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US 9,307,956 B2Granted
Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, image processing device, and stain image generating method
AssigneeHitachi Medical Corporation
InventorHideaki Nakajima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises: an operation unit with which a time division of a staining commencement time when a contrast agent enters is specified for each pixel of an ultrasonic image which is constructed chronologically with the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus; and an image analyzing unit which determines a color assignment according to the time division of the staining commencement time, and applies a color to the pixel of the ultrasonic image with the determined color assignment, generating a contrast progress image.
Claims11
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
- an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves to/from an imaging target;
- an ultrasonic transmitter/receptor configured to transmit ultrasonic waves, via the ultrasonic probe, and perform signal processing on reception signals from the ultrasonic probe;
- an ultrasonic image constructor configured to chronologically construct ultrasonic images of a chronologically measured imaging target, based on the reception signals that are processed in the ultrasonic transmitter/receptor;
- a display configured to chronologically display the chronologically constructed ultrasonic images;
- a controller configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter/receptor, the ultrasonic image constructor and the display;
- an operator configured to specify a time division of a staining commencement time when a contrast agent enters, for each pixel of the chronologically constructed ultrasonic images;
- an image analyzer in the controller configured to:
- determine a color assignment according to the time division of the staining commencement time, and
- generate a contrast progress image by applying a color to the pixel of the ultrasonic images with the determined color assignment, wherein the image analyzer comprises:
- a luminance analyzing section configured to:
- specify a staining commencement time at which an inflow of the contrast agent reaches a predetermined luminance distribution by analyzing a luminance value of the chronologically constructed ultrasonic images,
- extract a maximum value lmax of a luminance in each pixel in an analysis range,
- obtain a value lα by multiplying the lmax by a predetermined set threshold α,
- set a threshold value luminance attainment time tα, wherein the threshold value luminance attainment time tα is a time that the luminance reaches the value lα, and
- record the threshold luminance attainment time tα obtained in each pixel as a luminance analysis result, and
- a staining section configured to apply a predetermined color to the ultrasonic images that vary with time which are obtained after the specified staining commencement time;
- and
- an analysis frame setter configured to set the analysis range in which the luminance analysis is performed by the luminance analyzing section.
15 more elements
An image processing device which performs image analysis processing on chronologically constructed ultrasonic images obtained by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
- an operator configured to specify a time division of a staining commencement time at which contrast agent enters for each pixel of an ultrasonic image;
- an image analyzer configured to:
- determine a color assignment in accordance with the specified time division of the staining commencement time, and
- generate a contrast progress image, by applying a color to pixels of the ultrasonic image with the determined color assignment,
- wherein the image analyzer comprises:
- a luminance analyzing section configured to:
- specify a staining commencement time at which an inflow of the contrast agent reaches a predetermined luminance distribution by analyzing a luminance value of the chronologically constructed ultrasonic images,
- extract a maximum value lmax of a luminance in each pixel in an analysis range,
- obtain a value lα by multiplying the lmax by a predetermined set threshold α,
- set a threshold value luminance attainment time tα, wherein the threshold value luminance attainment time tα is a time that the luminance reaches the value lα, and
- record the threshold luminance attainment time tα obtained in each pixel as a luminance analysis result, and
- a staining section configured to apply a predetermined color to the ultrasonic images that vary with time which are obtained after the specified staining commencement time;
- and
- an analysis frame setter configured to set the analysis range in which the luminance analysis is performed by the luminance analyzing section.
11 more elements
A staining image generation method including:
- transmitting/receiving ultrasonic waves by a probe to/from an imaging target into which contrast agent is injected;
- constructing an ultrasonic image which chronologically varies on a basis of a signal received by the probe;
- specifying a time division of a staining commencement time at which the contrast agent enters for each pixel of the ultrasonic image;
- determining a color assignment in accordance with the specified time division of the staining commencement time, and
- generating a contrast progress image by applying a color to the pixels of the ultrasonic image with the determined color assignment;
- specifying a staining commencement time at which an inflow of the contrast agent reaches a predetermined luminance distribution by analyzing a luminance value of the chronologically constructed ultrasonic images;
- extracting a maximum value lmax of a luminance in each pixel in an analysis range;
- obtaining a value lα by multiplying the lmax by a predetermined set threshold α,
- setting a threshold value luminance attainment time tα, wherein the threshold value luminance attainment time tα is a time that the luminance reaches the value lα, and
- recording the threshold luminance attainment time tα obtained in each pixel as a luminance analysis result;
- applying a predetermined color to the ultrasonic images that vary with time which are obtained after the specified staining commencement time;
- and
- setting an analysis range in which a luminance analysis is performed by a luminance analyzing section.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.