Ultrasound Diagnostic Apparatus Multi-Gain Echo Region Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses face challenges in accurately measuring tissue displacement due to signal saturation and varying echo signal intensities, particularly in regions with high and low signal intensities, which affects the accuracy of strain and elasticity measurements.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates multiple drive signals and adjusts gains based on feature quantities of the echo signals to define intense and faint echo regions, ensuring that echo signals are not saturated, allowing for accurate measurement of displacement and attribute property calculation across the entire measuring range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single gain value is used for amplifying echo signals across the entire measuring range, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates in regions with varying signal intensities due to saturation or low SNR
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring range is divided into multiple echo regions (first, second, and third regions) based on signal intensity characteristics. Each region is assigned a dedicated gain value, allowing optimized amplification for each region while maintaining overall system manageability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by creating a structured multi-gain system that improves measurement precision without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different gain values are applied to different echo regions based on their local signal intensity characteristics. The first gain value is applied to the first echo region, the second gain value to the second echo region, and the third gain value to the third echo region. This local quality approach ensures that each region receives appropriate amplification, improving displacement measurement accuracy in both high and low signal intensity areas.
2Measurement precision
If the gain is increased to improve SNR in low signal intensity regions, then the measurement precision improves, but the signal saturation occurs in high signal intensity regions
Solution Approach 1:
Different gain values are assigned to different echo regions based on their signal intensity characteristics. The first gain value is applied to the first echo region with lower signal intensity, the second gain value to the second echo region with intermediate signal intensity, and the third gain value to the third echo region with higher signal intensity. This ensures that each region receives appropriate amplification without causing saturation, resolving the contradiction between improving SNR and avoiding saturation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gain structure is made dynamic by adapting different gain values to different regions of the measuring range. The system dynamically selects which gain value to apply based on the echo region being measured, allowing optimal signal amplification across the entire measuring range while preventing saturation in high signal intensity regions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the gain is decreased to avoid saturation in high signal intensity regions, then the harmful effects are reduced, but the SNR deteriorates in low signal intensity regions
Solution Approach 1:
Different gain values are assigned to different echo regions based on their signal intensity characteristics. The first gain value (higher gain) is applied to the first echo region with lower signal intensity to improve SNR, the second gain value to the second echo region with intermediate signal intensity, and the third gain value (lower gain) to the third echo region with higher signal intensity to avoid saturation. This local quality approach resolves the contradiction by optimizing gain for each region's specific needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The measuring range is segmented into multiple echo regions with distinct signal intensity characteristics. By dividing the range into first, second, and third echo regions, the system can apply appropriate gain values to each segment, ensuring that low signal intensity regions receive sufficient amplification while high signal intensity regions are protected from saturation.
4Measurement precision
If multiple drive signals and complex gain adjustment are implemented to improve measurement precision across varying echo regions, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring range is divided into a specific number of echo regions (first, second, and third regions), and the corresponding number of drive signals and gain values are applied to each region. This segmentation approach improves measurement precision by tailoring the signal processing to each region's characteristics while maintaining a structured and manageable system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key parameters (drive signal characteristics and gain values) based on the echo region being measured. By adapting these parameters to match the signal intensity characteristics of each region, the system achieves high measurement precision across the entire measuring range while using a systematic parameter adjustment strategy that controls complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high SNR echo signals and accurate measurement of tissue displacement and attribute properties, such as strain and elasticity, even in regions with varying signal intensities, providing consistent results over the entire measuring range.
Implementation Method 1
a transmitting section for generating N different drive signals (where N is an integer that is equal to or greater than three), including a first drive signal, to drive a probe that sends out ultrasonic waves toward a subject
Implementation Method 2
a receiving section for getting echoes, which have been produced as a result of reflection of the ultrasonic waves from the subject
Implementation Method 3
amplifying the respective signals generated, thereby generating a first received signal that responds to the first drive signal and N−1 received echo signals
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: a transmitting section for generating first, second and third drive signals to drive an ultrasonic probe; a receiving section for getting echoes, produced by reflection of the ultrasonic waves responsive to those drive signals and generating first, second and third received echo signals; a storage section to store the first received echo signal; an adjusting section for defining intense and faint echo regions within a measuring range for the first received echo signal based on a stored feature quantity and for determining the second and third gains based on the feature quantities in the intense and faint echo regions; a displacement measuring section for measuring the magnitudes of displacement in the echo regions based on the second and third received echo signals; and a qualitative value calculating section for calculating the attribute property value of the subject based on the magnitudes of displacement.