Acoustic wave image generating apparatus and control method thereof

A control method of an acoustic wave image generating apparatus, comprising:

• causing a transmission driving device to drive acoustic wave transducers of an acoustic wave probe, in which a plurality of acoustic wave transducers are arranged in at least one direction, to transmit acoustic waves from the acoustic wave transducers to a subject;
• causing a first acoustic wave image generation device to generate a first acoustic wave image of the subject based on an acoustic wave echo from the subject using acoustic wave echo signals output from a first plurality of the acoustic wave transducers whose number is smaller than the total number of the plurality of acoustic wave transducers;
• causing an evaluation value calculation device to calculate an evaluation value of discontinuity of a needle for a needle image included in the first acoustic wave image;
• causing a second acoustic wave image generation device to generate a second acoustic wave image of the subject using acoustic wave echo signals output from a second plurality of the acoustic wave transducers, the number of which is larger than the number of first plurality of acoustic wave transducers, in a case where the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation device is less than a threshold value;
• and
• causing a display control device to display the first acoustic wave image on a display screen in a case where the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation device is equal to or greater than the threshold value and display the second acoustic wave image on the display screen in a case where the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation device is less than the threshold value.