Imaging table, ultrasonography apparatus, mammography apparatus, and control program

A non-transitory storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a control process for an ultrasonography apparatus, the ultrasonography apparatus comprising:

• an imaging table including:
• a loading surface configured to support placement of a breast;
• a space that is provided below the loading surface, and that is configured to accommodate an ultrasound probe which outputs an ultrasonic wave from an outside of the loading surface toward the loading surface and acquires a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave from the breast;
• and
• a back surface including:
• a recessed portion recessed toward the loading surface;
• and
• a peripheral portion surrounding the recessed portion,
• wherein a bottom surface of the recessed portion defines a contact surface configured to contact with an acoustic matching member which is configured to reduce a difference in acoustic impedance between the breast and the ultrasound probe;
• a controller configured to perform control of capturing an ultrasound image using the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave;
• a movement mechanism that is configured to move the ultrasound probe in the space formed by the imaging table, and that includes a movement rail to which the ultrasound probe is attached, and a belt suspended between at least two rollers rotated by a motor;
• and
• a sliding plate that is attached to the ultrasound probe, and that is configured to scrape off the acoustic matching member while spreading the acoustic matching member on the back surface in a movement direction of the ultrasound probe,
• the control process comprising:
• processing of performing control to capture the ultrasound image,
• processing of performing control to cause the movement mechanism to move the ultrasound probe in a state where the ultrasound probe is in contact with the back surface via the acoustic matching member,
• processing of performing control to move the ultrasound probe from a first point to a second point, the ultrasound probe being in contact with the back surface via the acoustic matching member at the second point,
• processing of performing control to separate the ultrasound probe from the back surface at the second point such that the ultrasound probe is not brought into contact with an acoustic matching member pool, the acoustic matching member pool being formed in front of the ultrasound probe in the movement direction by the acoustic matching member being scraped off from the back surface due to movement of the ultrasound probe from the first point to the second point,
• processing of performing control to move the ultrasound probe to a position passing over the acoustic matching member pool,
• processing of performing control to bring the ultrasound probe into contact with the back surface, and
• processing of performing control to move the ultrasound probe toward the first point again.