Compound mode ultrasound diagnosis apparatus

A compound mode ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

• transducer means for radiating ultrasound beams toward an object under examination and for receiving ultrasound echoes reflected therefrom;
• means for processing the ultrasound echoes so as to obtain B-mode ultrasound echo signals and Doppler ultrasound echo signals;
• digital scan converter means for converting the echo signals into video signals, said digital scan converter means including
• (a) analog-to-digital converter means for converting the ultrasound echo signals into B-mode digital ultrasound echo data and Doppler digital ultrasound echo data,
• (b) memory means having first and second memory areas for storing said B-mode digital ultrasound echo data and said Doppler digital ultrasound echo data,
• (c) write control means for writing said B-mode digital ultrasound echo data and said Doppler digital ultrasound echo data into first and second memory areas, respectively,
• (d) read control means for reading out said B-mode digital ultrasound echo data and said Doppler digital ultrasound echo data in accordance with a television format, and
• (e) digital-to-analog converter means for converting the B-mode and Doppler digital ultrasound echo data read out from said memory means into said video signals;
• and
• means for displaying the video signals on a television screen.

A compound mode ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

• transducer means for radiating ultrasound beams toward an object under examination and for receiving ultrasound echoes reflected therefrom;
• means for processing the ultrasound echoes to obtain ultrasound echo signals corresponding to distinct scan modes;
• digital scan converter means for converting the echo signals into video signals, said digital scan converter means including
• (a) analog-to-digital converter means for converting said ultrasound echo signals into at least two distinct sets of digital ultrasound echo data, each set of said digital data corresponding to a different one of said distinct scan modes,
• (b) memory means having a plurality of distinct memory areas for storing said at least two sets of digital ultrasound echo data,
• (c) write control means for respectively writing said at least two sets of digital ultrasound data into said memory means, each set of said digital data being stored together in a distinct memory area,
• (d) read control means for reading out said at least two sets of digital ultrasound data in accordance with a television format,
• (e) digital-to-analog converter means for converting the digital ultrasound data read out from said memory means into video signals;
• and
• means for displaying the video signals on a television screen, so as to form noninterlaced separate images corresponding to said distinct scan modes.