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US 2014/0180090 A1Published application
Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, tissue elasticity measurement method, and recording medium
AssigneeFUJIFILM Corporation
InventorsYasunori OHTA, Tsuyoshi TANABE, Noriaki IDA, Shin NAKATA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When tissue elasticity of a subject is measured, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus sets a sound velocity for each of segment regions established by dividing the subject, processes reception signals output by a piezoelectric element array based on the set sound velocities, and performs tissue elasticity measurement based on the reception signals processed based on the set sound velocities. Owing to this configuration, when tissue elasticity of a subject is measured, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus prevents the accuracy of tissue elasticity measurement from deteriorating due to image distortions.
Claims12
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:
- a piezoelectric element array having piezoelectric elements arranged therein, each adapted to transmit ultrasonic waves, receive an ultrasonic echo reflected by a subject, and output a reception signal according to received ultrasonic waves;
- a controller adapted to control transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the piezoelectric element array;
- a storage unit adapted to store the reception signal output by the piezoelectric element array;
- a sound velocity setting unit adapted to divide the subject into multiple segment regions and set a sound velocity for each of the segment regions with use of the reception signal stored in the storage unit;
- an image producer adapted to produce an ultrasound image by processing the reception signal output by the piezoelectric element array or the reception signal read out from the storage unit based on the sound velocity for each of the segment regions;
- a tissue elasticity calculator adapted to calculate tissue elasticity of the subject with use of the reception signal processed by the image producer;
- and
- an image display unit,
- wherein when the tissue elasticity calculator calculates the tissue elasticity,
- the controller causes the piezoelectric element array to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting so that the sound velocity setting unit sets a sound velocity,
- the sound velocity setting unit sets the sound velocity for each of the segment regions of the subject with use of the reception signal acquired through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting, and
- the tissue elasticity calculator calculates the tissue elasticity of the subject with use of the reception signal processed by the image producer based on the sound velocity set through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting.
9 more elements
A tissue elasticity measurement method, comprising the steps of:
- at a time when tissue elasticity of a subject is measured by an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus,
- causing a piezoelectric element array having piezoelectric elements arranged therein, each adapted to transmit ultrasonic waves, receive an ultrasonic echo reflected by the subject, and output a reception signal according to received ultrasonic waves, to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting for setting a sound velocity of the subject;
- setting the sound velocity for each of segment regions established by dividing the subject based on the reception signal acquired through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting;
- and
- calculating the tissue elasticity of the subject with use of the reception signal which has been output from the piezoelectric element array and processed based on the sound velocity set through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting.
2 more elements
A recording medium having stored therein a program that causes a computer to implement:
- a step of causing a piezoelectric element array having piezoelectric elements arranged therein, each adapted to transmit ultrasonic waves, receive an ultrasonic echo reflected by a subject, and output a reception signal according to received ultrasonic waves, to perform transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting for setting a sound velocity of the subject;
- a step of setting the sound velocity for each of segment regions established by dividing the subject based on the reception signal acquired through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting;
- and
- a step of calculating the tissue elasticity of the subject with use of the reception signal which has been output from the piezoelectric element array and processed based on the sound velocity set through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves for sound velocity setting.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.