Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, method for controlling ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and program for controlling ultrasound diagnostic apparatus

A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the method comprising:

• transmitting an ultrasound beam from an ultrasound probe to a subject;
• receiving ultrasound echoes from the subject by the ultrasound probe to generate element data;
• generating a predetermined number of ultrasound images including the same imaging part of the subject on the basis of the element data;
• calculating recognition scores by performing image recognition for the predetermined number of ultrasound images, where each of the recognition scores is a similarity between each of a plurality of candidate parts of the subject and the imaging part in each of the predetermined number of ultrasound images, where the plurality of candidate parts of the subject are stored in advance as candidates for the imaging part;
• calculating index values for the plurality of candidate parts on the basis of the recognition scores for the plurality of candidate parts calculated for the predetermined number of ultrasound images which are continuously acquired in time series and include a latest ultrasound image acquired;
• deciding a determination order in which part determination for the imaging part is performed for the plurality of candidate parts such that as the index values of the plurality of candidate parts become higher, rankings in the determination order become higher;
• performing threshold determination of whether the latest one of the recognition scores for each of the plurality of candidate parts is greater than a determination threshold value, sequentially according to the determination order;
• and determining the imaging part of the subject as one of the plurality of candidate parts which has the recognition score determined to be greater than the determination threshold value first in the threshold determination,
• resolving index values having the same value as each other among the calculated index values for the plurality of parts by calculating the index values again, using an ultrasound image group which includes the latest ultrasound image and consists of ultrasound images which are continuous in time series and whose number is less than the predetermined number of ultrasound images used to calculate the index values.

A non-transitory readable recording medium recording a program for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the program causing a processor to perform:

• a step of transmitting an ultrasound beam from an ultrasound probe to a subject;
• a step of receiving ultrasound echoes from the subject by the ultrasound probe to generate element data;
• a step of generating a predetermined number of ultrasound images including the same imaging part of the subject on the basis of the element data;
• a step of calculating recognition scores by performing image recognition for the predetermined number of ultrasound images, where each of the recognition scores is a similarity between each of a plurality of candidate parts of the subject and the imaging part in each of the predetermined number of ultrasound images, where the plurality of candidate parts of the subject are stored in advance as candidates for the imaging part;
• a step of calculating index values for the plurality of candidate parts on the basis of the recognition scores for the plurality of candidate parts calculated for the predetermined number of ultrasound images which are continuously acquired in time series and include a latest ultrasound image acquired;
• a step of deciding a determination order in which part determination for the imaging part is performed for the plurality of candidate parts such that as the index values of the plurality of candidate parts become higher, rankings in the determination order become higher;
• a step of performing threshold determination of whether the latest one of the recognition scores for each of the plurality of candidate parts is greater than a determination threshold value, sequentially according to the determination order;
• a step of determining the imaging part of the subject as one of the plurality of candidate parts which has the recognition score determined to be greater than the determination threshold value first in the threshold determination,
• and in a case in which there are index values having the same value as each other among the calculated index values for the plurality of parts, a step of calculating the index values again, using an ultrasound image group which includes the latest ultrasound image and consists of ultrasound images which are continuous in time series and whose number is less than the predetermined number of ultrasound images used to calculate the index values.