Apparatus and method for ultrasonic diagnostic imaging
View Patent ↗An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and method wherein both imaging of a contrast effect and imaging of a tissue appearance before and after inflow of a contrast medium can be realized on condition that low-power transmission and a high frame rate are maintained. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a transmission/reception unit for transmitting subject ultrasonic waves with a band substantially centered at a fundamental frequency and generating a received signal based on an ultrasonic echo from the subject, a harmonic unit for extracting a signal of a harmonic component of the fundamental frequency included in the received signal and extracting a signal of the fundamental component with the band substantially centered the fundamental frequency included in the received signal, and a display unit for generating a display image based on the extracted harmonic and fundamental components.
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for obtaining an ultrasonic image of an object body, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave;
a receiver configured to receive an echo signal reflected from the object body in response to the ultrasonic wave and to generate a reception signal based on the echo signal;
a filter configured to adjust intensity of each of a fundamental component and a harmonic component from the reception signal by a filter characteristic,
wherein an amplification of the harmonic component is larger than an amplification of the fundamental component,
wherein a relative intensity of the harmonic component is adjusted to be larger than the intensity of the fundamental component;
an input unit configured to input a parameter for controlling a ratio of the amplification of the fundamental component and the amplification of the harmonic component by an operator;
an adjusting unit configured to adjust the ratio according to the parameter; and
a display configured to display the ultrasonic image.
2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises:
a digital complex filter having an asymmetric frequency characteristic.
3. An ultrasonic diagnostic method for obtaining an ultrasonic image of an object body, comprising:
transmitting an ultrasonic wave;
receiving an echo signal reflected from the object body in response to the ultrasonic wave and generating a reception signal based on the echo signal;
adjusting intensity of each of a fundamental component and a harmonic component from the reception signal by a filter characteristic,
wherein an amplification of the harmonic component is larger than an amplification of the fundamental component,
wherein a relative intensity of the harmonic component is adjusted to be larger than the intensity of the fundamental component;
inputting a parameter for controlling a ratio of the amplification of the fundamental component and the amplification of the harmonic component by an operator;
adjusting the ratio according to the parameter; and
displaying the ultrasonic image.