Patents by Inventor Chihiro Shibata

Chihiro Shibata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11284865
    Abstract: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine a scan region of an ultrasonic wave according to a scan target. The processing circuitry is configured to set a pulse repetition frequency for each raster of rasters so as to correspond to the scan region. The processing circuitry is configured to control a scan performance according to the pulse repetition frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chihiro Shibata, Akihiro Kakee, Kuramitsu Nishihara
  • Patent number: 10835200
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes Doppler processing circuitry and processing circuitry. The Doppler processing circuitry filters a data sequence of reflected-wave data at the same positions across a plurality of frames in a frame direction to collect blood flow information in a predetermined region of interest. The processing circuitry receives a first instruction to change the range of flow rate values to be displayed, in display of the blood flow information. The processing circuitry receives a second instruction to change a setting related to the region of interest. The processing circuitry changes the range of flow rate values in response to the first instruction when receiving the first instruction, and performs an adjustment for maintaining the range of flow rate values when receiving the second instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Chihiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 10709421
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry causes an ultrasound probe to execute first ultrasound scanning to acquire blood flow information within a first scanning area and causes the ultrasound probe to execute second ultrasound scanning to acquire tissue shape information within a second scanning area. The processing circuitry receives an instruction for changing a flow-velocity value to be displayed in display of the blood flow information. When, because of a change of the flow-velocity value according to the instruction, a time for transmitting/receiving ultrasound per scanning line in the first ultrasound scanning exceeds a transmitting/receiving time before the change, the processing circuitry assigns a time corresponding to the excess to at least one of the first ultrasound scanning and the second ultrasound scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro Shibata, Akihiro Kakee
  • Publication number: 20190175147
    Abstract: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine a scan region of an ultrasonic wave according to a scan target. The processing circuitry is configured to set a pulse repetition frequency for each raster of rasters so as to correspond to the scan region. The processing circuitry is configured to control a scan performance according to the pulse repetition frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chihiro SHIBATA, Akihiro KAKEE, Kuramitsu NISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 10292685
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment acquires a tomogram of a subject and displays the tomogram, based on a reception signal which is obtained by transmitting/receiving ultrasonic waves to/from the subject. The apparatus comprises maximum value memory circuitry, select circuitry, and an ultrasonic output controller. The maximum value memory circuitry stores a maximum value of an index value relating to an ultrasonic output, with respect to each of scan regions of the subject. The ultrasonic output controller acquires, from the maximum value memory circuitry, the maximum value of the index value corresponding to the scan region selected by the select circuitry, and controls the ultrasonic output such that the ultrasonic output does not exceed the maximum value of the index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Mio Azegami, Chihiro Shibata, Takuya Sasaki, Shigemitsu Nakaya, Masao Takimoto
  • Publication number: 20170224307
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry causes an ultrasound probe to execute first ultrasound scanning to acquire blood flow information within a first scanning area and causes the ultrasound probe to execute second ultrasound scanning to acquire tissue shape information within a second scanning area. The processing circuitry receives an instruction for changing a flow-velocity value to be displayed in display of the blood flow information. When, because of a change of the flow-velocity value according to the instruction, a time for transmitting/receiving ultrasound per scanning line in the first ultrasound scanning exceeds a transmitting/receiving time before the change, the processing circuitry assigns a time corresponding to the excess to at least one of the first ultrasound scanning and the second ultrasound scanning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro SHIBATA, Akihiro KAKEE
  • Publication number: 20170071567
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes Doppler processing circuitry and processing circuitry. The Doppler processing circuitry filters a data sequence of reflected-wave data at the same positions across a plurality of frames in a frame direction to collect blood flow information in a predetermined region of interest. The processing circuitry receives a first instruction to change the range of flow rate values to be displayed, in display of the blood flow information. The processing circuitry receives a second instruction to change a setting related to the region of interest. The processing circuitry changes the range of flow rate values in response to the first instruction when receiving the first instruction, and performs an adjustment for maintaining the range of flow rate values when receiving the second instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Chihiro SHIBATA
  • Patent number: 9398899
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a transmission/reception unit generates a reception signal. A signal extraction unit extracts a harmonic signal and fundamental wave signal from the reception signal. A calculation unit calculates a feature amount based on values corresponding to the amplitudes of the harmonic signal and fundamental wave signal. An area determination unit determines an area in a scanned area based on the feature amount and a predetermined threshold. A change unit changes the value corresponding to the amplitude of the harmonic signal in the determined area. An image generation unit generates a corrected harmonic image based on the harmonic signal in the scanned area including the determined area having the changed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Sumi, Chihiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20160081667
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment acquires a tomogram of a subject and displays the tomogram, based on a reception signal which is obtained by transmitting/receiving ultrasonic waves to/from the subject. The apparatus comprises maximum value memory circuitry, select circuitry, and an ultrasonic output controller. The maximum value memory circuitry stores a maximum value of an index value relating to an ultrasonic output, with respect to each of scan regions of the subject. The ultrasonic output controller acquires, from the maximum value memory circuitry, the maximum value of the index value corresponding to the scan region selected by the select circuitry, and controls the ultrasonic output such that the ultrasonic output does not exceed the maximum value of the index value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mio AZEGAMI, Chihiro SHIBATA, Takuya SASAKI, Shigemitsu NAKAYA, Masao TAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150359507
