Ultrasonic diagnostic device and ultrasonic image generation method

A control method of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, wherein the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe and one or more processor, the method comprising:

• transmitting, from the ultrasonic probe toward a target tissue of a subject into which a needle is inserted, a first ultrasonic wave on which transmission focus processing has been performed toward a first focal point in a normal direction of an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe;
• generating a reception data by receiving a reception wave which is reflected by the target tissue resulting from the first ultrasonic wave,
• performing a first reception focus processing on the reception data along the normal direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface, to generate a processed first reception data;
• generating a tissue image of the subject based on the processed first reception data;
• performing a second reception focus processing on the reception data along a steering direction to generate a processed second reception data, wherein the steering direction (i) extends in a direction steered from the normal direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface and (ii) is a right angle with respect to a direction in which the needle extends;
• generating a needle image of the needle based on the processed second reception data;
• generating a needle direction of the needle based on the generated needle image;
• visualizing by superimposing the generated needle direction on the tissue image, and setting a search region for searching for a needle tip of the needle on the tissue image based on the needle direction on the tissue image;
• searching for the needle tip in the set search region;
• and
• visualizing the needle tip on the tissue image based on the found needle tip.