Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and data processing method

A data processing method performed by an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the data processing method comprising:

• a step of downloading a data group from a server and storing the downloaded data group in a local storage unit of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus in a current ultrasound examination;
• a step of maintaining a management table in the local storage unit and registering in the management table, for each data constituting the downloaded data group, a flag indicating presence or absence of a predetermined operation on the data;
• a step of displaying, during execution of a multi-image display mode in the current ultrasound examination, (i) a real-time ultrasound image generated through transmission and reception of an ultrasound wave and (ii) a reference image generated based on data selected from the downloaded data group stored in the local storage unit,
• the downloaded data group comprising a plurality of pieces of data obtained from within a body of a specific subject in past examinations, and
• the real-time ultrasound image being a real-time tomographic image representing a tissue on a beam scanning plane formed within the body of the same specific subject;
• and
• a step of automatically deleting, without a delete operation by a user, data satisfying a deletion condition within the downloaded data group stored in the local storage unit, from the local storage unit at or after an end of the multi-image display mode,
• the data satisfying the deletion condition being data (a) which has been selected as a display target during the execution of the multi-image display mode in the current ultrasound examination and (b) on which the predetermined operation has not been performed during the execution of the multi-image display mode in the current ultrasound examination.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

• an acquisition section configured to download a data group from a server;
• a storage unit storing a management table registering, for each data constituting the downloaded data group, a flag indicating presence or absence of a predetermined operation on the data;
• a controller configured to display, during execution of a multi-image display mode in a current ultrasound examination, (i) a real-time ultrasound image generated through transmission and reception of an ultrasound wave and (ii) a reference image generated based on data selected from the downloaded data group,
• the downloaded data group comprising a plurality of pieces of data obtained from within a body of a specific subject in past examinations, and
• the real-time ultrasound image being a real-time tomographic image representing a tissue on a beam scanning plane formed within the body of the same specific subject;
• and
• a deletion section configured to automatically delete, without a delete operation by a user, data satisfying a deletion condition within the downloaded data group, at or after an end of the multi-image display mode,
• the data satisfying the deletion condition being data (a) which has been selected as a display target during the execution of the multi-image display mode in the current ultrasound examination and (b) on which the predetermined operation has not been performed during the execution of the multi-image display mode in the current ultrasound examination.