Abstract: In FIG. 2 (A), a reception beam (102) is formed using a weighting function (112). A position of a peak of the weighting function (112) is set at the position of the reception beam (102). A reception beam (104) is formed using a weighting function (114), and a position of a peak of the weighting function (114) is set at the position of the reception beam (104). A reception beam (106) is formed using a weighting function (116) and a position of a peak of the weighting function (116) is set at a position of the reception beam (106). In this manner, the positions of the peaks of the weighting functions (112, 114, 116) are shifted in the receive aperture, to follow movements of the reception beams (102, 104, 106) caused by electrical scanning.

Abstract: In ultrasound images, there are many stationary echoes in the region superficial to the deep region comprising the heart. In the present invention, a HPF processing unit (20) filters frame data by applying a high pass filter, the characteristics of which have been set according to the depth in the frame, on the frame data at said depth. The high pass filter can be achieved, for example, with a digital filter and the characteristics of the high pass filter are adjusted by the filter-setting unit (22) setting the filter coefficient of said digital filter. That is to say, the filter coefficient in the HPF processing unit (20) is controlled by the filter-setting unit (22) so that the deeper the region, the higher the offset level is set.

Abstract: A graphic image displayed on a tomographic image includes a puncture guide. The puncture guide has a main guide line and a sub guide line. The main guide line represents a reference puncture route based on a puncture angle, and the sub guide line represents the edge of a composite area defined by a plurality of scans. A deflection angle (?1) is determined according to the designation of a puncture angle (?1), and the puncture guide is formed on the basis of these angles.

Abstract: A 2D array transducer 10 is separated into a plurality of sub-arrays. Four representative sub-arrays from SA1 to SA4 are shown in an enlarged manner. In addition, the 2D array transducer (10) is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions. Four regions of (I)-(IV) segmented by dot-and-chain lines represent four transducer regions. For each sub-array, a delay process corresponding to the sub-array is executed based on a delay pattern defining an amount of delay for each of the plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array. In this process, for each transducer region, a common delay pattern is set for the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to the transducer region. For example, because sub-arrays SA1 and SA2 belong to the same transducer region (IV), a common delay pattern is set for the sub-arrays SA1 and SA2.

Abstract: In ultrasound images, there are many stationary echoes in the region superficial to the deep region comprising the heart. In the present invention, a HPF processing unit (20) filters frame data by applying a high pass filter, the characteristics of which have been set according to the depth in the frame, on the frame data at said depth. The high pass filter can be achieved, for example, with a digital filter and the characteristics of the high pass filter are adjusted by the filter-setting unit (22) setting the filter coefficient of said digital filter. That is to say, the filter coefficient in the HPF processing unit (20) is controlled by the filter-setting unit (22) so that the deeper the region, the higher the offset level is set.

Abstract: A 2D array transducer (10) is separated into a plurality of sub-arrays. Four representative sub-arrays SA1 to SA4 are shown in an enlarged manner. In addition, the 2D array transducer (10) is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions. Four regions of (I)-(IV) segmented by dot-and-chain lines represent four transducer regions. A grouping process is executed for each sub-array to group the plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array into a plurality of element groups. In this process, for each transducer region, a common grouping pattern is set for the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to the transducer region. For example, because sub-arrays SA1 and SA2 belong to the same transducer region (IV), a common grouping pattern is set for the sub-arrays SA1 and SA2.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a transmission circuit which generates a transmission signal is provided. The transmission signal corresponds to a combined waveform of a trapezoidal waveform and an impulse-shaped waveform (impulse portion). In an example transmission signal, a front slope portion, a flat portion, and a rear slope portion exist in a positive polarity side. The impulse portion has a shape which protrudes from an offset level over a base line into an opposite polarity side. Because the center frequency of the trapezoidal wave form is near the DC component, the trapezoidal wave form can substantially be ignored. The impulse portion has a large amplitude, but because the impulse portion exists over both polarities, there is no need to apply a special high voltage countermeasure for each polarity in designing the transmission circuit. A trapezoidal wave form of an opposite polarity may be added in front of the trapezoidal waveform.

