JPH04224738A - Diagnosis part discriminator and scan parameter setting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve an automatic discrimination of a diagnosis part of an image obtained with an ultrasonic diagnostic device and to set a scan parameter of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus automatically to an optimum value. CONSTITUTION:An image data of a frame memory 24 of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 is compressed to be written into a compression data memory 5 and an image pattern is extracted from a compression data to be collated with a pattern data stored previously in a pattern memory 8. A diagnosis part corresponding to a similar pattern data is obtained and outputted. A scan parameter stored previously in a system memory 9 corresponding to the pattern data is taken out to be fed back to a beam former 23 of the ultrasonic diagnostic device 21. Thus, a better monitor display can be obtained to achieve a higher diagnosis efficiency and usefulness as aid to diagnosis in the observation of a treating process of a patient, the discovery of abnormality and the like.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a diagnostic region discriminating device and a scan parameter setting device, and more particularly to a device and an ultrasonic diagnostic device for automatically determining which diagnostic region an image obtained by scanning with an ultrasonic diagnostic device belongs to. The present invention relates to a device that automatically sets scan parameters of a sonic diagnostic device to optimal parameter values.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Optimum parameter values for scan parameters such as gain and dynamic range in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus differ depending on the diagnosis site. For this reason, in the past, the operator recognized the diagnostic site and directly input each parameter value according to the diagnostic site into the ultrasound diagnostic device, or the number of each parameter value preset in the ultrasound diagnostic device in advance. One of the street combinations is selected.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, with the recent advances in diagnostic technology and the sophistication of the performance of ultrasound diagnostic equipment, the types of scan parameters have increased significantly, so all parameter values must be input directly by the operator. It has become difficult. Furthermore, in a method in which combinations of parameter values are preset, the number of combinations has increased, making it difficult for the operator to select them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that automatically determines which diagnostic region an image obtained by scanning with an ultrasound diagnostic device belongs to, and a device that uses the results of the determination to determine scan parameters of the ultrasound diagnostic device. An object of the present invention is to provide a scan parameter setting device that automatically sets optimum parameter values.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A diagnostic site discriminating device of the present invention includes: an image data reading means for reading image data from an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus; an image pattern extraction means for extracting an image pattern from the read image data; a pattern data storage means for storing pattern data corresponding to a diagnostic region; a search means for searching the pattern data storage means to find pattern data similar to the extracted image pattern; The present invention is characterized in that it includes a diagnostic part output means for outputting a corresponding diagnostic part.

[0006] The scan parameter setting device of the present invention includes an image data reading means for reading image data from an ultrasound diagnostic device, an image pattern extraction means for extracting an image pattern from the read image data, and a device corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic regions. A pattern data storage means for storing pattern data, a search means for searching the pattern data storage means for finding pattern data similar to the extracted image pattern, and outputting a diagnostic part corresponding to the similar pattern data. a scan parameter storage means for storing scan parameters corresponding to a plurality of diagnosis regions; and a scan parameter storage means for retrieving scan parameters corresponding to the diagnosis region outputted by the diagnosis region output means from the scan parameter storage means. The present invention is characterized in that it includes scan data feedback means for feeding back to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0007]

[Operation] In the diagnostic site discriminating device of the present invention, an image pattern is extracted from image data obtained from an ultrasonic diagnostic device, and the image pattern has common characteristics depending on the diagnostic site. On the other hand, pattern data corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic sites well represents the characteristics of each corresponding diagnostic site. As a result, if pattern data similar to the image pattern is obtained, the pattern data will be of the same diagnostic region as the image data. Therefore, by extracting the diagnostic site corresponding to the pattern data, the diagnostic site of the image data can be estimated.

In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the scan parameter setting device of the present invention stores the optimal scan parameters corresponding to the diagnostic region. Therefore, if the diagnostic region can be estimated with the above-mentioned configuration, the optimal scan parameter for the diagnostic region can be estimated. Parameter values can be retrieved immediately. Therefore, by feeding this back to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, scan parameters can be automatically set.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. Note that this invention is not limited to this. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 and a scan pattern setting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This scan pattern setting device 1 includes:
This scan pattern setting device 1 will be explained because it includes the diagnostic site discriminating device of the present invention.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 has basically the same configuration as the conventional one, and includes a probe 22, a beam former 23, a frame memory 24, a monitor display section 25, and a read address generation section 26. It has become.

The scan pattern setting device 1 includes a data compression section 2, a data selector 3, an address selector 4, a compressed data memory 5, a pattern memory 8, a system memory 9, and a CPU 10. There is.

The data compression unit 2 outputs the data (512 pixels×
Load the image data (512 pixels x 6 bits),
Take the OR of the upper 2 bits of the 6-bit data of each pixel (512 pixels x 512 pixels x 1 bit)
Generates compressed data.

[0013] The data selector 3 includes the data compressor 2
This is a switch for connecting the CPU data bus 7 to the compressed data memory 5 or the CPU data bus 7 to the compressed data memory 5. Which one to switch to is controlled by the CPU 10.

The address selector 4 selects the read address generator 26 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 from the compressed data memory 5.
This switch is used to select whether to connect the CPU address bus 6 to the compressed data memory 5 or to connect the CPU address bus 6 to the compressed data memory 5. Which one to switch to is controlled by the CPU 10.

The compressed data memory 5 stores the compressed data input via the data selector 3 in response to a read address from the read address generator 26 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 input via the address selector 4. Remember. Further, the stored compressed data is outputted to the CPU data bus 6 via the data selector 3 according to the address from the CPU address bus 7 inputted via the address selector 4.

The pattern memory 8 stores pattern data having a characteristic pattern common to images obtained from a certain diagnostic site, corresponding to a large number of diagnostic sites.

