Ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus and ultrasound diagnostic imaging method

Abstract

Described is an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus which includes an ultrasound probe and which generates ultrasound image data sets for displaying an ultrasound image. The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus includes a transmitting unit which performs ultrasound scanning for a plurality of times so that a part of or all of scan regions overlap in a plurality of different directions, an image processing unit which generates a plurality of ultrasound image data sets according to the receive signals and an anisotropic aspect evaluation unit which evaluates an anisotropic aspect of ultrasound wave reflection in the subject according to at least either of the ultrasound image data sets and the receive signals. In the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus, the image processing unit generates synthetic image data in which the plurality of ultrasound image data sets are synthesized according to an evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.

1 . An ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus which includes an ultrasound probe which obtains receive signals by driving a plurality of transducers and performing transmission and reception of ultrasound waves to and from a subject and which generates ultrasound image data sets for displaying an ultrasound image wherein the receive signals are converted into luminescence in the ultrasound image data, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus comprising:
 a transmitting unit which performs ultrasound scanning for a plurality of times so that a part of or all of scan regions overlap by driving the plurality of transducers and performing the transmission and reception of the ultrasound waves in a plurality of directions, the directions being different from each other;   an image processing unit which generates a plurality of ultrasound image data sets according to the receive signals obtained as a result of the transmitting unit performing the ultrasound scanning; and   an anisotropic aspect evaluation unit which evaluates an anisotropic aspect of ultrasound wave reflection in the subject according to at least either of the ultrasound image data sets and the receive signals,   wherein   the image processing unit generates synthetic image data in which the plurality of ultrasound image data sets are synthesized according to an evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit, and   the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit performs edge detection with respect to the ultrasound image data sets and performs anisotropic aspect evaluation based on a fact that an edge of a predetermined length are extracted continuously as a result of the edge detection.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing unit synthesizes the plurality of ultrasound image data sets by a synthesis method according to the evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.   
     
     
         3 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit detects an anisotropic site showing the anisotropic aspect of ultrasound wave reflection; and   the image processing unit applies different synthesis methods for a part where the anisotropic site is detected by the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit and a part other than the part where the anisotropic site is detected when generating the synthetic image data.   
     
     
         4 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 a depth rate of a receive focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers of the receive signals which are to be used for performing phasing addition is set to 0.8 or smaller.   
     
     
         5 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein if a depth rate of a receive focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers of the receive signals which are to be used for performing phasing addition is set to a receive F value and a depth rate of a transmission focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers for transmitting the ultrasound waves is set to a transmission F value, a rate of the transmission F value with respect to the receive F value is set to 3 or greater. 
     
     
         6 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the transmitting unit sets a transmission/reception condition for performing the transmission and reception of the ultrasound waves according to the evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit and performs the ultrasound scanning under the set transmission/reception condition, and   the image processing unit generates the synthetic image data in which a plurality of ultrasound image data sets generated from receive signals obtained as a result of performing the ultrasound scanning under the set transmission/reception condition.   
     
     
         7 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 the transmitting unit sets a direction in which the transmission and reception of the ultrasound waves are to be performed as the transmission/reception condition to be set according to the evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 the transmitting unit sets the number of scan regions in which the ultrasound scanning is to be performed as the transmission/reception condition to be set according to the evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.   
     
     
         9 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 the transmitting unit sets the transducers of the receive signals to be used to performing phase addition as the transmission/reception condition to be set according to the evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.   
     
     
         10 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 a depth rate of a receive focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers of the receive signals to be used for performing phasing addition is set to 0.8 or smaller after the transmission/reception condition is set.   
     
     
         11 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein if a depth rate of a receive focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers for the receive signals which are to be used for performing phasing addition is set to a receive F value and a depth rate of a transmission focal point with respect to an aperture formed of the transducers for transmitting the ultrasound waves is set to a transmission F value, a rate of the transmission F value with respect to the receive F value is set to 3 or greater after the transmission/reception condition is set. 
     
     
         12 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit calculate a luminescence difference at an overlapping part in the scan regions of two ultrasound image data sets among the plurality of ultrasound image data sets and evaluates an anisotropic aspect of a part where the calculated luminescence difference is equal to a predetermined threshold or greater.   
     
     
         13 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit calculates a coherence factor, which is a rate of a coherence sum with respect to an incoherence sum, based on the receive signals respectively obtained by the transducers, the receive signals being obtained by the plurality of transducers and not yet subjected to phase addition.   
     
     
         14 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit performs anisotropic aspect evaluation by detecting that a specific frequency component is continuously included the receive signals.   
     
     
         15 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit performs anisotropic aspect evaluation by detecting that a predetermined waveform pattern is included in waveforms of the receive signals on which envelope detection is performed.   
     
     
         16 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit calculates a luminescence difference at an overlapping part in the scan regions of two ultrasound image data sets among the plurality of ultrasound image data sets and performs anisotropic aspect evaluation based on a size of the calculated luminescence difference.   
     
     
         17 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit performs spatial frequency analysis with respect to the ultrasound image data sets and performs anisotropic aspect evaluation based on results of the spatial frequency analysis.   
     
     
         18 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit performs anisotropic aspect evaluation by detecting that a predetermined anisotropic site image pattern is included in the ultrasound image data sets.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit calculates a correlation coefficient of two ultrasound image data sets among the plurality of ultrasound image data sets by a predetermined correlation operation and performs anisotropic aspect evaluation based on the calculated correlation coefficient.   
     
     
         21 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit executes a plurality of types of evaluation methods for anisotropic aspect evaluation, and   the image processing unit generates the synthetic image data according to an anisotropic aspect evaluation result on condition that the anisotropic aspect evaluation is performed by applying at least a predetermined number of types of evaluation methods among the plurality of types of evaluation methods.   
     
     
         22 . The ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the transmitting unit sets a transmission/reception condition for performing the transmission and reception of the ultrasound waves according to an anisotropic aspect evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit and performs the ultrasound scanning under the set transmission/reception condition, and   the image processing unit generates the synthetic image data by synthesizing a plurality of ultrasound image data sets generated from receive signals obtained as a result of performing the ultrasound scanning under the set transmission/reception condition by a synthesis method according to an anisotropic aspect evaluation result of the anisotropic aspect evaluation unit.   
     
     
         23 - 25 . (canceled)