Ultrasound imaging apparatus and method for displaying ultrasound image

A method for displaying an ultrasound image, comprising:

• acquiring, as a plurality of ultrasound image data, first and second body tissue image data in which a body tissue of a subject is represented and first and second contrast agent image data in which a contrast agent is represented, by imaging the subject in which the contrast agent is injected with ultrasound waves, wherein the first and second body tissue image data are acquired at different timings and the first and second contrast agent image data are acquired at different timings;
• causing a display to display a reference image that is one of a first body tissue image based on the first body tissue image data and a first contrast agent image based on the first contrast agent image data;
• causing the display to display a first marker on the reference image, the first marker having a position and a shape defined by first input signals received by an input circuit;
• displaying, side by side, a second body tissue image based on the second body tissue image data and a second contrast agent image based on the second contrast agent image data;
• detecting a position and a shape of a second marker corresponding to the position and the shape of the first marker, by comparing the reference image to the second body tissue image or the second contrast agent image;
• and
• causing the display to display the second marker on both the second body tissue image and the second contrast agent image in a state superimposed, respectively, in relatively same positions.

An ultrasound imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an input circuit to receive user input;
• a memory circuit to store body tissue image data at first timing and contrast agent image data at the first timing;
• and
• a processing circuit to
• acquire, as ultrasound image data, body tissue image data in which a body tissue of a subject is represented and contrast agent image data in which a contrast agent is represented, by imaging the subject in which the contrast agent is injected with ultrasound waves,
• cause a display to display a reference image based on reference image data that is one of body tissue image data at the first timing and contrast agent image data at the first timing,
• cause the display to display a marker on the reference image data, the marker having a position and a shape at the first timing defined by first input signals received by the input circuit,
• cause the display to display, side by side, a body tissue image based on the body tissue image data at second timing and a contrast agent image based on the contrast agent image data at the second timing,
• detect a position and a shape of the marker at the second timing that is corresponding to the position and the shape of the marker at the first timing, by comparing the reference image data at the first timing and the body tissue image data at the second timing or the contrast agent image data at the second timing, and
• cause the display to display a modified marker having the position and the shape at the second timing on both the body tissue image based on the body tissue image data at the second timing and the contrast agent image based on the contrast agent image data at the second timing in a state superimposed, respectively, in relatively same positions.