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a tomographic image data generator, a blood flow information generator, a change detector, and a condition changing unit. The tomographic image data generator sequentially obtains tomographic image data of a subject for a plurality of times. The blood flow information generator performs processing on a reception signal based on signal processing conditions including a velocity threshold related to blood flow information of the subject to obtain the blood flow information. The change detector detects the magnitude of change in the time axis direction of a plurality of pieces of tomographic image data for different times. The condition changing unit changes the signal processing conditions based on the magnitude of change in the time axis direction. When the signal processing conditions are changed, the blood flow information generator performs the processing based on changed signal processing conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro SHIBATA, Tomohisa IMAMURA, Masao TAKIMOTO, Shigemitsu NAKAYA, Takuya SASAKI, Kuramitsu NISHIHARA, Mio AZEGAMI, Yuko TAKADA
  • Patent number: 9146314
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scanning unit repeatedly scans an internal region of an object with an ultrasonic wave at a predetermined frame rate via an ultrasonic probe. An image generation unit extracts a blood flow signal based on a Doppler effect from a reflection signal and repeatedly generates a blood flow image representing a spatial distribution associated with power of the blood flow signal at the frame rate. A power average value associated with a frame or local region is calculated for the blood flow image. The blood flow image is corrected. In the correcting, a gain on the power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value exceeds the threshold are substantially reduced, and power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value is not more than the threshold are maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sato, Chihiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 9107631
    Abstract: An imaging part transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and receives reflected waves from the subject, thereby acquiring plural volume data of the subject. A specifying part specifies a surface site included in a face corresponding to the surface of the subject, in each of the plural volume data. A synthesizer executes position matching of the subject shown in each of the plural volume data. The synthesizer couples the plural volume data after position matching, and couples the respective surface sites specified in the respective volume data, thereby generating synthesized volume data. Based on the synthesized volume data, an image generator generates morphology image data showing the morphology of the subject and surface image data showing the coupled surface sites. A display controller controls a display to display a morphology image based on the morphology image data and a surface image based on the surface image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro Shibata, Muneki Kataguchi, Atsushi Sumi
  • Patent number: 9072470
    Abstract: As an ROI for display and an ROI for valve observation as well as a projecting direction are input, a volume-rendering processing unit creates a first image in the ROI for display through volume rendering processing, and the ray-tracing processing unit creates a second image in the ROI for valve observation through ray tracing processing. An image compositing unit then creates a composite image by compositing the first image and the second image, and the composite image created by the image compositing unit (13) is displayed on a monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Sumi, Fumiyasu Sakaguchi, Takuya Sasaki, Kenichi Ichioka, Akihiro Kakee, Tomohisa Imamura, Chihiro Shibata, Kuramitsu Nishihara
  • Patent number: 8894579
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a unit which sets a display region for displaying a 3D image, a unit which transmits and receives ultrasound waves, a unit which generates volume data, a unit, on the basis of the volume data, which sets an analysis region, a unit, on the basis of the data on the analysis region contained in the volume data, which analyzes a fluctuations in signal intensity over time, a unit, on the basis of the analysis result, which calculates a cardiac cycle, a unit, on the basis of the cardiac cycle and the volume data, which generates data set constructed by data with substantially equal cardiac cycle, and generates data sets corresponding to a plurality of cardiac cycles, and a unit which displays the 3D images based on the data sets as a moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kuramitsu Nishihara, Shigemitsu Nakaya, Akihiro Kakee, Kenichi Ichioka, Chihiro Shibata, Masao Takimoto, Atsushi Sumi, Muneki Kataguchi, Takuya Sasaki, Yoshihito Abe, Yasushi Kamewada
  • Publication number: 20140059486
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with a display unit configured to display an ultrasonic image, has a controller. The controller executes a setting for a position of an area of interest in the displayed ultrasonic image and a displaying of a mode selection menu on the display unit, simultaneously, in response to a single action while the ultrasonic image is displayed on the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takuya Sasaki, Chihiro Shibata, Kuramitsu Nishihara, Atsushi Sumi
  • Patent number: 8652049
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit, 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro Shibata, Akihiro Kakee, Kenichi Ichioka, Kuramitsu Nishihara
  • Publication number: 20130066210
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a transmission/reception unit generates a reception signal. A signal extraction unit extracts a harmonic signal and fundamental wave signal from the reception signal. A calculation unit calculates a feature amount based on values corresponding to the amplitudes of the harmonic signal and fundamental wave signal. An area determination unit determines an area in a scanned area based on the feature amount and a predetermined threshold. A change unit changes the value corresponding to the amplitude of the harmonic signal in the determined area. An image generation unit generates a corrected harmonic image based on the harmonic signal in the scanned area including the determined area having the changed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventors: Atsushi SUMI, Chihiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20120197125
    Abstract: As one illustrative embodiment, a first calculator obtains a first power value, which is the sum of the absolute value of a plurality of data obtained by a plurality of transmissions. A velocity-vector calculating unit obtains the velocity vector based on a plurality of data. A second calculator obtains a second power value, which is the absolute value of the velocity vector. A post-filter processor comprises one or more post-filter processes to determine the power value, and in the one or more post-filter processes, a power value other than the power value used in obtaining the threshold value for determination is selected as the power value at each observation point and the selected power value is determined based on the threshold value for determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Chihiro SHIBATA, Takuya SASAKI, Kuramitsu NISHIHARA, Akihiro KAKEE
  • Publication number: 20110301470
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scanning unit repeatedly scans an internal region of an object with an ultrasonic wave at a predetermined frame rate via an ultrasonic probe. An image generation unit extracts a blood flow signal based on a Doppler effect from a reflection signal and repeatedly generates a blood flow image representing a spatial distribution associated with power of the blood flow signal at the frame rate. A power average value associated with a frame or local region is calculated for the blood flow image. The blood flow image is corrected. In the correcting, a gain on the power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value exceeds the threshold are substantially reduced, and power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value is not more than the threshold are maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: Takeshi SATO, Chihiro SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20110282204
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit, 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Chihiro SHIBATA, Akihiro KAKEE, Kenichi ICHIOKA, Kuramitsu NISHIHARA