Signal processing apparatus, ultrasonic apparatus, control method for signal processing apparatus, and control method for ultrasonic apparatus

A signal processing apparatus adapted to perform signal processing on signals obtained by receiving reflected signals of elastic waves from inside an object to be examined so as to form an image, said apparatus comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation part adapted to calculate and output, from received waveform data of at least two scan lines of the reflected signals, wherein the at least two scan lines have a prescribed relation to each other, a cross-correlation between the close scan lines;
• and
• a discrimination part adapted to extract position information in a depth direction inside the object to be examined from a change in the correlation value, and to discriminate the kind of a region of interest inside the object to be examined based on the correlation value after the change.

An ultrasonic apparatus adapted to scan a beam of ultrasonic waves, which are elastic waves, into an object to be examined, to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines, and to perform signal processing to form a tomographic image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said apparatus comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation part adapted to calculate an individual cross-correlation of received waveform data between a first scan line and a second scan line, wherein the second scan line that has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for each of a plurality of positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a correlation change position extraction part adapted to extract, from among the plurality of positions on the scan lines, a position at which the correlation value becomes has a value different from a prescribed value, as a position at which a region of interest containing a high reflector exists.

A control method for a signal processing apparatus adapted to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines reflected inside an object to be examined, and to perform signal processing to form a tomographic image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said method comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation step that calculates an individual cross-correlation of received waveform data between a first scan line and a second scan line, wherein the second scan line that has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for each of a plurality of positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a correlation change position extraction step that extracts, from among the plurality of positions on the scan lines, a position at which the correlation value has a value different from a prescribed value, as a position at which a region of interest exists.

A control method for an ultrasonic apparatus adapted to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines reflected inside an object to be examined, and to form a tomographic image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said method comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation step of calculating an individual cross-correlation of received waveform data between a first scan line and a second scan line, wherein the second scan line that has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for each of a plurality of positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a correlation change position extraction step of extracting, from among the plurality of positions on the scan lines, a position at which the correlation value has a value different from a prescribed value, as a position at which a region of interest containing a high reflector exists.

A signal processing apparatus adapted to scan a beam of elastic waves into an object to be examined, to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines, and to perform signal processing to form a tomographic image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said apparatus comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation part adapted to calculate an individual cross-correlation value of received waveform data between a first scan line and a second scan line, wherein the second scan line has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for each of a plurality of positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a processing part adapted to apply, to a distribution in a scanning direction of a cross-correlation value calculated for a predetermined depth, transformation processing that transforms a first distribution shape with drops at opposite ends of a region of interest of a predetermined size into a second distribution shape with a drop in a central position of the region of interest, and estimates a position at which the region of interest exists by using the result of the transformation processing.

A signal processing apparatus adapted to scan a beam of elastic waves into an object to be examined, adapted to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines, and adapted to perform signal processing to form an image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said apparatus comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation part adapted to calculate an individual cross-correlation between a first scan line and a second scan line that has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for a plurality of depth positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a correlation change position extraction part adapted to extract, from among the plurality of depth positions on the scan lines, a depth position at which the cross-correlation has a value that is smaller than a prescribed value or a depth position at which a rate of decrease of the cross-correlation value along the scan line is larger than a predetermined value, as a depth position at which a region of interest exists.

A control method for a signal processing apparatus adapted to scan a beam of elastic waves into an object to be examined, to acquire received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines, and to perform signal processing to form an image of the object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines, said method comprising:

• a scan line correlation calculation step that calculates an individual cross-correlation between a first scan line and a second scan line that has a prescribed relation with the first scan line, for each of a plurality of depth positions on the scan lines;
• and
• a correlation change position extraction step that extracts, from among the plurality of depth positions on the scan lines, a depth position at which the cross-correlation has a value that is smaller than a prescribed value or a depth position at which a rate of decrease of the cross-correlation value along the scan line is larger than a predetermined value, as a depth position at which a region of interest exists.