Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe;

an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit configured to repeatedly transmit/receive an ultrasonic wave N times for each of a plurality of ultrasonic rasters via the ultrasonic probe and generate a plurality of echo signals;

an echo processing unit configured to generate complex data based on the echo signals;

a phase shifting unit configured to shift a phase of each ensemble data constituted by N complex data associated with the same depth on the same ultrasonic raster in accordance with a reference phase;

an interpolation processing unit configured to interpolate ensemble data associated with an interpolated raster between adjacent ultrasonic rasters based on the phase-shifted ensemble data; and

an image data generation unit configured to generate image data based on the phase-shifted ensemble data and the interpolated ensemble data, wherein the phase shifting unit specifies an average of a phase difference between a phase of N/2th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase and a phase difference between a phase of ((N/2)+1)th complex data and the reference phase when the number N is an even number.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the interpolation processing unit calculates a real part average and imaginary part average of ensemble data associated with the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image data generation unit generates image data associated with movement information of a blood flow or another moving object by performing autocorrelation processing for the ensemble data.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the phase shifting unit specifies a phase difference between a phase of ((N+1)/2)th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase when the number N is an odd number.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the phase shifting unit shifts phases of N complex data constituting the ensemble data in accordance with the phase difference.

6. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe;

an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit configured to repeatedly transmit/receive an ultrasonic wave N times for each of a plurality of ultrasonic rasters via the ultrasonic probe and generate a plurality of echo signals;

an echo processing unit configured to generate complex data based on the echo signals;

a phase shifting unit configured to shift a phase of each ensemble data constituted by N complex data associated with the same depth on the same ultrasonic raster in accordance with a reference phase;

an interpolation processing unit configured to interpolate ensemble data associated with an interpolated raster between adjacent ultrasonic rasters based on the phase-shifted ensemble data; and

an image data generation unit configured to generate image data based on the phase-shifted ensemble data and the interpolated ensemble data,

wherein the phase shifting unit specifies an average of a phase difference between a phase of N/2th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase and a phase difference between a phase of ((N/2)+1)th complex data and the reference phase when the number N is an even number, wherein the phase shifting unit shifts phases of the N complex data constituting the ensemble data in accordance with the average of the phase differences.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reference phase is set to 0°.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of any of complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of complex data, of N complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters, which is located in the middle on a time axis.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recording a program code for causing a computer to implement

signal storage means for storing a plurality of echo signals, the plurality of echo signals being generated by repeatedly transmitting/receiving an ultrasonic wave N times for each of a plurality of ultrasonic rasters,

data generation means for generating complex data based on the echo signals,

phase shifting means for shifting a phase of each ensemble data constituted by N complex data associated with the same depth on the same ultrasonic raster in accordance with a reference phase,

interpolation processing means for interpolating ensemble data associated with an interpolated raster between adjacent ultrasonic rasters based on the phase-shifted ensemble data, and

image data generation means for generating image data based on the phase-shifted ensemble data and the interpolated ensemble data, wherein the phase shifting means specifies an average of a phase difference between a phase of N/2th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase and a phase difference between a phase of ((N/2)+1)th complex data and the reference phase when the number N is an even number.

11. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the interpolation processing means calculates a real part average and imaginary part average of ensemble data associated with the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

12. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the image data generation means generates image data associated with movement information of a blood flow or another moving object by performing autocorrelation processing for the ensemble data.

13. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the phase shifting means specifies a phase difference between a phase of ((N+1)/2)th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase when the number N is an odd number.

14. The non-transitory medium according to claim 13 , wherein the phase shifting means shifts phases of N complex data constituting the ensemble data in accordance with the phase difference.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recording a program code for causing a computer to implement

signal storage means for storing a plurality of echo signals, the plurality of echo signals being generated by repeatedly transmitting/receiving an ultrasonic wave N times for each of a plurality of ultrasonic rasters,

data generation means for generating complex data based on the echo signals,

phase shifting means for shifting a phase of each ensemble data constituted by N complex data associated with the same depth on the same ultrasonic raster in accordance with a reference phase,

interpolation processing means for interpolating ensemble data associated with an interpolated raster between adjacent ultrasonic rasters based on the phase-shifted ensemble data, and

image data generation means for generating image data based on the phase-shifted ensemble data and the interpolated ensemble data, wherein the phase shifting means specifies an average of a phase difference between a phase of N/2th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase and a phase difference between a phase of ((N/2)+1)th complex data and the reference phase when the number N is an even number, wherein the phase shifting means shifts phases of the N complex data constituting the ensemble data in accordance with the average of the phase differences.

16. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the reference phase is set to 0°.

17. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of any of complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

18. The non-transitory medium according to claim 10 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of complex data, of N complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters, which is located in the middle on a time axis.

19. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the image data generation unit generates image data associated with movement information of a blood flow or another moving object by performing autocorrelation processing for the ensemble data.

20. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the phase shifting unit specifies a phase difference between a phase of ((N+1)/2)th complex data of the ensemble data and the reference phase when the number N is an odd number.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the phase shifting unit shifts phases of N complex data constituting the ensemble data in accordance with the phase difference.

22. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the reference phase is set to 0°.

23. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of any of complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

24. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of complex data, of N complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters, which is located in the middle on a time axis.

25. The non-transitory medium according to claim 15 , wherein the reference phase is set to 0°.

26. The non-transitory medium according to claim 15 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of any of complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters.

27. The non-transitory medium according to claim 15 , wherein the reference phase is set to a phase angle of complex data, of N complex data constituting ensemble data associated with one of the adjacent ultrasonic rasters, which is located in the middle on a time axis.