Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and operation method of ultrasound diagnostic apparatus by determining depolarization to necessitate supply of polarization voltage to ultrasound transducers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607201-B2
Application number	US-201916419595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An ultrasound transducer unit including a plurality of ultrasound transducers transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from an inside of a subject. In a case where a checking operation unit is operated, a controller controls a driving voltage supply unit such that a driving voltage is supplied with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as driving target transducers. In a case where the checking operation unit is operated, a depolarization determination unit calculates, for each ultrasound transducer, a reception sensitivity in a case where an ultrasound wave is received by driving all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers, and determines whether or not a depolarization determination value calculated from the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer satisfies numerical conditions. If the numerical conditions are satisfied, a polarization voltage supply unit supplies a polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
a probe that comprises a plurality of ultrasound transducers and transmits and receives ultrasound waves by driving target transducers, among the plurality of ultrasound transducers;
a processor configured to supply a driving voltage to the driving target transducers; and
a button or switch configured to be operable by a user to check a state of the probe,
wherein the processor is configured to:
control such that the driving voltage is supplied to a part or all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers to generate an ultrasound image when the user instructs an ultrasound diagnosis;

control such that the driving voltage is supplied to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers when the button or switch is operated;
when the button or switch is operated, calculate, for each ultrasound transducer, a reception sensitivity when the probe receives an ultrasound wave with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers, and determine whether or not a depolarization determination value calculated from the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer satisfies numerical conditions set for the depolarization determination value; and
supply a polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers when the depolarization determination value is determined to satisfy the numerical conditions, and
wherein the driving voltage for generating the ultrasound image, the drive voltage for calculating the depolarization determination value, and the polarization voltage are supplied at different timings through a multiplexer.

2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein processor is configured to calculate at least one of a variance of the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer, an average value of the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer, or a minimum value of the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer as the depolarization determination value.

3. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory that stores a cumulative value of a driving time of the driving target transducer,
wherein, when the cumulative value stored in the memory is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the processor is configured to supply the polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

4. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a memory that stores a cumulative value of a driving time of the driving target transducer,
wherein, when the cumulative value stored in the memory is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the processor is configured to supply the polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

5. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the cumulative value stored in the memory is set to an initial value after the processor supplies the polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the cumulative value stored in the memory is set to an initial value after the processor supplies the polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

7. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein a console is provided to receive a user's input operation regarding the threshold value.

8. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein a console is provided to receive a user's input operation regarding the threshold value.

9. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein a console is provided to receive a user's input operation regarding the threshold value.

10. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein a console is provided to receive a user's input operation regarding the threshold value.

11. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the probe and the memory are provided in an ultrasound endoscope.

12. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the probe and the memory are provided in an ultrasound endoscope.

13. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the probe and the memory are provided in an ultrasound endoscope.

14. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the button or switch is provided in the ultrasound endoscope.

15. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the probe is a convex type probe in which the plurality of ultrasound transducers are disposed in an arc shape.

16. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an operation mode of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a first mode and a second mode,
the probe transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from an inside of a subject while the operation mode is the first mode,
the probe is located outside the subject while the operation mode is the second mode,
the button or switch is operated while the operation mode is the second mode, and
the processor is configured to supply the polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers while the operation mode is the second mode.

17. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the probe has an acoustic matching layer disposed outside the plurality of ultrasound transducers, and
when the button or switch is operated, the processor is configured to control such that the probe transmits ultrasound waves with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers and receives ultrasound waves reflected by the acoustic matching layer.

18. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the button or switch is operated in a state in which the probe is in contact with a phantom disposed outside a subject, and
when the button or switch is operated, the processor is configured to control such that the probe transmits ultrasound waves with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers and receives ultrasound waves reflected by the phantom.

19. An operation method of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves by driving the driving target transducers, among the plurality of ultrasound transducers;
supplying the driving voltage to the driving target transducers;
controlling such that the driving voltage is supplied to a part or all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers to generate an ultrasound image when the ultrasound diagnosis is instructed;
detecting the button or switch being operated to check a state of the probe;
controlling such that the driving voltage is supplied to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers when the button or switch is operated;
when the button or switch is operated, calculating, for each ultrasound transducer, the reception sensitivity when the probe receives the ultrasound wave with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers, and determining whether or not the depolarization determination value calculated fr

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Satoh Yoshiaki
• Yamamoto Katsuya

Classifications

• B06B2201/40

  with testing, calibrating, safety devices, built-in protection, construction details · CPC title

• B06B2201/20

  Application to multi-element transducer · CPC title

• B06B1/0625

  Annular array · CPC title

• B06B1/0207

  Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03) · CPC title

• A61B8/58

  Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device · CPC title