US 2010/0249590 A1 · ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND ULTRASONIC IMAGE GENERATING METHOD

Abstract

The composite wave obtained by combining a fundamental wave having the center frequency f1 and a fundamental wave having the center frequency f2 is transmitted at least twice for each scanning line while performing phase modulation, and received an echo signal corresponding to each transmission for each scanning line. An echo signal in which harmonic components are canceled out, is extracted for each scanning line, by performing subtraction processing between echo signals which are obtained in this manner and respectively correspond to at least two transmissions. A signal strength difference (or a signal ratio if logarithmic compression is not performed) at each position on the scanned cross-section is calculated by using the f1 frequency component and f2 frequency component contained in the extracted echo signal. An attenuation image representing the signal strength difference at each position on the scanned cross-section is generated by using the calculated signal strength difference.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a transmission unit which transmits a composite ultrasonic wave obtained by combining at least a first ultrasonic wave having a first center frequency with a second ultrasonic wave having a second center frequency different from the first center frequency at least twice in each of a plurality of directions in an object while modulating a phase;
an ultrasonic reception unit which receives, from the object, an echo signal corresponding to each of the at least two transmissions in each of the plurality of directions;
a signal extraction unit which extracts a first echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasonic wave and a second echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasonic wave after canceling out harmonics by performing subtraction processing between the echo signals respectively corresponding to the at least two transmissions in each of the plurality of directions;
and
an image generating unit which generates an attenuation image representing attenuation of an ultrasonic wave propagating in the object by using the first echo signal and the second echo signal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and ultrasonic image generating method

Life of this patent

Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and ultrasonic image generating method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10