Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and non-transitory storage medium

A non-transitory storage medium storing a program that, when executed, causes processing circuitry to:

• sequentially transmit a first group of transmission beams, a second group of transmission beams and a third group of transmission beams via an ultrasound probe including a plurality of transducers arranged along an azimuth direction and an elevation direction in such a manner that transmission beams adjacent in the azimuth direction or the elevation direction belong to different transmission beam groups;
• receive at least one reception beam for each transmission beam;
• and
• combine a first reception beam based on a first transmission beam included in the first group of transmission beams, a second reception beam based on a second transmission beam included in the second group of transmission beams, and a third reception beam based on a third transmission beam included in the third group of transmission beams,
• form the first, second, and third groups of transmission beams such that beam formation positions form a staggered pattern along the azimuth direction or the elevation direction,
• move a beam formation position, from an initial position, in the elevation direction, and thereafter in the azimuth direction when forming each group of the first, second, and third groups of transmission beams, and
• generate new volume data every time a reception beam is formed for one group of transmission beams.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

• a transmitter/receiver configured to sequentially transmit a first group of transmission beams and a second group of transmission beams and receive, as a plurality of reception beams, at least one reception beam for each transmission beam of the first and second groups of transmission beams, via an ultrasound probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along an azimuth direction and an elevation direction;
• processing circuitry configured to combine a first reception beam of the plurality of reception beams based on a first transmission beam included in the first group of transmission beams and a second reception beam of the plurality of reception beams based on a second transmission beam included in the second group of transmission beams,
• wherein transmission beams that are adjacent to each other in the azimuth direction or the elevation direction belong to groups of transmission beams that are different from each other,
• the transmitter/receiver is further configured to sequentially transmit the first group of transmission beams, the second group of transmission beams, and a third group of transmission beams, and forms at least a third reception beam for the third group of transmission beams,
• the processing circuitry is further configured to combine the first reception beam, the second reception beam, and the third reception beam,
• the transmitter/receiver is further configured to form the first, second, and third groups of transmission beams such that beam formation positions form a staggered pattern along the azimuth direction or the elevation direction,
• when forming each group of the first, second, and third groups of transmission beams, the transmitter/receiver is further configured to move a beam formation position, from an initial position, in the azimuth direction, and thereafter in the elevation direction, within the group, and
• the processing circuitry is further configured to generate new volume data every time a reception beam is formed for one group of transmission beams.