Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016120508-A1
Application number	US-201514931105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for emitting ultrasound waves to an examination object and obtaining an ultrasound image is provided. The apparatus includes a touch display configured to display a screen that includes the ultrasound image, and a controller configured to receive a touch input associated with the ultrasound image, and set a focus or depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed based on a touched position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for emitting ultrasound waves to an examination object and obtaining an ultrasound image, the apparatus comprising:
a touch display configured to display a screen that includes the ultrasound image; and a controller configured to:
receive a touch input associated with the ultrasound image, and
set a focus or depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed based on a touched position.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to set a focus region at a depth corresponding to the touched position to be in focus so as to change a resolution of the ultrasound image when the touch input associated with the ultrasound image is received.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to receiving the touch input at a first corner from among two corner regions parallel to a depth direction of the ultrasound image set the focus of the ultrasound image corresponding to the touched position on the first corner, and in response to receiving the touch input at a second corner, set the depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed corresponding to the touched position on the second corner to be displayed.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving the touch input of dragging a corner region at an end of a depth direction of the ultrasound image displayed, set the depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed according to a position associated with a location in which the first or second corner region is dragged.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display a manipulating point on each of a plurality of depth regions that configure the ultrasound image, and in response to receiving the touch input within a depth region associated with one of the plurality of manipulating points, move the one manipulating point in predetermined units, and changes a total gain compensation (TGC) according to a distance and direction by which the manipulating point is moved.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving the touch input of dragging within the depth region, move the manipulating point within the depth region where the drag is detected in smaller units than the distance by which the touched point is moved by the drag.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving the touch input of tapping within the depth region, move the manipulating point within the depth region where the tapping is detected in the predetermined units based on a number of times the touch input of tapping is received.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller, in response to a predetermined event occurring, is further configured to:
display a still image of the ultrasound image, display a mark on the point where a touch is detected in the still ultrasound image, and in response to detecting a touch in another point with the touch of the still ultrasound image being retained, fixate the position of the displayed mark.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display an expanded image of a periphery associated with the point where the touch is detected in the still ultrasound image, display a mark on the expanded image, wherein the mark corresponds to the point where the touch is detected in the still ultrasound image, and in response to the touch on the still ultrasound image being dragged, move the mark within the expanded image.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to move the mark within the expanded region in smaller units than the distance by which the touched point is moved by the drag.

11 . A method of controlling an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for emitting ultrasound waves to an examination object and obtaining an ultrasound image, the method comprising:
displaying a screen that includes the ultrasound image; receiving a touch input associated with the ultrasound image; and setting a focus or depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed based on a touched position.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the setting of the focus, in response to receiving the touch input associated with the ultrasound image, sets a focus region at a depth corresponding to the touched position to be in focus so as to change a resolution of the ultrasound image.

13 . The method according to claim 11 ,
wherein the setting of the focus, in response to receiving a touch input at a first corner from among two corner regions parallel to a depth direction of the ultrasound image, sets the focus of the ultrasound image corresponding to the touched position on the one corner, and wherein the setting of the focus, in response to receiving the touch input at a second corner, sets the depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed corresponding to the touched position on the second corner to be displayed.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the setting of the focus, in response to receiving the touch input of dragging a corner region at an end of a depth direction of the ultrasound image displayed, sets the depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed according to a position to which the corner region is dragged.

15 . The method according to claim 11 ,
wherein the setting of the focus further comprises displaying a manipulating point on each of a plurality of depth regions associated with the ultrasound image, and wherein the method further comprises:
in response to receiving the touch input within a depth region associated with one of the plurality of manipulating points, moving the one manipulating point in predetermined units, and
changing a total gain compensation (TGC) based on a distance and direction by which the manipulating point is moved.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the moving of the one manipulating point, in response to receiving the touch input of dragging within the depth region, moves the manipulating point within the depth region where the drag is detected in smaller units than the distance by which the touched point is moved by the drag.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the moving of the one manipulating point, in response to receiving a touch input of tapping within the depth region, moves the manipulating point within the depth region where the tapping is detected in the predetermined units according to a number of times the touch input of tapping is received.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to a predetermined event occurring, displaying a still image of the ultrasound image; displaying a mark on a first point where a touch is detected in the still ultrasound image, and in response to detecting a touch at a second point with the touch associated with the first point being retained, fixating the position of the displayed mark.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
displaying an expanded image of a periphery of the point where the touch input is detected in the still ultrasound image, displaying a mark on the expanded image, wherein the mark associated with the point where the touch input is detected in the still ultrasound image, and in response to the touch on the still

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yun-Kyung
• Kim Hyun-Jin
• Lee Mi-Young
• Jung Su-Yeon

Classifications

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• A61B8/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title

• A61B8/4405

  Device being mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• A61B8/13

  Tomography (A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B8/469 Primary

  for selection of a region of interest · CPC title