Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and control program thereof

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an elastic image data generating unit which generates elastic image data having color information corresponding to strain calculated by a physical quantity data generating unit, and a displayer which causes an elastic image having a color corresponding to the strain to be displayed on an ultrasound image of the biological tissue, based on the elastic image data. The elastic image data generating unit generates the elastic image data, based on a color conversion table which is indicative of information of association of strain and the color information with each other and in which the color information changes depending on strain in a predetermined range of strain set in advance. The displayer displays an elasticity index image indicating an elasticity index indicative of a relative relationship of an average value of strain in a region set to the ultrasound image and the predetermined range of strain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
 a physical quantity calculating unit which calculates a physical quantity related to elasticity of each part in a biological tissue, based on echo signals obtained by transmission/reception of ultrasound to and from the biological tissue;   an elastic image data generating unit which generates elastic image data, having information indicative of a display form corresponding to the physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculating unit; and   a displayer which causes an elastic image having the display form corresponding to the physical quantity to be displayed on an ultrasound image of the biological tissue, based on the elastic image data,   wherein the elastic image data generating unit generates the elastic image data, based on information, said information being information in which the physical quantity and the information indicative of the display form are associated with each other, and in which the information indicative of the display form changes depending on a physical quantity in a prescribed range of physical quantities set in advance, and   wherein the displayer displays an elasticity index image indicating an elasticity index indicative of a relative relationship between a value representative of a physical quantity in a region set to the ultrasound image and the prescribed range of physical quantities.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , including a value calculating unit which calculates the value. 
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , including an elasticity index calculating unit which calculates the elasticity index. 
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , including an elasticity index image generating unit which generates the elasticity index image. 
     
     
         5 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the value representative of the physical quantity in the region is an average value of the physical quantity in the region. 
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the elasticity index is a value obtained from division of the average value by a maximum value in the prescribed range of physical quantities. 
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the prescribed range of physical quantities is a range set as a range of physical quantities available at a biological tissue targeted for displaying the elastic image. 
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastic image is an image having a color corresponding to the physical quantity. 
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the elasticity index image includes a graph indicative changes in the elasticity index with time. 
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the elasticity index image includes a bar in which the value of the elasticity index is shown in length. 
     
     
         11 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the elasticity index image is a numeral indicative of the value of the elasticity index. 
     
     
         12 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastic image is displayed in the region. 
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the region is set to within the elastic image. 
     
     
         14 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the region is a region in which an elastic image is displayed and a region set to within an elastic image, and wherein the elasticity index image is displayed with respect to each of said two regions. 
     
     
         15 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 2 , including an elasticity index calculating unit which calculates the elasticity index. 
     
     
         16 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 2 , including an elasticity index image generating unit which generates the elasticity index image. 
     
     
         17 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 3 , including an elasticity index image generating unit which generates the elasticity index image. 
     
     
         18 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the value representative of the physical quantity in the region is an average value of the physical quantity in the region. 
     
     
         19 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the value representative of the physical quantity in the region is an average value of the physical quantity in the region. 
     
     
         20 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the value representative of the physical quantity in the region is an average value of the physical quantity in the region.