The system memory 9 stores a system program for the scan pattern setting device 1, and also stores combinations of parameter values that are optimal for scanning a certain diagnostic site, corresponding to a large number of diagnostic sites. It is associated with the pattern data in the pattern memory 8.

The CPU 10 switches the data selector 3 and the address selector 4 to store compressed data in the compressed data memory 5 or to retrieve the compressed data from the compressed data memory 5. Then, an image pattern is extracted from the extracted compressed data, and the image pattern is compared with a large number of pattern data stored in the pattern memory 8 to find similar pattern data (finding this similar pattern data is as follows: (equivalent to determining the diagnostic site).

For the process of extracting an image pattern from compressed data, it is sufficient to select and use one of various conventionally known processes by installing an appropriate number of processes in consideration of the performance of the system. Alternatively, it may be carried out as follows. When there is compressed data as shown in FIG. 2(a),
Through the expansion process, interpolated data as shown in FIG. 2(b) is obtained. Next, an area such as A in FIG. 2B is sorted out by isolated area detection and removal processing. Finally, by performing thinning processing, an image pattern as shown in FIG. 2(c) is obtained. Here, if the original image data of the compressed data that well represents the characteristics of the diagnosed region is selected and an image pattern is obtained from it, the image pattern can be used as pattern data to be stored in the pattern memory 9. In this case, the pattern data is stored in the pattern memory 9.
At the same time, the corresponding scan parameters are stored in the system memory 9. This function allows the user to arbitrarily register desired scan parameters.

[0020] The process of determining whether or not an image pattern and pattern data are similar is performed by selecting one of various conventionally known processes by installing appropriate processes in consideration of system performance. You can use it by doing so. Alternatively, the following procedure may be used. When comparing an image pattern as shown in FIG. 3(a) with pattern data as shown in FIG. 3(b), attention is paid to one pixel whose data on the pattern data is "1". Next, attention is paid to the pixel at the position on the image data corresponding to that pixel. Next, the data “
It is determined whether a pixel of "1""exists". This is performed for all pixels whose data on the pattern data is "1". Then, the number of times it is determined that "exists" is divided by the number of all pixels whose data on the pattern data is "1", and if the value is greater than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the pixels are "similar".

[0021] When the CPU 10 finds similar pattern data as described above, it selects a pattern corresponding to the found pattern data from among the combinations of parameter values stored in the system memory 9 in correspondence with a large number of pattern data. A combination of each parameter value is found and fed back to the beam former 23 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 21 as a scan parameter.

As described above, the scan parameter setting device 1 essentially estimates the diagnosis site based on the image data obtained by the ultrasound diagnostic device 21, and sets the optimal scan parameters for the diagnostic region to the ultrasound diagnostic device 21. Feedback to 21. Therefore, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 21 automatically scans with the optimal scan parameters without the operator directly inputting each parameter value or selecting one of the preset combinations of parameter values. It can be done like this.

Another embodiment is one in which the scan parameter setting operation is not performed all the time, but is performed in response to instructions from an operator. Further, there are methods in which image data is compressed not by ORing the upper two bits but by ORing other bits, and by performing threshold determination. Another example is one that feeds back to a DSC or the like instead of feeding back to a beamformer. Another example is one in which the image data is not read from the frame memory but as sound ray data before being written into the frame memory. Also, DSP instead of CPU
Examples include those that use Further, there are systems in which an operator can switch the method of image pattern extraction processing and similar judgment processing according to usage conditions, or automatic switching is possible using AI.

[0024] The diagnostic site discriminating device and scan parameter setting device of the present invention may be built into an ultrasonic diagnostic device.

[0025]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the diagnostic site discrimination device of the present invention,
It becomes possible to automatically determine the diagnosis site in images obtained with an ultrasonic diagnostic device. Therefore, for example, past images of the same diagnostic site of the same patient that have been stocked in advance are automatically retrieved from an external storage device and displayed side by side with the images,
It can be useful for observing the progress of treatment and discovering new abnormalities by examining similarities.

Further, according to the scan parameter setting device of the present invention, the diagnostic region of the image of the ultrasound diagnostic device is automatically determined, and the optimal scan parameters according to the diagnostic region are set to the ultrasound diagnostic device. It can be set automatically. Therefore, the burden on the operator is reduced, and a good monitor display can always be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a scan parameter setting device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of image pattern extraction processing.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of similarity determination processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Scan parameter setting device 2 Data compression unit 5 Compressed data memory 6 CPU data bus 7 CPU address bus 8 Pattern memory 9 System memory 10 CPU 21 Ultrasonic diagnostic device 23 Beam former 24 Frame memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: Image data reading means for reading image data from an ultrasound diagnostic device, image pattern extraction means for extracting an image pattern from the read image data, and storing pattern data corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic regions. A pattern data storage means, a search means for searching the pattern data storage means to find pattern data similar to the extracted image pattern, and a diagnosis part output means for outputting a diagnosis part corresponding to the similar pattern data. A diagnostic site discriminating device comprising: 2. Image data reading means for reading image data from an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, image pattern extraction means for extracting image patterns from the read image data, and storing pattern data corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic regions. a pattern data storage means, a search means for searching the pattern data storage means to find pattern data similar to the extracted image pattern, and a diagnostic region output means for outputting a diagnostic region corresponding to the similar pattern data; a scan parameter storage means for storing scan parameters corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic regions; and a scan parameter corresponding to the diagnostic region outputted by the diagnostic region output means, which is retrieved from the scan parameter storage means and sent to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. 1. A scan parameter setting device comprising: scan data feedback means for feeding back.