Ultrasonic observation apparatus, operation method of the same, and computer readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9427208-B2
Application number	US-201414259350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 1, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

An ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: a region of interest setting unit capable of setting information on a region of interest; a focus point calculation unit that divides the region of interest into a plurality of partial regions of interest according to the number of focus points in the region of interest, calculates a focus point in each of the partial regions of interest, and determines a transmission timing according to calculation results; a transmitting and receiving unit that performs a transmission-and-reception of an ultrasonic wave which is focused on the focus point; a frequency analysis unit that calculates a plurality of frequency spectra by analyzing the received ultrasonic wave with reference to the focus point; a feature data extracting unit that approximates the frequency spectra to extract feature data thereof; and an image processing unit that generates display image data based on the feature data. The focus point calculation unit does not set a focus point according to the number of focus points in the partial regions of interest including the focus point for the B-mode image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic observation apparatus that transmits an ultrasonic wave to a specimen and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected from the specimen, the ultrasonic observation apparatus comprising:
a computer configured to implement:
a region of interest setting unit configured to set information on a position, and a length in a depth direction, of a region of interest in the specimen;
a focus point calculation unit configured to:
divide the region of interest into a plurality of partial regions of interest according to a number of focus points in the region of interest, wherein the number of focus points is a parameter associated with the length of the region of interest set by the region of interest setting unit;
set one or more of the number of focus points in each of the plurality of partial regions of interest; and
determine a transmission timing according to the one or more of the number of focus points set in each of the plurality of partial regions of interest;

a transmitting and receiving unit configured to:
perform transmission of a number of ultrasonic waves along a sound ray in the region of interest,
wherein the number of ultrasonic waves correspond to the number of focus points, and
wherein the transmitted ultrasonic waves are focused on the corresponding focus point set by the focus point calculation unit; and

receive a number of ultrasonic waves reflected from the region of interest, wherein the ultrasonic waves received from the region of interest correspond to the focus points;

a frequency analysis unit configured to calculate frequency spectra by analyzing the ultrasonic waves received by the transmitting and receiving unit with reference to the focus points;
a feature data extracting unit configured to extract feature data of the frequency spectra calculated by the frequency analysis unit by approximating the frequency spectra; and
an image processing unit configured to generate display image data based on the feature data extracted by the feature data extracting unit,
wherein the focus point calculation unit is configured to:
set the one or more of the focus points for a B-mode image for displaying brightness converted from amplitude of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the specimen, and
use the one or more of the focus points for the B-mode image in the partial regions of interest, and
wherein the feature data extracting unit comprises:
an approximation unit configured to:
 approximate the frequency spectra with a linear equation by regression analysis; and
 calculate, as pre-correction feature data for characterizing the linear equation:
 a gradient and an intercept of the linear equation, and intensity at a particular frequency within a frequency band in the frequency spectra; and
an attenuation correction unit configured to perform an attenuation correction process on the pre-correction feature data to extract the feature data of the frequency spectra,

wherein the frequency analysis unit is configured to calculate the frequency spectra by acquiring a data group forming a part of a data array of the ultrasonic wave received by the transmitting and receiving unit and by performing fast Fourier transform on the data group, and
wherein the frequency analysis unit is configured to acquire a multiple data groups for the sound ray, and is configured to calculate the frequency spectra using a data group of the multiple data groups which is closest to the one or more of the focus points.

2. The ultrasonic observation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus point calculation unit is configured to calculate, as the one or more of the focus points, a central position of each of the partial regions of interest in a depth direction.

3. The ultrasonic observation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus point calculation unit is configured to calculate, as the one or more of the focus points, a center of the data group formed by the data array in a depth direction in each of the partial regions of interest.

4. The ultrasonic observation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus point calculation unit is configured to calculate, as the one or more of the focus points, a specified position along the sound ray.

5. The ultrasonic observation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display an image corresponding to the display image data generated by the image processing unit.

6. A method comprising:
setting a position, and length in a depth direction, of a region of interest in a specimen;
dividing the region of interest into a plurality of partial regions of interest according to a number of focus points in the region of interest, wherein the number of focus points is a parameter associated with a length of the region of interest in a depth direction, and calculating one or more of the focus points in each of the partial regions of interest;
determining a transmission timing according to the one or more of the focus points;
performing transmission of a number of ultrasonic waves along a sound ray in the region of interest,
wherein the number of ultrasonic waves correspond to the number of focus points, and
wherein the transmitted ultrasonic waves are focused on corresponding the focus point;

receiving a number of ultrasonic waves reflected from the region of interest, wherein the ultrasonic waves received from the region of interest correspond to the focus points;
calculating frequency spectra by analyzing the received ultrasonic waves with reference to the focus points;
extracting feature data of the frequency spectra by approximating the frequency spectra; and
generating display image data based on the feature data,
wherein the calculating of the focus point comprises:
setting the one or more of the focus points for a B-mode image for displaying brightness converted from amplitude of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the specimen; and
using the one or more of the focus points for the B-mode image in the partial regions of interest, and

wherein the extracting the feature data comprises:
approximating the frequency spectra with a linear equation by regression analysis;
calculating, as pre-correction feature data for characterizing the linear equation:
a gradient and an intercept of the linear equation, and
intensity at a particular frequency within a frequency band in the frequency spectra; and

performing an attenuation correction process on the pre-correction feature data to extract the feature data of the frequency spectra,

wherein calculating the frequency spectra comprises acquiring a data group forming a part of a data array of the ultrasonic wave and performing fast Fourier transform on the data group, and
wherein calculating the frequency spectra further comprises acquiring a multiple data groups for the sound ray, and calculating the frequency spectra using a data group of the multiple data groups which is closest to the one or more of the focus points.

7. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having an executable program recorded thereon, the program instructing a processor to execute:
setting a position, and length in a depth direction, of a region of interest in the specimen;
dividing the region of interest into a plurality of partial regions of interest according to the number of focus points in the region of interest, the number of focus points being a parameter associated with a length of the region of interest in a depth direction, and calculating one or more of the focus points in each of the partial regions of interest;
determining a transmission timing according to the one or more of the focus points;
performing transmission of a number of ultrasonic waves along a sound ray in th

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Eda Hirotaka

Classifications

• G01S7/52073

  Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means · CPC title

• G01S7/52033

  Gain control of receivers (for seismic signals G01V1/245) · CPC title

• A61B8/485

  involving measuring strain or elastic properties · CPC title

• A61B8/5269

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts · CPC title

• A61B8/4461

  Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe · CPC title