1647 results about "Ultrasound diagnostics" patented technology

In the event that images are acquired for multiple cross-sections (multiple phases) by a predetermined imaging mode in an examination under stress to a subject, images of the same phase acquired by the same imaging mode in an examination before stress to the subject is read and simultaneously displayed as reference images together with current images. The operator can bring the cross-sectional position in the examination under stress in correspondence to the position of the examination before stress by comparing the displayed reference images with the current image.

In one aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic device that simultaneously displays an IMT and the elastic indices of a blood vessel to accurately determine, through composite observations, the risk for developing arteriosclerosis. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic device including: an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasound to a body under test and that receives ultrasonic echo reflected of the body under test to output a reception signal; image data generation means that generates, based on the reception signal output from the ultrasonic probe, image data representing an ultrasonic image on a blood vessel of the body under test; IMT measurement means that measures, based on the image data generated by the image data generation means, an IMT (intima media thickness) of the blood vessel; elastic index measurement means that determines, based on the image data generated by the image data generation means, a value representing an elastic index of the blood vessel; and display means that displays a two-dimensional coordinate system in which the IMT is represented on a first coordinate axis and the value representing the elastic index of the blood vessel is represented on a second coordinate axis.

A local user obtains data on the response of internal tissues of a subject to a non-invasive imaging system, choosing sensor positions according to a geometric display. The data obtained are evaluated with respect to predefined quantitative values. The process of obtaining and processing the internal tissue response data is repeated until an image meeting predetermined image quality characteristics is obtained. Specific or general content of the image may be restricted by the local processor, with a distal processor receiving the obtained image data, so as to limit specific or general types of image information from being viewed by the local user, such as image data that can be used to identify the sex of a fetus within the subject.

A composite piezoelectric material capable of reducing a peak temperature of a vibrator array to be used for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic waves in ultrasonic imaging. The composite piezoelectric material includes: plural piezoelectric materials arranged along a flat surface or curved surface; and an anisotropic heat conducting material having a higher coefficient of thermal conductivity in at least one direction and provided between the plural piezoelectric materials and / or at outer peripheries of the plural piezoelectric materials.

An ultrasonic probe is disclosed which includes a cMUT chip having a plurality of vibration elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity is changed according to a bias voltage and transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an acoustic lens arranged above the cMUT chip, and a backing layer arranged below the cMUT chip. An electric leakage preventing unit is provided at the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface side of the acoustic lens or between the acoustic lens and the cMUT chip. The electric leakage preventing unit can be, for example, an insulating layer such as a ground layer. Such a structure makes it is possible to provide an ultrasonic probe capable of preventing electric leakage from the ultrasonic probe to an object to be examined so as to improve the electric safety and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the probe.

Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment is equipped with an ultrasonic probe that transmits / receives ultrasound to / from an examined body, a probe position sensor that detects the position and the direction of the ultrasonic probe, an image generator that generates image data based upon the output of the ultrasonic probe, a probe position sensor that detects the position and the direction of a puncture probe inserted into the examined body, a display image generator that generates the data of a display image in which the end position of the puncture probe is fixed to a specific position in an image display area according to the position and the direction of the ultrasonic probe and the position and the direction of the puncture probe based upon the image data and a display for displaying the display image in the image display area.

An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes an automatic contour extracting unit that contains an initial contour extracting unit for roughly extracting an initial contour of an object to be examined from an ultrasound image by performing a predetermined operation (such as equalization, binarization, and degeneration) on the ultrasound image. The automatic contour extracting unit also contains a dynamic contour extracting unit for accurately extracting a final contour of the object by using the extracted initial contour as an initial value and by applying an active contour model, such as the SNAKES model, to the object within the ultrasound image.

An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a machine-side connector receptacle, an electronics-side connector receptacle, a mechanical echo signal detecting unit for detecting an echo signal obtained by receiving waves in a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe connecting to the machine-side connector receptacle, an electronic echo signal detecting unit for detecting an echo signal obtained by receiving waves in an electronic scanning ultrasonic endoscope connecting to the electronics-side connector receptacle, and a signal processing unit for performing signal processing on the echo signal from the mechanical echo signal detecting unit and the echo signal from the electronic echo signal detecting unit.

A structure for adjusting the positional relationship between an ultrasonic transducer and a blood vessel such that an acoustic line from the ultrasonic transducer passes the center of a cross-section of the blood vessel for measuring an elasticity characteristic is provided.An ultrasonic probe includes a transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected by a tissue of a biological body; and a driving device for physically moving the transducer. For measuring the elasticity characteristic of the blood vessel by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the driving device moves the transducer based on a control signal from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to change at least one of a direction and a position at which the ultrasonic wave is to be transmitted. A determination section of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus specifies a position of the transducer at which the reflection intensity is maximum based on intensity information representing an intensity of the reflected wave. A calculation section of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus calculates the elasticity characteristic of the blood vessel at the specified position.