Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and ultrasonic image processing apparatus
View Patent ↗According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment which executes ultrasound scanning over a two-dimensional or three-dimensional region in a subject, includes a cross-section detecting unit which detects an MPR position corresponding to at least one predetermined reference cross-section of the heart by use of at least one volume data obtained by executing ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region containing at least a portion of the heart of the subject, an image generating unit which generates an MPR image corresponding to the MPR position, a display unit which displays the MPR image, and an image acquisition unit which executes ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region in the subject under the reference of the MPR position to obtain at least one two-dimensional image regarding the two-dimensional region.
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic equipment which separately executes two-dimensional ultrasound scanning and three-dimensional ultrasound scanning in a subject, comprising:
a processor which detects a multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) position corresponding to at least one predetermined reference cross-section of a heart of the subject by use of at least one volume data obtained by executing the three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over a three-dimensional region containing at least a portion of the heart of the subject;
an image generating unit which generates an MPR image corresponding to the detected MPR position from the at least one volume data;
a display which displays the MPR image; and
an image acquisition unit which automatically switches an ultrasound scanning region from the three-dimensional region to a two-dimensional region in the subject, the two-dimensional region being determined by the MPR position, and executes the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region to obtain a two-dimensional image regarding the two-dimensional region.
2. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition unit executes the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region determined by the MPR position so that the two-dimensional image becomes substantially the same as the MPR image corresponding to the MPR position.
3. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition unit executes the three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region followed by the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region by use of a same ultrasound probe.
4. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition unit executes the three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region and the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region by use of different ultrasound probes.
5. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further executes a measurement process of the heart by use of the two-dimensional image.
6. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processor detects any one of a 4-chamber view, a 2-chamber view, an apical long axis view, and a short axis view of the left ventricle as the at least one predetermined reference cross-section of the heart.
7. The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the display simultaneously displays at least the two-dimensional image and the MPR image.
8. An ultrasonic image processing apparatus, comprising:
an image acquisition unit which automatically switches an ultrasound scanning region from a three-dimensional region to a two-dimensional region in the subject, the two-dimensional region being determined by a multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) position, and executes the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region to obtain a two-dimensional image regarding the two-dimensional region, wherein the MPR position corresponds to at least one predetermined reference cross-section of the heart of the subject and is detected by use of at least one volume data, which is obtained by executing three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region containing at least a portion of the heart;
a memory which stores the two-dimensional image and the at least one volume data;
a display which displays at least the two-dimensional image; and
a processor which executes a measurement process of the heart by use of the displayed two-dimensional image.
9. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the two-dimensional image is obtained by two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region determined by the MPR position so that the two-dimensional image becomes substantially the same as an MPR image corresponding to the MPR position.
10. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the two-dimensional image is obtained by the three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region followed by the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region with the same ultrasound probe.
11. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the two-dimensional image is obtained by the three-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the three-dimensional region and the two-dimensional ultrasound scanning over the two-dimensional region with different ultrasound probes.
12. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the MPR position which becomes a reference is any one of a 4-chamber view, a 2-chamber view, an apical long axis view and a short axis tomography of the left ventricle as the at least one predetermined reference cross-section of the heart.
13. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the display simultaneously displays at least the two-dimensional image and an MPR image.