Ultrasonography apparatus and ultrasonography method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9867595-B2
Application number	US-201314370090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 24, 2012
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

An ultrasonographic system includes an electronic memory to store a table that relates subject information to a plurality of frequencies, and a frequency setting unit that sets the examination frequency to one of the frequencies stored in the table. The frequency setting unit sets the examination frequency based on selection of subject information from the table, and the examination frequency is used to perform ultrasound examination on the subject according to the selected information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasonographic system, comprising:
a probe configured to generate sound waves to examine a subject; and
circuitry configured to:
receive an input that corresponds to selection of first information related to the subject;
determine a first frequency based on the received input;

control the probe to generate at least a first sound wave at the first frequency;
obtain, based on the at least first sound wave, a first examination image of the subject;
determine at least one attribute of the first examination image;
determine a second frequency based on the at least one attribute;
control the probe to generate at least a second sound wave at the second frequency; and
obtain, based on the at least second sound wave, a second examination image of the subject.

2. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the first information includes second information on at least one of race, gender or body type of the subject.

3. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the first information includes second information on a body part of the subject.

4. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 3 , wherein the first information further includes disease information and third information related to a condition of the subject.

5. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
determine an examination state based on the at least one attribute; and
determine the second frequency based on the examination state.

6. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the examination state based on the second examination image.

7. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the second frequency within a range of frequencies, wherein the range of frequencies is based on the first information.

8. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to provide a notification based on the examination state.

9. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to record third information related to the examination state.

10. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 9 , wherein the third information includes at least position information of the probe or inclination information of the probe.

11. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to record the third information based on the examination state that is normal.

12. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to provide a notification based on the third information.

13. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 12 , wherein the notification includes at least one of position information of the probe or inclination information of the probe.

14. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one attribute corresponds to a measure of clarity of the first examination image, and
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the second frequency based on a comparison of the measure of clarity of the first examination image with a threshold.

15. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to one of:
indicate an examination state as normal based on the measure of clarity of the first examination image that is greater than the threshold; or
indicate the examination state as abnormal based on the measure of clarity of the first examination image that is less than or equal to the threshold.

16. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to select the first information based on a user operation.

17. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to select the first information based on communication with an external device.

18. The ultrasonographic system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the second frequency from a range of frequencies based on the first information.

19. An ultrasonographic imaging method, comprising:
receiving an input that corresponds to selection of first information related to a subject to be examined;
determining a first frequency based on the received input;
generating at least a first sound wave at the first frequency;
obtaining, based on the at least first sound wave, a first examination image of the subject;
determining at least one attribute of the first examination image;
determining a second frequency based on the at least one attribute;
generating at least a second sound wave at the second frequency; and
obtaining, based on the at least second sound wave, a second examination image of the subject.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions for causing an ultrasonographic apparatus to execute operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an input that corresponds to a selection of first information related to a subject to be examined;
determining a first frequency based on the received input;
generating at least a first sound wave at the first frequency;
obtaining, based on the at least first sound wave, a first examination image of the subject;
determining at least one attribute of the first examination image;
determining a second frequency based on the at least one attribute;
generating at least a second sound wave at the second frequency; and
obtaining, based on the at least second sound wave, a second examination image of the subject.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Sako Yoichiro
• Ono Kouichirou

Classifications

• A61B8/56

  Details of data transmission or power supply · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B8/5269

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts · CPC title

• A61B8/54

  Control of the diagnostic device · CPC title

• A61B8/4245

  involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient · CPC title