Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus
View Patent ↗An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasound probe having a plurality of piezoelectric transducers to transmit ultrasound waves to a subject and to receive echoes from the subject, a driving unit which generates a plurality of driving signals corresponding to the plurality of piezoelectric transducers to generate the ultrasound waves therefrom, a Doppler signal detecting unit which detects Doppler signals based on the echoes, a spectrum data generating unit which generates spectrum data based on the detected Doppler signals, and a display unit which displays the spectrum data. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus further comprises a controller which controls the driving unit to switch, in synchronization with a biomedical signal of the subject, a high-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively high and a low-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively low.
1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound probe having a plurality of piezoelectric transducers to transmit ultrasound waves to a subject and to receive echoes from the subject;
a driving unit configured to generate a plurality of driving signals corresponding to the plurality of piezoelectric transducers to generate the ultrasound waves therefrom;
a controller configured to control the driving unit to switch, in synchronization with a biomedical signal of the subject, between a high-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively high and a low-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively low;
a Doppler signal detecting unit configured to detect Doppler signals based on the echoes;
a spectrum data generating unit configured to generate spectrum data based on the detected Doppler signals;
a display unit configured to display the spectrum data and configured to display an electrocardiographic waveform of the subject together with an adjustable line mark corresponding to a continuance period of the high-power mode, wherein the controller initially sets the line mark corresponding to a partial period of a heartbeat cycle of the subject; and
an operating unit allowing an operator to adjust a position and a length of the line mark, and the controller sets the continuance period of the high-power mode in accordance with the position and the length of the line mark as adjusted by the operator,
wherein three among four parameters of a driving voltage V H in the high-power mode, a high-power mode driving period τ 2 , a driving voltage V L in the low-power mode, and a low-power mode driving period τ 3 are set by the operator, and the other parameter not set by the operation is determined in accordance with formula
K ( V H 2 τ2+ V L 2 τ3)/(τ2+τ3)< W 0
in which W 0 is an upper limit of transmitted acoustic power permitted per unit time.
2. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operating unit is further configured to allow individually setting a heart rate in which the high-power mode is continued and a heart rate in which the low-power mode is continued.
3. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the driving signal of the high-power mode is larger in voltage amplitude than the driving signal of the low-power mode.
4. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the driving signal of the high-power mode is substantially equal in center frequency to the driving signal of the low-power mode.
5. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cine-data generating unit configured to generate cine-data by connecting the spectrum data obtained in the high-power mode.
6. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the driving unit alternately switches the piezoelectric transducers driven in the high-power mode between first and second piezoelectric transducers of the ultrasound probe for each continuance period of the high-power mode.
7. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound probe having a plurality of piezoelectric transducers to transmit ultrasound waves to a subject and to receive echoes from the subject;
a driving unit configured to generate a plurality of driving signals corresponding to the plurality of piezoelectric transducers to scan the inside of the subject with the ultrasound waves;
a controller configured to control the driving unit to switch, in synchronization with a biomedical signal of the subject, between a high-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively high and a low-power mode in which amplitude of the driving signal is relatively low;
a data image generating unit configured to generate image data based on the echoes;
a display unit configured to display the image data and configured to display an electrocardiographic waveform of the subject together with an adjustable line mark corresponding to a continuance period of the high-power mode, wherein the controller initially sets the line mark corresponding to a partial period of a heartbeat cycle of the subject; and
an operating unit allowing an operator to adjust a position and a length of the line mark, and the controller sets the continuance period of the high-power mode in accordance with the position and the length of the line mark as adjusted by the operator,
wherein three among four parameters of a driving voltage V H in the high-power mode, a high-power mode driving period τ 2 , a driving voltage V L in the low-power mode, and a low-power mode driving period τ 3 are set by the operator, and the other parameter not set by the operator is determined in accordance with formula
K ( V H 2 τ2+ V L 2 τ3)/(τ2+τ3)< W 0
in which W 0 is an upper limit of transmitted acoustic power permitted per unit time.