Ultrasound diagnostic device and method for controlling ultrasound diagnostic device

An ultrasound diagnostic device which measures a property of a vascular wall of a carotid artery and to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

• a transmission-reception processor that performs transmission processing to supply a transmission signal to the ultrasound probe in order to drive the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound along a carotid artery cross-section at each of a plurality of positions along a direction perpendicular to the carotid artery cross-section, and that performs reception processing to generate a reception signal for the carotid artery cross-section at each of the positions, based on ultrasound reflected from the carotid artery and received by the ultrasound probe;
• a transverse cross-sectional image generator that generates a plurality of transverse cross-sectional images based on reception signals respectively generated at the positions, each of the transverse cross-sectional images depicting a carotid artery transverse cross-section that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the carotid artery;
• a transverse cross-sectional image selector that selects, as a specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts an internal carotid artery cross-section and an external carotid artery cross-section;
• and
• a relative angle calculator that calculates a relative angle of the ultrasound probe with respect to the carotid artery in a plane parallel to the carotid artery transverse cross-section, based on coordinates at which the internal carotid artery cross-section and the external carotid artery cross-section are depicted in the specific image.

An ultrasound diagnostic device which measures a property of a vascular wall of a carotid artery and to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

• a transmission-reception processor that performs transmission processing to supply a transmission signal to the ultrasound probe in order to drive the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound along a carotid artery cross-section at each of a plurality of positions along a direction perpendicular to the carotid artery cross-section, and that performs reception processing to generate a reception signal for the carotid artery cross-section at each of the positions, based on ultrasound reflected from the carotid artery and received by the ultrasound probe;
• a transverse cross-sectional image generator that generates a plurality of transverse cross-sectional images based on reception signals respectively generated at the positions, each of the transverse cross-sectional images depicting a carotid artery transverse cross-section that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the carotid artery;
• a transverse cross-sectional image selector that selects, as a specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts an internal carotid artery cross-section and an external carotid artery cross-section, and that selects, as an additional specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts either one of a common carotid artery cross-section and a common carotid artery bulb cross-section;
• and
• a relative angle calculator that calculates a relative angle of the ultrasound probe with respect to the carotid artery in a plane parallel to the carotid artery transverse cross-section, based on coordinates at which either one of the internal carotid artery cross-section and the external carotid artery cross-section is depicted in the specific image, and coordinates at which the one of the common carotid artery cross-section and the common carotid artery bulb cross-section is depicted in the additional specific image.

A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device which measures a property of a vascular wall of a carotid artery and to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the method comprising:

• performing transmission processing to supply a transmission signal to the ultrasound probe in order to drive the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound along a carotid artery cross-section at each of a plurality of positions along a direction perpendicular to the carotid artery cross-section, and performing reception processing to generate a reception signal for the carotid artery cross-section at each of the positions, based on ultrasound reflected from the carotid artery and received by the ultrasound probe;
• generating a plurality of transverse cross-sectional images based on reception signals respectively generated at the positions, each of the transverse cross-sectional images depicting a carotid artery transverse cross-section that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the carotid artery;
• selecting, as a specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts an internal carotid artery cross-section and an external carotid artery cross-section;
• and
• calculating a relative angle of the ultrasound probe with respect to the carotid artery in a plane parallel to the carotid artery transverse cross-section, based on coordinates at which the internal carotid artery cross-section and the external carotid artery cross-section are depicted in the specific image.

A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic device which measures a property of a vascular wall of a carotid artery and to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the method comprising:

• performing transmission processing to supply a transmission signal to the ultrasound probe in order to drive the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound along a carotid artery cross-section at each of a plurality of positions along a direction perpendicular to the carotid artery cross-section, and performing reception processing to generate a reception signal for the carotid artery cross-section at each of the positions, based on ultrasound reflected from the carotid artery and received by the ultrasound probe;
• generating a plurality of transverse cross-sectional images based on reception signals respectively generated at the positions, each of the transverse cross-sectional images depicting a carotid artery transverse cross-section that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the carotid artery;
• selecting, as a specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts an internal carotid artery cross-section and an external carotid artery cross-section, and selecting, as an additional specific image from among the transverse cross-sectional images which are generated, a transverse cross-sectional image that depicts either one of a common carotid artery cross-section and a common carotid artery bulb cross-section;
• and
• calculating a relative angle of the ultrasound probe with respect to the carotid artery in a plane parallel to the carotid artery transverse cross-section, based on coordinates at which either one of the internal carotid artery cross-section and the external carotid artery cross-section is depicted in the specific image, and coordinates at which the one of the common carotid artery cross-section and the common carotid artery bulb cross-section is depicted in the additional specific image.