling medium without asserting an image deforming pressure to the organic object. These transducers distributed substantially around a two-dimensional perimeter of the container and substantially at symmetrical angular positions at approximately equal divisions of 360 degrees over a two-dimensional perimeter of the container. The transducers are further movable over a vertical direction alone sidewalls of the container for a real time three dimensional (3D) image data acquisition. The container further includes sidewalls covered with a baffle layer for reducing an acoustic reverberation.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus in which an ultrasonic wave is transmitted toward a subject by an ultrasound probe, an ultrasound image is generated by a diagnostic apparatus body based on reception data thus obtained and an examination is performed based on the ultrasound image, including a display unit on which a plurality of examination portions corresponding to a series of examinations relating to ultrasound diagnosis are displayed in an order of time series in a single screen at a time, and a controller which highlights an examination portion corresponding to an examination being executed among the plurality of examination portions in the display unit, in which each of the plurality of examination portions is displayed as a body mark which indicates an examination position by the ultrasound probe.

Using pulsed-wave (PW) ultrasonography for determining an aliasing-free radial velocity spectrum of matter moving in a region. Includes: transmitting into the region a plurality of pulse trains of sound waves at two or more different pulse repetition frequencies; spectrally analyzing each pulse train, for evaluating a Doppler frequency spectrum associated with each pulse train; combining frequency components of Doppler frequency spectrum of each pulse train, for obtaining aliasing-free instantaneous Doppler frequency spectrum for the region; using Doppler effect for translating aliasing-free frequency spectrum to aliasing-free radial velocity spectrum. Implementable using pulsed-wave Doppler (PWD), color flow Doppler (CFD), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), or pulsed-wave (PW) ultrasonography. Applicable to liquid or / and solid forms of matter, moving in a two- or three-dimensional region. Matter is any substance or material, composed of organics or / and inorganics, which is part of a non-living object, or, part of a human or animal subject.

The patent discloses a method and device for measuring the speed of sound of ultrasound waves used in a sonographic examination of a patient's body structure. Marker devices are attached to an ultrasound probe and to an ultrasound reflecting body structure such that the distance traveled by the ultrasound waves can be determined by a navigation system. Using this distance and the transit time of the ultrasound waves, the measured speed can be calculated. The calculated speed of sound may then be used to accurately scale the ultrasound images.

The present invention comprises methods and devices for generating and providing contrast medium for sonography of structures such as ducts and cavities. The invention provides for creation of a contrast medium comprising detectable acoustic variations between two phases, for example, a gas and a liquid. Sonography is the primary imaging technique but other conventional detection techniques may also be employed with the present invention.

Systems and methods are provided by which a mammography imaging system offers X-ray and ultrasound imaging that allows sharing of common hardware such as the computer and display. Small regions of interest are imaged with X-ray at higher image quality by using a second sensor with higher DQE than the full-field sensor can obtain. In some embodiments a specialized chamber is provided for securing the anatomy to a fixed location, ultrasound image data is collected along with ultrasound probe location and orientation data from sensors on a handheld probe from which data images can be viewed directly, or used to reconstruct tomographic images of any desired cross-section, or used for various ' 3 -D' image visualization methods. An imaging schedule defined by location and orientation of an ultrasound probe is used to generate a three-dimensional ultrasound image.

The ultrasound examination apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is an ultrasound examination apparatus for observing an inside of a body of a living subject and includes: a transmitting probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to an inside of an examination target which is a part of the living subject; a receiving probe that detects microscopic displacement on a surface of the examination target without contact with the examination target, to detect reflected ultrasonic waves which are the to ultrasonic waves reflected from the inside of the examination target;and a signal processing unit that generates an image of the inside of the examination target, based on the reflected ultrasonic waves during a scanning operation in which the transmitting probe is kept fixed with respect to the examination target and the receiving probe is moved with respect to the examination target.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe having a plurality of ultrasound transducers; an apparatus body which supplies analog drive signals to the ultrasound transducers and generates ultrasound images based on reception signals output from the ultrasound transducers; and a connection cable which connects the ultrasound probe and the apparatus body, the ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of receiving circuits, each including a preamp which amplifies the reception signal output from one of the ultrasound transducers and an A / D converter which converts the amplified reception signal; and a time division unit which controls output of the reception signal to the apparatus body such that the drive signal supplied from the apparatus body and the reception signal output to the apparatus body after being converted to a digital signal by the receiving circuit are mutually time-divided and sent via the connection cable.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic image processing system, for processing images in an image sequence representing a segment of artery explored along its longitudinal axis, said artery segment showing moving walls; this system comprising: acquisition means (21) for acquiring an ultrasonic image sequence of a segment of artery explored along its longitudinal axis and having walls moving in relation with the cardiac cycle; semi-automatic detection means (22) for detecting the artery walls in an image of the sequence; automatic rigid tracking means (23) for tracking the corresponding artery walls in other images of the sequence; evaluation means (24) for evaluating the artery wall motion and distensibility; and viewing means (154) for visualizing images. The invention further relates to an ultrasound examination apparatus having a curved array of transducer elements and coupled to this system, having viewing means to visualize the images.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a probe 102 that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to / from a subject, transmitting means 120 for supplying a drive signal to the probe 102 for transmitting ultrasound waves, receiving means 122 for receiving and processing a signal output from the probe 102, a displacement calculating unit 105 for measuring displacement of a tissue according to an output signal from an ultrasound transmitting and receiving unit 103, a color DSC 108 for reconstructuring an elasticity image on the basis of the displacement of the tissue, and an image display 112 for displaying the elasticity image. Further, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes setting means 113B for setting a displacement search direction that sets a search direction of the displacement to match a tissue displacement direction for displacing the tissue. The color DSC 108 constructures the elasticity image on the basis of the measurement value of the displacement search direction.