Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for elasticity imaging

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to:

set correlation windows to two echo signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound to and from a biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays;

perform a correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows to calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in the biological tissue;

generate elastic image data of the biological tissue with respect to an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculate an average value (Xr AV ) of the physical quantities in the elastic image forming region for every frame;

calculate a ratio (Ra) of the average value (Xr AV ) to a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity; and

indicate the calculated ratio.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to calculate the average value (Xr AV ) of physical quantities obtained with respect to the correlation windows in which the correlation arithmetic operation is performed using correlation coefficients each greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calculated ratios (Ra) obtained for every frame, by the at least one hardware processor, are averaged over a plurality of frames and transmitted to a notification unit.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit configured to indicate the calculated ratio (Ra) by at least any one of a graph, a bar, color, a numeric value, and a pitch of a sound.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to:

set correlation windows to two echo signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound to and from a biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays;

perform a correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows to calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in the biological tissue;

generate elastic image data of the biological tissue with respect to an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculate, for every frame in the elastic image forming region, an average value (C AV ) of correlation coefficients at the correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows;

calculate a ratio (Ra) of the average value (C AV ) to a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity; and

indicate the calculated ratio (Ra).

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the average values (C AV ) of correlation coefficients obtained for every frame are averaged over a plurality of frames and transmitted to a notification unit.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a notification unit configured to indicate the calculated ratio (Ra) by at least any one of a graph, a bar, color, a numeric value, and a pitch of a sound.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to:

calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in a biological tissue based on two echo signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound to and from the biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays;

generate elastic image data of the biological tissue with respect to an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculate, for every frame in the elastic image forming region, an average value (Xr AV ) of the physical quantities obtained with respect to correlation windows in which a correlation arithmetic operation is performed using correlation coefficients greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;

calculate a ratio (Ra) of the average (Xr AV ) to a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity;

calculate, for every frame in the elastic image forming region, an average value (C AV ) of the correlation coefficients at the correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows;

multiply the calculated ratio (Ra) and the calculated average value (C AV ) by each other; and

indicate the multiplication.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to perform a weighted arithmetic operation on the calculated ratio (Ra) and the calculated average value (C AV ).

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the multiplications obtained for every frame are averaged over a plurality of frames and transmitted to a notification unit.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to perform a weighted arithmetic operation on the calculated ratio (Ra) and the calculated average value (C AV ).

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a notification unit configured to indicate the multiplication by at least any one of a graph, a bar, color, a numeric value, and a pitch of a sound.

13. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to:

calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in a biological tissue based on two echo signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound to and from the biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays;

generate elastic image data of the biological tissue in an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculate, for every frame in the elastic image forming region, an average value (Xr AV ) of the physical quantities obtained with respect to correlation windows in which a correlation arithmetic operation is performed using correlation coefficients greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;

calculate a ratio (Ra) of the average value(Xr AV ) to a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity;

calculate, for every frame in the elastic image forming region, an average value (C AV ) of the correlation coefficients at the correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows;

multiply the calculated ratio (Ra) and the calculated average value (C AV ) by each other;

indicate at least one of the calculated ratio (Ra), the calculated average value (C AV ), and the multiplication; and

input instructions for switching to a notification unit.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a notification unit configured to indicate at least one of the the calculated ratio (Ra), the calculated average value (C AV ), and the multiplication by at least any one of a graph, a bar, color, a numeric value, and a pitch of a sound.

15. A method of generating an elastic image comprising the steps of:

setting, by at least one hardware processor, correlation windows to two echo signals obtained by transmission/reception of ultrasound to and from a biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays;

performing, by the at least one hardware processor, a correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows to thereby calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in the biological tissue;

generating, by the at least one hardware processor, elastic image data of the biological tissue with respect to an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculating, by the at least one hardware processor, an average value (Xr AV ) of the physical quantities in the elastic image forming region for every frame;

calculating, by the at least one hardware processor, a ratio (Ra) of the average value (Xr AV ) and a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity; and

indicating the calculated ratio (Ra).

16. A method of generating an elastic image comprising the steps of:

setting, by at least one hardware processor, correlation windows to two echo signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound to and from a biological tissue and different in time on the same sound rays and performing a correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows to thereby calculate physical quantities related to elasticity of respective regions in the biological tissue;

generating bye at least one hardware processor, elastic image data of the biological tissue with respect to an elastic image forming region of a transmission/reception surface of the ultrasound based on the physical quantities;

calculating, by the at least one hardware processor, for every frame in the elastic image forming region an average value (C AV ) of correlation coefficients at the correlation arithmetic operation between the correlation windows;

calculating, by the at least one hardware processor, a ratio (Ra) of the average value (C AV ) and a preset average value (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities, wherein the preset average value) (Xi AV ) of the physical quantities corresponds to an ideal value when at least one of a pressure and a relaxation of the biological tissue is performed by an ultrasonic probe, and wherein the calculated ratio (Ra) is indicative of whether the pressure and the relaxation are being performed with suitable intensity; and

indicating the calculated ratio (Ra).