Ultrasound signal processing device, ultrasound diagnostic device, and ultrasound signal processing method

An ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

• an ultrasound probe;
• and
• an ultrasound signal processing device that performs multiple transmission events of transmitting non-focused ultrasound beams to a subject by using an ultrasound probe having multiple transducers, that performs, for each of the transmission events, reception of ultrasound reflection from the subject and generation of an acoustic line signal based on the ultrasound reflection, and that combines acoustic line signals for the respective transmission events to generate a combined acoustic line signal,
• the ultrasound signal processing device comprising ultrasound signal processing circuitry configured to operate as:
• a transmitter that varies ultrasound beam travel direction between transmission events and performs each transmission event by causing the ultrasound probe to transmit an ultrasound beam traveling to an inside of the subject;
• a reception processor that generates an acoustic line signal for each transmission event that is performed by generating reception signal sequences for transducers based on ultrasound reflection that the ultrasound probe receives from a target region inside the subject and performing delay-and-summing using the reception signal sequences;
• a combiner that generates an intermediate combined acoustic line signal by combining, based on measurement points in the target region, acoustic line signals corresponding to the first to latest transmission events performed for a current combined acoustic line signal;
• an evaluator that judges whether a subsequent transmission event is to be performed for the current combined acoustic line signal by calculating an evaluation value from an energy value of the intermediate combined acoustic line signal and judging whether the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition;
• and
• an outputter that outputs the intermediate combined acoustic line signal as the current combined acoustic line signal once the evaluator judges that a subsequent transmission event is not to be performed for the current combined acoustic line signal.

An ultrasound signal processing method of (i) performing multiple transmission events of transmitting non-focused ultrasound beams to a subject by using an ultrasound probe having multiple transducers, (ii) performing, for each of the transmission events, reception of ultrasound reflection from the subject and generation of an acoustic line signal based on the ultrasound reflection, and (iii) combining acoustic line signals for the respective transmission events to generate a combined acoustic line signal, the ultrasound signal processing method comprising:

• varying ultrasound beam travel direction between transmission events and performing each transmission event by causing the ultrasound probe to transmit an ultrasound beam traveling to an inside of the subject;
• generating an acoustic line signal for each transmission event that is performed by generating reception signal sequences for transducers based on ultrasound reflection that the ultrasound probe receives from a target region inside the subject and performing delay-and-summing using the reception signal sequences;
• generating an intermediate combined acoustic line signal by combining, based on measurement points in the target region, acoustic line signals corresponding to the first to latest transmission events performed for a current combined acoustic line signal;
• judging whether a subsequent transmission event is to be performed for the current combined acoustic line signal by calculating an evaluation value from an energy value of the intermediate combined acoustic line signal and judging whether the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition;
• and
• outputting the intermediate combined acoustic line signal as the current combined acoustic line signal once a judgment is made that a subsequent transmission event is not to be performed for the current combined acoustic line signal.