Medical imaging apparatus, medical imaging method, medical imaging program, and medical imaging system

A medical imaging method for a medical imaging apparatus including a computer and a position detection sensor, the method comprising:

• via the computer,
• acquiring from the position detection sensor, a position of an ultrasound probe that emits an ultrasound beam toward a breast of an examinee, which is in a compressed state via a compression plate;
• detecting a distance in a direction orthogonal to a side surface of the compression plate on a chest wall side to the ultrasound probe based on the position of the ultrasound probe;
• and
• performing, when the distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance from the side surface, control switching to a steer mode or a trapezoidal mode in which an emission direction of the ultrasound beam is directed toward the chest wall side.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a medical imaging program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

• acquiring from a position detection sensor, a position of an ultrasound probe that emits an ultrasound beam toward a breast of an examinee, which is in a compressed state via a compression plate;
• detect a distance in a direction orthogonal to a side surface of the compression plate on a chest wall side to the ultrasound probe based on the position of the ultrasound probe;
• and
• performing, when the distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance from the side surface, control switching to a steer mode or a trapezoidal mode in which an emission direction of the ultrasound beam is directed toward the chest wall side.