Acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus and method of controlling same

An acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus comprising:

• an acoustic probe for transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;
• a velocity scale setting device for setting a velocity scale;
• a velocity calculation device for calculating velocity of a moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from said acoustic probe;
• a display control device for displaying information, which indicates velocity calculated by said velocity calculation device, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by said velocity scale setting device;
• a cooling fan for cooling at least one of said velocity calculation device and display control device;
• a fan motor for controlling rotation of said cooling fan;
• and
• a frequency setting device for setting the frequency of pulses used in said fan motor to a first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a first boundary value, which is less than a threshold value, has been set by said velocity scale setting device, and setting the frequency of pulses used in said fan motor to a second frequency lower than the first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a second boundary value, which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, has been set by the velocity scale setting device.

A method of controlling an acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus, comprising steps of:

• an acoustic probe transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;
• a velocity scale setting device setting a velocity scale;
• a velocity calculation device calculating velocity of a moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from the acoustic probe;
• a display control device displaying information, which indicates velocity calculated by the velocity calculation device, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by the velocity scale setting device;
• a brightness control device controlling brightness of the display unit;
• and
• a frequency setting device setting the frequency of pulses used in the brightness control device to a first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a first boundary value, which is less than a threshold value, has been set by the velocity scale setting device, and setting the frequency of pulses used in said brightness control device to a second frequency lower than the first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a second boundary value, which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, has been set by the velocity scale setting device.

A method of controlling an acoustic wave diagnostic apparatus, comprising steps of:

• an acoustic probe transmitting acoustic waves toward a specimen and outputting an acoustic echo signal representing an acoustic echo from the specimen;
• a velocity scale setting device setting a velocity scale;
• a velocity calculation device calculating velocity of a moving body within the specimen using the acoustic echo signal output from the acoustic probe;
• a display control device displaying information, which indicates velocity calculated by the velocity calculation device, on a display unit in accordance with the velocity scale set by the velocity scale setting device;
• a cooling fan cooling at least one of the velocity calculation device and display control device;
• a fan motor controlling rotation of the cooling fan;
• and
• a frequency setting device setting the frequency of pulses used in the fan motor to a first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a first boundary value, which is less than a threshold value, has been set by the velocity scale setting device, and setting the frequency of pulses used in the fan motor to a second frequency lower than the first frequency in a case where a velocity scale that includes a second boundary value, which is equal to or greater than the threshold value, has been set by the velocity scale setting device.