Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic imaging method

An ultrasonic imaging method comprising:

• a step to set an ultrasonic probe at a first display position;
• a step to detect the first display position by a position sensor which is included in the ultrasonic probe;
• a step to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves to/from an object to be examined at the first display position by the ultrasonic probe;
• a step to construct a 3-dimensional ultrasonic image from 3-dimensional ultrasonic image data which is obtained from the ultrasonic signals received from the ultrasonic probe at the first display position by an ultrasonic image construction unit;
• a step to display a step to store the 3-dimensional ultrasonic image;
• the 3-dimensional ultrasonic image by a display unit;
• a step to store the first display position in a positional information analysis unit;
• a step to set the ultrasonic probe at a second display position different from the first display position;
• a step to detect the second display position by the position sensor;
• a step to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves to/from an object to be examined at a second display position by the ultrasonic probe;
• a step to acquire 3-dimensional ultrasonic image data based on the ultrasonic signals received from the ultrasonic probe at the second display position by the ultrasonic image construction unit;
• a step to analyze a positional relationship between storing the first display position and a second display position of the ultrasonic probe by the positional information analysis unit;
• a step to convert 3-dimensional ultrasonic image data acquired at the second display position into a viewpoint of the 3-dimensional ultrasonic image data acquired at the first display position based on a positional relationship by the ultrasonic image construction unit,
• a step to construct a converted 3-dimensional image based on the converted 3-dimensional ultrasonic image data acquired at the second display position;
• a step to display the 3-dimensional ultrasonic image having the higher luminance, out of the stored 3-dimensional ultrasonic image at the first display position and the converted 3-dimensional ultrasonic image at the second display position.