Ultrasonographic device

1. An ultrasonographic device for imaging the inside of an examinee, comprising:

transmission means configured to transmit an ultrasonic pulse signal from a transmission aperture of an ultrasonic element array to an examinee, the transmission means being configured to apply weighting to the transmission aperture of the ultrasonic element array using a Gaussian function, and to control a local focal length of the ultrasonic element array using a Lorentz function during one scanning period; and

reception means which receives the ultrasonic pulse reflected from the examinee,

wherein the transmission means is configured to tune a combination of: a parameter β of a differential said Gaussian function determining a spread of a transmission aperture weight, and a parameter α of the Lorentz function determining tendency of a change in the local focal length, to effect the transmitted ultrasonic pulse signal to contain a plurality of peaks with substantially equal transmission intensity in an azimuth direction,

a locus in a depth direction of each peak from the plurality of peaks is a substantially straight line parallel with scan lines of a sector scan, and

the Lorentz resonance function is expressed as a function of coordinates x and y on an array as follows:

f

⁡

(

x

,

y

)

=

f

1

-

(

1

+

α

1

+

α

2

1

+

α

1

⁢

x

2

+

α

2

⁢

y

2

-

1

)

⁢

f

1

-

f

0

α

1

+

α

2

wherein α 1 and α 2 are parameters of the Lorentz resonance function determining tendency in the local focal length and the Lorentz resonance function is set so that transmission beam widths are made constant in a range from a near local focal length f 0 to a far local focal length f 1 so it becomes possible to form four lobes parallel with scan lines of the sector scan and to form a predetermined angle.

2. The ultrasonographic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transmission means transmits the ultrasonic pulse signal by using a delay time weight for controlling delay time of a drive signal for driving any of ultrasonic elements constructing the transmission aperture so that a wave front of the ultrasonic pulse signal transmitted from the transmission aperture has a non-cylindrical shape or an aspherical shape, and an amplitude weight which controls a signed amplitude of a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic element array so as to form a plurality of focal points on each of focal planes in positions of a corresponding plurality of focal lengths.

3. The ultrasonographic device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the transmission means controls a wave front of the ultrasonic pulse signal transmitted from the transmission aperture so that curvature of a center portion in the transmission aperture becomes greater than that of the portion other than the center portion.

4. The ultrasonographic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the ultrasonic pulse signal having the peaks each drawing a locus, which is substantially a straight line is a group of parallel straight lines in a linear scan, a group of radial straight lines having a common intersecting point at one end of the imaging range in a sector scan, and a group of radial straight lines having a common intersecting point on the outside of the imaging range in a convex scan.

5. The ultrasonographic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein with an ultrasonic pulse signal transmitted from the transmission aperture of the ultrasonic element array to the examinee, four transmission/reception beams having substantially equal transmission intensity in the azimuth direction are generated per transmission beam where the ultrasonic element array is a one-dimensional array, and 16 transmission/reception beams having substantially equal transmission intensity in the azimuth direction are formed per transmission beam where the ultrasonic element array is a two-dimensional array.

6. An ultrasonographic device for imaging the inside of an examinee, comprising:

transmission means configured to transmit an ultrasonic pulse signal from a transmission aperture of an ultrasonic element array to an examinee, the transmission means being configured to apply weighting to the transmission aperture of the ultrasonic element array using a Gaussian function and to control a local focal length of the ultrasonic element array using a Lorentz function during one scanning period; and

reception means which receives the ultrasonic pulse reflected from the examinee,

wherein the transmission means is configured to tune a combination of: a parameter β of a differential said Gaussian function determining a spread of a transmission aperture weight, and a parameter α of the Lorentz function determining tendency of a change in the local focal length, to effect the transmitted ultrasonic pulse signal to contain a plurality of peaks with substantially equal transmission intensity in an azimuth direction, and a locus in a depth direction of each peak from the plurality of peaks is a substantially straight line parallel with scan lines of a sector scan; and

wherein the transmitted ultrasonic pulse signal contains at least four peaks with substantially equal transmission intensity in an azimuth direction per transmission beam, and a locus in a depth direction of each peak from the at least four peaks is a substantially straight line parallel with scan lines of a sector scan, and

the Lorentz resonance function is expressed as a function of coordinates x and y on an array as follows:

f

⁡

(

x

,

y

)

=

f

1

-

(

1

+

α

1

+

α

2

1

+

α

1

⁢

x

2

+

α

2

⁢

y

2

-

1

)

⁢

f

1

-

f

0

α

1

+

α

2

wherein α 1 and α 2 are parameters of the Lorentz resonance function determining tendency in the local focal length and the Lorentz resonance function is set so that transmission beam widths are made constant in a range from a near local focal length f 0 to a far local focal length f 1 , so it becomes possible to form four lobes parallel with scan lines of the sector scan and to form a predetermined angle.

7. The ultrasonographic device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the ultrasonic pulse signal having the peaks each drawing a locus, which is substantially a straight line, comprises a group of parallel straight lines in a linear scan, a group of radial straight lines having a common intersecting point at one end of an imaging range in a sector scan, and a group of radial straight lines having a common intersecting point on an outside of the imaging range in a convex scan.