# US 11,432,807 B2 · Ultrasound imaging system, operating method of ultrasound imaging system, and computer-readable recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,807 B2 - Document ID: US11432807B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/901,145 - Filed: 2020-06-15 - Published: 2020-10-01 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-20 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Tomohiro Sabata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432807B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/5269: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts} - G01S 7/5205: {Means for monitoring or calibrating} - A61B 8/145: {characterised by scanning multiple planes} - A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B 8/469: {for selection of a region of interest} - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/54: {Control of the diagnostic device} - G01S 7/52071: {Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging} - G01S 7/52073: {Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means} - G01S 7/53: Means for transforming coordinates or for evaluating data, e.g. using computers - G01S 7/56: Display arrangements {(short-range imaging G01S7/52053)} - G01S 15/8906: {Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques} - G01S 15/8915: {using a transducer array} - A61B 8/00: Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Provided is an ultrasound imaging system configured to generate data of an ultrasound image based on an echo signal received by each of a plurality of elements included in an ultrasound transducer, the ultrasound imaging system includes: a determining circuit configured to determine, using a signal corresponding to the echo signal obtained by receiving from each of the plurality of elements, concerning the elements, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs; and a control circuit configured to cause, based on a position of an element where the determining circuit determines that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs, a display to display at least one of display data indicating an image region where sensitivity decreases in the ultrasound image and information for informing that a sensitivity decreased element in which a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs is present. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasound imaging system configured to generate data of an ultrasound image based on an echo signal received from each of a plurality of elements included in an ultrasound transducer that transmit and receive ultrasound, the ultrasound imaging system comprising: a determining circuit configured to determine, using a signal corresponding to the echo signal obtained by receiving from each of the plurality of elements, concerning the elements, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs; and a control circuit configured to cause, based on a position of an element where the determining circuit determines that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs, a display to display at least one of display data indicating an image region where sensitivity decreases in the ultrasound image and information for informing that a sensitivity decreased element in which a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs is present, wherein the determining circuit is configured to acquire sensitivity information of the plurality of elements, extract an element having the sensitivity information smaller than a first threshold as a candidate element serving as a candidate of the sensitivity decreased element, and determine, using a statistical value of sensitivity information of a predetermined number of elements located in a near field region of the candidate element, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs in the candidate element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein, when an average of the sensitivity information of the predetermined number of elements is smaller than a second threshold, the determining circuit is configured to determine that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs in the candidate element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 2, wherein, the second threshold is set according to a number of the predetermined number of elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number is a number relating to either a transmission numerical aperture or a reception numerical aperture of the ultrasound transducer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined number is set to a different number depending on depth that the ultrasound reaches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity information is either a sensitivity value obtained based on amplitude of the echo signal or a luminance value at a time when the echo signal is converted into an image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the determining circuit is configured to perform determination based on a reference of different sensitivity information according to depth that the ultrasound reaches. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the determining circuit is configured to determine, based on a condition decided for each type of an ultrasound probe connected to the ultrasound imaging system, whether the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs in the elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the determining circuit is configured to perform determination when connection of an ultrasound probe is detected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the signal corresponding to the echo signal is a signal for generating the data of the ultrasound image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 2, wherein, when an average obtained by weighting the sensitivity information of the predetermined number of elements according to a position of the candidate element is smaller than the second threshold, the determining circuit is configured to determine that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs in the candidate element. ### Claim 12 An operating method of an ultrasound imaging system configured to generate data of an ultrasound image based on an echo signal received from each of a plurality of elements included in an ultrasound transducer that transmit and receive ultrasound, the operating method comprising: determining, using a signal corresponding to the echo signal obtained by receiving from each of the plurality of elements, concerning the elements, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs; and causing, based on a position of an element where the determining determines that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs, a display to display at least one of display data indicating an image region where sensitivity decreases in the ultrasound image and information for informing that a sensitivity decreased element in which a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs is present, wherein the determining includes acquiring sensitivity information of the plurality of elements, extracting an element having the sensitivity information smaller than a first threshold as a candidate element serving as a candidate of the sensitivity decreased element, and determining, using a statistical value of sensitivity information of a predetermined number of elements located in a near field region of the candidate element, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs in the candidate element. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program causing an ultrasound imaging system configured to generate data of an ultrasound image based on an echo signal received from each of a plurality of elements included in an ultrasound transducer that transmit and receive ultrasound, to execute: determining, using a signal corresponding to the echo signal obtained by receiving from each of the plurality of elements, concerning the elements, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs; and causing, based on a position of an element where the determining determines that the decrease in the reception sensitivity occurs, a display to display at least one of display data indicating an image region where sensitivity decreases in the ultrasound image and information for informing that a sensitivity decreased element in which a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs is present, wherein the determining includes acquiring sensitivity information of the plurality of elements, extracting an element having the sensitivity information smaller than a first threshold as a candidate element serving as a candidate of the sensitivity decreased element, and determining, using a statistical value of sensitivity information of a predetermined number of elements located in a near field region of the candidate element, whether a decrease in reception sensitivity occurs in the candidate element.