Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a drive circuit configured to transmit a drive signal to an ultrasound transducer, a receiving circuit configured to receive an echo signal from the ultrasound transducer, and a processor. The processor obtains, based on the echo signal or a user input, target information containing at least one of a distance from the ultrasound transducer to a target region containing liquid or a size of the target region, and sets, based on the target information, a drive condition under which an acoustic streaming generating ultrasound transmitted by the ultrasound transducer generates acoustic streaming in the liquid in the target region.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus includes: a processor configured to transmit a signal for transmitting an ultrasound wave toward an observation point from an ultrasound probe, receive an echo signal that is obtained by converting an ultrasound wave into an electrical signal, generate information relating to an attenuation factor by comparing a first intensity of a first echo signal with a second intensity of a second echo signal, the first echo signal being a signal which, after being transmitted via a first path and being reflected by the observation point, has been received via the first path, the second echo signal being a signal which, after being reflected by the observation point, has been received via a second path, the second path being a path that is different from the first path and that is equal in length to the first path, and generate evaluation information representing a comparison result.

Abstract: An ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: a frequency analysis unit configured to analyze a frequency of a received ultrasonic wave to calculate a frequency spectrum; a feature-data extraction unit configured to approximate the frequency spectrum calculated by the frequency analysis unit to extract at least one piece of feature data from the frequency spectrum; and a feature-data image data generation unit configured to generate feature-data image data for displaying information corresponding to the feature data in accordance with one of a color display method in which hue varies depending on a value of the feature data, and a gray scale display method in which hue is constant regardless of the value of the feature data, depending on a relationship between the feature data extracted by the feature-data extraction unit and a threshold in the feature data, the threshold being constant regardless of a value of a display parameter of image data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: a frequency analysis unit that calculates a frequency spectrum for each of a plurality of locations in a predetermined region of a subject by analyzing frequency of the ultrasonic wave at the plurality of locations; a frequency spectrum approximate equation calculation unit that calculates an approximate equation of the frequency spectrum at the each location calculated by the frequency analysis unit; a deviation calculation unit that calculates deviation between the frequency spectrum at the each location calculated by the frequency analysis unit and the approximate equation of the frequency spectrum calculated correspondingly with the frequency spectrum by the frequency spectrum approximate equation calculation unit; and a deviation display image data generation unit that generates information related to the deviation.

Abstract: An ultrasonic observation includes a frequency analyzer that analyzes a frequency of an echo signal received from an ultrasonic probe for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a subject and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject, to calculate a frequency spectrum, a feature data calculator that calculates feature data reflecting a frequency spectrum shape specific to an artificial material, and an artificial material-highlighted image data generator that generates, based on the feature data, an image in which the artificial material is highlighted.

Abstract: An ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: a frequency analysis unit that calculates a frequency spectrum for each of a plurality of locations in a predetermined region of a subject by analyzing frequency of the ultrasonic wave at the plurality of locations; a frequency spectrum approximate equation calculation unit that calculates an approximate equation of the frequency spectrum at the each location calculated by the frequency analysis unit; a deviation calculation unit that calculates deviation between the frequency spectrum at the each location calculated by the frequency analysis unit and the approximate equation of the frequency spectrum calculated correspondingly with the frequency spectrum by the frequency spectrum approximate equation calculation unit; and a deviation display image data generation unit that generates information related to the deviation.

Abstract: In a feature data space including a first coordinate system that contains at least some of sets of feature data being respectively extracted for known specimens as its coordinate components an ultrasonic observation apparatus calculates coordinate values of the feature data of a specimen in a second coordinate system and assigns display parameters corresponding to the calculated coordinate values, wherein the second coordinate system has a new coordinate axis as one of its coordinate axes, the new coordinate axis is an axis on which sum of distances between adjacent representative points is large, the representative points represent respective groups obtained by classifying the known specimens on the basis of information regarding each known specimen, the distances are obtained when the adjacent representative points, which are adjacent along a predetermined coordinate axis in the first coordinate system, are projected on a predetermined axis.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes: a frequency analyzing unit that calculates a frequency spectrum of a received ultrasonic wave; a frequency band setting unit that sets at least an upper limit frequency for use in approximating the calculated frequency spectrum to a predetermined frequency according to a receiving depth of an ultrasonic wave; a feature data extracting unit that extracts feature data of the frequency spectrum by approximating a frequency spectrum of the frequency band; a storage unit that stores feature data of a frequency spectrum extracted based on ultrasonic waves reflected off known specimens in association with tissue characteristics of the known specimens; and a tissue characteristic determining unit that determines a tissue characteristic in a predetermined area in the specimen using feature data stored in the storage unit in association with tissue characteristics of the known specimens and the feature data extracted at the feature data extracting unit.

Abstract: In a feature data space including a first coordinate system that contains at least some of sets of feature data being respectively extracted for known specimens as its coordinate components an ultrasonic observation apparatus calculates coordinate values of the feature data of a specimen in a second coordinate system and assigns display parameters corresponding to the calculated coordinate values, wherein the second coordinate system has a new coordinate axis as one of its coordinate axes, the new coordinate axis is an axis on which sum of distances between adjacent representative points is large, the representative points represent respective groups obtained by classifying the known specimens on the basis of information regarding each known specimen, the distances are obtained when the adjacent representative points, which are adjacent along a predetermined coordinate axis in the first coordinate system, are projected on a predetermined axis.