# US 2017/0281132 A1 · Acoustic wave image generating apparatus and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0281132 A1 - Document ID: US20170281132A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/626,529 - Filed: 2017-06-19 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-10 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Hiroaki YAMAMOTO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170281132A1 ## CPC - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/0841: {for locating instruments} - A61B 8/14: Echotomography - A61B 8/4477: {using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes} - A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract There are provided an acoustic wave image generating apparatus and a control method thereof for making an insertion needle clear. A first ultrasound image is generated using ultrasound echo signals obtained from a first plurality of ultrasound transducers. From the first ultrasound image, an evaluation value indicating the discontinuity of a needle is calculated for an image of an insertion needle. In a case where the calculated evaluation value is less than a threshold value, a second ultrasound image is generated using ultrasound echo signals obtained from a second plurality of ultrasound transducers whose number is larger than the first plurality. The first ultrasound image is displayed if the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and the second ultrasound image is displayed if the evaluation value is less than the threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic wave image generating apparatus, comprising: an acoustic wave probe in which a plurality of acoustic wave transducers are arranged in at least one direction; a transmission driving device for driving the acoustic wave transducers to transmit acoustic waves from the acoustic wave transducers to a subject; a first acoustic wave image generation device for generating 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; an evaluation value calculation device for calculating an evaluation value of discontinuity of a needle for a needle image included in the first acoustic wave image; a second acoustic wave image generation device for generating 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 a first display control device for displaying 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 displaying 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a needle image extraction device for extracting a needle image from the first acoustic wave image, wherein the evaluation value calculation device calculates an evaluation value of discontinuity of the needle for the needle image extracted by the needle image extraction device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a first control device for repeating transmission of acoustic waves based on driving of the transmission driving device, generation of the first acoustic wave image by the first acoustic wave image generation device, and extraction of a needle image by the needle image extraction device in a case where the needle image is not extracted by the needle image extraction device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first control device stops the transmission of acoustic waves based on driving of the transmission driving device, generation of an acoustic wave image by the first acoustic wave image generation device, and the extraction of a needle image by the needle image extraction device in a case where the number of repetitions reaches the first number of times or in a case where a stop command is given. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second display control device for displaying the first acoustic wave image on the display screen, wherein the evaluation value calculation device calculates the evaluation value of the discontinuity of the needle for the needle image included in the first acoustic wave image in a case where the first acoustic wave image is displayed by the second display control device and an evaluation value calculation command for starting calculation of the evaluation value by the evaluation value calculation device is input, and the first display control device displays the first acoustic wave image on the display screen in a case where the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and displays 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second control device for repeating processing for increasing the number of second plurality of acoustic wave transducers by a predetermined number, processing for generating a second acoustic wave image of the subject using acoustic wave echo signals output from the second plurality of acoustic wave transducers increased by the predetermined number, and processing for calculating an evaluation value of discontinuity of the needle using the generated second acoustic wave image, until the evaluation value becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value in a case where the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation device is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in a case where the number of repetitions reaches the second number of times, the second control device stops processing in the evaluation value calculation device and processing in the second acoustic wave image generation device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of acoustic wave transducers and the second plurality of acoustic wave transducers overlap each other, and the acoustic wave transducer present at a center of the first plurality of acoustic wave transducers and the acoustic wave transducer present at a center of the second plurality of acoustic wave transducers are the same. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The acoustic wave image generating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein both the first plurality and the second plurality are odd numbers. ### Claim 10 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.