Abstract: A 2D array transducer (10) is separated into a plurality of sub-arrays. Four representative sub-arrays SA1 to SA4 are shown in an enlarged manner. In addition, the 2D array transducer (10) is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions. Four regions of (I)-(IV) segmented by dot-and-chain lines represent four transducer regions. A grouping process is executed for each sub-array to group the plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array into a plurality of element groups. In this process, for each transducer region, a common grouping pattern is set for the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to the transducer region. For example, because sub-arrays SA1 and SA2 belong to the same transducer region (IV), a common grouping pattern is set for the sub-arrays SA1 and SA2.

Abstract: A 2D array transducer 10 is separated into a plurality of sub-arrays. Four representative sub-arrays from SA1 to SA4 are shown in an enlarged manner. In addition, the 2D array transducer (10) is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions. Four regions of (I)-(IV) segmented by dot-and-chain lines represent four transducer regions. For each sub-array, a delay process corresponding to the sub-array is executed based on a delay pattern defining an amount of delay for each of the plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array. In this process, for each transducer region, a common delay pattern is set for the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to the transducer region. For example, because sub-arrays SA1 and SA2 belong to the same transducer region (IV), a common delay pattern is set for the sub-arrays SA1 and SA2.

Abstract: In FIG. 2 (A), a reception beam (102) is formed using a weighting function (112). A position of a peak of the weighting function (112) is set at the position of the reception beam (102). A reception beam (104) is formed using a weighting function (114), and a position of a peak of the weighting function (114) is set at the position of the reception beam (104). A reception beam (106) is formed using a weighting function (116) and a position of a peak of the weighting function (116) is set at a position of the reception beam (106). In this manner, the positions of the peaks of the weighting functions (112, 114, 116) are shifted in the receive aperture, to follow movements of the reception beams (102, 104, 106) caused by electrical scanning.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a transmission circuit which generates a transmission signal is provided. The transmission signal corresponds to a combined waveform of a trapezoidal waveform and an impulse-shaped waveform (impulse portion). In an example transmission signal, a front slope portion, a flat portion, and a rear slope portion exist in a positive polarity side. The impulse portion has a shape which protrudes from an offset level over a base line into an opposite polarity side. Because the center frequency of the trapezoidal wave form is near the DC component, the trapezoidal wave form can substantially be ignored. The impulse portion has a large amplitude, but because the impulse portion exists over both polarities, there is no need to apply a special high voltage countermeasure for each polarity in designing the transmission circuit. A trapezoidal wave form of an opposite polarity may be added in front of the trapezoidal waveform.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, a first transmission signal including both of two fundamentals of frequencies f0 and 2f0 is transmitted, and then a second transmission signal having a polarity reverse that of the first transmission signal is transmitted. A receiving beam processor 22 generates a signal in which the echoes of the two transmission signals are added, and a signal in which the echoes are subtracted. The fundamental components are canceled out by addition and a secondary harmonic component A2 generated by the non-linear interaction remains in the sum signal. In the subtraction signal, the fundamental component remains while the secondary harmonic component is canceled out by subtraction. The fundamental component AII of the frequency 2f0 is extracted from the subtraction signal, and a ratio (A2/AII) is calculated by a divider 44. A differentiating process is then executed by an HPF 46 to obtain the evaluation value reflecting the non-linear parameter at each depth of the body.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, a first transmission signal including both of two fundamentals of frequencies f0 and 2f0 is transmitted, and then a second transmission signal having a polarity reverse that of the first transmission signal is transmitted. A receiving beam processor 22 generates a signal in which the echoes of the two transmission signals are added, and a signal in which the echoes are subtracted. The fundamental components are canceled out by addition and a secondary harmonic component A2 generated by the non-linear interaction remains in the sum signal. In the subtraction signal, the fundamental component remains while the secondary harmonic component is canceled out by subtraction. The fundamental component AII of the frequency 2f0 is extracted from the subtraction signal, and a ratio (A2/AII) is calculated by a divider 44. A differentiating process is then executed by an HPF 46 to obtain the evaluation value reflecting the non-linear parameter at each depth of the body.